By innovating and reshaping key areas like policing, 911 dispatching, bail procedures, sentencing, probation, and reentry, FUSE projects empower local governments to instill more equitable and just practices.
Our initiatives pave the way for a criminal justice system that prioritizes public safety and every individual's inherent dignity, ensuring a balanced approach that fosters trust and community resilience.
Creating an Integrated Approach to Supporting Re-entry Populations
Los Angeles County adopted a series of policies aimed at reducing the prison population, supporting re-entry, and disrupting the cycle of recidivism. As a result of these efforts, more than 10,000 inmates are released from incarceration countywide each month. These individuals face myriad barriers to successful reintegration, including lack of... Read more
Improving Re-entry Programs to Expand Employment Opportunities
In Los Angeles County, a statewide ballot measure that downgraded certain property and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors enabled thousands of people to be released from jail. To help successfully integrate this population back into the workforce, the Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services enlisted FUSE Executive... Read more
Leveraging Open Data for Law Enforcement Reform
As part of its growing focus on criminal justice reform, the California Department of Justice is launching an ambitious effort to transform itself into a data-driven organization. A major first step in this plan is the creation of OpenJustice, a transparency initiative that will help build trust and increase accountability... Read more
Increasing Citywide Emergency Preparedness
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management leads the city’s planning around response and recovery from a wide array of potential disasters. Because emergency management is a constantly evolving practice with new standards and new strategies for preparation, response, recovery and resiliency, plans must be updated regularly to stay relevant.... Read more
Creating a Safer Community Through Comprehensive Violence Prevention
In May 2014, the Long Beach City Council adopted Safe Long Beach, a comprehensive violence prevention plan combining elements of My Brother’s Keeper and other youth development programs. FUSE Fellow Veronica Njodinizeh helped the Office of the City Manager to develop an action plan to accomplish the initiative’s goals in... Read more