The Safety and Justice Challenge is reimagining and rebuilding local criminal justice systems — reducing jail incarceration and increasing equity for all.
America's Problem with Jails
Jails have become warehouses for people who are poor, lack housing, or suffer from mental illness or addiction. They starkly reflect America’s long history of racism.
Jails have almost 19x the number of annual admissions as prisons.
Three out of five people held in jail have not been convicted of any crime.
Nearly 75% of people in jail are there for nonviolent traffic, property, drug, or public order offenses.
Black people are jailed at almost 4x the rate of White Americans.
Jails are misused and overused in ways that damage families, devastate communities, and ultimately lead to more crime.
Finding Solutions
The Safety and Justice Challenge invests in locally developed, equity-based solutions that take a balanced approach to protecting public safety, including:
Our goal is to:
Our goal is to support policies and practices that will safely reduce jail populations by 50% across all Safety and Justice Challenge jurisdictions by 2025 and eliminate racial inequities. We’re providing practical support and scaffolding to communities that are taking bold action in response to centuries of institutional and systemic racism, honoring the expertise of directly impacted communities, and working together to achieve transformational change.
Our Network
Our Network of participating cities, counties, and states is tackling America’s jail crisis at the local level, implementing community-informed solutions that can be replicated across the country. Network members receive support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and include small communities and the biggest urban centers, with diverse perspectives leading to a range of approaches. These local leaders share solutions and lessons learned with each other and the public so all can do better.
57Counties, Cities, and States
16%of the nation's jail beds
22%network-wide jail incarceration reduction to date
What we are reading
Prism
The future of public safety lies in prioritizing people, not police
11/03/2021
Real protection and support in our communities requires greater investment in social services and more divestment from law enforcement
New York Times
Pulled Over: What to Know About Deadly Police Traffic Stops
10/31/2021
A New York Times investigation examines why traffic stops can escalate into fatal encounters and how hidden financial incentives increase the risks. This is what we found.
Mother Jones
What if Everything You Know About Murder Rates and Policing Is Wrong?
10/21/2021
Five common myths about the FBI's homicide data, debunked.
Philadelphia organization @whynotprosper gives formerly incarcerated women a chance to live again, to find peace, to have a bed and clothes, and most importantly to rebuild shattered relationships.
✍️: @JaneVonBergen, @PhillyInquirer
More than 1 in 5 people are jailed multiple times a year
There is no "safe" way to jail a person – even a single day in jail has devastating effects. And people who are jailed multiple times a year inevitably face exacerbated consequences of incarceration:
SJC funding is providing affordable housing in Tulsa. Supporting housing initiatives improves physical and mental well-being, school attendance for children, and overall community health equity. #RethinkJails
✍️: @GIngerJane918, @FOX23
“Keeping people jailed who are not a threat because they are too poor to post bond is costly and counterproductive.” - Christi Smith, @RSI
Allegheny County's Department of Human Services provides community-based services as an alternative to jail.
Reverend Dr. Michelle Simmons of @whynotprosper uses her own life experiences to transform her community. She helps formerly incarcerated women, many who are mothers or victims of domestic violence, heal, grow, and create a brighter future. #RethinkJails
🎥Learn how Mecklenburg County has been centering those with lived experience in criminal justice reform from Chandra Tyler, SJC Equity Inclusion Consultant. #RethinkJails
(via @CSGJC)
📊 New Data: The decrease in incarceration witnessed from 2019 to 2020 has been sustained into 2024, but we need to continue to #RethinkJails for rural communities where the jail population increased by 2.2%.
(via @verainstitute)
The Pretrial Fairness Act in Illinois prevents legally innocent people from being held in jail and takes away the penalty for being poor. This program’s success proves that bail reform is possible. #RethinkJails
✍️: @brycecovert, @thenation
“Centering disability justice is essential to understanding and eliminating mass incarceration.” - Supreet Minhas
We need to #RethinkJails to fix the ableism present in the criminal justice system. #InternationalDayOfPersonsWithDisabilities
🚨BIG WIN: People on probation or parole, out on bail, or living in a halfway house will now be eligible for Medicare benefits
This will significantly improve healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of people across the US
🚨Incarcerated people are disproportionately living with HIV and are often incarcerated in settings with inadequate healthcare. Lowering the jail population would mean healthier communities. #RethinkJails #WorldAIDSDay
Some estimates suggest that Indigenous people are jailed at twice the rate of White people in the U.S. Pima County’s SJC program is working with the community to reduce incarceration and improve health outcomes. #RethinkJails. #NativeAmericanHeritageDay