To help sustain reforms for a more fair, just, and equitable local criminal justice system, we are providing almost $8.5 million in additional Safety and Justice Challenge funding to 11 communities. The funding is part of a nationwide initiative to safely reduce jail populations and eliminate racial and ethnic inequities.
Since 2015, we have awarded about $323 million to organizations participating in the Safety and Justice Challenge. The communities that we have invested most significantly in have reduced their jail populations by an average of 20 percent, exceeding the pace of reform nationally.
11 Cities and Counties Receiving Additional Funding
- Allegheny County, PA
- Buncombe County, NC
- Charleston County, SC
- East Baton Rouge Parish, LA
- Lucas County, OH
- Milwaukee County, WI
- Minnehaha County, SD
- Palm Beach County, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- St. Louis County, MO
- City and County of San Francisco, CA
For five of the eleven communities–Charleston, Lucas, Milwaukee, and St. Louis counties and the city of Philadelphia–grants represent capstone funding. This will help them maintain key policies and practices already put in place during the participation in the Safety and Justice Challenge, so they can build on this strong foundation.
The grants to these cities and counties will support local leaders, people most impacted by the justice system, and broader communities to address misuse and overuse of jails locally. The funding, along with access to expert technical assistance, will allow these communities to strengthen and expand strategies that will address the main drivers of pretrial incarceration and racial and ethnic inequities in their local justice system.
