Initiate Justice

Initiate Justice gathers policy priorities and bill ideas from our incarcerated members and organizers that guide our policy goals and culture change work that is necessary to educate the public and change the policy landscape around incarceration in California. We create guides, public educations materials, and offer training on how the public policy process works and how to create, support, and implement state policy. In 2024, we passed AB 1186 (Bonta), AB 1986 (Bryan), AB 2310 (Hart), AB 2483 (Ting)

The Institute of Impacted Leaders is a 12-week organizing training and leadership development program designed for people directly impacted by mass incarceration. Each cohort trains between 20-25 people on community organizing principles, political education materials, and training on how the California legislative process works so that graduates are empowered to join Initiate Justices work or lead their own campaigns in their communities. By the end of 2024, the Institute has graduated 357 people across Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, San Jose, Orange County, Long Beach, Contra Costa, San Joaquin County, and the Inland Empire