Instead of investing in mass incarceration, we need to invest in the most vulnerable members of our society.
Make public safety investments in vulnerable communities instead of mass incarceration.
Occurrences
A public safety strategy to reduce the annual budget for law enforcement and defense spending, and shift those funds towards community resources and programs, including: victim support and compensation funds; community schools; rehabilitation and re-entry programs for incarcerated persons? Yes No Legislation that would prohibit the transfer of military-grade weapons from the U.S. Department of Defense to local law enforcement agencies? Yes No Increase funds for comprehensive mental health and crisis response services, including community-based treatment programs and community-based first responders? Yes No Laws that end Qualified Immunity? Yes No Laws that end Civil Asset Forfeiture? Yes No
Evidence
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This federal funding will directly invest in reentry services and workforce development, sexual violence intervention services, youth violence interruption programs, literacy education programming, and environmental cleanup efforts in New York’s 14th Congressional District.
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Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez's approach to public safety centers investing in our most vulnerable communities to break cycles of harm.
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The FY2026 OJP project list includes Ocasio-Cortez-requested line items for Thrive For Life Prison Project, Inc., Bronx First Chance for Reentry Success, $1,000,000; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program, $500,000; and Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities, B.R.A.V.E.-Response to Recent Youth Violence in Queens, $100,000.
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GovInfo identifies H.R. 6938 as Public Law 119-74, the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026, approved January 23, 2026.
Assessments
Ocasio-Cortez secured and advanced FY2026 federal community project funding for reentry services, sexual violence intervention, youth violence interruption, literacy, and related vulnerable-community investments in NY-14, and the relevant appropriations vehicle became law during her continued House service. That materially advances the promise in the federal representative context. However, the evidence shows targeted local/community-safety investments, not a full replacement of mass-incarceration policy or broad systemic decarceration, so the outcome is partial rather than delivered.
The promise is broad and federal, aiming to shift public safety toward investments in vulnerable communities instead of mass incarceration. Ocasio-Cortez secured district-level federal community project funding for reentry services, workforce development, sexual violence intervention, youth violence interruption, literacy programming, and environmental cleanup, which materially advances the investment side of the pledge during her time in office. However, the evidence does not show a systemic federal replacement of mass incarceration policy or a comprehensive delivered outcome, so this is partial rather than full delivery. The funding and public-safety agenda show serious effort, warranting the effort badge.