Onward Blog

Open Letter to New York City Correctional Officers

By JustLeadershipUSA

January 9, 2019

We are a group of formerly incarcerated individuals, and loved ones of people formerly and currently incarcerated, and we are fighting to #CLOSErikers

What You Need To Know About The First Step Act

By DeAnna Hoskins

November 20, 2018

I’m writing to to share the concerns of JustLeadershipUSA, and key national partner organizations regarding the First Step Act.

Vidal’s Corner Episode 2: Voting in New York while on Parole

August 8, 2018

JLUSA Community Organizer Vidal Guzman discusses voting on parole in New York State.

A New Normal in Philadelphia: A Dispatch from the Field

By Reuben Jones

July 11, 2018

Reuben Jones charts the enormous progress of the #CLOSEthecreek campaign.

#CLOSEmsdf: A Dispatch from the Field

By Sharyl McFarland, JLUSA Milwaukee Community Organizer

June 26, 2018

The #CLOSEmsdf Campaign is going strong, and we’ve only just begun.

Vidal’s Corner Episode 1: Ending the Gang Database in New York City

By Vidal Guzman

May 24, 2018

Vidal Guzman breaks down why the NYPD gang database must end

The Sleeping Giant

By Megan French-Marcelin

May 22, 2018

JLUSA Fair Hiring Project Coordinator Megan French-Marcelin sits down with Norris Henderson, founder and Executive director of VOTE.

A Struggle to Survive: Motherhood Post-Incarceration

By Brenda Lawson, #WORKINGfuture Member

May 15, 2018

Like so many mothers I spent this past Sunday—Mother’s Day—with my children. But for me it’s a day that’s more about my children than it is about me.

Welcome to Onward

By JLUSA Staff

May 1, 2018

Onward is JustLeadershipUSA’s new platform for ideas, stories, and reports from the field.

You learn how to bake mac and cheese in a microwave.

By Glenn E. Martin

November 22, 2017

JustLeadershipUSA has trained hundreds of formerly incarcerated individuals and has empowered them to take their seats and redefine the conversation.

Nothing About Us, Without Us

By Glenn E. Martin

April 10, 2017

Last Thursday, JustLeadershipUSA co-hosted an exciting convening at Columbia University, Leading with Conviction in the Era of Trump.

Since 2014, JustLeadershipUSA has maintained our commitment to ensuring systems-impacted voices are at the forefront of the movement for criminal legal reform, empowering directly impacted leaders in over 45 states with the tools, resources, and connections to transform their work.

Your donation will provide crucial support for our leadership training programs, empowering future generations of leaders and propelling the work of JLUSA and our alumni as we continue to advocate and push reform on issues that matter the most in our communities.

In just 10 years, JLUSA and our network of leaders have worked to dismantle decades of harm caused by the criminal legal system.

Partner with us today to enable 10 more years of progress.