Our Approach
The status quo of mass incarceration and surveillance has failed to protect marginalized communities.
Our current system has failed to address the root causes of violence.
Vast inequalities persist, and our criminal legal system has favored “punishment” over proven solutions in community mental health and substance use treatment systems. This disparity has prolonged a lack of investment and collaboration, resulting in an ineffective infrastructure that fails to engage communities or deliver sustained impact.
We work with a broad network of partners to create a new infrastructure for public health and public safety. We strategically focus on areas where public health can lead in creating more equitable and holistic solutions.
45%
There are ongoing efforts in our criminal legal system to reduce mass incarceration and provide more holistic and humane support to system-involved individuals. We connect criminal legal stakeholders to public health to build new solutions, elevating mental health, drug treatment, and gun courts. We also support judicial reforms that elevate the role of community-based providers in the courtroom and expand restorative justice programs.
20%
Of people in US jails have a diagnosed Serious Mental Illness, 4x that of the general population
Today, our criminal legal system plays an outsized role in the response to mental health crises, resulting in ineffective, punitive solutions that further systemic harm. We focus on strengthening health services and addressing root causes like housing and education. This includes building community-based mental health services, increasing access to drug treatment and harm reduction services, and protecting affordable housing.
20%
The current population of system-involved individuals lack access to critical care. Many aren’t adequately treated for drug withdrawals, lack basic services in jail, and aren’t adequately supported when returning home. Improved health services can help reduce recidivism, help with re-entry, and prevent unnecessary suffering. We are working to create fairer health policies, improve opioid treatments in prison and jail facilities, and better support re-entry transitions.
39%
Of gunshots fired in NYC in 2022 occurred in just six police precincts
Too often, public safety solutions are developed without critical input from community stakeholders. By bringing in stronger coalitions across law enforcement, public health and community-based organizations, we can build more effective and equitable solutions that address communities’ needs. We are helping create new programs and coalitions that further elevate community voices in public safety and public health solutions.
Improve homelessness outreach & support
815
At a time when homelessness is increasingly criminalized and vilified, it’s critical to create more holistic strategies that meet this population’s needs and help address the root causes of their situation. We work with an integrated network of partners to provide harm reduction and drug treatment services and improve coordination between outreach providers.
