“After witnessing her son weave in and out of the court system, LaTonya Tate began questioning why there were no alternatives for her son as a first time offender. To make a change in her community and in the lives of impacted African-American men and women, Tate applied to the Open Society Foundation’s Soros Justice Fellowship. In July, Tate and 15 other individuals from across the nation were given $1.4 million total to conduct their own deep dives into the country’s criminal justice system. Tate’s will be using her $87,000 to create the Alabama Justice Initiative, an organization that will not only assist those adjusting to life after imprisonment, but will also provide support for their families. Tate will be using her funds to integrate community-based practices into the Alabama’s parole system.”