Teams from All 50 States Examine Local Criminal Justice Trends at "Unprecedented Gathering"

Date:  11-17-2017 Each state team included the state's corrections administrator, a key state legislator, a law enforcement official and a local behavioral health professional

From The Council of State Governments: The two-day summit 50-State Summit on Public Safety, organized by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center in partnership with the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA), occurred at a time when public safety officials and crime data are telling a complex story. While property crime rates have fallen significantly in almost every state, and the overall violent crime rate remains lower than it was a decade ago, it is no longer universally declining. In fact, violent crime is increasing overall in 18 states and in many individual communities across the country. Further, the opioid epidemic has become a national crisis, and law enforcement leaders describe engaging with more people with serious mental illnesses than ever before. Read more here.