CSG Justice Center

“Our goal is to turn research into practical, field-ready strategies that help officers make better decisions, build strong trust with their communities, and improve outcomes across the justice system.”

🤝 Learn more about how we’re teaming up with The Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School to train police and make communities safer:

Connecticut Launches Innovative Police Training Program on Community Engagement - CSG Justice Center The CSG Justice Center and The Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School are launching a first-of-its-kind program in Connecticut focused on reducing bias and building trust.

As communities rethink *who* responds to nonviolent 911 calls, "careful triage, clear dispatch rules, and strong backup protocols are essential so the system does not leave callers hanging or slow down urgent responses." https://hubs.la/Q04jBWZP0

We’re glad to see Hoodline highlight our data-driven, cross-system triage best practices, which you can explore here: https://hubs.la/Q04jzrSl0

St. Louis Tries Radical 911 Rethink To Cut Cops Out Of Routine Calls New pilot aims to send low‑risk 911 calls to community responders in St. Louis.

This , we highlighted how states, communities, and the justice system can improve how they respond to people with mental health needs.

When we connect more people to care—instead of resorting to incarceration—and provide mental health treatment in jails and prisons, our communities are safer and healthier.

📥 Stay connected for more data, insights, and solutions: https://hubs.la/Q04jbzkL0

Sometimes, crisis response starts with helping people secure basic needs like food, water, or even socks—and ends with connecting people to care instead of incarceration.

That’s the approach Denver now uses, and in *tens of thousands* of 911 calls, there have been *zero* reported injuries to responders.

Ex-Denver Police Department Chief Paul Pazen recently sat down with the CSG Justice Center’s Ernest Stevens, who appeared on HBO’s “Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops,” to chat about how this new approach builds trust and makes communities safer.

Watch it now: https://hubs.la/Q04gcKJC0

What Police Departments Can Learn from Denver - CSG Justice Center Ernest Stevens, from the award-winning HBO documentary “Crisis Cops,” interviews former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen.

When dealing with high-risk youth and under pressure to make communities safer, many judges and juvenile court leaders are resorting to harsh, ineffective, and sanctions-heavy approaches that don’t align with the research on reducing reoffending.

Join the CSG Justice Center, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the State Justice Institute for an interactive webinar on research-backed “DOs” and “DON’Ts” for:

✅ Identifying high-risk youth
✅ Determining detention, supervision, and services
✅ Assessing case progress
✅ Keeping youth accountable

👉 Register today: https://hubs.la/Q04j0cfx0

Over the past decade, 500+ counties across the country have implemented the “Stepping Up” framework to confront the behavioral health crisis in jails and in communities.

Now, we’re adapting it specifically for youth.

We partnered with 7 counties in Kansas to test our “Stepping Up for Youth” framework intended to safely reduce youth involvement in the justice system and expand access to mental health and substance use care.

📣 Interested in launching Stepping Up for Youth in your state?

Learn how: https://hubs.la/Q04hvH6S0

Kansas Counties Pilot New “Stepping Up for Youth” Framework to Reduce Detention, Improve Behavioral Health Care - CSG Justice Center They adapted our adult-focused framework that has been implemented in over 500 counties across the country.

Reliable 911 data is essential for leaders to make effective decisions about emergency communications and public safety systems. But many places struggle to collect data that will actually help them understand what’s happening in their systems so they can appropriately and compassionately respond to people in crisis.

This new CSG Justice Center guide offers 5 practical solutions for data quality challenges: https://hubs.la/Q04fFhDF0

5 Solutions for Overcoming Common Data Quality Challenges on Behavioral Health Calls for Service - CSG Justice Center How to start, improve, and sustain efforts to collect better data on behavioral health calls for service.

Momentum is building in Kansas.

At this year’s annual Stepping Up Technical Assistance (TA) Center Symposium in Topeka, we connected with state and local leaders working to confront the behavioral health crisis in jails and communities with real solutions.

We officially launched the Kansas Stepping Up for Youth TA Center to help counties in the state implement the nation’s first Stepping Up for Youth initiative.

Learn more about the TA center and how your county can benefit: https://hubs.la/Q04hngRz0

The decisions that court and criminal justice leaders make in the hours and days after someone is booked into jail are critical, especially for people with behavioral health needs.

Without the right interventions, people can cycle through the justice system for years without ever receiving the right treatment.

📣The CSG Justice Center’s new “Counties Aligning Health & Safety” initiative, funded by Arnold Ventures, can help counties implement a research-based, cross-system framework for safely diverting people from incarceration and treating behavioral health needs during incarceration.

💻 Register for this webinar to learn how: https://hubs.la/Q04hySfs0

States that want to invest in care—not just incarceration—should start by investing in behavioral health providers to meet the demand.

Without action, the shortage of addiction counselors, mental health counselors, and psychologists is only going to worsen.

➡️ Explore the projected supply and demand of providers in your state: https://hubs.la/Q04dpW5q0