Council on Criminal Justice

What Council on Criminal Justice does

The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is a nonpartisan nonprofit think tank and invitational membership organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It conducts criminal justice research and policy analysis, convenes cross-ideological stakeholders, and produces recurring crime trend reports tracking 13 offense categories across 30+ major U.S. cities since 2020. The organization operates through specialized task forces and commissions covering policing, violent crime, veterans justice, women's justice, artificial intelligence governance, and health/reentry (HARP), supplemented by interactive resources such as The Footprint and a user decision framework for AI adoption in criminal justice agencies. Its core technology is data-driven policy research and statistical analysis rather than a commercial software product; the underlying platform includes a longitudinal crime dataset, member-only convening infrastructure, and a recurring research/publications engine.

CCJ's membership model aggregates 300+ elected Council members from law enforcement, corrections, courts, communities, advocacy, and academia, creating a cross-ideological center of gravity that feeds testimony, op-eds, and policy briefings to federal, state, and local decision-makers. Outputs have shaped federal agency practice (the FBI adopted two CCJ recommendations, and the U.S. DOJ violence reduction roadmap referenced CCJ's 'Ten Essential Actions') and state policy (Nebraska's Veterans Justice Act model, Medicaid reentry waivers in 19 states as of winter 2025).

The organization is funded by a diversified mix of philanthropic foundations (Arnold Ventures, MacArthur, Ford, Annie E. Casey, Charles Koch Institute) and corporate partners (Bank of America, Microsoft, LinkedIn, NFL, Georgia Power/Southern Company, JPMorgan Chase). It does not sell products or services; its deliverables are research publications, policy recommendations, convenings, and media commentary distributed through earned media, op-eds, congressional and White House briefings, events, and owned social channels, with membership granted by invitation and nomination.

Name

Council on Criminal Justice

Legal name

Council on Criminal Justice

Website

https://counciloncj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan nonprofit think tank founded in 2019 in Washington, DC, that conducts criminal justice research, publishes recurring crime trend reports across 30+ U.S. cities, and convenes 300+ cross-ideological Council members to inform federal, state, and corporate policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Policy Research

NAICS

Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922190)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Criminal justice research
• Policy analysis
• Think tank
• Nonpartisan research
• Criminal justice reform

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Philanthropic Grants: The organization receives funding from a diverse range of foundations and philanthropies including Arnold Ventures, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Charles Koch Institute, and others to support research and policy initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan think tank and invitational membership organization that conducts research, statistical analysis, and policy work on criminal justice issues. It produces periodic crime trends reports tracking 13 offense categories across 30+ major U.S. cities, convenes commissions and task forces (on AI, policing, veterans justice, women's justice, long sentences, and violent crime), and develops evidence-based policy recommendations. Its work is funded by philanthropic grants and is disseminated through reports, media commentary, congressional briefings, and an interactive data resource called The Footprint.

Product overview

The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan think tank and invitational membership organization that produces research reports, policy frameworks, and data analyses rather than a commercial technology product. Its core offerings include periodic Crime Trends reports tracking 13 offense categories across major U.S. cities, specialized commissions on topics including AI assessment, women's justice, veterans justice, and policing, interactive data resources like The Footprint, and consensus-building initiatives such as Centering Justice. The organization's primary deliverables are research publications, policy recommendations, and convenings rather than software products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crime Trends in U.S. Cities Reports Periodic analysis tracking crime patterns across 36 large U.S. cities, examining 13 offense categories including homicide, violent crime, and property crime with statistical trends from 2018 through mid-2026.
• Assessing AI for Criminal Justice: A User Decision Framework

Quantifiable outcome

• FBI implemented two CCJ recommendations: monthly crime trends reports and new data field for non-fatal shootings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025RBIJ is launching a Texas-focused initiative to help employers hire justice-impacted veterans, backed by a $1.5 million grant from Sam's Club. The initiative will provide Texas companies with resources, training, and technical assistance, including an upcoming webinar with CCJ and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
• Arizona State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner listed in the Partners & Advisers section of CCJ's About page.
• RAND CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner listed in the Partners & Advisers section of CCJ's About page.
• Georgia State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner listed in the Partners & Advisers section of CCJ's About page.
• Crime Justice InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in the Partners & Advisers section of CCJ's About page.
• Viaduct ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner listed in the Partners & Advisers section of CCJ's About page.
• Waxman StrategiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner listed in the Partners & Advisers section of CCJ's About page.
• Bank of AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner that briefs on overall trends and specific policy issues.
• Georgia Power/Southern CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner that briefs on criminal justice trends and policy issues.
• MicrosoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner engaged with CCJ on criminal justice policy matters.
• National Football League (NFL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting CCJ initiatives and briefings.
• LinkedInminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner engaged with CCJ on criminal justice policy discussions.
• Business RoundtablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCJ Veterans Justice Commission worked with Business Roundtable to craft and promote a model corporate policy to boost hiring of justice-involved veterans.
• Second Chance Business CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCJ Veterans Justice Commission collaborated with Second Chance Business Coalition to develop hiring policies for justice-involved veterans.
• Society for Human Resource ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CCJ Veterans Justice Commission and Business Roundtable to develop model corporate policy for hiring veterans with justice involvement.
• JPMorgan ChasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CCJ Veterans Justice Commission and other private sector experts to craft policies for hiring justice-involved veterans.
• Greater St. Louis Inc. and Regional Business CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelied on CCJ's Violent Crime Working Group recommendations for developing regional crime reduction strategy in St. Louis.
• Police Executive Research ForumminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUnder a new grant award, providing assistance to jurisdictions seeking to implement CCJ's Ten Essential Actions violence reduction strategies.
• National Restaurant Association Educational FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with RBIJ and CCJ on a webinar for the Texas veterans workforce initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Sentencing Project: National nonprofit doing research and advocacy on sentencing, incarceration, and racial disparities in the justice system. Comparable to CCJ in producing influential criminal justice research with a direct policy-impact orientation.
• RAND Corporation: Global research nonprofit with a large public safety and justice policy portfolio. Listed as a CCJ research partner; produces directly comparable policy research for federal agencies.
• R Street Institute: Free-market think tank with a criminal justice reform program emphasizing evidence-based, right-leaning reform. Highly relevant peer because CCJ explicitly courts ideologically diverse perspectives and partners across the political spectrum.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Long-standing nonprofit that conducts research, policy analysis, and demonstration projects to advance criminal justice reform. Closely mirrors CCJ's operating model of combining research, convening, and direct engagement with government agencies.
• Brennan Center for Justice: NYU-affiliated law and policy institute that produces criminal justice research and policy recommendations. Direct peer to CCJ given overlapping output (research reports, policy briefs) and federal-level policy influence.
• Council of State Governments Justice Center: Nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving state government leaders on criminal justice policy. Direct peer given similar state-level policy focus and bipartisan framing, closely overlapping CCJ's reentry and behavioral health work.
• Urban Institute Justice Policy Center: Research arm of the Urban Institute producing rigorous evidence on criminal justice, safety, and corrections. Comparable to CCJ in producing high-quality statistical research used by federal and state policymakers.
• Police Executive Research Forum: National policing research and policy organization explicitly named as a CCJ implementation partner under a new grant. Strong peer given overlapping policing research, and direct operational partnership.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Established DC think tank with broad social policy research including a criminal justice focus area. Broader incumbent compared to CCJ's narrower mission, but highly relevant on federal research influence and policymaker access.

Others

• Arnold Ventures: Major criminal justice funder of CCJ and a sizable funder of independent criminal justice research and advocacy. Included as a peer because, beyond funding, Arnold runs its own LPSP-style portfolio that competes for the same grantees and policy outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CouncilonCJ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@counciloncj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/counciloncj
• Instagraminstagram.com/counciloncj
• Facebookfacebook.com/counciloncj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council on Criminal Justice