Thread by @AmesCG

Research shows that the ACA’s Medicaid expansion led to a sharp drop in arrest rates, and particularly drug arrests.

If we took findings like this one seriously — and I think we should — what would it mean for public safety? A short thread. (1/5)

journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…

Every week we see columns, tweets, headlines blaming progressive prosecutors (wrongly) for crime. But hard research shows that aggressive misdemeanor prosecution might actually *increase* crime — inverting the popular narrative around public safety. (2/5)

washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/0…

And by contrast, a new paper shows that cutting welfare benefits appears to have a serious & lasting effect on crime rates, markedly increasing “offenses for which income generation is a primary motivation.” (3/5) bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/…

Papers like these show that, with smarter policies, we can build a world that is both equitable and safe. But our political narrative remains stuck in the view that prison & punishment are the only tools for reducing crime. We need to think more holistically about safety (4/5).

I’m not saying I have all the answers, or that law enforcement doesn’t have a role in building safe communities. But I am saying that the old view — that we can have racial & economic justice *or* safety — is just wrong. We can and must have all three. (5/5)