REPORT: As Party Conventions Kick Off, Actionable Public Safety Policy Opportunities Abound

Nation’s Leading Bipartisan Criminal Justice Org Releases 2025 Public Safety Agenda: Reduce Youth Unemployment, Help Cops Solve Crimes, Prioritize Prison for Violent Offenses, More

Washington, DC – Justice Action Network released a new report Wednesday highlighting effective, broadly bipartisan policies that would address the size, cost, and efficacy of the nation’s federal criminal justice system. Together, the policies represent a popular, data-driven agenda for the nation’s next presidential administration and congressional delegation, regardless of the outcome of the November election.

Federal Criminal Justice Reform: Options for Policymakers 2025-2029 includes policy options for addressing inefficiencies throughout the criminal justice system – from crime prevention to reentry after a period of incarceration – through the lens of bipartisan cooperation, focusing on policies that have already attained strong support from both elected officials and citizens on both sides of the political aisle.

“When voters go to the polls in November public safety will be top of mind,” said JAN federal affairs director JC Hendrickson, “Candidates will no doubt spend the time between now and then focusing on how their positions on criminal justice differ from their opponent’s positions, but it’s critical that we don’t forget how many solutions exist where we basically all agree. Both Republicans and Democrats agree that prisons should have oversight, that transparency in how our criminal justice system operates is a good thing, that cops should have the tools they need to solve crimes, that once a person has done their time in prison they need to be able to work and provide for themselves, and so much more. We know how to take the next steps in all of those areas because we have evidence and data to follow.”

Recommendations in the report fall into five broad areas: preventing and solving crimes, evidence-based sentencing reform, increasing prison oversight and effectiveness, reducing barriers to reentry, and reducing collateral consequences of incarceration.

“This report is about what’s not just possible, but popular and effective,” said JAN executive director Jenna Bottler, “Congress has taken bold steps to improve the cost and efficacy of our criminal justice system in the past, but the work is far from done. Elected officials of any political persuasion must recognize that voters want effective, data-driven policies that work to reduce crime, cut taxpayer costs, and deliver long-lasting public safety benefits.”