The Just Trust is a philanthropic venture that works to dramatically improve our systems of safety and justice in the United States.
We curate investments from a diverse bench of donors, and deploy them to a powerful and strategically developed network of partners and initiatives at the local, state, and national level in pursuit of a safer and more just America.
OUR WORK:
People want to see a better, more humane justice system. They also want to feel safe and secure in their communities. These things go hand in hand.
At The Just Trust, we care about the full, interconnected work of safety, accountability and justice that people are asking for. Communities need fast, reliable, appropriate response systems that interrupt and stop cycles of crime and violence.. Communities need robust – and far more creative – systems of accountability when crimes are committed, that go beyond using prison and jail as a catch all. Communities need better laws that prevent crime, hold people truly accountable, and create more effective pathways to rehabilitation and healing. This is all criminal justice reform. This is the world The Just Trust is building toward.
The vast majority of Americans support responsible reforms to the criminal justice system. This is not just a left or a right issue, it’s an everyone, everywhere issue. That’s why The Just Trust works with partners across the full political spectrum – to support smart strategies on the right, left, and center, and to depoliticize the work of safety and justice wherever humanly possible.
A smaller criminal justice system means: Actively preventing and reducing crime, and building different, more effective systems of accountability and rehabilitation. If we can do this, there will be less people going into the system, more people coming home to their families, and fewer people returning to prison once they are out.
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.
From the moment someone comes into contact with the system to well after they come home, people deserve to be treated as people. This is especially true for communities who have been most impacted by the cycles of harm our system perpetuates.
We need to orient the activities of the justice system away from punishment for the sake of punishment, and toward real safety and accountability outcomes. The system we're working towards will be judged by how it reduces harm, institutionalizes community safety solutions, and builds trust in public safety systems.
