The Coalition for Public Safety (CPS) is a nonprofit organization working for increased leniency in criminal justice at the community, state, and federal levels through advocacy, policy research, and public education.

Founding and History

Coalition for Public Safety was formed in February of 2015 to promote a more lenient criminal justice system, and it is currently the nation’s largest effort towards criminal justice reform. ^{1 2} CPS’s primary work is directed towards the general public, reform advocates, law enforcement, and policy leaders through educational campaigns. ³

Former associate director of legislative affairs in the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy for the Obama administration and director of the Washington, D.C. office of the Vera Institute for Justice, Christine Leonard, worked as the Coalition’s first executive director until Holly Harris stepped into the role in 2021. ⁴

Partnerships

Coalition for Public Safety’s partners include American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Tax Reform, the Center for American Progress, the Faith and Freedom Coalition, FreedomWorks, the Leadership Conference Education Fund, and Right on Crime. ⁵

Funding and Program Areas

CPS is funded by the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as well as Koch Industries. ^{6 7 8} The Laura and John Arnold Foundation organized the coalition. ⁹ In 2020 the total funding of the CPS was $3,635,539. Its total expenses at that time were $4,068,299 and the total assets of CPS at that time totaled $1,548,307. ¹⁰

In 2019, the Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation donated $500,000. ¹¹ In 2020, CPS launched its educational programs to the general public. In Lexington, Kentucky, CPS held the “Celebration of Second Chances” where CPS provided interactive experiences for guests on the impact of the justice system and educated guests on justice initiatives within their own communities. ¹² CPS gathered community advocates and legislators in Nashville, Tennessee to advance the discussion surrounding criminal justice issues. ¹³ In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, CPS sponsored a basketball game for the youth of incarcerated parents.  CPS also partnered with other nonprofit organizations to host summits and forums, conduct media interviews, and use social media platforms to highlight their work in criminal justice activism. Together, these expenses totaled $1,821,970. ¹⁴

CPS worked with its partners to form a bipartisan coalition of organizations that represent a multitude of memberships. Through this coalition, it worked to develop core tenets and common goals of criminal justice activism. The coalition and a program to create a proposal to identify other activist organizations across the nation totaled an expense of $1,490,702. ¹⁵

1. “Leading Conservative, Progressive Groups Join Forces to Launch Nation’s Largest Coalition Aimed at Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform” PRS Newsire, June 28, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-conservative-progressive-groups-join-forces-to-launch-nations-largest-coalition-aimed-at-comprehensive-criminal-justice-reform-300038422.html.
2. “Coalition for Public Safety | Washington, DC | Cause IQ,” n.d. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/coalition-for-public-safety,472675069/.
3. “Coalition for Public Safety | Washington, DC | Cause IQ,” n.d. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/coalition-for-public-safety,472675069/.
4. Candid. “Conservative, Progressive Groups Partner on Criminal Justice Reform.” Philanthropy News Digest (PND) – Candid, February 21, 2015.  Accessed March 19, 2023. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/conservative-progressive-groups-partner-on-criminal-justice-reform.
5. “Leading Conservative, Progressive Groups Join Forces to Launch Nation’s Largest Coalition Aimed at Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform,” PRS Newswire, June 28, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-conservative-progressive-groups-join-forces-to-launch-nations-largest-coalition-aimed-at-comprehensive-criminal-justice-reform-300038422.html.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Ford Foundation. 2017. Part XV, Section 3 – Grants and Contributions.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 2017. Part XV, Section 3 – Grants and Contributions.
8. “Leading Conservative, Progressive Groups Join Forces to Launch Nation’s Largest Coalition Aimed at Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform,” PRS Newswire, June 28, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-conservative-progressive-groups-join-forces-to-launch-nations-largest-coalition-aimed-at-comprehensive-criminal-justice-reform-300038422.html.
9. Candid. “Conservative, Progressive Groups Partner on Criminal Justice Reform.” Philanthropy News Digest (PND) – Candid. February 21, 2015. Accessed March 19, 2023.  https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/conservative-progressive-groups-partner-on-criminal-justice-reform.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Coalition for Public Safety. 2020. Extracted by ProPublica. Accessed April 9, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472675069.
11. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation. 2019. Part XV, Section 3 – Grants and Contributions.
12. [1]“Coalition for Public Safety – GuideStar Profile.” n.d. Www.guidestar.org. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-2675069.
13. [1]“Coalition for Public Safety – GuideStar Profile.” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-2675069.
14. [1]“Coalition for Public Safety – GuideStar Profile.” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-2675069.
15. [1]“Coalition for Public Safety – GuideStar Profile.” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-2675069.