Redefining Safety: Decarcerate Memphis

Redefining Safety: Decarcerate Memphis

In Memphis, safety is being reimagined—not through more policing, but through community power.

Decarcerate Memphis, a Community Solutions grantee of the Community Foundation, is working to change how justice looks and feels in our city.

Founded in 2020 in response to increased federal law enforcement efforts, this grassroots coalition brings together advocates, attorneys, clergy, and residents to challenge harmful systems and push for transparency. Their work helps Memphians better understand their rights while advocating for a justice system rooted in equity and restoration.

By shifting resources away from punitive approaches and toward community-led solutions, Decarcerate Memphis is uplifting a new vision of safety, one defined by the people themselves. With support from the Community Foundation, they’re building a future where every resident has a voice in what safety truly means.

Decarcerate Memphis will host a free Brake Light Clinic on Tuesday, April 28, from 4:00–7:00 p.m. at the Westwood Community Center, where community members can get broken vehicle lights repaired at no cost—reducing the risk of traffic stops and costly fines that a faulty brake light can bring.

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Other upcoming Community Solutions grantee events:

• Memphis Artists for Change will host TamE & Friends Open Mic on Saturday, April 25 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. at Art House Cafe, located at 1023 Mississippi Blvd.
• Everystory presents a special Juneteenth Memphis Matters performance, a celebration and commemoration of the liberation of enslaved Black people in America, and a celebration of the African Diaspora. The performance will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 7:00 p.m. at TheatreSouth, located inside First Congregational Church at 1000 S. Cooper St. Get tickets here.