HBCU Criminal Justice Research Hub Releases Houston Needs Assessment Findings

The HBCU Criminal Justice Research Hub at the Center for Justice Research, based at Texas Southern University, has released its findings from a public safety needs assessment conducted between 2023 and 2025. The assessment found consensus on the need for greater investment in communities impacted by violence, both in the form of dollars and in community relationships built on trust.

The HBCU Hub set out in 2023 to bring together community members with lived experience, researchers, community organizations, government agencies, and other key stakeholders to collaboratively tackle the issues of violence and incarceration in the city.

The Hub consisted of four community advocates, five researchers, and four subject matter experts. Seeking to have community input at every step of the process, the Hub hosted two public meetings, dedicating the majority of the time to community dialogue around the issues of violence and over-incarceration, and used these insights to shape the needs assessment. Community members also engaged as participants in the assessment via an online survey and were asked to offer feedback on the final report to ensure the Hub’s takeaways aligned with community perspectives.

Key findings from statistical analysis of crime and case data were consistent with existing research, showing that Black and Latino communities in Houston experienced violence and criminal legal system involvement at disproportionate rates compared to majority-White zip codes. Crime and incarceration were also linked to economic indicators.

Critically, the Houston needs assessment added complexity to these statistical findings by relying on qualitative insights from Houston residents. These residents had a lot to say about perceived causes of crime and incarceration, community relationships with law enforcement, and avenues to improving conditions for Houstonians. Primarily, participants emphasized the importance of investing in communities, both monetarily and through relationships, to strengthen support systems and collaboration between different groups of stakeholders.

“Safer communities are not the result of chance. They are the product of intentional action, and this report charts a clear path forward,” said Howard Henderson, Founding Director of the Center for Justice Research and the project’s principal investigator.

These findings come at a critical time as Houston and the rest of the country grapple with changes to longstanding structures and political will, altering the landscape of what is possible to achieve through avenues like legislative advocacy and political pressure. If anything, this moment reiterates the importance of community and the power communities hold in organizing and mobilizing to keep each other safe.