Safety is more than the absence of crime, it is the presence of well-being. And more well-being, as we know, generates more safety.

Unfortunately, whenever crime rates rise, politicians, the media, and many people reflexively turn to the strategies they know best, hoping these will make them feel safer. The truth is, though, that “tough on crime” policies are not only very expensive, but they are also very ineffective.

That’s because police and prisons don’t prevent crime—they try to address it after it has already happened.

This is why Californians for Safety and Justice is introducing a new campaign called Just Safe.

Just Safe is a movement to educate our communities about what really makes people safe. Right now, too many Californians are untreated, unsupported, unhealed, and unseen. And when that happens—when we allow people to be in crisis—we are allowing conditions that lead to crime.

Just Safe is about removing barriers to well-being by supporting investments in Victim Services, Reentry Programs, Violence Prevention, Mental Health Support, Addiction Treatment, and community based programs.

Many communities most impacted by crime already have the tools and leadership that foster safety. They just need the proper support and investments from state leaders to be able to scale these resources up.

This is our agenda. And we hope you will join us. Because when everyone’s supported, everyone’s safe.

Watch this 60-second video about Just Safe below.

California Budget News

Earlier this month, Governor Newsom released a proposed 2023-2024 budget that showed a sustained commitment to pursuing public safety through investments in crime and harm prevention programs, re-entry support, and programs to help victims of crime heal.

The $297 billion budget allots more than $320 million for community safety and enhanced services for victims of crime. This includes $23 million over three years to support existing trauma recovery centers and a pilot program for satellite TRC offices in hard-to-reach and/or rural areas. There is also $14 million ongoing to expand victim benefits; $39.5 million ongoing to backfill the Restitution Fund; and $50 million in grants for community-based organizations to provide cash assistance for survivors of crime.

The budget also calls for investing more than $50 million to improve post-release outcomes for justice-involved people and reducing recidivism. This includes $40 million for community re-entry programs, which have consistently demonstrated success in facilitating people’s safe and stable transition back to the community, and more than $10 million to continue the Returning Home Well Program, a COVID-era initiative that provides transitional housing to people who would otherwise be at risk of being unhoused at the time of their release.

Meanwhile, Proposition 47 continues to save California more than $100 million annually in reduced prison utilization costs. The Department of Finance estimates net General Fund savings of $101 million in 2023-24, bringing the total savings since the law went into effect in 2015 to $709 million – money that is reallocated back to local communities to fund programs that address the root causes of crime.