Texas Teen Courts Keep Youth Out of Prison
El Paso’s Teen Court is a peer-driven, youth-led program that centers the well-being of teenagers, instead of condemning them to the destructive criminal justice system.
Criminal Justice Reform
Ending “Death by Incarceration”
A Pennsylvania man is challenging mandatory life without parole sentencing for felony murders in a case that has national implications.
Video | Pennsylvania | YES! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali | Dortell Williams | California | Abolition
Facing Life Without Parole Inside a California Prison
Recent reforms in prison communications have allowed Dortell Williams, serving a life sentence without parole in California, to share his experience face-to-face for the first time.
Reversing the Damage of Cannabis Criminalization
People of color were the most harmed by the war on cannabis, but we can heal the damage of prohibition and ensure a fairer future.
The Yearning for Redemption
Re-entering society after being incarcerated takes a heavy emotional toll.
Freeing Black Mothers From Jail
A campaign to free Black mothers from pretrial detention highlights the role that women play in helping one another navigate a dehumanizing system.
Disrupting the Business of Bail
The Minnesota Freedom Fund offers resources to low-income people of color who are jailed—and so much more.
What Do We Do While Waiting to Realize Prison Abolition?
Attorney Sia Henry shares a wrenching personal experience highlighting the challenges of operating in world where prison abolition is not yet a reality.
Instead of “Tough on Crime” Policies, California Could Fund Better Solutions
State legislatures and elected officials around the country have almost always responded to crime with more police funding in spite of little to no positive results. Instead, they could tackle the recidivism rate, solve the housing crisis, and reduce poverty.
Interrupting Cycles of Harm, Inside and Outside Prison Walls
Formerly incarcerated mental health care providers are supplementing traditional resources for those still in prison—with mutually beneficial results.
Why Is Breonna Taylor’s Father Still in Prison After Decades?
Everette Taylor has been as good a father as the prison system has allowed. He’s one of millions of Americans who remains incarcerated for far too long.
Why Everette Taylor Is a Victim of Our War on Drugs
Breonna Taylor's father, who remained close to all six children, including Breonna while she was alive, is being held in a Michigan prison. An incarcerated writer makes the case for Everette’s freedom.
In Conversation with Everette Taylor, Breonna Taylor’s Father
Everette Taylor didn’t get to say goodbye to his daughter. Stuck behind prison walls, Taylor speaks with YES! about how he remains connected to his surviving children despite decades of incarceration.
Reforming Laws From Behind Bars
Prison reformists—many of whom are serving long sentences—have united to change the cruel and arbitrary carceral system.
Preventing Prison and Recidivism
These three activists are working to support people at risk of either going to prison for the first time or returning to prison after release.
Incarcerated Seniors Deserve a Chance to Come Home for the Holidays
Years of “tough-on-crime” policies have resulted in growing numbers of elderly people remaining in prison for decades. It’s past time to enact policies that help them come home.
Planting a Life—and a Future—After Prison
The residential and employment program on a North Carolina organic farm helps formerly incarcerated women find a new path.
How “Solitary Gardens” Help Envision a World Without Prisons
Volunteers team up with people currently held in solitary confinement to build empathy, compassion, and advocacy for a world without prisons.
Formerly Incarcerated People in West Virginia Find Community Support
A network of government agencies and community service organizations have created a program to help formerly incarcerated people navigate life outside prison.
We Don’t Need Prisons to Make Us Safer
To the statement that prisons provide safety, we should ask, “Safety for whom? And from what?”
From Anxiety to Authoritarianism
The human “fight or flight” response gives demagogues like Trump a tool for political manipulation. But we could replace oppression with a system of care.
A World Without the Death Penalty
A veteran activist describes the international movement to abolish capital punishment.
Where Incarceration Isn’t the Answer
Frustrations with the U.S. prison system have prompted a global search for alternatives. Yet the solution might not be as simple as “be like Scandinavia.”
How Formerly Incarcerated Firefighters Are Getting the Jobs and Pay They Deserve
In California’s most catastrophic wildfire season yet, an organization is challenging the state to hire firefighters who were previously incarcerated to help meet public safety needs.
How a Community Rallied to Change Prison Rules During COVID-19
There’s a mentality in prisons that places more value on power than protecting human life and we need to talk about that.
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