Criminal Justice Reform & Restoration
Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives
Our Programs & Initiatives
At the forefront of our response to the calls for social justice and equity is the belief and principle that ALL PEOPLE HAVE A
RIGHT TO JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS.
EJSI’s campaigns drive policy, advocacy, and convenings for criminal justice reform and rights restoration, seek to make police accountable to people and reign in on the systems that have served as a gateway to prison and civil rights abuses.
21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety & Restoring Community Trust
The 21 Pillars serve as a public policy framework for criminal justice reform that is rooted in finding meaningful improvements to public safety while restoring trust between communities and law enforcement. This comprehensive report serves as a tool for advocates, policymakers, and partners in the Urban League movement alike. Since 2021, the principals of the 21 Pillars have been leveraged to produce five local activations in Chicago, IL, Rochester, NY, Louisville, KY, Columbus, OH, and Kansas City, MO. Supporting this project will contribute to organizing and executing one community-based activation in 2024 in partnership with a local Affiliate.
The Parole Project
This is an initiative designed to lift barriers that exist in current parole systems that prevent people from exiting the criminal legal system after their sentence has been served. The Parole Project will serve as a policy research hub and an advocacy resource intended to influence the narrative about post-release conditions, educate the public about flaws in the parole system, and change laws and policies. Contributing to this initiative will support staff research, advocacy, and activation needs.
Gun Violence & Community-Led Safety Initiatives
Following sharp increases in gun-related and other violence nationally in 2021, EJSI initiated research on the issue, including an audit of regional approaches to community-led violence prevention approaches. This report, Towards a New Age for Community Safety, was released in 2022. In 2023, EJSI led the production of the Safe & Just Communities Summit in New York City in coordination with John Jay College for Criminal Justice. Contributing to this project will support the planning and development of the next Safe & Just Communities Summit slated for 2025.