Rights and Justice

Criminal Justice Reform

We focus on developing policies to shrink the justice system’s footprint, improve public health and safety, and promote equity and accountability.

People march for the third day since the release of the grand jury report on the death of Breonna Taylor on September 26, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Getty/Michael M. Santiago)

What We're Doing

Ending mass incarceration

Our work is centered around developing and supporting policies that will end unjust punishments and reduce the social and economic harms of mass incarceration, which have disproportionately devastated Black people and other communities of color.

Community safety and justice

We work to advance meaningful alternatives to the criminal legal system that address the root causes of violence, promote community-driven responses to people in crisis, and increase investments that improve public health and community safety over the long term.

The war on drugs

We are working to drastically reduce the criminalization of drugs in America while restoring communities that have been most affected by harsh drug enforcement measures.

Second chances

We advocate for policy options that remove obstacles and barriers for people affected by the criminal justice system while simultaneously highlighting the leadership of affected people in the reform movement.

Recent Work

Latest

Compact View

Harris Has Long Supported Both Law Enforcement and Community Collaborations That Keep People Safe Article
Vice President Kamala Harris shakes hands with a Houston police officer. Other first responders are behind Harris.

Harris Has Long Supported Both Law Enforcement and Community Collaborations That Keep People Safe

Contrary to Republicans’ attacks, Vice President Kamala Harris has never defunded the police, but rather has demonstrated her commitment to comprehensive public safety by supporting police to address serious crime and investing in community collaborations that are preventing crime across the country.

Center for American Progress Action Fund staff

The Racist War On Drugs Has Come For Abortion Care In the News

The Racist War On Drugs Has Come For Abortion Care

In an op-ed published in Talking Points Memo, Lindsey McLendon argues that criminalizing abortion medications ban will deepen Louisiana’s existing racial disparities in deadly ways.

Talking Points Memo

Lindsey McLendon

Kamala Harris Knows How To Make Communities Safer Article
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during an event commemorating the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Kamala Harris Knows How To Make Communities Safer

Throughout her career, Kamala Harris has consistently delivered real solutions to keep communities safe by holding people accountable for serious crime, investing in crime prevention, and leading the country to a significant decline in violent crime.

Lindsey McLendon

Busting the ‘Defund the Police’ Myth Article
Photo shows a close-up of an officer pressing a button on his uniform.

Busting the ‘Defund the Police’ Myth

Despite Republican claims, police in the largest Democrat-run cities have not been defunded.

the Center for American Progress Action Fund

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