Effective criminal justice policy assumes the legitimacy of criminal justice systems, and that legitimacy rests on the ability of those systems to protect public safety efficiently and enforce criminal laws fairly and consistently. Moreover, effective criminal justice policy is rooted in evidence derived from policy experimentation and rigorous analysis. The Niskanen Center offers effective criminal justice system reform policy proposals directly by working with lawmakers and advocates, and indirectly by helping transmit knowledge – what works, what doesn’t, and why – throughout the criminal justice system.