Beyond the Choir

There have been so many moments these past months when I wanted to pause, gather my thoughts, and tell you about the incredible things happening at EJUSA. I am finally getting that chance.  I told you a little about our incredible event with the Players Coalition in Las Vegas, just days before the Super Bowl.… Continue reading Beyond the Choir

How We See Each Other

Ryan McKinny as Joseph De Rocher, Joyce DiDonato as Sister Helen Prejean, and Raymond Aceto as Warden George Benton in Jake Heggie's "Dead Man Walking." Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera

Earlier this year, international opera singer Ryan McKinny emailed EJUSA out of the blue. He told us that he was performing the role of Joseph De Rocher in a new production of “Dead Man Walking” at The Metropolitan Opera. He wanted to use his platform, the biggest of his career to date, to elevate our… Continue reading How We See Each Other

Failed by the System

Melissa Lucio is likely innocent, but Texas plans to execute her on April 27 anyway. There’s a real risk that Texas might execute an innocent person next month. Melissa Lucio was tried, convicted, and, in 2008, sentenced to death for a crime that likely never happened. Now, a broad coalition of organizations and experts are… Continue reading Failed by the System

Austin Cuts its Police Budget By a Third

Reimagining Justice This Month | August 2020 Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism. Austin Cuts Its Police Budget by About a Third, The Appeal Austin, Texas, is diverting $150 million away from its police department to reinvest… Continue reading Austin Cuts its Police Budget By a Third

Newark redirects police funds to establish citywide anti-violence office

Reimagining Justice This Month | June 2020 Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism. Ordinance Outlawing White Supremacy, Establishing Anti-Violence Office Signed into Law, TapInto Last Wednesday, the Newark City Council passed an ordinance to redirect funds away… Continue reading Newark redirects police funds to establish citywide anti-violence office

Highs and Lows

Each December, the team at the Death Penalty Information Center provides an enormous and essential service to justice reform when it releases its annual year-end report. The report tells the comprehensive story—in statistics and graphics, in narrative, and in expert analysis—of the death penalty in the U.S. for the previous 12 months. The reports of… Continue reading Highs and Lows

Centering Trauma, Healing Communities

For generations, communities of color have experienced deep mistrust of police, resulting from years of institutional racism and violence. Only after the 2014 police murders of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Ezell Ford, all within a month of each other, did discussions of police violence and accountability become a part of the larger national conscience.… Continue reading Centering Trauma, Healing Communities

A focus on survivors of violent crime | Reimagining Justice This Month

Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism. This month, we have a special digest to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This month’s stories focus on crime survivors, their needs in the wake of violence, and challenges facing… Continue reading A focus on survivors of violent crime | Reimagining Justice This Month

Faith leaders support new trial in case of juror exclusion

Over 500 pastors recently released a letter calling for a new trial for Texas death row inmate Chris Young. The letter urges Texas officials to award Young a new trial because of the exclusion of a potential juror in his original death penalty case. Young and his attorneys argue that the prospective juror was improperly struck from… Continue reading Faith leaders support new trial in case of juror exclusion

Georgia Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty

Last year, Georgia led the nation in executions with nine, which was the most in the Peach State’s history. While executions are at record levels, no one has been sentenced to die in Georgia in nearly three years, which suggests that its death penalty is slowly dying. However, there are many in Georgia who wish… Continue reading Georgia Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty