Where to start on the criminal legal system: what we’ve written, the numbers and words to know, what to do this month, and the people, organizations and newsrooms worth following.
The Basics
Overview The U.S. locks up more people than any other country, and Black and Latino people are imprisoned at far higher rates than white people. Policing, bail, sentencing and prisons all play a part. People across the country are organizing for alternatives that actually keep communities safe.
Mass Incarceration — The U.S. practice of imprisoning people on a scale far beyond other countries.
Cash Bail — A system that keeps people who haven’t been convicted in jail unless they can pay to get out.
Qualified Immunity — A legal rule that protects police and other officials from being sued for violating someone’s constitutional rights.
Take Action
Three things you can do this month.
Ask your rep to cosponsor the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. H.R. 5361 would make it easier to hold police accountable in court, require better data on misconduct and change police training and policies. It was reintroduced in September 2025 and is waiting in committee. Call script: "I'm a constituent, and I'm asking you to cosponsor H.R. 5361, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act."
Give to National Bail Out. This Black-led collective pays bail for Black people stuck in jail before trial and supports them once they are home.
Become a pen pal. Black and Pink matches people outside with incarcerated LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. A regular letter helps someone feel less alone inside.
Defunding the police allows communities to reinvest in other forms of community support while dismantling a system rooted in racism and white supremacy.
De facto residential segregation is increasing today, creating segregated hospitals, schools, and transportation systems—the very things permitted by Plessy v. Ferguson.
These groups are led by people of color and work on the criminal legal system every day. Follow them for updates and ways to help.
Equal Justice Initiative Represents people in prison and challenges racial bias in the justice system. Visit their website, and follow @eji_org on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
Essie Justice Group Women with incarcerated loved ones organizing to end mass incarceration. Visit their website, and follow @essie4justice on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
Critical Resistance National grassroots group working to end prisons and policing. Visit their website, and follow @criticalresistance on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
People to Follow
Organizers, scholars and journalists who know this topic. Follow them to keep learning.
Mariame Kaba Organizer and author of We Do This 'Til We Free Us. She shares clear, practical ideas for keeping communities safe without relying on prisons and police. Follow them here.
Derecka Purnell Human rights lawyer; author of Becoming Abolitionists. She writes about policing from her own life in St. Louis and makes the case for new ways to keep people safe. Follow @dereckapurnell on Instagram.
Andrea J. Ritchie Lawyer, organizer; author of Invisible No More. She documents how police violence hits Black women and LGBTQ people, stories that often go untold. Follow them here.
Independent Media
Independent newsrooms and newsletters that cover the criminal legal system often. Read and donate if you can!
