Public safety is a matter of public health. However, for many communities, “public safety” translates to criminalization, surveillance, and brutality. A holistic, inclusive, and health-centered approach is critical to ensuring the safety of young folks, disabled people, communities of color, and low-income areas.

Former nurse Rep. Cori Bush has reintroduced the People’s Response Act (PRA), an inclusive, holistic, and health-centered approach to public safety. The PRA would:

• Institute a new public safety division within the Department of Health and Human Services focused on non-carceral and health-centered approaches to public safety;

• Develop a federal first responders unit to support localities and states with emergency health crises;

• Advance research on alternative approaches to public safety that focus on non-carceral responses;

• Provide $11 billion in grant funding to community-based organizations, as well as state and local governments, to improve crisis response;

• Set up a $2.5 billion First Responder Hiring Grant, which would create thousands of jobs for emergency first responders (including licensed social workers, mental health counselors, substance use counselors, and peer support specialists) to improve our crisis response efforts focused on non-carceral, health-based approaches to public safety.

When you go somewhere to get your needs met, you want to ensure that you have the most qualified and trained professionals there to assist. Public safety should be no different. Non-carceral approaches to public safety are critical to protecting our communities and ensuring that people who need support have adequate resources and aid available.

Help demonstrate broad support for non-carceral, health, and community-based approaches to public safety by signing on as a grassroots cosponsor of the People’s Response Act.

Participating Organizations:

Coalition on Human Needs

Daily Kos Liberation League

Democracy for America Advocacy Fund

Future Coalition

March On

TakeItBack.org