The Safety and Justice Challenge provides support to local communities that are ready to tackle one of the greatest drivers of over-incarceration in America—the misuse and overuse of jails. This Network of cities, counties, and states is proving it is possible to rethink local justice systems from the ground up, with forward-looking, smart solutions that are data-driven, equity-focused, and community-informed, and that safely reduce jail populations, eliminate ineffective and unfair practices, and reduce racial disparities.
Participants in the Safety and Justice Challenge commit to identifying the drivers of over-incarceration and racial disparities within their communities; engaging a diverse set of community stakeholders to determine potential solutions; and building infrastructure to track data and measure performance.
The Safety and Justice Challenge Network is demonstrating a variety of effective ways to keep people out of jail who do not belong there, address racial disparities in the justice system, better reintegrate individuals into the community upon release, and ensure that they have the support to stay out of jail thereafter—creating models that make communities healthier, fairer, and safer.