ABOUT
SAFETY BOUND
Safety Bound is a project to show the American public that a safe society is possible that doesn’t depend on the sheriff. Inspired by the poetry of Sterling Brown and his image of a Black man in the Jim Crow South, fleeing the persecution of a racist sheriff and “safety boun’”, we too look to turn our backs on this oppressive institution and set our eyes on a more just and liberated vision of safety.
We seek to build public understanding of the role and impact of sheriffs in driving racist, punitive and ineffective approaches to public safety. We do this by advancing the policy and narrative frameworks needed to move towards a future where safety does not depend on sheriffs and by building a movement of organizations who share this vision.
MEET OUR TEAM
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Amber
DIRECTOR
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Max
SENIOR ADVISOR
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Danny
COORDINATOR, ENDING JAIL DEATHS CAMPAIGN
WORK WITH US
Building and realizing a new approach to public safety will require the collective effort of a broad and diverse movement. If you share our interest in reimagining the role of the sheriff, we would love to work with you.
Ways that we partner include:
Media trainings
Webinars
Joint research projects
We’re always open to new ways of working together, so please get in touch!
More than 1,000 people die in jails each year.
ENDING JAIL DEATHS
The majority of jail deaths are preventable, with many caused by suicide or overdose. Sheriffs control jail conditions, including medical care and access to addiction and mental health treatment.
Jails remain the country’s largest providers of treatment for mental health and substance use disorder—a role that they are not equipped to handle.
Through legal representation and community advocacy, we’re working to address this national crisis and end deaths in custody, while supporting those who’ve lost loved ones.