Chinese for Affirmative Action and Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC) submitted a joint letter in support of a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Community Ambassador Pilot Program as a community safety alternative aimed at decarceration and restorative justice. In response to public safety concerns and through soliciting community feedback and input, BART Board of Directors successfully set aside $500,000 for a one-year pilot program.
CAA and APSC played a pivotal role in pioneering Community Ambassador Programs (CAPs) in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Multilingual, culturally adaptive, and community-driven, CAPs provide a less-costly and more balanced solution to address public safety concerns. We will continue to work with BART Directors to provide feedback and uplift best practices during the implementation phases of the pilot BART CAP program.
In 2010, CAA’s work on community safety issues led to the establishment of CAP in San Francisco, administered through the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), that provides visible and street-smart presence throughout impacted neighborhoods.
APSC started the Oakland Chinatown Ambassadors program, in partnership with Asian Health Services and the Chinatown Improvement Initiative to provide a workforce pipeline for individuals re-entering society after prison in 2017.
