Philanthropic investment has played a significant role in criminal justice reform, directing resources toward efforts that aim to change how the United States approaches incarceration and reentry. Philanthropic funding for criminal justice reform grew substantially over the past decade, with annual commitments reaching nearly $400 million in 2019 and surging to $682 million in 2020. Collaborative vehicles like the $250 million Justice and Mobility Fund direct economic support toward people who have been directly affected by the justice system, with the goal of helping them access stable housing, employment, and other resources upon release.
Major foundations such as The MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations fund efforts related to bail reform, jail population reduction, and support for community-based organizations. Others like Arnold Ventures focus on funding research to investigate how to reduce reoffending and improve safety outcomes.
While people may have heard of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and their work defending the rights and liberties of individuals, there are many other, less well-known organizations doing this work on the ground as well. The Vera Institute of Justice focuses on reducing incarceration and improving conditions inside prisons and jails. The Sixth Amendment Center tracks how well states are meeting their constitutional obligation to provide public defense. The Wren Collective addresses the harms of the criminal justice system through prosecution, public defense, pretrial and sentencing reform. For The People, Public Rights Project, and Prosecutors Alliance each work with elected prosecutors on policy and accountability. The Bail Project advocates for bail reform. Fines and Fees Justice Center fights the use of court-imposed financial penalties that trap low-income people in a cycle of debt. Fwd.us brings together business and tech leaders to push for immigration and criminal justice reform.
Philanthropic dollars have also gone toward policy and legislative efforts. In Florida, funding supported Amendment 4 in 2018, a ballot measure that changed voting eligibility rules for people with felony convictions, affecting an estimated 1.4 million residents. Grants have also gone toward “Ban the Box” hiring initiatives, advancing federal legislation like the First Step Act, and programs that work to connect people leaving incarceration with housing, employment, and healthcare services.
Criminal justice touches millions of families every year. For the foundations and donors putting money into this space, the thinking is that investing earlier, whether in legal support, reentry resources, or policy change, is more cost-effective than addressing those issues later.