“While That is a Crime to You, That's Work for Me.” An Exploration of How System-Impacted Individuals Conceptualize Safety

• In Event: Exploring Conceptualizations of Safety: Gender, Stigma, and Public Discourses

Abstract

Throughout the country, there has been increased interest in “redefining public safety.” However, many of these efforts fail to center the voices of people most impacted by crime and the criminal legal system. This is a significant omission because life experiences—including involvement with the criminal legal system and exposure to violence—impact understandings of safety. Drawing on interviews conducted with 28 system-impacted individuals in three US counties (Missoula, St. Louis, and Mecklenburg), we use thematic analysis to explore how people who have been involved in the criminal legal system conceptualize safety. We find that while most people view safety as freedom from harm, there is variability in the factors that contribute to this. Additional themes center on issues related to having basic needs met, housing, policing, self-help, and stigma management. Accounting for the views of system-impacted individuals can help de-couple community safety from policing and encourage policies and practices that focus not only on “crime control” but enhancing community life for residents, including those at most risk for harm.

Authors

• Lee Ann Slocum, University of Missouri-St. Louis

• Emelyne Lane, University of Missouri-St. Louis

• Claire Greene, Webster University

• Konstadina Spanoudakis, University of Missouri-St. Louis

• Beth M. Huebner, Arizona State University