Right on Crime

Right on Crime
Name	Right on Crime
Type	Advocacy group
Founded	2010
Founders	Texas Public Policy Foundation
Headquarters	Houston, Texas
Area served	United States
Focus	Criminal justice reform

Right on Crime is a conservative criminal justice reform initiative launched to promote conservative approaches to sentencing, corrections, and public safety. It advocates policy changes through state-level campaigns, legislative engagement, and partnerships with conservative organizations and policymakers. The initiative has engaged with a range of actors across the Republican movement, think tanks, lawmakers, and advocates in debates over sentencing reform, recidivism reduction, and corrections spending.

Overview

Right on Crime operates at the intersection of conservative policy networks including the Texas Public Policy Foundation, American Legislative Exchange Council, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and Manhattan Institute. It frames criminal justice reform in terms resonant with Republican Party priorities, fiscal conservatives, and faith-based groups such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. The initiative has worked with elected officials from the Governorship of Rick Perry, the U.S. Senate membership, and state legislatures including the Texas Legislature and the Florida Legislature. Partner organizations and allied figures have included Charles Koch, Koch network, Edwin Meese III, Grover Norquist, and leaders from the Federalist Society.

History and founding

Right on Crime emerged amid bipartisan momentum following high-profile reform efforts such as the passage of the First Step Act, sentencing reforms in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and state-level measures in Texas and Georgia. Its roots trace to collaborations among the Texas Public Policy Foundation, conservative donors associated with Charles Koch, and policy entrepreneurs linked to the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Heritage Foundation. Early endorsements and advisory participation included former officials from the Department of Justice, state attorneys general, and former governors such as Rick Perry and Bob McDonnell. The launch occurred in a national context shaped by debates around the War on Drugs, the Three-strikes law era, and high incarceration rates highlighted by reports from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Sentencing Project.

Policy positions and initiatives

Right on Crime promotes policies that include sentencing reform, corrections alternatives, reentry programs, and parole and probation reforms. It supports evidence-based practices cited by organizations such as the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the Urban Institute. Policy proposals advanced by the group echo reforms seen in legislation like the First Step Act and state packages modeled on Second Chance Act principles. Initiatives stress reducing corrections spending on long-term incarceration and reallocating funds toward treatment programs advocated by entities such as SAMHSA and National Institute on Drug Abuse. Right on Crime-backed model legislation has been circulated through networks including the American Legislative Exchange Council and championed in state capitols such as Austin, Tallahassee, and Atlanta.

Political influence and advocacy

Right on Crime has engaged with prominent Republican politicians, state attorneys general, and conservative activists to shape legislative agendas. Allies have included members of the Republican Study Committee, former leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives, and governors like Rick Scott and Scott Walker who have pursued conservative reform narratives. The initiative has been cited at events hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Heritage Foundation, and has partnered with faith-based organizations such as Prison Fellowship and The Salvation Army on reentry programming. Its advocacy tactics mirror those used by other policy networks including the Koch network and the Clinton Global Initiative-style public-private partnerships, leveraging testimonies before state legislative committees and briefings for members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Criticism and controversies

Critics have raised concerns about the influence of wealthy donors including members of the Koch network, and the role of corporate-linked funding in shaping policy priorities similar to debates seen around the American Legislative Exchange Council. Civil liberties organizations such as the ACLU and criminal justice advocacy groups including the Sentencing Project and Brennan Center for Justice have questioned whether conservative reforms prioritize cost savings over racial equity and victims’ needs. Opposition has invoked controversies connected to prior bipartisan compromises like the negotiations over the First Step Act and critiques leveled during state debates in Texas and Ohio. Scholars from institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, Yale Law School, and Princeton University have published analyses examining whether the outcomes align with claims about reduced recidivism and fiscal benefits.

Impact and assessments

Assessments of Right on Crime’s impact reference measurable changes in state sentencing laws, parole policies, and corrections expenditures documented by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Urban Institute, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Supporters point to statutes enacted in states such as Texas, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina as evidence of policy diffusion, while academic evaluations from University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Columbia University researchers have produced mixed findings on long-term public safety and recidivism effects. The initiative’s role in reframing conservative discourse on criminal justice has been compared with historical policy shifts linked to the War on Drugs rollback debates, bipartisan criminal justice coalitions like those surrounding the First Step Act, and reform movements involving groups such as Prison Fellowship and Vera Institute of Justice.

Category:Criminal justice reform in the United States