An Overview of Criminal Justice Reform in the United States

With the United States incarcerating more people than any other country in the world, there is a growing demand for less costly and more humane strategies to respond to crime and keep communities safe. This overview, created in partnership by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States of America and the Center for Justice Innovation, provides a look at criminal justice reform in the United States, walking through the broad continuum of public safety and criminal justice from crime prevention at the community level to corrections and reentry.

At each point along this continuum, the reader will be introduced to key challenges, opportunities for positive intervention, and existing examples of successful reforms. Policymakers, civic leaders, and other engaged members of the general public may look to this brochure as a resource to orient themselves in a policy area that is as pressing as it is complex.

An Overview of Criminal Justice Reform in the United States