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For years, society has treated crime and incarceration -- and thereby public safety -- as law-enforcement issues. Research, however, suggests that a lack of stable employment, housing, and healthcare, which are social determinants of health, drive the conditions that lead to harm. Thus, public safety is not just a legal issue, but a public health one.
Viewing public safety through a public health lens invites us to prevent rather than react, and to heal rather than punish. It recognizes that violence and injury, including those caused by the criminal-legal system itself, are public health concerns requiring care, prevention, and restoration. When we make this shift, we stop framing people as problems to control and start treating safety as a collective responsibility rooted in dignity, equity, and well-being.
Today’s guest is Ted Alcorn, an award-winning journalist and researcher. He teaches on gun violence, criminal justice, and policy at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. His work examines how laws, data, and social conditions shape violence and health. He also aims to advance a public health approach to public safety.
