Alliance for Safety and Justice submitted public comment to the U.S. Department of Treasury on its Interim Final Rule for the American Rescue Plan Act’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to recommend the inclusion of language that ensures states: 1) can explicitly use the funding to support crime victims, including for trauma recovery and other services; and 2) promote a public-health based recovery by discouraging use of the funds for expenses that undermine social determinants of health, such as incarceration.
Safety, Health, and Renewal: Two recommendations to help the American Rescue Plan’s Recovery Funds promote trauma recovery and public health
How to realize the state’s vision for effective community supervision to STOP the cycle of crime
Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) conducted an analysis of data related to Texas community supervision practices to help advance data-driven reforms that strengthen the effective use of criminal justice resources, further reduce recidivism and stabilize families. The analysis points to some signs that the probation system is not operating as safely and effectively as it could. Data demonstrates that many thousands of people sentenced to probation fail the terms of their probation and are re-incarcerated, or opt to serve time in jail instead of probation when probation should be the more effective sentence, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Best practices in community supervision can reduce probation failures and incarceration costs, and more effectively stop the cycle of crime.
TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS: Addressing the Needs of Underserved Crime Survivors
The Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) model was developed to address the needs of underserved crime survivors—people who often face the biggest barriers to accessing healing services. The TRC model is specifically designed to reach those who have fallen through the cracks of traditional support services.
Effective Reentry Partnerships for Communities
Many people returning to the community from prisons and jails will face challenges such as accessing benefits and services, including medical care; access to technology and Wi-fi to connect to services virtually; and safe housing. The corrections services continuum needs to effectively manage these rapid releases to ensure that people return to their communities with the tools they need to be safe and avoid new crimes, and to know if they are carrying the coronavirus to avoid new outbreaks.
Research Shows Incarceration Fails to Reduce Drug Problems – An Important Lesson for Ohio
Ohio is among the states most negatively impacted by the addiction crisis, with the second highest number of drug overdose deaths of any in the nation. It is critical to understand from the evidence and research that incarceration as a response to drug possession fails to address the problem of drug use.
SB 3 + HB 1 = Commonsense Safety and Sentencing Reform
Over the past decade, Ohio lawmakers have been national leaders in showing the country how to take bold, important steps to improve the operation of Ohio’s justice system to target and scale back excessively harsh and wasteful policies in best-practice ways that improve public safety overall.
Ohio Data Shows Felony & Prison Response to Addiction Fails to Lower Overdose Deaths
National research has shown that there is no relationship between the severity of a state’s approach to drug imprisonment and the level of drug problems in that state.
Senate Bill 3 Drug Sentencing Reform Supports Drug Courts’ Success
Senate Bill 3 changes low-level felony drug possession to an unclassified misdemeanor. States that have reclassified simple possession continue to have thriving drug courts, and some states have expanded their drug court programs.
Ohio Can Rely on Evidence That Reclassifying Low-Level Drug Possession Has Positive Results
Ohio is considering changes to drug sentencing laws, and policymakers should rely on a growing body of evidence that demonstrates felony convictions and incarceration to be ineffective responses to drug abuse.
Creating Model Legislative Relief for People with Past Convictions
Across the United States, popular support for criminal justice reform is at an all-time high. More and more Americans of all walks of life agree that the “tough-on-crime” era resulted in bloated, costly and ineffective corrections practices.
Alliance for Safety and Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.