Reducing the Harms of Criminal Legal System Involvement

We study how involvement with the criminal legal system through fines and fees, incarceration, or supervision can create lasting harm for individuals, families, and communities. We study the behavioral health impacts of criminal legal system involvement. Our work also studies how financial burdens as a result of criminal legal involvement can limit access to essentials like housing, healthcare, and employment and destabilize families and communities. We aim to inform policies that reduce these harms and promote stability and opportunity.