About the Commission

The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (“the Commission”) was established by the Council on Criminal Justice to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the justice system, offer strategies to limit outbreaks, and produce a priority agenda of systemic changes to better balance public health and public safety.

Given the urgent need to address the immediate health and safety risks posed by the pandemic, the Commission has been required to work quickly. Since it was established in late July 2020, the Commission has produced multiple research reports to better inform both the Commission and the public at large. Those reports can be found here.

The Commission was charged with producing policy recommendations to address the immediate impact of the coronavirus pandemic, along with a broader set of recommendations to improve the readiness, effectiveness, and fairness of the criminal justice system in a post-pandemic world. The recommendations for immediate action are contained in this interim report; systemic recommendations will be released in by the end of 2020.

Council Commissions and Task Forces are independent of the Council and solely responsible for the content of their reports. Topics are selected by Council leadership and meetings are facilitated by Council staff and consultants, but neither the Board of Directors nor the Board of Trustees approves or disapproves the findings and recommendations.

Diverse in background and perspective, Commission members strive to reach consensus on findings and policy proposals through private, nonpartisan discussions. Members are asked to reach a consensus endorsing the general policy thrust and judgments reached by the group, though not necessarily every finding and recommendation. Members participate in the Commission in their individual, not their institutional, capacities, and professional affiliations included in Commission reports do not imply institutional endorsement.