Criminal Justice Reform

In order to build healthy, vibrant communities, residents must feel and be safe in their homes, schools, work places and community spaces. Safe neighborhoods are also critical to attracting investments which provide jobs, housing and amenities people need in their neighborhoods.

Public safety involves more than the absence of crime – it requires the presence of justice. Reform of entrenched and highly politicized criminal justice systems is essential in building safe, healthy, and vibrant communities. Urban strategies Council works with community partners to support the transformation of criminal justice systems into institutions that reflect constitutional, effective, and restorative practices. Our reentry work addresses the issues facing probationers, parolees, formerly incarcerated people, and the families of those impacted by the criminal justice system.

2011’s realignment legislation, AB109, represented a unique opportunity for furthering criminal justice reform as the state devolved authority to the counties for incarceration and supervision of people convicted of specific non-violent felonies. In 2012 we formed the Alameda County Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform (AC3JR) to organize county-wide and advocate to use the new county authority and resources to improve criminal justice outcomes.

In 2017 the AC3JR evolved in to the Justice Reinvestment Coalition of Alameda County (JRC/AC). Like its predecessor, JRC/AC is composed of community-based organizations and is committed to creating a fair and just public safety system based on effective practices that invest in our families and our communities.

JRC/AC’s goals include:

  1. Reducing incarceration in Alameda County
  2. Empowering formerly incarcerated individuals and respecting their lived experience as leaders and catalysts in reform efforts
  3. Re-Investing law enforcement and Alameda County funds into community-based solutions
  4. Improving implementation of AB109
  5. Increasing transparency and accountability within Alameda County’s law enforcement related budgets and decision-making processes

More on the Justice Reinvestment Coalition of Alameda County, here.