Prioritizing the Community: Funding alternatives to reduce reliance on the criminal justice system in Oakland (2020)

When it comes to shifting from an over-reliance on incarceration to community-based solutions for violence, you have to get creative. Oakland groups knew there were better, safer solutions than mass incarceration happening at the community-level and community leaders came together to develop a proposal for a parcel tax and parking surcharge to fund violence prevention, additional police officers, and fire service. Developed with the fundamental belief that challenges can be overcome through trusting and caring relationships, even with the highest risk youth and young adults, these measures have fundamentally changed the justice landscape in Oakland.