Giving Compass
  • Sign In
  • About Us
    About Giving Compass How We Choose Content and Organizations Annual Reflections Our Newsletter
  • Getting Started
  • Learn About Issues
    Topic Guides
    Animal Welfare COVID-19 Criminal Justice Democracy Disaster Relief Education Environment Health Homelessness Immigrants and Refugees Racial Equity Women and Girls
    Curated Articles
    Partner Collections Giving Compass Selections See All Articles
  • Give to Causes
    Issue Funds & Intermediaries Projects Nonprofits
  • Get Involved
    Philanthropy Resource Directory Events Volunteer Opportunities
  • Partner With Us
    Nonprofits Authors Use Our Content Services Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Sign Up
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Sign In

How to Make an Impact on Criminal Justice Reform

Open Philanthropy Project Dec 12, 2018
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
Click here for more.
Chloe Cockburn: How to Make an Impact on Criminal Justice Reform Giving Compass
  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

Giving Compass’ Take:

• This post from the Open Philanthropy Project explores several opportunities for donors, including a Bronx nonprofit that connects people to legal advice 24/7 and a New Orleans court watching program.

• How might these organizations empower those impacted by the criminal justice system? What are the biggest challenges in this particular area that are of greatest concern?

• Another donation outlet to consider: The Unlocked Futures Fund.


Good Call

What is it? Good Call is a nonprofit that runs a free 24/7 arrest hotline in the Bronx, allowing anyone to connect with a free lawyer right away if they or a loved one are arrested. There are over 14 million arrests in the US every year, concentrated in low-income communities. Good Call’s service helps prevent costly, unnecessary pretrial jail time by ensuring that people who are arrested and their families get legal advice as quickly as possible.

Why I suggest it: Spending even one night in jail can have significant detrimental effects — making it more likely that a person will plead guilty, and putting their housing, employment, parental status, and other key components of their lives in jeopardy.

Court Watch Nola

What is it: Court Watch Nola (CWN) is a New Orleans based court watching program that engages 100-200 volunteers on an annual basis (having trained over 1000 over the past 10 years) to witness court proceedings and take detailed notes on what they observe. CWN compiles data from these notes into reports issued regularly. In 2017, information gathered by CWN contributed to substantially increased scrutiny of the New Orleans District Attorney, Leon Cannizzaro, who was found to be issuing fake subpoenas and jailing sexual assault victims for refusing to testify.

Why support it: CWN believes, and I agree, that systemic change comes if directly-impacted people and the community at large are actively engaged in the process of legal education, direct observation and data collection. Court monitoring, observation and the collection of data can empower the people most affected by the criminal justice system to ultimately lead movements to improve the policies that affect their lives.

Read the full article on criminal justice reform by Chole Cockburn at Open Philanthropy Project.

  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

Interested in learning more about Impact Philanthropy? Other readers at Giving Compass found the following articles helpful for impact giving related to Impact Philanthropy.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Finding Your Focus | Impact Giving Classics

    How to find your Impact Giving Focus? As you get serious in your philanthropy, it's important to move away from the "peanut butter" approach: spreading resources thinly across many things. Finding (and sustaining) a focus to your giving will allow you to accomplish more. These resources can guide you through the considerations in finding your focus. Issue Areas (Opportunities to Achieve High Impact) - This annual High Impact Giving Guide, from the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP) at Penn, is designed to help donors make a bigger difference with their philanthropic gifts. It reviewed dozens of effective approaches handpicked distinct opportunities that you can act on immediately. CHIP is the only university-based center with a singular focus on how philanthropy can achieve greater social impact. It defines positive social impact as a meaningful improvement in the lives of others and illustrate how donors can address the range of risks human beings face, from their earliest days on earth to adulthood. Take a look inside and see which causes and organizations match your passions!


Looking for a way to get involved?

A good way to complement your interest in Crime and Safety is to connect with others. Check out these events, galas, conferences or volunteering opportunities related to Crime and Safety.

Loading...
Learn More

Are you ready to give?

Crime and Safety is an important topic. Other members found these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations and Projects aggregated by Giving Compass to be relevant to individuals with a passion for Crime and Safety.

Loading...
Learn More
Connect

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
Take Action

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
More from
Giving Compass
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Funding Recommendations for Individual Donors
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Giving Advice from Open Philanthropy Project
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Suggestions for Individual Donors Across Different Causes
Follow Us
Newsletter

Become a newsletter subscriber to stay up-to-date on the latest Giving Compass news.

About Us
  • About Giving Compass
  • In The News
  • Contact Us
  • Content at Giving Compass
  • Partner With Us
Trending Issues
  • Environment
  • Homelessness
  • STEM Education
  • Equal Pay Act
  • Gender Equality

Copyright © 2021, Giving Compass, LLC

•
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Agreement

Sign in

Your personal information is confidential at Giving Compass. For more information, please visit our privacy policy. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use.