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Tools for States to Address Crime




The public is concerned about crime and distrustful of the justice system

  • In recent polls, 63 percent of people say that crime in the United States is an extremely or very serious problem.1
  • Just 17 percent of the public report “quite a lot” of confidence in the criminal justice system.2

Public Confidence in the Criminal Justice System, 2010–2023

  • Between racial disparities and concerns about violence and disorder, people are worried the justice system is broken. 

State leaders need a plan to advance safety and justice.  

  • To be effective, any plan must be responsive to state-specific trends and research-based tactics.  
  • Governors and legislators are best positioned to bring together people and data from across their states to develop a plan that is effective, efficient, and fair. 

To equip state leaders, the CSG Justice Center has analyzed the most recent 50-state data on crime, arrests, and prison populations and has developed a list of 5 ways states can reduce violent crime








Footnotes and Project Credits

1 Jeffrey M. Jones, “More Americans See U.S. Crime Problem as Serious,” Gallup, November 16, 2023, accessed January 25, 2024, https://news.gallup.com/poll/544442/americans-crime-problem-serious.aspx.

2 Lydia Saad, “Historically Low Faith in U.S. Institutions Continues,” Gallup, July 6, 2023, accessed January 25, 2024, https://news.gallup.com/poll/508169/historically-low-faith-institutions-continues.aspx.

Writing: Marshall Clement, CSG Justice Center

Data Analysis and Visualization: Matt Herman, CSG Justice Center

Advising: Dion Clark, Grace Beil Call, Jessica Saunders, CSG Justice Center 

Editing: Leslie Griffin, CSG Justice Center 

Public Affairs: Brenna Callahan, CSG Justice Center 

Design/Web Development: Besnik Berisha, CSG Justice Center; eleventy Marketing Group