Community-Based Justice
To rebuild trust, people must believe that justice is fair.
For too long, our criminal justice system has focused on punishment instead of safety and healing. True public safety requires public trust, and that means accountability, rehabilitation, and second chances. In Congress, I’ll fight to end mass incarceration, invest in alternatives, and make sure every person leaving prison has the tools to succeed.
The Basics
Public safety requires public trust. I’ll push for a national standard for police accountability and ensure all correctional officers wear body cameras at all times, so our systems are transparent and accountable to the communities they serve.
We shouldn’t criminalize mental illness or addiction. I’ll support expanding treatment instead of incarceration for mental health and substance use cases, and invest in diversion programs that address root causes instead of filling prisons.
Our prison system should focus on rehabilitation, not punishment for punishment’s sake. I’ll fight for humane conditions, access to education, and comprehensive mental healthcare so people leave prison with the tools to build a better life.
No one should be set up to fail after serving their time. I’ll work to ensure people returning home have access to housing, job placement, and mental health services so they can rebuild their lives and stay out for good.
Prolonged isolation causes lasting psychological harm and does nothing to reduce crime or promote rehabilitation. I’ll fight for a federal ban on solitary confinement for people of all ages.
FAQs
Right now, accountability varies wildly from place to place. A national standard ensures transparency and consistency, so trust in law enforcement doesn’t depend on your zip code.
Prison should be about accountability and rehabilitation. The data is clear- incarcerated people who participate in prison education programs have a 43% lower chance of returning to prison, according to a RAND Corporation Report. And the impact goes beyond individuals — a study from UCLA found that investing $1 million in prison education prevents over 600 crimes, compared to only 350 crimes prevented by the same investment in incarceration. That makes education nearly twice as cost-effective.
Taxpayers save too: every $1 invested in prison education returns $4–$5 in reduced re-incarceration costs within just three years of release. Rehabilitation is not only the moral choice, it’s the smart one.
Diversion programs and treatment centers cost less than incarceration and address root causes like addiction, poverty, and mental illness. They reduce recidivism and free up resources to focus on serious crimes.
Mass incarceration is expensive and ineffective. By reducing prison populations through diversion and rehabilitation, we can redirect billions of dollars into mental health services, housing, job training, and reentry programs that actually improve safety.
