The square one project
A multi-faceted criminal justice reform movement is now unfolding across the country. Communities across the country are beginning to address skyrocketing incarceration and are developing new ways to respond to the problems of violence and poverty that wind up in our courts and jails. As criminal justice reform gains momentum, it’s time to fundamentally rethink the nation’s approach to crime. We have an opportunity to imagine a basic transformation of justice - to develop a new framework that relies less on harsh punishment, more on community strength, and reduces the explosive interactions of violence, poverty, and racial inequality. Seizing this moment requires a forthright exploration of the realities of crime in America as well as an honest examination of the conventional policy responses to violence.
If we want to change the trajectory of justice policy, we need new ideas, and ways to test and talk about them to change the national conversation. The Square One Project aims to incubate new thinking on our response to crime, promote more effective strategies, and contribute to a new narrative of justice in America.
Find out more here: https://www.squareonejustice.org
The Executive Session
The Executive Session on the Future of Justice Policy brings together more than two dozen researchers, practitioners, policy makers, advocates, and community representatives to generate and cultivate new ideas. The group meets in an off-the-record setting twice a year to examine research, consider new concepts, and refine proposals from group members. The Session will publish a series of papers that is intended to catalyze thinking and policy reform that can reduce incarceration and develop new responses to violence and other social problems that can emerge under conditions of poverty and racial inequality. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the Executive Session tests and pushes its participants to challenge their own thinking and consider new options.
Learn more here.
The Roundtable
The Roundtable on the Future of Justice Policy is a series of public, live-streamed forums that bring together a cross-section of leaders, community members, academics, and other experts to consider discussion papers authored by leading researchers. They are designed to spark transformational thinking about what we can expect for our communities and our justice system. Building on research, entrepreneurial practices, and real-work expertise in communities, the Roundtable will showcase work from the very local to the global, creating a public record for learning and sharing information about what a new “square one” might look like. Learn more here.