The Justice Roundtable champions critical justice reform issues before the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.
Bookmark this page to stay up-to-date on the issues as well as upcoming campaigns, calls for action and updates from Justice Roundtable Working Groups, as well as other partners and allies.
Commutations and Pardons
The policy discussion around the President’s constitutional power to commute sentences has been reinvigorated. We advocate for a robust use of the clemency power and the release of the broadest spectrum of prisoners possible without compromising public safety.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The Justice Roundtable is committed to ensuring the protection of incarcerated youth and adults during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Crimmigration
“Crimmigration” is the place where the criminal justice and immigration systems intersect. We highlight the connections between immigration enforcement and the criminal justice system so that reform impacting both can be jointly addressed.
Drug Policy Reform
In 2010, 1.6 million people were arrested on nonviolent drug charges. We promote initiatives that seek to reduce the societal harms associated with drug use and the over-incarceration that has resulted from excessive sentences for drug crimes.
Executive and Legislative Initiatives
Administration Build Back Better – Biden/Harris Transition Website Congress DURBIN, PRESSLEY, LEAHY, BOOKER TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: SUSPEND ALL FEDERAL EXECUTIONS DURING TRANSITION PERIOD CDC Petition on COVID-19 Guidance for Jails & Prisons COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act Ending Qualified Immunity Act COVID-19 Safer Detention Act of 2020 Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act of […]
Human Rights
U.S. criminal justice policies should conform to international human rights norms. We bring the criminal justice and human rights communities together to effectuate change.
Impacted People
When a person is incarcerated, it is not just the individual who is incarcerated, but a whole community. Directly impacted persons describes those behind bars and beyond such as children, mothers, sisters, friends, and fathers who suffer the many effects of the American legal system.
Law Enforcement Reform
The misuse of power by law enforcement officers and prosecutors sometimes results in improper profiling as well as the abuse of prosecutorial discretion. We shine a light on the importance of law enforcement accountability in the criminal justice system.
Police Brutality, Pandemic, and Policy
After the gruesome video of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police on May 25th, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota circulated online, national outcry ensued over the lack of charges brought against the offending officers. A new pandemic has ascended on 2020: a policing pandemic. Lawmakers, activists, and young people across the country are calling […]
Pretrial and Courts
The front-end of the criminal justice system includes arrests, sentencing, pretrials and other court procedures and related entities.
Prison Reform
Overcrowding, medical inadequacies, sexual assault, solitary confinement and other threats to the health and safety of both prisoners and guards proliferate in U.S. prisons and jails. We seek an end to cruel, degrading and inhumane conditions of confinement.
Racial Justice
Racial disparities in the criminal justice system and the criminalization of communities of color are among the most vexing issues facing the country. We strive to include the impact of race as a serious part of any discussion of systemic reform.
Reentry
People with criminal convictions face punitive policies upon their release that restrict their access to housing, employment, public benefits, education and the franchise. We advocate for the elimination of the collateral consequences of a conviction and for full funding for the Second Chance Act
Sentencing Reform
Today, almost one in 100 people are incarcerated in the U.S. We urge Congress to reassess the role and impact of the sentencing laws enacted over a quarter of a century ago and eliminate harsh prison terms as the centerpiece of the nation’s crime-fighting strategy.
State Issues
Policymakers and advocates have had success in adopting criminal justice laws geared toward reducing prison and jail populations in nearly 30 states. We help facilitate the exchange of ideas between federal and state advocates to help change the conversation at the federal level.
Youth Justice
Punitive discipline sanctions and policing in schools have been counter-productive and contribute to the “school to prison pipeline.” We seek policy reform that improves the success of system-involved youth.