The Just Trust and The Just Trust for Action, recently established grantmaking initiatives dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system, have announced grants totaling $36.3 million in support of integrated advocacy efforts.

Inaugural grants, three-quarters of which are multiyear commitments, were awarded to 25 organizations—including 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) groups—working in the areas of advocacy infrastructure, campaign moments, media and narrative projects, justice alternatives, partnership and coordination, and rapid response. Recipients include the ACLU of West Virginia, Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement, Alliance for Safety and Justice, Prison Journalism Project, Bolts, Represent Justice, Oregon Health Justice Recovery Alliance, and Right On Crime.

“One of the most challenging parts of criminal justice reform work is that justice is defined and applied differently everywhere,” said The Just Trust chief program officer Jolene Forman. “That means it’s going to take the ongoing efforts of groups working in every corner of this country, year in and year out, to dismantle harmful and unevenly applied policies, protect past wins, and create the public and political will for reforms that truly center community health and safety. This opportunity is about discovering who those groups are, what they’re up against, and how we can help power their essential efforts in the short and long term.”

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