Justice Policy Institute

Tracy Velázquez. Tracy Velázquez is a passionate advocate and committed progressive who was most recently senior program associate at the Vera Institute of Justice's Center on Sentencing and Corrections, where she worked with policymakers on expanding the diversion of people with substance abuse problems involved in the criminal justice system and implementing evidence-based supervision practices that improve the success rates of people… See full bio.

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Story: Violent and property crimes across the United States are falling this year according to figures released today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The agency’s annual Uniform Crime Report (UCR) shows all categories of violent crime and property crime fell from 2009 to 2010; all four regions of the country experienced drops in both violent and property crime.

The total number of crimes reported to law enforcement have been consistently declining since 2007. This year saw an impressive 6 percent drop in violent crimes, accompanied by a 2.7 percent decrease in property crimes. According to analysis released today by the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), the steadily declining crime rate has occurred as states are incarcerating fewer people and spending less money on corrections.

“The data makes clear that our states, cities, and communities can maintain and even improve public safety while reducing the number of people in prison,” said Tracy Velázquez, executive director of JPI. “That crime is falling and states are allocating fewer resources toward corrections tells us that we are heading on the right track and should continue to reduce the reliance on incarceration and devote resources to services and supports that strengthen and promote the well-being of all people and communities.

“Some may be surprised by these figures given the country’s economic struggles, but the data tells us that hard times don’t mean more crimes,” added Velázquez. “That being said, incarceration policies tend to have a disproportionate impact on people from low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. It is vital, even as we see violent and property crimes down in every region of the country and in both metropolitan cities and rural towns, that policymakers make smart investments to help those who need it most. Dedicating resources to jobs, education, housing and treatment, will continue the downward trend on crime and improve our communities and the lives of our friends and neighbors.”

Evidence of Impact Summary:

The Justice Policy Institute is praised for its powerful criminal justice reports that are based on comprehensive research and offer realistic solutions. JPI’s work has helped influence public perception of incarceration and has provided information on current challenges within the criminal justice system.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

JPI’s strengths include its willingness to tackle controversial issues and its ability to stay ahead and adapt to internal changes as well as changes in the sector.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

According to experts, JPI could improve if it had greater access to resources and if it increased the depth and accuracy of its research.
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Tracy Velázquez is a passionate advocate and committed progressive who was most recently senior program associate at the Vera Institute of Justice's Center on Sentencing and Corrections, where she worked with policymakers on expanding the diversion of people with substance abuse problems involved in the criminal justice system and implementing evidence-based supervision practices that improve the success rates of people re-entering the community from prison. Velázquez has been a long-time agent for change in a number of policy arenas. She is the former executive director of the Montana Mental Health Association, where she worked with policymakers to secure additional funding for mental health and suicide prevention, and to reduce the criminalization of people with mental illness. Through the media, she and her agency raised awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the top disabilities facing returning Iraq veterans. Prior to that, she co-founded and managed Commonwealth Consulting, a consulting firm providing strategic capacity-building services to nonprofits and public agencies. Velázquez also ran for U.S. Congress and served as Vice Chair of the Montana Democratic Party. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Master's of Public Administration degree from Montana State University.

The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at feedback@myphilanthropedia.org with your request.