With the Austin City Council accepting public comments on the city budget this week, the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) today released a new report on how Texas cities can use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to address the needs of crime victims and improve public safety. The new report provides analysis to help advocates, lawmakers, and stakeholders as localities begin determinations on how to use the $26 billion allocated to Texas as part of the ARP’s recovery funds. 

The nation has been watching the state of Illinois struggle with an increase in prison expenditures, an increase in violence in Chicago, and an increase in the number of victims needing treatment and trauma recovery.