Community is what keeps us safe, not prisons.
Something else is possible.
About Common Justice
Common Justice develops and advances solutions to violence that transform the lives of those harmed and foster racial equity without relying on incarceration.
In New York City, we operate the first alternative-to-incarceration and victim-service program in the United States that focuses on violent felonies in the adult courts. Locally and nationally, we leverage the lessons from our direct service to transform the justice system through partnerships, advocacy, and elevating the experience and power of those most impacted.
Rigorous and hopeful, we build practical strategies to hold people accountable for harm, break cycles of violence, and secure safety, healing, and justice for survivors and their communities.
Our Guiding Principles
Survivor-Centered Responses To Violence
Crime survivors should be at the center of any conversation about violence. When survivors are at the center, they are pragmatic and clear—and what they ask for is not always what people might expect.
Accountabilty-Based Responses To Violence
Accountability isn't just moral. It's practical. Meaningful accountability can reduce violence in ways punishment cannot.
Safety-Driven Responses To Violence
Communities deserve safety. When prisons fail to deliver on their promise to keep everyone safe, it is time to develop solutions that will succeed.
Racially Equitable Responses To Violence
Racial inequity drives violence. That means that any strategy to advance safety must advance equity as well.
Latest Actions
COVID-19 Release Efforts Must Include People Who Commit Violence
COVID-19 doesn’t distinguish by charge. This memo provides guidance for engaging strategic audiences in conversations about how to address violence and those who have been accused of or convicted of violence in the U.S, in the midst of the COVID-19
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It’s time to end housing discrimination against people with conviction records. Take Action.
The campaign is a coalition of advocates, legal services, human service providers, and people who have experienced housing discrimination.
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