Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)

What Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) does

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) is a Black-led statewide coalition founded in 2003 that brings together more than 80 California grassroots organizations to advocate for divestment from policing, jails, and prisons and reinvestment in community-based systems of care. CURB's mission is structured around three pillars: reducing the number of incarcerated people in California, reducing the number of prisons and jails in the state, and shifting wasteful spending away from incarceration toward healthy community investments. Its primary programs include the #CloseCAPrisons campaign (launched April 2021) targeting closure of at least 10 state prisons, and the Budget 2 Save Lives (B2SL) coalition pushing California toward a 'Care First' public safety model. The organization co-sponsored the Racial Justice Act and its successor AB 1071 (signed October 2025), helped pass AB 137 (2025) granting California authority over closed prison sites, and was instrumental in the announced closure of the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco by Fall 2026.

CURB is not a technology or product company; it has no proprietary software, no commercial offerings, and no AI/ML capability. Its functional outputs are advocacy campaigns, legislative wins, public education resources (including the Prison Closure Roadmap, budget overviews, and the CURB Language Guide), research reports produced with academic and research partners (UC Berkeley School of Law, Human Impact Partners), and grassroots mobilization measured in tens of thousands of constituent letters per budget cycle. Distribution occurs through its member organizations, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky), email listservs, in-person rallies and hearings, and earned media.

CURB is fiscally sponsored by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit, which provides administrative and tax-exempt donation infrastructure. Revenue derives from individual donations accepted through the CURB website at suggested tiers of $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500. No revenue, grants, or financial figures are publicly disclosed. Leadership is led by Executive Director Amber-Rose Howard; the organization operates from a mailing address in Los Angeles and serves California exclusively. There are currently no open job or internship positions listed.

Name

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)

Legal name

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)

Website

https://curbprisonspending.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) is a Black-led statewide coalition of 80+ California grassroots organizations founded in 2003 that advocates for divestment from incarceration and reinvestment in community-based care through budget advocacy, legislative campaigns, and the #CloseCAPrisons initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gun Violence Prevention & Public Safety Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAM)

Keywords

• Criminal justice advocacy
• Prison closure campaign
• Budget advocacy
• Grassroots coalition
• Decarceration policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CURB is fiscally sponsored by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a 501c3 tax exempt non-profit organization. The organization accepts donations through its website with suggested amounts of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, and other custom amounts.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CURB is a nonprofit advocacy coalition that organizes more than 80 grassroots organizations to push California state budget and policy toward reducing incarceration, closing prisons and jails, and reinvesting public funds into community-based systems of care. Its work centers on coalition organizing, direct legislative advocacy, public education through reports and toolkits, and direct-action mobilization campaigns (such as phone zaps and letter-writing drives) targeting legislators and the Governor.

Product overview

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) is a Black-led statewide advocacy coalition of more than 80 grassroots organizations focused on reducing incarceration in California. CURB is not a technology or software company—it is a policy advocacy organization whose work centers on budget advocacy, legislative campaigns, public education, and grassroots organizing to close prisons and shift spending from incarceration to community investments. CURB's offerings include advocacy campaigns, educational resources, budget analysis tools, policy documents, and community organizing materials rather than technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• #CloseCAPrisons Campaign: Multi-year vision launched in April 2021 to close at least 10 state-owned prisons in California, involving racial, economic and environmental justice organizations.
• Budget 2 Save Lives (B2SL)

Products and services

• #CloseCAPrisons Campaign A multi-year advocacy campaign led by CURB that mobilizes member organizations and directly impacted communities to push California to close at least 10 state prisons, with a focus on prison population reduction, workforce reinvestment, and facility repurposing. Target beneficiaries include systems-impacted people, incarcerated elders, and California communities.
• Budget 2 Save Lives (B2SL) Coalition An annual statewide convening and ongoing coalition effort that pushes California budget decisions away from incarceration and policing toward community-based care, healing, and rehabilitation services. Serves CURB's member organizations, systems-impacted communities, and state policymakers.
• Prison Closure Roadmap A flagship policy publication providing detailed data, analysis, and recommendations for closing California prisons, including community and workforce reinvestment, prison population reduction, and facility repurposing. Distributed free to policymakers, member organizations, advocates, and the public.
• CURB Language Guide A messaging and framing resource authored by CURB's Executive Director to align coalition members around shared language for decarceration, divestment from incarceration, and investment in community-based care. Distributed free to member organizations and the broader advocacy community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stopped 140,000+ new prison and jail beds from being built
• +5 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• California LegislatureflagshipOthers · 1 January 2025California Legislature passed AB 137, giving California the power to sell, lease, or transfer closed prison sites and prohibit carceral use as a result of coalition advocacy.
• Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE)coreOthersSEE serves as CURB's fiscal sponsor, providing 501c3 tax exempt status enabling the organization to accept tax-deductible donations and grants.
• California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCWP is a key member organization and co-sponsor of CURB's legislative initiatives including the Racial Justice Act and women's prison advocacy.
• Drop LWOPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization leading the fight against Life Without Parole as part of CURB's broader decarceration mission.
• Ella Baker Center for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Racial Justice Act legislation and partner in prison closure advocacy and Hidden Hazards research.
• ACLU California Action, ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of Southern California, ACLU of San Diego and Imperial CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple ACLU affiliates are member organizations supporting criminal justice reform and racial justice legislation.
• Policy Advocacy Clinic at UC Berkeley School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CURB to produce the 'No Time to Wait' report on releasing elders from California's women's prisons.
• Budget 2 Save Lives (B2SL) CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year vision to move California toward a 'Care First' future by investing in healing and rehabilitation and divesting from incarceration and policing.
• Human Impact PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the 'From Crisis to Care' report on health harms of women's prisons in partnership with CURB.
• American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of AB 1071 (Racial Justice Act: Court Procedures) and member organization.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: Oakland-based criminal justice and civil rights advocacy organization. Listed as a CURB co-sponsor of the Racial Justice Act and partner in prison closure advocacy/Hidden Hazards research; directly collaborated on shared legislative campaigns.
• Human Impact Partners: Health equity advocacy organization that co-produced the 'From Crisis to Care' report with CURB on health harms of women's prisons. Comparable in their focus on research-driven advocacy for systems-impacted populations.
• Justice Policy Institute: Research and policy organization focused on reducing incarceration and promoting community-based alternatives. Directly comparable in policy research, advocacy, and budget reallocation framing that CURB uses.
• California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP): Key CURB member organization and co-sponsor of the Racial Justice Act and women's prison advocacy. Directly comparable mission targeting women's incarceration and decarceration in California.
• ACLU of California: Multiple ACLU California affiliates are CURB member organizations supporting criminal justice reform and racial justice legislation. Operates in the same criminal justice reform advocacy space with overlapping California legislative priorities.

Broad incumbents

• Vera Institute of Justice: National nonpartisan criminal justice reform organization that operates in decarceration, jail closure, and prison reform. Operates at broader national scale but overlaps with CURB's mission on reducing incarcerated populations and budget-based advocacy.
• Drug Policy Alliance: National advocacy organization promoting drug policy reform and decarceration. Shares the divest-from-incarceration framework and operates in California as well as nationally, with comparable legislative advocacy tactics.
• The Sentencing Project: National research and advocacy organization focused on criminal justice reform, sentencing policy, and reducing incarceration. Overlaps with CURB's mission on ending mass incarceration and promoting alternatives to incarceration.
• Brennan Center for Justice: National law and policy institute working on criminal justice reform, voting rights, and democracy. Comparable in policy advocacy and legislative strategy, though at substantially larger national scale with broader issue portfolio.
• Equal Justice Initiative: National organization focused on ending mass incarceration, challenging racial and economic injustice, and providing legal representation. Operates at larger national scale with comparable mission of criminal justice reform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/curbprisons.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/CURBprisons
• Instagraminstagram.com/curbprisons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/californians-united-for-a-responsible-budget-curb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)