Impact Justice

For many who have visited women’s prisons in Finland and Norway, the experience was eye-opening. Nordic countries have a fundamentally different understanding of — as well as policy and practical response to — the root causes of women’s incarceration. But with only 200 women in prison in Finland, what can we in the United States — where nearly 200,000 women and girls are behind bars — learn and attempt in our own country? On November 12th, join our Vice President of Innovation Programs Aishatu Yusuf in conversation with CROP Organization's Terah Lawyer, Ms. Foundation for Women's Teresa C. Younger, and Andrea James from the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls for Episode 2 of our reflection series on the Nordic prison system and social welfare approach to public safety. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gvkTJkRN

If you missed last month’s webinar, you won’t want to miss this clip: Shimica Gaskins from End Child Poverty lays out how Finland’s investment in children and families is directly tied to the country’s low incarceration rates and social welfare approach to public safety. Finland and other Nordic countries are seen as the global standard for a humane legal system, but here’s the crazy part: just a few decades ago, the Finnish system looked VERY different. Finland and their counterparts have taken specific policy actions that we can learn from here in the States. Be sure to register for Episode 2 on November 12th! https://lnkd.in/gvkTJkRN

Help us spread the word: applications for our California Justice Leaders 2025 cohort are officially OPEN! Our partnership with AmeriCorps trains and employs system-impacted young people as reentry navigators to help other community members on similar journeys. Learn more and apply to become a California Justice Leader TODAY at https://lnkd.in/eqVCRh23.

Our experience visiting women’s prisons in Finland was eye-opening. From the fundamental understanding that women end up in prison due to society’s failures, to opportunities that open prisons provide to study, work, and spend time with family, to sauna access as a human right, Finland is doing many things differently. But with only 200 women in prison in the entire country, could Finland lead the way to not incarcerating women at all? We’ll discuss: - How Finland’s fundamental understanding of why women end up in prison impacts the structure and experience of incarceration - Our conversations with women incarcerated in Finland’s closed and open prisons and what we learned from them - Finland’s potential to address the root causes of incarceration and respond differently, and opportunities in the US to provide support and resources in community

Join us on November 14th for an inspiring event featuring Jane Dorotik! After her wrongful conviction, Jane is a powerful advocate for meeting the needs of incarcerated women. Together, we'll showcase organizations implementing California's Best Practices for supporting systems-impacted women. Register: https://lnkd.in/gsDrHiAS #SJBestPractices

Today, we’re thrilled to name the six organizations who will receive our first-ever National Housing Incubator Award. Funded by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Impact Justice's National Housing Incubator bolsters critically needed, diverse solutions to the country’s overlapping reentry and housing crises at the local, regional, and national level by providing robust financial and technical assistance to organizations seeking to refine or scale their own reentry housing programs. These six rockstar organizations are gearing up to impact thousands of people leaving prison across the United States, transforming their communities and fueling new housing and reentry innovations. Over the next year, we’ll partner closely with our awardees (alongside other housing experts and strategic advisors) to support and uplift their work. We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together!

"A person’s ability to provide for themselves and to contribute to their community often depends on one person who says, ‘yes, I will hire you.’ The same is true with housing. People leaving prison need that one person who will say ‘yes, you can live here, or yes, you can live with me.'” - Bernadette Butler, Director, Impact Justice’s Housing Lab We're proud to be featured in this latest white paper on housing innovation from Enterprise Community Partners. Together with our partners at Enterprise, Wells Fargo Foundation, Ivory Innovations, and Terner Labs, we're committed to reshaping how communities create and increase access to affordable housing -- especially for people returning home from prison. Read the full white paper at https://lnkd.in/gaMgJPX9

Have you been impacted by the justice system? Do you want to serve your community? Apply soon to become a #CAJusticeLeader! Application opens 11/4 - learn more at https://lnkd.in/g7Uia-BZ, and keep an eye out for the application link next week!

It was such a pleasure to meet with Johana Bahamon this week to discuss her work with incarcerated women in Colombia with Fundación Acción Interna. Thank you Johana for sharing your wisdom and spirit as we work collectively towards a more just future everywhere. ❤️ Feat. Vice President of Innovation Programs Aishatu R. Yusuf, MPA

Why is there a domestic abuse survivor-to-prison pipeline? With incarceration rates for women growing at double the rate of men in recent decades, it’s never been more important to understand - and address - the many reasons survivors may end up in prison as a result of abuse. Read more in this powerful and timely new piece from The Marshall Project. #DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth