Project
“Restorative justice believes families and communities have the capacity to heal transgenerational harms and their many roots,” says sujatha baliga, Director of the Restorative Justice Project. “Restorative processes move us beyond a justice of sides (survivor versus the person who caused the harm) to a more holistic, empowering, and safety-driven approach.” The Restorative Justice Project … Continued
Job
About Impact Justice Impact Justice is a national innovation and research center advancing new ideas and solutions for justice reform. We work to dramatically reduce the massive number of youth and adults in our justice system, improve conditions and outcomes for those who are incarcerated, and provide meaningful opportunities for formerly incarcerated people to rejoin … Continued
News
I smiled with gratitude when the officer handed me $200, the money provided to prisoners the day they are released. I slipped into the clothes my mother picked out for me and sat in a holding cell for four hours. These last few hours before my release were agonizing, but a tiny inconvenience compared to … Continued
Project
Among the people currently incarcerated for committing violent offenses are many who have endured high levels of childhood trauma. Adversity takes many forms: childhood neglect, physical assault, and sexual abuse; heightened exposure to domestic, neighborhood, and physical violence; and structural racism. These traumatic experiences compound to adversely impact men in our society, especially men of … Continued
Person
sujatha baliga’s work is characterized by an equal dedication to crime survivors and people who have caused harm. She speaks publicly and inside prisons about her own experiences as a survivor of child sexual abuse and her path to forgiveness. A former victim advocate and public defender in New York and New Mexico, sujatha was … Continued
Resource
This report explores the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office (ACPDO) implementation of the Smart Defense Initiative, which seeks to ensure representation at arraignment hearings. Previously, Alameda was the only county of its size in California that did not guarantee representation at arraignment hearings. With funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the ACPDO provided representation … Continued
News
Sandra Bland was found hanging in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas. Botham Jean and Atatiana Jefferson were both shot and killed in their own homes by police officers. A study shows that for years, judges in Harris County have essentially outsourced their judicial opinions to the county’s prosecutors. All the while, in Nueces … Continued
Project
The Justice Data Accountability Project addresses the growing challenges associated with the use of big data systems in policing, specifically focusing on ensuring equity, rigor, and transparency in the use of predictive policing tools. In collaboration with a network of advisors from local communities, law enforcement, academia, and the tech sector, Impact Justice is working … Continued
Resource
Healthy food does more than nourish our bodies. Sitting down to a meal is part of being human, and sharing good food with others connects us. This fundamental role of food in people’s lives is denied every day to men and women in prison when meals become another form of punishment — unhealthy, unappealing and … Continued
