Advocates and allies across the country have already made huge progress in slowing and reversing the expansion of the criminal justice system in the United States, and in seeding the infrastructure for something that better serves communities. We want to help escalate and streamline that momentum. We want to unlock the bold, creative solutions for safety and justice this country needs and deserves.
At The Just Trust for Education (c3) and The Just Trust for Action (c4), we’re activating every lever for change - at full speed and across the full political spectrum - to do just that.
We need to shrink the system to build a more just and compassionate engine of public safety. Today 1 in 2 American adults have a family member that is or has been incarcerated. And our communities aren’t even safer for it. We demand better.
The vast majority of Americans support criminal justice reforms. We’re in that camp too. The current state is simply too much: too big, too costly, overly punitive and deeply inequitable.
The grounds for stop, arrest, conviction, and incarceration are broad and biased. A smaller criminal justice system means: less criminalization, shorter sentences, and fewer people on supervision for less time.
The way we’ve historically addressed crime and violence has lacked accountability, humanity, and frankly, creativity. Let's expand bold, community-centered models to restore relationships and hold each other accountable when there's been harm.
Our justice system must be humane. Full stop. From the moment someone comes into contact with the system to well after they come home, people deserve to be embraced as neighbors, colleagues, and citizens. This is especially true for communities who have been most impacted by the cycles of harm our system perpetuates.
Today’s system is punitive and reactive. It steps in only when something bad happens, and often before giving people a chance to thrive. Communities are defining and demanding what really creates safety and prevents crime in the first place: jobs, housing, health, and education. We support advocates that are working with their communities to find solutions that strengthen the foundations for wellbeing.
