NEWS
John Legend, Malika Saada Saar, Lenore Anderson and Robert Rooks | The 2019 MAKERS Conference
May 17, 2019
John Legend, singer, songwriter and activist, takes the stage at MAKERS Conference and leads a panel on criminal justice reform featuring Lenore Anderson, Executive Director, Californians for Safety & Justice, and Malika Saada Saar, Senior Counsel on Civil & Human Rights, Google and Robert Rooks, VP, Alliance for Safety & Justice.
California Today: Are Criminal Justice Reforms Making the State Safer?
May 17, 2019
The New York Times: In less than a decade, California has gone from being a standard-bearer for the ills of prison overcrowding to a national exemplar of reform, letting tens of thousands of people out of prison and reducing penalties for many crimes.
Crime survivors lobby lawmakers for reform, more assistance
May 17, 2019
The Columbus Dispatch: Hundreds of survivors of crime gathered Wednesday at the Statehouse for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice’s inaugural “Survivors Speak Ohio” event to advocate for criminal-justice reform and help for crime victims.
Florida Is Just a Start
May 17, 2019
Slate: How the rest of the country can take the Sunshine State’s lead and embrace second-chance criminal justice reform
Will Florida’s Ex-Felons Finally Regain the Right to Vote?
May 17, 2019
A referendum on the November ballot in Florida would re-enfranchise 1.5 million citizens — and could change the state’s electorate.
Florida voters prove Americans can put ‘people over politics’
May 17, 2019
The Hill: While political morass in Washington has our federal government shut down with no end in sight, something special and far different has been happening in Florida.
In efforts to prevent mass violence, don’t discount needs of victims
December 2, 2019
The Odessa American: We have an opportunity for state leaders, community health officials and crime victims to partner in launching centers that help ensure our communities are safe and healthy. We achieve that when survivors can access the resources and support they need to recover.
Trump Wants to Get Tough on Crime. Victims Don’t Agree.
August 11, 2017
The New York Times: Sending more people to prison, deporting illegal immigrants, cracking down on marijuana use — those are some of the things the Trump administration has said will make America safer.
Rauner Signs Neighborhood Safety Act Into Law
March 10, 2017
Our Quad Cities: On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 2872, the Neighborhood Safety Act, into law. This law is aimed at stoping the cycle of crime by expanding access to trauma recovery services for crime victims, incentivizing inmates to participate in rehabilitation programs including life skills, job training and substance abuse treatment, and expanding judicial discretion for some sentencing decisions.
Ohio Launches Trauma Recovery Network For Victims of Violent Crime
January 31, 2017
The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio will follow California as the second state to offer a network of support services to victims of violent crime, including sexual assault and human trafficking, in a partnership between hospitals and victim services agencies.
Ohio AG Mike DeWine to Award $2.6M For Trauma Recovery Center Network
January 30, 2017
Cleveland.com: Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is awarding $2.6 million to create a network of five trauma recovery centers aimed at helping victims of violence recover and access the services they need.
Trump Should Focus On Facts, Not Fear In Reducing Violent Crime
January 30, 2017
The Hill: Within hours of coming into office, the Trump Administration changed content on The White House website, including pages related to critical public safety issues.
Illinois Lawmakers Tackle Criminal Justice Reform
January 9, 2017
Central Illinois Proud: Legislators calling for fewer inmates and more help for those behind bars.
Study: Crime Victims in Illinois Prefer Shorter Sentences for Offenders
December 16, 2016
Chicago Tonight: On Oct. 21, Lisa Daniels sat inside the Markham County Courthouse awaiting the plea hearing of Michael Reed, the man who fatally shot her 25-year-old son, Darren Easterling, in 2012.
Survey Finds IL Residents Favor Rehabiliation Over Punishment
December 15, 2016
Peoria Public Radio: A new survey argues criminals should get rehabilitation rather than punishment.
How I Came to Terms with the Man Who Shot Me
December 15, 2016
The Marshall Project: Seven years ago, I was shot. Twice.
New Crime Study Reveals Victims Favor Rehab Over Prison For Offender
December 6, 2016
Fox 39: The survey by the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) finds that, despite popular assumptions on prison sentences, crime victims favor shorter prison sentences in Illinois, and investment more on education and rehabilitation rather than prisons and jails.
Criminal-Justice Reform Is Dead? Not So Fast.
November 28, 2016
Governing: The election of Donald Trump, who ran on a platform that promoted myths about crime and criminal-justice policy, has left many communities and advocates of justice reform grappling with what it all means.
Beyond Revenge: Most Crime Victims Prefer Rehabilitation to Harsh Punishment
November 2, 2016
TRUTH-OUT: We all know an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
What Crime Victims Really Think About Prison Sentences
September 1, 2016
OZY: Her 20-year-old son was dead, his murder related to his suspected gang activity. He’d been shot in the face and chest in an alley in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. But three days later, rather than blame his killer, or encourage vengeance, Doris Hernandez did what might sound like the unthinkable: She forgave her son’s murderer — publicly.
To Truly Reform Criminal Justice, Policy Makers Must Listen to Crime Survivors
August 31, 2016
Philanthropy News Digest: The 2016 election campaign season has exposed the deep and bitter divides in our political system. Candidates have put forth vastly different views, and the list of what they agree on seems to be getting shorter by the day. Yet criminal justice reform has become that rare thing — an issue on which many Democrats and Republicans can agree.
Crime Survivors Are Organizing. They Want Criminal Justice Reform, Too.
August 30, 2016
Huffington Post: Change has come to the criminal justice system in America’s most populous state. California’s arrest rate last year dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, the result of a voter-approved initiative to reclassify several nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors.
Who Crime Victims Are and How They View Justice Reform
August 15, 2016
Governing: As policymakers in state capitols and on Capitol Hill debate criminal justice reform, it’s worth considering who crime victims are and their views on laws meant to punish those who do them harm. A pair of national surveys sheds some light on the issue. The Justice GOVERNING: Department’s annual National Crime Victimization Survey reports detailed data on various types of crimes and their victims. Another recent survey, commissioned by the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ), provides...
Study: Victims want more compassion for criminals
August 11, 2016
Washington Examiner: Often, when criminal justice reformers advocate rehabilitation and treatment programs over more prison time for certain offenders, the response goes something like this: "Think of the victims. If you or your child or someone you love had been hurt, you'd want the criminal to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, wouldn't you?"
Survey: Crime Survivors Say Less Prison Time, More Rehab Programs
August 5, 2016
Cleveland 19 News (CBS): The Alliance for Safety and Justice interviewed 800 crime survivors across the country, victims of non-violent and violent crimes...
From Heartbreak to Healing – The Journey of Crime Survivors
August 5, 2016
Public Welfare Foundation: In April, about 500 people gathered at the Convention Center in downtown Sacramento, California for the annual Survivors Speak Conference. The conference, organized by Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), a Public Welfare Foundation grantee, has become an important measure of the increasing recognition that crime survivors should be...
Even Violent Crime Victims Say Our Prisons Are Making Crime Worse
August 5, 2016
Washington Post: A first-of-its-kind national survey finds that victims of crime say they want to see shorter prison sentences, less spending on prisons and a greater focus on the rehabilitation of criminals.
Washington Post: The survey, conducted in April and released Thursday by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a criminal justice reform group, polled the attitudes and beliefs of more 800 crime victims pooled from...
What Do Victims Want from Criminal Justice Reform?
August 5, 2016
Urban Institute: Despite billions of dollars spent annually at the federal, state, and local levels, our correctional system continues to fail us in critical ways. It falls short not just in protecting public safety, but also in restoring the well-being of victims of crime...
MULTIMEDIA CLIPS
Survey: Crime Survivors Say Less Prison Time, More Rehab Programs
Cleveland 19 News (CBS): Debate over punishment for those who commit crimes heats up. A new national survey was just released, regarding what crime victims think about justice and safety...
How Do Crime Victims View Incarceration?
Sirius XM Progress: Ari Rabin-Havt speaks with Lenore Anderson, President, Alliance for Safety and Justice about their new report on crime victims.
The Agenda with Ari Rabin-Havt airs live nationally, Monday through Friday, 6:00am – 9:00am ET on SiriusXM Progress, channel 127.
The Source: New Survey Shows Victims Of Crime Less Likely To Support Long Sentences, Incarceration
Texas Public Radio: President Obama commuted the sentence of a record breaking 214 federal prisoners. The move marks another in the continuing signs that the United States is rethinking how we accomplish justice and public safety...
Corrections Spending Increased 13 Times More Than Education Spending
Cleveland 19 News (CBS): The survey shows crime victims want better services and rehabilitation programs instead of long prison sentences. Robert Rooks is the Vice President of Alliance for Safety and Justice...
