Criminal Justice
We advocate for a justice system that earns its name and strengthens all of our communities.
Fast Facts
1 in 3 Americans
1 in 3 Americans has a criminal record, which can result in over 40K barriers limiting access to jobs, housing, education, voting, rights, and opportunities.
Source: National Reentry Resource Center
32,000 children
The U.S. confines kids at a rate 2X the global average: nearly 32,000 on any given day.
Source: Prison Policy Initiative
10X Disparities
Youth of color face higher incarceration rates. In some states, Black and tribal youth are up to 10x more likely to be incarcerated than white youth, while Latinx youth are up to 3x more likely.
Source: The Sentencing Project
SAFETY AND JUSTICE GO HAND-IN-HAND
Our justice system should protect public safety without perpetuating injustice. For too many, contact with the system leads to lifelong consequences far beyond a sentence, harming individuals, families, and communities—especially communities of color.
SECOND CHANCES
A criminal record should not be a life sentence. Policies like record sealing, second chance hiring, and fines & fees reform help individuals successfully reintegrate into our communities by removing barriers to employment, housing, and opportunity. Second chance efforts are a win for us all: benefiting individuals, families, communities, and our economy.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
The mandate of the juvenile justice system is rehabilitation, which we can achieve by promoting interventions that build support into accountability. We should invest in our children and their futures by supporting fair youth justice and alternatives to incarceration.
SENTENCING REFORM & SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY
Outdated punitive approaches and mass incarceration have caused tremendous harm without providing real safety. A fair justice system also requires correcting past mistakes. We can start by supporting policies that right system wrongs and increase transparency and accountability.
7,600+ people
Over 7,600 people in federal prisons would receive a reduction in sentence if the EQUAL Act were passed–going from an average sentence of 173 months to 100 months.
Source: The Sentencing Project
4 in 10
4 in 10 children have had a parent impacted by the justice system, perpetuating multi generational poverty and justice-system involvement.
Source: The Hill
What We Support
We advocate for policies that reduce incarceration and the harmful effects of contact with the justice system—focusing on second chances, juvenile justice, and sentencing reform.
GET IN THE GAME
Every community is impacted by mass incarceration. Each of us can make a difference.
Find Your Lane
Ready to listen? Tap into your community networks to understand the impacts of mass incarceration where you live.
Know the Fundamentals
Ready to learn? Dig deeper to get the facts on decarceration and learn about the organizations advocating for criminal justice reforms.
Make Your Gameplan
Ready to act? Discover how you can join the movement and help advance safety and justice.
Learn More
Like basketball, advocacy is a team sport. We are proud to work alongside the organizations driving change on our issues nationally and in communities across the country. Learn more about their efforts!
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