The criminal justice system has been in the spotlight in recent years, and there is an increase in cases being overturned. Organizations that are dedicated to criminal justice reform continue to work on behalf of those wrongfully accused or who were not given proper due process. Read on to learn more about excellent resources for criminal justice reform for both defendants and advocates alike.
The Innocence Project
Founded in 1992, The Innocence Project is dedicated to helping the wrongly convicted to be exonerated from the crimes they were convicted of. . They achieve this through the use of modern-day products like DNA testing and further investigation. In addition to exonerating the wrongfully convicted, the project also focuses on efforts to reform and improve the justice system and ultimately make the process more just and fair.
The Criminal Law Reform Project
The Criminal Law Reform Project focuses on targeting major ongoing issues with criminal justice and hopes to reform sentencing. Their areas of focus include mass incarceration, over-criminalization, racial injustice, and other barriers to a fair process. The project’s goal is to change the way that defendants are tried and focus on providing more fair punishments for non-violent offenses.
Equal Justice Initiative
Another excellent program that is focused on criminal justice reform is called the Equal Justice Initiative. They believe that the justice system in place today is outdated and focus on how it can be reformed and improved. Some of the Equal Justice Initiative’s top issue areas include incarceration, children in adult prisons, the death penalty, wrongful convictions, excessive punishment, and prison conditions.
The Sentencing Project
For over 35 years, The Sentencing Project has worked to help improve equality between how black youth and white youth are treated in the justice system. With black youth being four times more likely to be detained than white youth, the project comes at an important time in the country’s justice system.
While it is encouraging to see organizations and causes focused on criminal justice reform, it is crucial that the general public understands the need for change. Spend some time to become more informed about the problem with the current system and learn what you can do in your community to help push for improvements. This can be a major step in achieving a fair and just legal system that benefits everyone in our society.