Who We Are
We are a collective of organizers, educators, creatives, and community members united by a single conviction: no one should be criminalized for the color of their skin, the neighborhood they live in, or their economic circumstances. Our work confronts the intertwined crises of mass incarceration, the War on Drugs, systemic racism, and inhumane treatment of people behind bars.
Our organization exists to challenge a system where punishment is too often prioritized over humanity, and where communities of color bear the heaviest burden of policing, prosecution, and imprisonment. We believe real safety is built on dignity, opportunity, and justice—not on surveillance and fear.
The Reality of Racial Profiling and Street Stops
Racial profiling and aggressive street stops remain central drivers of mass incarceration. Countless people are stopped, questioned, and searched every day without any genuine evidence that they have done anything wrong. According to civil rights advocates, close to 90% of those stopped in many high-profile stop-and-frisk programs are found to be innocent. Yet the trauma of those encounters never shows up in official statistics.
These stops are not just data points; they are lived experiences of humiliation, fear, and harassment. Young people grow up internalizing the message that they are viewed as suspects first and human beings second. Entire communities are conditioned to expect police encounters as part of daily life—on sidewalks, in parks, near schools, and in front of their own homes.
We challenge the normalization of such practices and demand that public safety strategies be judged not just by arrests or seizures, but by their impact on human rights, trust, and community well-being.
Mass Incarceration: A Systemic Crisis
The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation, a reality built on decades of punitive policies that have targeted poor and marginalized communities. Jails and prisons are overflowing, yet the root causes of harm—poverty, lack of housing, inadequate healthcare, and underfunded schools—remain largely unaddressed.
Mass incarceration is not an accident; it is the outcome of political choices. Mandatory minimum sentences, cash bail, aggressive prosecution, and over-policing have created a pipeline that channels people from their neighborhoods directly into cages. Families are torn apart, children grow up with parents behind bars, and returning citizens face lifelong barriers to employment, housing, and education.
Our work centers on dismantling this pipeline and advancing alternatives that prioritize restoration, healing, and community-based solutions over punishment and exclusion.
Resisting the War on Drugs
The War on Drugs has fueled the expansion of policing and imprisonment for generations. Instead of treating substance use as a public health issue, it has been weaponized as a justification for raids, militarized policing, and long prison sentences. The result has been devastating: communities of color have been disproportionately targeted, families have been destabilized, and billions of dollars have been poured into enforcement rather than treatment and support.
We oppose policies that criminalize addiction and poverty. Our advocacy supports decriminalization, harm reduction strategies, and robust access to healthcare and mental health services. We amplify the voices of people directly impacted by drug criminalization and push for laws rooted in science, compassion, and human dignity.
Confronting Inhumane Treatment in Prisons
Once inside, people are too often subjected to conditions that violate basic human rights. Overcrowding, solitary confinement, medical neglect, and physical and psychological abuse turn prison sentences into experiences of severe and lasting trauma.
Our organization confronts these abuses through advocacy, documentation, and coalition-building. We challenge practices that isolate people for weeks, months, or even years. We oppose profit-driven prison models that turn human suffering into a business opportunity. We call for meaningful oversight, independent monitoring, and pathways for incarcerated people and their families to report abuses without fear of retaliation.
Extrajudicial Killings and State Violence
Mass incarceration does not exist in isolation; it is part of a broader landscape of state violence. High-profile cases of extrajudicial killings by law enforcement, especially of Black and Brown people, have revealed what many communities have known for generations: encounters with the state can be deadly.
We honor the legacy of leaders who exposed this reality and demanded structural change. The legacy of organizations inspired by the teachings of figures like Malcolm X reminds us that resistance to state violence is both a historical and contemporary struggle. Today, we stand with families seeking justice, communities organizing for accountability, and movements demanding that policing be radically transformed—or replaced—by systems of care and community safety.
What We Stand For
Our vision is grounded in a simple principle: every person has inherent worth, regardless of their background, their past, or the charges they face. From this principle flow our core commitments:
- Ending Mass Incarceration: Reducing prison and jail populations through sentencing reform, bail reform, decarceration strategies, and investment in community-based alternatives.
- Stopping Racial Profiling: Challenging discriminatory policing practices, from street stops to surveillance, and demanding transparency and accountability.
- Ending the War on Drugs: Supporting decriminalization, harm reduction, and treatment over punishment and incarceration.
- Defending the Rights of Incarcerated People: Advocating for humane conditions, access to healthcare, education, and meaningful opportunities for reentry.
- Building Community Power: Centering directly impacted people in leadership, decision-making, and storytelling.
How We Organize
We organize across neighborhoods, cities, and regions to connect isolated struggles into a broader movement for justice. Our work includes public education campaigns, community forums, art and culture events, policy advocacy, and direct action. We collaborate with grassroots groups, faith communities, student organizations, formerly incarcerated leaders, and family networks to demand structural change.
Education is central to our mission. We develop tools to help people understand how policing, courts, and prisons function—and how they can be transformed. We encourage communities to document their experiences, share their stories, and build local campaigns that expose abuses and advance solutions.
Our Commitment to Dignity and Healing
We recognize that the criminal legal system has inflicted deep wounds on individuals, families, and communities. Healing is not an afterthought; it is a core part of our work. We support restorative approaches that center the needs of those harmed while acknowledging the humanity of those who have caused harm.
Our efforts are guided by the belief that people are more than the worst thing they have ever done, and that lasting safety is built when communities have access to housing, healthcare, education, employment, and spaces for collective care.
Envisioning Freedom Beyond Cages
Our long-term vision is a world where prisons and punitive policing are not the default responses to social problems. We imagine communities where conflict is addressed through dialogue, accountability, and repair; where support services are accessible; and where everyone has what they need to live with dignity and security.
By challenging mass incarceration, exposing the failures of the War on Drugs, and opposing extrajudicial violence, we work toward a future where freedom is not a privilege for the few, but a reality for all.
Why This Work Matters Now
Across the country, more people than ever are questioning the role of police, prisons, and punishment in our society. The data on disproportionate stops, the stories of people killed in encounters with law enforcement, and the lived experiences of incarcerated people have made clear that the status quo is unsustainable and unjust.
Change does not happen automatically. It is built through sustained organizing, courageous storytelling, and collective action. Our organization exists to help channel that energy into concrete shifts in policy, culture, and daily life.