4 Black Female Judges Use Their Courtrooms to Break the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Inspired by Ava DuVernay鈥檚 documentary 鈥�13th,鈥� and their own experiences, these women mentor youth to keep them out of the criminal justice system.
Criminal justice reform
If They Die of an Overdose, Drug Users Have a Last Request
Thousands of drug users across the country signed their names to a sort of last will and testament, requesting that prosecutors not file homicide charges against their loved ones.
The Black and the Blue: Tackling Police Racism and Abuse on a Systemic Level
An African American law enforcement expert finds hope in the firing of a racist police chief.
Lawyers Turn to Activism as Civil Liberties Come Under Attack
A new generation of social justice attorneys has risen to defend against the hard-line policies of the Trump administration, from immigration and abortion access to voting and gender rights.
鈥淚 Have No Need of an Enemy鈥�
A prisoner鈥檚 story of finding a third way鈥攐f finding meaning, truth, hope, and wholeness.
Compassionate Mental Health Reform Began With Taking Off the Handcuffs
Rural Virginia in particular has implemented policies that try to treat people with more dignity.
How to Help Inmates Heal After the Trauma of Prison
New York鈥檚 Thrive provides a model to the rest of the U.S. for supporting incarcerated men and helping them find stable housing, education, and employment after they鈥檙e released.
Homes and Gardens: The Best Thing to Ever Happen to a Prison Site
New plans for the former correctional center include a permaculture farm, a recording studio, and housing for homeless veterans.
Confederate Statues Have Been Invisible to Most White People
We鈥檝e been living alongside the Confederacy too long, and white people are finally starting to notice.
Why Police Violence Against Women of Color Stays Hidden
Data show more Black men are killed at higher rates than women, but police-misconduct attorney Andrea Ritchie says that doesn鈥檛 tell the whole story.
How Chicago Became the First City to Make Reparations to Victims of Police Violence
The ordinance provides a meaningful model for creating reparations at the local level.
Black Communities, not Trump Executive Orders, Will End 鈥淐arnage鈥�
In Chicago and Detroit, citizens already are protecting their neighborhoods from violence. If the president wants to send in help, they say, he can start with education, housing, and justice.
6 States With Criminal Justice Reform Wins to Celebrate
In Oregon, incarcerated women stay connected with their children through special visitations and virtual parent-teacher conferences.
What It Takes to Get Women Out of Prison鈥攁nd Stay Out
The rate of women in U.S. prisons is growing faster than men. But in New Orleans, one group is successfully tackling sentencing for drug use and sex work.
Building 鈥淧olitical Power鈥� for Black Americans Where Voter Suppression Is Highest
This election will be the first in 50 years not to offer full protections under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But the Movement for Black Lives is hopeful.
The Call to 鈥淓nd the War on Black Lives鈥� Starts With Accountability
Next year, the DOJ will collect nationwide data on police shootings and other violent encounters with the public. Is that enough progress?
Who Deserves a Liberal Arts Degree? For Inmates, It鈥檚 a Way Out
Obama's controversial pilot program will make higher education dollars available to inmates this year. Proponents hope it will build on the success private liberal arts programs are achieving in prisons across the country.
Divest From Prisons, Invest in People鈥擶hat Justice for Black Lives Really Looks Like
Instead of addressing the roots of drug addiction, mental illness, and poverty, we鈥檝e come to accept policing and incarceration as catch-all solutions. It鈥檚 time for a change.
Meet the Ex-Inmate Whose Successful Prison Rehab Program Goes Beyond Drug Treatment
As California reduces its prison population by tens of thousands, the TimeList Group鈥檚 unique approach to rehab keeps parolees from going back.
Fear: What Police Reform Doesn鈥檛 Address
The most effective reforms are the ones that build community trust between citizens and the police that serve them.
1 in 11 U.S. Gun Deaths Is at the Hands of Police. How Do We Stop the Killing?
The documentary film 鈥淧eace Officer鈥� explains the connection between the war on drugs and the militarization of police, and what it will take to reduce police violence in America.
Forget Nutraloaf鈥擯risoners Are Growing Their Own Food
From New York to California, prison gardening programs serve as cost-effective food sources and provide inmates with better nutrition.
Formerly Incarcerated Moms Fight for Reforms to Save Families
Two-thirds of women behind bars are mothers of children under the age of 18, and even a short stint in jail can cause them to lose their jobs, housing, and kids. Here are four policies to help prevent that.
40,000 Former Convicts in Maryland Just Got New Voting Rights. Here鈥檚 How It Happened
Just in time for this year鈥檚 presidential primary, a new law in Maryland will allow former offenders on probation or parole the right to vote.
24 States Put Juvenile Offenders in Solitary, But Advocates Are Trying to Change That
Studies show kids held in solitary confinement experience long-lasting psychological damage. Activists hope a wave of local and national policy changes means widespread reform is on the way.
Help Fund Powerful Stories to Light the Way Forward
Donate to YES! today.