Ending Mass Incarceration

America’s incarceration crisis is the ultimate example of the politics and underlying culture of dehumanization we must end together. Our government is not merely failing to eliminate systemic racism and reduce vulnerability but instead exacerbating both with the carceral state. We lock up more people than any other country on Earth. We criminalize poverty, needlessly separate children from their parents, and destabilize and destroy families, even entire neighborhoods, in the process. SCSJ seeks to reduce the number of people entering and remaining in the criminal legal system. We focus on front-end issues, like policing, over-criminalization, and the prosecutorial function. We also focus on back-end issues, like safely bringing people home from jails and prisons and ending excessively harsh policies fueling mass incarceration.