Since it began in 1978, the Program for Justice focused on improving the criminal justice system in the United States, becoming best known for its work addressing issues of sentencing, prison reform, and overcrowding. The State-Centered Program (SCP) that the Foundation launched in 1988, directed by Program Director Ken Schoen, assisted state policymakers and criminal justice leaders interested in controlling the growth of prison populations without compromising public safety. The SCP did not advocate or promote specific legislation or administrative regulations but, rather, sought to help state decision-makers undertake policy analysis and engage key public stakeholders in exploring how to use criminal justice resources more effectively.

Steering committees of policymakers and criminal justice officials in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Carolina developed strategies for improving sentencing and corrections policies. They designed and implemented plans to reduce reliance on imprisonment for certain low-risk offenders and expanded alternative sanctions that could be used safely and effectively to punish offenders. State committees also hosted educational workshops for judges, legislators, prosecutors, and county officials, and conducted outreach to business leaders, religious institutions, community groups, crime victims, and other constituencies to engage them in planning and evaluating corrections programs and policies.

While acknowledging the progress made by SCP states and steering committees, the Foundation concluded in 1996 that it lacked the necessary resources–financial and human–to improve complex criminal justice and corrections systems in a scalable or sustainable way. That year, the Foundation’s trustees established the Institute for Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota Law School and transferred the SCP to this institute. Other closing grants by the Justice Program included support for the Vera Institute of Justice's sentencing and corrections assistance program for states, and multi-year grants to a consortium of high-performing juvenile justice organizations to assess and improve their impact on young people and strengthen relationships within the field.

Additional Resources

Consortium for Juvenile Justice Reform website

Vera Institute of Justice’s Center for Sentencing and Corrections website