We can’t punish our way to safety.
We have to build it.
Decades of evidence show: more incarceration and harsher sentencing do not reduce crime in any lasting or meaningful way. Real community safety requires something different: investing in what makes people and neighborhoods thrive. That means affordable housing, behavioral health care, youth programs, economic opportunity, and trusted, community-led solutions.
REAL SAFETY REQUIRES REAL INVESTMENT
Well-resourced communities are safer communities.
Community is the real first responder — with the knowledge, relationships, and proximity to address health and safety challenges in their own neighborhoods.
Through CCJRC’s state and local budget advocacy, more than $120 million in grants have been awarded since 2014 to support community-based treatment, reentry services, violence prevention, youth programs, and underserved victim services across Colorado.
Public investments helping make our communities healthier, safer, and stronger:
WAGEES Reentry Grant Program
Each year, hundreds of people return home from Colorado prisons, but barriers to reentry can be overwhelming. This program provides the housing, employment, and support needed to help them reintegrate successfully.
Community Crime Prevention Initiative
For decades, Colorado invested heavily in incarceration while many communities saw little improvement in safety — this initiative shifts resources toward prevention and community-based solutions.
Community Crime Victim Services Grant Program
All survivors deserve support, compassion, and opportunities to heal. This program prioritizes services for underserved victims, including people of color, men, and young adults.
Denver Community-Led Youth Safety Grant Program
Real public safety should start with investment in young people. This program funds community-led efforts that support youth and strengthen neighborhoods.
