Criminal Justice

The novel corona virus COVID-19 has become a worldwide public health pandemic that has induced anomic conditions impacting daily routines. COVID-19 response measures specifically alter regular schedules and both restrict and expand opportunities for various types of crime while presenting unprecedented challenges for the criminal justice system. For criminologists and criminal justice scientists, the virus also presents natural experiment conditions allowing for real-world theory tests and observation of the relative effectiveness of practice and policy options under weighty conditions.

Jails and prisons have become hotbeds of COVID-19 outbreaks. Various policies, such as improving access to medical care for inmates, providing soap and hand sanitizer to improve hygiene, and releasing some inmates to facilitate social distancing, have been proposed as ways to mitigate the spread of the virus in these facilities.

During pandemics, like COVID-19, law enforcement agencies are responsible for working with government and public health officials to contain spread, serve the local community, and maintain public order. Given the person-to-person spread of COVID-19 through respiratory droplets, law enforcement officers are also at a heightened risk of exposure due to their close contact with members of the public. To protect officers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies have made numerous recommendations for law enforcement agencies to protect officers and the public.

An early examination of the impact of COVID-19 on juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice in America, this review provides initial scholarship to rapidly evolving areas of research. Our appraisals of these topics are made after nearly 2 months of national COVID-19 mitigation measures, like social distancing and limited "non-essential" movement outside the home but also as states are gradually lifting stricter directives and reopening economic sectors.

The emergence and rapid growth of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted the U.S. criminal justice system as federal and state governments consider allowing the early release of select currently incarcerated individuals to mitigate the pandemic’s spread. As a result, the number of incarcerated individuals released into the community is likely to increase abruptly.

Across the country, civil and criminal justice system stakeholders are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of ways that directly impact access to justice. Below are websites, court orders, news items, legislation, and other resources that have been compiled by SCLAID and presented here for the benefit of the access to justice community. Note that changes are occurring rapidly and all websites provided below likely will be updated accordingly. Many of the other resources (including court orders, courtroom signage, government-issued guidance, emergency legislation, etc.) were shared by members of the access to justice community specifically to provide examples of how various state and local justice systems are responding to the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has spurred players from every corner of the criminal and juvenile justice fields to take dramatic, efficient action to protect the people they serve. While the pace and scale of this crisis is often overwhelming, there is a wealth of resources to support agencies and people on the front lines of this fight. To help make sense of the vast array of guidance that is emerging related to COVID-19 and the criminal justice system, here are select resources on practices that state and local governments can and are implementing to best protect people in the system from the virus.

Coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, criminal justice and immigration.

On this Coronavirus Resources page, NACDL is aggregating its statements and messages; motions, pleadings, rulings, and other court papers related to COVID-19 and at-risk clients; advocacy letters on which NACDL is a signatory; various resources from across the criminal justice community; and news of interest on the intersection of criminal justice and the coronavirus. Indeed, on this page you will find sections linking to End Incarceration's tracking of changes to incarcerated populations across the country, Courthouse News Service's and the Brennan Center for Justice's tracking of changes and responses of federal and state courts nationwide, and The Marshall Project's tracking of prisons' responses to the virus, including changes to visitation rules, among many other resources.

Coronavirus continues to be a top concern. Federal, state and local governments are making decisions that affect the operation of their criminal justice systems. Below is a list of resources that details action being taken by courts, law enforcement, state and local agencies and other civil and criminal justice stakeholders.

The Prison Policy Initiative is tracking pandemic-related criminal justice policy changes, issuing recommendations to state and local criminal justice agencies, and busting common myths about COVID-19 and the justice system.

Vera is producing guidance, working with government partners, and drawing attention to best practices to support justice systems in responding swiftly to protect people from COVID-19 while preserving due process for everyone.