The Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) is an activist organization that promotes left-of-center criminal justice policies. Founded in 2016, the Alliance was created as a project of the Tides Center, associated with the Tides Foundation, a major left-of-center grantmaking organization. ¹² The Center provided ASJ with fiscal sponsorship, an arrangement in which an established nonprofit provides a new organization with financial management and administrative services, often while the organization goes through the process of obtaining tax-exempt status from the IRS. ³⁴In 2021, the organization departed from the umbrella of the Tides Center to become its own 501(c)(3) organization. ⁵

ASJ operates Californians for Safety and Justice, a state-level fiscally sponsored project also engaged in left-of-center criminal justice policy advocacy. ⁶ ASJ is affiliated with the Alliance for Safety and Justice Action Fund (ASJ Action Fund), its lobbying and campaigning sister organization. ⁷

Major Initiatives

ASJ operates several projects that promote left-of-center criminal justice policies.

Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ)

ASJ operates Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ), a fiscally sponsored project which claims to support victims of crime and promote more effective crime prevention policies. The organization claims that incarcerating fewer criminals and increasing funding for social programs will reduce crime. ⁸

Shared Safety

The ASJ Shared Safety project “aims to re-envision public safety” from a left-of-center perspective, especially in decreasing incarceration rates. The project cites former California Governor Jerry Brown (D) in its “Blueprint for Shared Safety” as a role model for public safety. Brown set a state record for pardoning criminals and removing convictions from their criminal records. ⁹¹⁰

Time Done

The ASJ “Time Done” campaign aims to soften public perceptions of convicted criminals and remove what ASJ describes as legal obstacles to their participation in society. Through the Time Done program, ASJ has promoted legislation to bar employers from accessing criminal records, seal criminal records after criminals complete their sentences, and repeal regulations that prevent convicted felons from voting. ¹¹

Trauma Recovery Centers (TRCs)

ASJ supports increased funding for trauma recovery centers (TRCs), which are designed to provide support to victims of crime and violence. ASJ advocates for the TRC model and encourages community organizations, universities, and hospitals to open and maintain TRCs in order to provide services including therapy, legal advice, and help with filing police reports to alleged crime victims. ¹²

Affiliated Groups

Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ) is a fiscally sponsored project of Alliance for Safety and Justice. ¹³ The organization also provides instructions for convicted felons to retroactively change their criminal records in accordance with state law. ¹⁴ In November 2014, California voters approved Proposition 47, which reclassified certain types of felony theft and drug possession as misdemeanors and allowed convicted felons to amend their criminal records accordingly. ¹⁵

The ASJ Action Fund engages in lobbying and political campaigns that advance ASJ’s criminal justice policy objectives. ¹⁶

Impact

In February 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a bill that made more prisoners eligible for early release. The bill also expanded the state’s victim compensation program to include people on probation or parole. ASJ advocated in support of the bill. ¹⁷

In March 2021, the Ohio Senate passed a bill expanding access to the state’s victim compensation program, including a provision that would grant convicted felons access to the program. ASJ advocated for the legislation through the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice program. ¹⁸

Leadership

Lenore Anderson is the founder of ASJ and leads the organization as President. She also co-authored Proposition 47, the California law that reclassified certain felonies as misdemeanors, and led the campaign to get the initiative passed. ¹⁹

In February 2021, ASJ co-founder and chief executive officer Robert Rooks transitioned to the role of president emeritus of the ASJ board of directors after becoming CEO of REFORM Alliance, a left-of-center criminal justice organization allied with ASJ. ²⁰

Financials

Alliance for Safety and Justice has received multiple grants from the Open Philanthropy Project Fund (OPPF), a left-of-center, Silicon Valley-based charity. Open Philanthropy gave ASJ a $1.75 million grant to support its launch in 2016, with OPPF president and left-of-center activist Cari Tuna contributing an additional $250,000. ²¹ Open Philanthropy went on to give the Alliance $3 million in 2016, $4 million in 2017, and $10 million in 2019. In total, OPPF has given ASJ more than $18 million. ^{22 23 24}

1. Helen Toner, “Supporting the Launch of the Alliance for Safety and Justice,” Open Philanthropy, February 10, 2016. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/blog/supporting-launch-alliance-safety-and-justice
2. Alliance for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021.
3. Alliance for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/
4. “Fiscal Sponsorship for Nonprofits,” National Council of Nonprofits. Accessed March 3, 2021,https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/fiscal-sponsorship-nonprofits
5. Alliance for Safety and Justice. IRS Form 990.  Page 1, section A, box L. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/853209787/202311369349302251/full.
6.    “What We Do,” Californians for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://safeandjust.org/about-us/
7.   “Who We Are,” Alliance for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021.https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/who/
8. Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://cssj.org/#resources
9.      Bob Egelko, “Gov. Jerry Brown sets record for pardons, commutations in California,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 24, 2018. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Gov-Jerry-Brown-sets-record-for-pardons-13487741.php
10.        “Blueprint for Shared Safety,” SharedSafety.US. Accessed March 3, 2021.http://sharedsafety.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Blueprint_download.pdf
11. Time Done. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://timedone.org/
12.    “About Trauma Recovery Centers,” Alliance for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://www.traumarecoverycentermodel.org/about-trauma-recovery-centers/
13. Alliance for Safety and Justice. IRS Form 990.  Part III, Line 4A. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/853209787/202311369349302251/full.
14.          “Prop 47 Record Changing Resources,” Californians for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://safeandjust.org/prop-47-resources/
15.        “Proposition 47: The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” California Courts. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://www.courts.ca.gov/prop47.htm
16. “Who We Are,” Alliance for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/who/
17.    “Governor Pritzker Signs Groundbreaking Public Safety Reforms with Widespread Support from Crime Victims into Law,” Alliance for Safety and Justice, February 22, 2021. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/press-release/governor-pritzker-signs-groundbreaking-public-safety-reforms-with-widespread-support-from-crime-victims-into-law/
18.           “Crime Survivors Applaud Ohio Senate for Passing SB 36, Expanding Access to Crime Victim Compensation Program,” Alliance for Safety and Justice, March 3, 2021. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/press-release/crime-survivors-applaud-ohio-senate-for-passing-sb-36-expanding-access-to-crime-victim-compensation-program/
19.        “Lenore Anderson,” Alliance for Safety and Justice. Accessed March 3, 2021.

    https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/staff/chief-executive-president/

20.        “Alliance for Safety and Justice Co-Founder Robert Rooks to become President Emeritus of ASJ Board of Directors,” Alliance for Safety and Justice, February 9, 2021. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/press-release/alliance-for-safety-and-justice-co-founder-robert-rooks-to-become-president-emeritus-of-asj-board-of-directors/
21.          Helen Toner, “Supporting the Launch of the Alliance for Safety and Justice,” Open Philanthropy, February 10, 2016. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/blog/supporting-launch-alliance-safety-and-justice
22.    “Alliance for Safety and Justice – General Support (2016),” Open Philanthropy. Accessed March 3, 2021. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/focus/us-policy/criminal-justice-reform/alliance-safety-and-justice-general-support-2
23.               “Alliance for Safety and Justice – General Support (2017),” Open Philanthropy. Accessed March 3, 2021.https://www.openphilanthropy.org/focus/us-policy/criminal-justice-reform/alliance-safety-and-justice-general-support-2017
24.               “Alliance for Safety and Justice – General Support (2019),” Open Philanthropy. Accessed March 3, 2021.https://www.openphilanthropy.org/focus/us-policy/criminal-justice-reform/alliance-safety-justice-general-support-2019