Dear Representative,
It is imperative that you oppose the Securing Our Streets (SOS) Act.
While we all share the goal of safer communities, this legislation advances a punishment-first framework that prioritizes harsher sentencing and expanded incarceration over evidence-based strategies proven to reduce violence.
Conditioning federal funding on rigid sentencing requirements and expanded incarceration risks repeating policies that have historically strained state budgets, overcrowded correctional systems, and failed to produce durable public safety outcomes.
Effective public safety policy must balance accountability with prevention, judicial discretion, and investments in strategies that address the underlying drivers of violence. Approaches rooted primarily in mandatory punishment have not delivered the long-term safety our communities deserve.
I respectfully urge you to reject the Securing Our Streets Act and instead support policies that are smart, fiscally responsible, and grounded in evidence.