As Women's Share of Arrests Doubles, National Commission Calls for Tailored Justice Responses

Date:  11-25-2025 Led by former AG Loretta Lynch, and advised by Oklahoma First Lady Sarah Stitt, CCJ panel releases strategic plan to prevent crime, strengthen families, and cut costs

From Council on Criminal Justice: WASHINGTON – Current criminal justice policies and practices undermine public safety and destabilize families by too often failing to address the unique pathways that lead women into the justice system in the first place, including trauma, economic hardship, and unmet behavioral health needs, the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) Women’s Justice Commission said today. In its first policy report, Stronger Families, Safer Communities: Improving Outcomes for Women at the Front End of the Justice System, the Commission called for four priority measures to stem the flow of women into the criminal justice system and improve success rates for women and their families: Prioritize alternatives to arrest, and connections to services, for women who do not pose a serious threat to public safety. Base pretrial detention decisions on public safety and flight risk. Expand responses to and consideration of women’s distinct circumstances at charging and sentencing. Prohibit all sexual contact between police officers and people in their control or custody. Continue reading here.