any years in the making, the Crime Bill passed with strong bipartisan support in an era when shocking random acts of violence dominated media coverage and fear of being the next victim gripped the nation. Its passage brought together a broad coalition of liberals and conservatives and galvanized scores of legislators, Congressional staffers, executive branch appointees, policymakers, state and local law enforcement officials, and lobbyists. Championed on the Hill by Congressman Jack Brooks of Texas and then-Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, it was implemented by a phalanx of people working at the federal, state, and local levels all across the country. Many of those involved in its crafting and implementation are now prominent criminal justice leaders.

Twenty years after the legislation—the most sweeping criminal justice legislation ever passed—much has changed. Crime, which had already begun to drop by 1994, is down significantly. Survivors of domestic violence have greater protections, and community policing practices are more broadly adopted. At the same time, the federal prison population has more than doubled while the state prison population has increased by more than 45 percent—largely because of harsher sentencing requirements and get-tough-on-crime incentives.

We asked those architects and implementers to share their insights on the mood of our country when it was passed, how it has transformed our society in ways expected and unexpected, and their vision for a path forward.

For more history on what lead up to the Crime Bill, read our full timeline.