For decades, conservatives were told that the only way to be “tough on crime” was to hand out longer sentences and build more prisons and jails. But when the majority of incarcerated individuals are eventually released—and more than half of them reoffend—it’s clear that punishment alone doesn’t reduce crime. We need more than toughness; we need effectiveness.
Real public safety is about accountability. It means applying the conservative values we hold dear: personal responsibility, limited government, and fiscal discipline. Yet we spend more than $80 billion a year on incarceration with little to show for it in terms of reduced recidivism or safer communities. That’s a poor return on investment by any standard—and conservatives can lead the way in fixing a criminal justice system that’s not working.
That’s the mission of Right On Crime.
Launched in Texas in 2007—a state known more for no-nonsense justice than leniency—Right On Crime was founded as a project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation to reexamine how we approach public safety. It didn’t start from ideology or emotion, but from facts, data, and good old-fashioned common sense. The outcome? Texas safely closed prisons, lowered its incarceration rate, and reduced crime—all while saving taxpayers billions.
This isn’t just a Texas success story. Since becoming a national initiative in 2010, Right On Crime has helped states across the country adopt similar policies. Today, we have directors in 15 states and a presence on Capitol Hill, working to make our communities safer and our criminal justice system more accountable.
As former U.S. House Speaker and Right On Crime Signatory Newt Gingrich put it, “Conservatives are supposed to be about results. And the old system just wasn’t getting the results we need—too many people locked up for too long with no better outcomes.”
Former U.S. Attorney and Right On Crime Executive Director Brett Tolman echoed that concern: “When political pressures take precedence over common sense, we create policies that sound tough but do little to reduce violent crime or make our communities safer. Locking up low-level offenders for longer only creates hardened criminals. Serious punishment should be reserved for those we fear—not those we’re simply mad at.”
The path forward is clear: we must protect victims and restore public trust in a system that often feels inefficient and impersonal. We must reserve prison space for truly dangerous offenders, modernize outdated and redundant laws that do little to improve safety, and focus on rehabilitation and reentry for those coming home.
Conservatives know the value of second chances- because we’ve seen redemption in our churches, families, and communities. Supporting rehabilitation programming, earned-time credits, and reentry policies will strengthen our workforce and create taxpayers instead of tax burdens.
Being smart on crime means setting higher expectations for those who break the law—expectations that include restitution, growth, and accountability. That’s why Right On Crime supports programs that reward rehabilitation, push for transparency in correctional systems, and demand accountability not just from offenders—but from the system itself.
As Tolman rightly noted, “Crime reduction and public safety are best served not by harsher blanket punishments, but by smart policies grounded in evidence. It is possible, after all, to seek and get justice without the destruction, inconsistency, and weaponization of the rule of law.”
Right On Crime supports real, evidence-based solutions that deliver less crime, fewer victims, and stronger communities. Far more effective than blindly being “tough on crime,” Right On Crime will continue to lead with policies that are smart, results-driven, and unapologetically conservative.