Crime and public safety played a starring role in the Midterm election cycle with both parties centering the debate around policing and punishment and resorting to rhetoric and platitudes like “tough on crime” and “defund the police.” Both parties missed the larger point that voters understood: You can’t police your way to a safe and thriving community.

Over the pandemic, to help control the rapid spread of COVID throughout prisons, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) released thousands incarcerated individuals to a home confinement program.

The Justice Collaboratory spoke to Daniela Gilbert, Master of Public Administration (MPA), to discuss some important lessons relating to police research, and challenges and opportunities that police face in attempting to reform their departments and relations with the community.

Earlier this month, the ACLU of Connecticut, Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, incarcerated individuals, and lawyers from Yale Law School’s Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic and Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization brought a lawsuit against Governor Ned Lamont and Department of Corrections Commissioner Rollin Cook to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by reducing correctional facility populations.

Will Snowden is the founder of the Juror Project and director of the New Orleans office of Vera Institute of Justice. Will spoke to Collab in Action about the Juror Project, a nonprofit that aims to increase the diversity of jury panels and change perspectives on jury duty through community education.

Syrita Steib and Annie Phoenix are the co-founders of Operation Restoration, a New Orleans based organization that supports formerly incarcerated women and girls. They spoke to Collab in Action about their legislative victories, empowering women through employment and education, their advocacy work and vision for expanding Operation Restoration’s outreach and impact.