The Just Trust is a philanthropic intermediary
that works to build the public, political and financial will needed to protect and advance durable reforms to the justice system – state by state and across the country. We aim to serve as a bipartisan financial and strategic center of gravity for the justice reform field, leveraging our five core capacities.
Our justice system is held up in the name of public safety, but doesn’t deliver on that promise. If it did, we’d be the safest country in the world.
That’s why at The Just Trust, we’re not only bringing the conversation about safety and justice together under one roof, we’re bringing the strategy there too. Criminal justice reform can and must play an essential role in our national safety strategy.
Public safety innovation and smart changes to the criminal justice system is possible in every state, regardless of who is in the White House or governors' mansions. This isn't a red/blue state problem, it's an all of us problem.
The grounds for stop, arrest, conviction, and incarceration are broad and biased. A smaller criminal justice system means: less criminalization, shorter sentences, and fewer people on supervision for less time.
The way we’ve historically addressed crime and violence has lacked accountability, humanity, and frankly, creativity. Let's expand bold, community-centered models to restore relationships and hold each other accountable when there's been harm.
Our justice system must be humane. Full stop. From the moment someone comes into contact with the system to well after they come home, people deserve to be embraced as neighbors, colleagues, and citizens. This is especially true for communities who have been most impacted by the cycles of harm our system perpetuates.
Today’s system is punitive and reactive. It steps in only when something bad happens, and often before giving people a chance to thrive. Communities are defining and demanding what really creates safety and prevents crime in the first place: jobs, housing, health, and education. We support advocates that are working with their communities to find solutions that strengthen the foundations for wellbeing.
