Justice Initiatives

We are committed to promoting the fair and equitable treatment of youth and adults who are in or at risk of involvement in our nation’s juvenile and criminal justice systems. Our primary geographic focus is on the states of Connecticut and New York, although we make targeted investments in national advocacy initiatives and engage with the federal government to promote justice reform across the United States.

We have been a longtime supporter of passionate thought-leaders and change-agents whose organizations are dedicated to reforming federal, state and local justice policies and practices.  Through advocacy, collaborations and strategic investments, we seek to improve public systems and minimize the collateral consequences of justice involvement.

The priorities for our Justice Initiatives include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Reform of the juvenile and criminal justice systems
2. Support for local and statewide coalitions and networks that advocate cross-system justice policy and practice reforms, including those related to school discipline, racial disparities and public health issues
3. Sentencing reform, including efforts to reduce or eliminate mandatory minimums, juvenile life without parole or its equivalent, and transfers of youth to the adult system
4. Increased public awareness and communication about injustices and best practices within the justice system
5. Promotion of college in prison and leadership development programs to help the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated increase their skills and prospects for successful lives

We place a priority on advocacy initiatives around system reforms and limit our investments in direct services to those projects that will promote system reform locally or more broadly.

To assess if your organization fits our funding criteria, please refer to our Who We Fund page.