BEYOND LEGAL AID: EVALUATION REPORT

Beyond Legal Aid is changing how lawyers and communities work together. Beyond takes pride in their model of “community activism layering,” which unites lawyers and activists to help underserved communities access justice and pursue social change through free legal services.

This model is divergent from conventional legal services organizations, where lawyers operate from their offices where clients come and receive services. As opposed to conventional legal services, Beyond’s model is community-located, community-collaborative, and community-directed.

Learn more about Beyond Legal Aid here.

LIFE COMES FROM IT: GRANTEE REPORT

Life Comes From It (LCFI) is a unique grant-making fund rooted in a shared vision of addressing harm through community-based solutions functioning outside of the criminal justice system. 

LCFI make small grants up to $25,000 to support individual projects, networks, convenings, and collaborations that enhance restorative and transformative justice movement building.

If you or someone you know fits the criteria and is interested in funding please read the first year grantee report in full. You may contact the fund directly here. 

THE ARAMINA APPROACH: FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVED BLACK WOMEN

For decades, the criminal justice system has been recommending the same failed practices to reduce incarceration while the incarceration and recidivism rates have increased, especially in our communities.

That’s why I created  the Araminta Approach, a practical model for service providers and key stakeholders in the criminal justice field to better serve criminal justice involved black women (CJIBW).

This effort has been completed as a roadmap in order to take action. It is a movement to draw upon criminal justice impacted Black women’s expertise and life experiences to address what is going on in our own community. This is for us and by us.” - Dr. Marilyn Jones

THE CHILLING EFFECT OF ICE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS

This report details how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Raids Deter Immigrants from Attending Child Welfare, Domestic Violence, Adult Criminal, and Youth Court Hearings.

We would first like to thank the one thousand people who shared with us components of their personal lives. We admire their courage in responding to the survey despite the high levels of fear that they told us about.

In order to measure whether courthouse arrests increase fear among immigrant communities and undermine due process rights of immigrants within state and local courts, advocacy organizations such as Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) have been tracking the arrests of those attending and leaving court.