Widespread Support for Ross Ulbricht’s Clemency
In prison since 2013, Ross has been steadfastly supported by family and friends, as well as by many across the political spectrum. There is a strong consensus that Ross’s sentence is unjust and that he deserves a second chance.
Ross’s clemency has broad, diverse, and bipartisan support. It includes over 250 organizations, eminent individuals and leaders who have voiced their support publicly or in letters. Ross’s petition is the largest clemency petition to the President on Change.org with over 600,000 signatures.
Below are some of the people and organizations who support Ross’s freedom:
“On day 1, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht to a sentence of time served. He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to get him home.”
“We are deeply concerned that the extreme disparity—indeed, the almost mind-boggling severity—of Mr. Ulbricht’s sentence has had and will have a corrosive effect on public respect for the justice system and the federal sentencing scheme…It is clear that further incarceration is likely to serve no additional rehabilitative function in this case…We strongly support Mr. Ulbricht’s petition for clemency.”
“In no way can a sentence so egregious—or anything remotely close to it—be justified. The punishment does not fit the crime, is wildly disproportionate and its injustice is manifest…Ross Ulbricht’s disparate, draconian sentence risks undermining the American people’s faith in our justice system.”
“This is the greatest violation of the 8th Amendment that I am aware of in the United States today…What Ross Ulbricht did from a computer screen does not deserve 2 life sentences + 40 years without the chance of parole…This is cruel and unusual punishment…This guy should not rot in jail and die there. He deserves a second chance.”
“Ross shouldn’t be pardoned, but his ridiculous sentence should be commuted and he should be set free.”
“Should Ross Ulbricht’s unduly harsh sentence be left to stand, it would be harmful to both our legal system and the trust that the public places in our courts to impartially administer the law.”
“Like many across the political spectrum, I believe Ross Ulbricht has been punished enough and that granting him mercy is now the right thing to do.”
“Ross Ulbricht has been in prison far too long. Two life sentences for hosting an e-commerce platform. Yes, illegal activity took place there, but come on. When I’m President I will pardon him. In the meantime, I’m going to sign the petition asking for his release, and I encourage you to do the same.”
“Free Ross!!!!!”
“This case is starting to come in more clearly. #freeross”
“The Libertarian Party has requested the President grant a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht.”
“A sentence of double life, plus forty years, without parole is unjustifiable. Decades of incarceration for Ross Ulbricht would be a great tragedy and serve no useful purpose.”
“We have become overly aggressive with our criminal justice system in the U.S. We imprison more people, and apply longer sentences, than any country on the face of the planet. People like Ross should be afforded the opportunity of redemption as soon as possible. For Ross, that is now.”
“As a current elected Sheriff and former D.E.A. Agent, I am shocked…I pride myself in upholding respect for the law and keeping my county safe. I also believe in the importance of adequate deterrence of misconduct. However, one of the basic tenets of our American principles is that the punishment should be just and proportionate to the crime. Mr. Ulbricht’s sentence is neither just nor proportionate…Mr. President, please grant Ross Ulbricht clemency.”
“When you read Ross Ulbricht’s history, you find out he is not a vicious criminal…I would pardon him…Two times life imprisonment and never committed a violent crime! It’s time for the American people to wake up!…I hope that anybody capable of being close to the president might give him a little nudge.”
“The length of Ross Ulbricht’s sentence is unconscionable and wicked. I hope to see an end to this terrible injustice.”
“An entire book could be written on Ross Ulbricht’s takedown, subsequent trial, and his recent appeals process, especially because most articles about his case present false or misleading information.”
“Commuting Ross Ulbricht’s sentence and giving him a second chance would represent a major positive step in the direction of a more just system.”
“A shocking miscarriage of justice.”
“A commutation of Ross Ulbricht’s sentence…would be celebrated by so many of us who care about justice, fairness and mercy.”
“No matter where you stand on the Silk Road and Ross’s case, this is an egregious sentence.”
“Ross Ulbricht is the American dream. He is an entrepreneur.”
“The sentence that he received was very cruel and very unjust…What purpose does it serve to still keep him incarcerated?…The punishment just does not fit the crime. He is an example of our broken criminal justice system…Ross has not murdered anyone. He hasn’t committed any heinous crime…Let this man go. He has done enough time. Give him a second chance!”
“For a first-time offender like Ross Ulbricht, who has expressed profound remorse for his actions, there is no rationale that justifies the cruel and excessive punishment he received. This is a sentence that is injurious to us as a society and cries out for serious review.”
“We are a nation of second chances. But a sentence of life imprisonment without parole affords no second chance, which is why such a sentence should, at the very least, be reserved for the worst crimes committed by repeat offenders. Needless to say, Ross’s crime is nowhere near that category and his sentence is grossly excessive.”
“Ulbricht’s life sentence won’t deter others from giving Americans access to the drugs they want. It won’t ‘protect’ society. It won’t ‘serve justice’ in some moral or cosmic sense. It will just waste another life behind bars and cost non-incarcerated taxpayers about $2 million over Ulbricht’s 50-year remaining life expectancy.”
“I have followed Mr. Ulbricht’s case closely and have been struck by a multitude of problematic aspects in it…the sentence that was imposed on this young man with no prior record for all non-violent offenses is especially troubling.”
“A double life sentence plus 40 years for this? Ross Ulbricht’s case shows the gross injustices in our ‘justice’ system.”
“It is apparent to any decent person that Mr. Ulbricht does not deserve this unconscionable sentence of double life without parole.”
“A sentence almost unheard of…A young first-time offender who was never charged with causing any death or bodily injury…A high-profile criminal prosecution that heaped intense scrutiny and pressure on the sentencing judge, resulting in a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for a first-time offender.”
“No American is safer because Ross Ulbricht is in jail for life. He is just one more casualty of our futile war against drugs.”
“Providing second chances to people who deserve them makes our families and our communities stronger. Ross’s case is a prime example of why our criminal justice system needs to be reformed.”
“Ross’s case highlights the insanity of the current system. His draconian sentence fails to make anyone safer. It fails to offer him the opportunity of redemption. And it wastes massive amounts of taxpayer dollars. Why we are ok with a non-violent offender sentenced to die in prison is beyond me.”
“Ross Ulbricht’s sentence is excessive and overly punitive, especially given the circumstances of his case. Such long prison sentences do not make us safer or allow us to heal. Ross and so many others deserve a second chance.”
“With decades ahead of him, there is much that Mr. Ulbricht could accomplish and he could be a productive member of our society, if released. Instead, he is condemned to remain the rest of his life in prison and be a burden to our taxpayers. This goes against our country’s value of redemption.”
“Ross Ulbricht does not deserve to die in prison. The severe punishment of a fundamental death sentence in Ross’s case shocks the conscience and is morally and fiscally unjustifiable. It is time to give Ross a real chance at redemption and the opportunity to prove he can be a benefit to society.”
“I am strongly opposed to a first-time, non-violent offender like Ross being condemned to a slow death sentence…I feel a sense of profound and terrible injustice…Seven years in prison is more than enough”
“It is ludicrous that Ross Ulbricht, or anyone for that matter, gets locked up for life. People change. Ross, like so many others, needs clemency.”
“Coming up on 10 years in prison, it is time to revisit Ross Ulbricht’s sentence. First-time non-violent offenders, who accept responsibility, should have a shot at redemption. Our system should be about rehabilitation, not just incarceration.”
“Free Ross! We need that guy in the economy. That’s all there is to it. He is clearly one of the great entrepreneurs in the world. He should be pardoned, he should get out of jail.”
“In America, we over-criminalize and Ross Ulbricht’s life without parole sentence is simply too harsh…Surely, we as America can do better.”
“Commuting Ross Ulbricht’s sentence to time served will be a positive step in the cause of criminal justice reform.”
“I believe that Ross Ulbricht would be an ideal recipient for clemency. He is a young, bright, non-violent, first-time offender who can use his talents and skills to contribute to our society.”
“This miscarriage of justice demands rectification. SSDP stands with the hundreds of thousands of people who wish to see Ross Ulbricht released as soon as possible.”
“How, with a good conscience, are we able to allow Mr. Ulbricht—a young entrepreneur with no prior record—to die behind bars?”
“We as a country should not condone this type of arbitrary, disproportionate punishment—let alone for a first-time offense—and should aim to restore justice where it is due…It seems clear that Ross Ulbricht deserves an act of clemency.”
“This is a miscarriage of justice pure and simple. Ross Ulbricht made some mistakes, but sentencing him to die in prison for nonviolent crimes where government entrapment played a large role is beyond the pale. We must do better.”
“Ross William Ulbricht, a first-time offender, received a much harsher sentence than prosecutors sought. The sentence was based on judicial findings related to allegations of serious crimes that not only were never found by a jury but were not even among the charges leveled at trial.”
“We believe that such an abuse and overreach of judicial and government power is a grave offense to our fundamental American values of liberty and justice and must be corrected…We, our party and our members are particularly attuned to Mr. Ulbricht’s case.”
“Ulbricht’s nearly unheard-of sentence is overly punitive, destroys hope and is seriously disproportionate…He has not received justice…I am a firm believer in second chances. Eight years of confinement behind bars should be more than sufficient in Ross Ulbricht’s case.”
“As a member of the European Parliament, Ross Ulbricht has my full support. I hope he will be released, otherwise it would mean there is no justice at all.”
“I am in full support of Ross Ulbricht’s petition for commutation of sentence. A multiple-life sentence for a nonviolent crime is a great injustice…I urge the President to commute sentences like the double-life sentence Ross is serving.”
“Ross Ulbricht’s sentence is a travesty. It’s absolutely disgusting what has happened to him. People in power have conspired to make him out to look like a horrible villain and all he is guilty of is building a website. I hope we see him out of jail very soon.”
“To be honest, I don’t care about who gets pardoned, I care about who doesn’t. Please, President, free Ross Ulbricht…and all non-violent drug offenders.”
“Ross’s case raises so many issues of due process, prosecutorial overreach and outright fairness. A sentence of double life plus forty-years? This case fails the standards of our cherished Constitution and our American values. In the interest of justice, I strongly support clemency for Ross Ulbricht.”
“The trial and sentence of Ross Ulbricht demonstrate the heights that over-criminalization, the Drug War, and technophobia have reached in the United States. They also show how Fourth Amendment and Due Process rights have hit rock-bottom.”
“A double life sentence for a non-violent crime: unwarranted, egregious, and completely over-the-top. Ross, we love you and pray for your quick release back into free society. President, you must pardon this young man, he has so much to offer!”
“The U.S. has a mass incarceration problem. One reason is because of unconscionable sentences like the one Ross received.”
“Spike Cohen and I are calling for the immediate pardon and release of Ross Ulbricht.”
“I signed the petition to free Ross. I’m asking everyone to sign. Very harsh and overdone punishment.”
“Ross Ulbricht could be a great asset to our country if given the opportunity. We treat some of our nation’s enemies in war with more leniency than Ross has been treated.”
“Ross Ulbricht is not someone we need protection from, and certainly not someone who should die in prison. He is an innovative, brilliant entrepreneur who could help our country and contribute greatly…His punishment is undeniably out of proportion.”
“What’s happened to Ross is an absolute travesty. The sentence was very unjust and a really bad precedent for the American people. It is a very important thing to have him released.”
“Keeping Ross Ulbricht locked up is profoundly unjust.”
“Ross Ulbricht’s intention was to make the world a safer place. I don’t think that his creating a website that he thought was going to help the world is something he should spend his life in prison for.”
“Whatever you think of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, creator of Silk Road, does not deserve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.”
Abolitionist Law Center
Public interest law firm seeking to end mass incarceration through movement lawyering. Promotes the rights of prisoners and the wrongly convicted by educating the public about injustices in the criminal legal system, and about abusive conditions in the prison system.
American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF)
Informs and mobilizes public support for criminal justice reforms based on conservative principles, and to work with government officials to effectively implement those reforms.
Joined National Lawyers Guild’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition
American King Foundation
Nonprofit organization that focuses on criminal justice reform, re-entry, and reuniting American families throughout the United States that have been affected by the laws of mass incarceration.
A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing)
Nonprofit advocacy organization of parents, concerned citizens, individuals in recovery, healthcare professionals and community leaders working together to educate the public, media and decision makers about the true nature of the disease of addiction, and to expand access to treatment services.
Bitcoin.com
Stands firmly in support of financial freedom and the liberty that cryptocurrency provides globally to empower people to not be marginalized by governments and financial institutions.
Buried Alive Project
Nonprofit organization that works to raise awareness and help eliminate life without parole sentences for federal drug offenses through transformative legislation and litigation.
CAN-DO Foundation
Nonprofit foundation that advocates Clemency for All Non-violent Drug Offenders. Committed to educating the public about the conspiracy law and mandatory minimums, and providing support to those incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses.
Cato Institute
Public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.
Joined Reason Foundation’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice(CJCJ)
30-year-old nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes a balanced and humane criminal justice system designed to reduce incarceration and enhance long-term public safety.
Clemency.com
Project of Brandon Sample PLC, a federal criminal defense law firm, whose mission is to assist clients with pardons, commutations, reprieves, amnesty, remission and other clemency related matters.
Coalition for Civil Freedoms
Coalition of national and local organizations and prominent individuals, whose mission is to educate about the erosion of civil and political freedoms and prisoner abuses within the U.S. criminal justice system.
Joined National Lawyers Guild’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)
Public policy organization dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individual liberty.
Joined Reason Foundation’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Conservative Legal Defense and Education Fund (CLDEF)
Fights against the government’s assault on the written text of the constitution, and the true rule of the Law.
Joined Downsize DC’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Crack Open the Door
Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that fights for those who have been sentenced to Life without parole for nonviolent drug crimes in the federal system. Jason Hernandez, its founder, was granted clemency by President Obama on December 19, 2013.
Criminal Justice Policy Foundation (CJPF)
Founded in 1988, CJPF is one of the oldest drug policy reform organizations in the United States. Their primary mission is to educate the public about the impact of drug policy on the criminal justice system, and work on criminal justice reform.
Downsize DC Foundation
Policy advocacy organization which aims to limit the size of the U.S. government in the United States through awareness and petitioning.
Submitted an amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
DownsizeDC.org
Advocacy group supporting the Zero Aggression Principle and legislation that reduces excessive force and ending prohibition.
Joined Downsize DC’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Dream.org (formerly #cut50)
National, bipartisan effort to cut crime and incarceration across all 50 states. #cut50 brings together leaders impacted by the criminal justice system with unlikely allies spanning the political divide to push for criminal justice solutions.
Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)
Organization dedicated to ending the American “War on Drugs”, whose mission is to advance policies and attitudes that best reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition.
Submitted one amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s appeal to the Second Circuit and one amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition
Due Process Institute
Bipartisan nonprofit that looks past ideological divides to find common ground in order to restore principles of fairness in the criminal justice system.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
The leading organization defending civil liberties in the digital world. Champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation.
Joined National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s appeal to the Second Circuit.
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Nonprofit organization that works locally, statewide, and nationally to end criminalization, state violence, and mass incarceration and win dignity, power, and equality for all communities.
Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change (ECCSC)
Nonprofit organization that challenges ex-offenders to act as community servants by continuing their rehabilitation through community service and becoming productive members of society. Their mission is to change the dynamic of trauma, violence, and recidivism in communities.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums(FAMM)
Advocates for smart sentencing laws that protect public safety, and has been responsible for policy changes that have eliminated and reformed mandatory minimum prison sentences for thousands of individuals.
Foundation for Economic Education(FEE)
Their mission is to inspire, educate, and connect future leaders with the economic, ethical, and legal principles of a free society.
Free & Equal Elections Foundation
Nonprofit, grassroots organization whose mission is to empower American voters through education and advocacy of electoral reforms.
Free State Project (FSP)
An agreement among 20,000 participants to move to New Hampshire to reduce the size and scope of the government in order to achieve “Liberty in Our Lifetime.”
Free The People
Educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the values of liberty: free choice in everything from drug policy, to healthcare and retirement, to every aspect of the sharing economy.
FreedomWorks
Organization with over 6 million members promoting free markets and individual liberty.
Joined National Lawyers Guild’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA)
National jury education organization seeking to educate about citizen rights, powers and responsibilities when serving as trial jurors.
Future of Freedom Foundation
Educational organization whose mission is to present the principled case for individual liberty, free markets, private property, and limited government.
Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice
Advocates for reforms to the criminal justice system. Believes the criminal justice system should focus on rehabilitation and not only punishment.
Gun Owners of America (GOA)
Lobbying organization formed to preserve and defend Second Amendment rights.
Joined Downsize DC’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Gun Owners Foundation
Research arm of GOA that exists to educate about the importance of the Second Amendment and provide legal, expert and support assistance.
Joined Downsize DC’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Human Rights Defense Center
Advocates on behalf of the human rights of people held in U.S. detention facilities.
Joined National Lawyers Guild’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Judge Nancy Gertner
Former U.S. federal judge who built her career around standing up for women’s rights, civil liberties and justice. Senior Lecturer of Law at Harvard Law School.
Joined Drug Policy Alliance’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s appeal to the Second Circuit and National Lawyers Guild’s Supreme Court amicus brief [PDF].
Justice Action
Organization of criminal justice and mental health activists targeting abuse of authority. Created in 1979, it is one of the oldest independent prisoners’ rights and advocacy services in Australia.
Justice For Families
National network of family leaders, impacted by the justice system, working to end mass criminalization, particularly of youth and in communities of color.
JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA)
Dedicated to cutting the US correctional population in half by 2030. Empowers people most affected by incarceration to drive policy reform.
Joined Drug Policy Alliance’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s appeal to the Second Circuit.
Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice
Works to strengthen the people, policies, institutions, and movements that advance health, equity, and justice for everyone. Their work is informed by community organizing methods and philosophies, draws on public health practices and tools, and is grounded in a racial equity framework.
Ladies of Liberty Alliance(LOLA)
Educational organization with the mission of educating and empowering female leaders within the liberty movement and spreading the ideas of individual liberty and free markets.
Last Prisoner Project
Nonprofit dedicated to reforming the U.S. criminal justice system through progressive drug policy. Through legal intervention, constituent support, advocacy campaigns and policy change, they aim to release every last drug war prisoner.
Law Enforcement Action Partnership(LEAP)
Nonprofit group of current and former police, judges, prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals who use their expertise to advance drug policy and criminal justice solutions that enhance public safety.
Joined Drug Policy Alliance’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s appeal to the Second Circuit and Drug Policy Alliance’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Libertarian Party
America’s third largest political party. Unanimously passed a resolution requesting that the President of the United States grant Ross clemency and has made Ross’s release an official part of its platform.
Liberty on the Rocks (LOTR)
International network of Libertarian thinkers. Designed to educate, connect, and activate liberty enthusiasts around the world.
Life for Pot
An organization that spotlights offenders who have received the sentence of Life without Parole for marijuana offenses. Founded by Beth Curtis, the sister of John Knock, a first-time, nonviolent marijuana offender who has been serving a life sentence without parole since 1996.
Moms United
Movement of mothers, parents and families who are taking a leading position to end the violence, mass incarceration and overdose deaths that are a result of current punitive and discriminatory drug policies.
Nation of Second Chances
Webby Award nominated photo and video storytelling series about nonviolent drug offenders released from prison through President Obama’s historic clemency initiative.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Organization of 40,000 attorneys in 28 countries whose mission is to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or other misconduct.
Submitted an amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s appeal to the Second Circuit.
National Incarceration Association, Inc.
Their mission is to provide families, loved ones and advocates of the incarcerated, reliable information and resources while also coordinating actions among community and those who have the authority to make measured changes and reform our system of justice for the better public interest and safety.
National Lawyers Guild (NLG)
Progressive public interest association that unites lawyers, law students, legal workers, jailhouse lawyers and legal activists.
Submitted an amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Ohio Justice Policy Center (OJPC)
Their mission is to create fair, intelligent, redemptive criminal-justice systems through zealous client-centered advocacy, innovative policy reform, and cross-sector community education.
Parallel Polis
Czech Republic think tank focused on the promotion of digital freedom and free markets. Based on the writings of Vaclav Benda, Czech dissident during the height of communist domination in Czechoslovakia.
People’s Law Office
Chicago law office that focuses on public interest law, representing clients believed to have been the subject of attacks by governmental officials and agencies.
Joined National Lawyers Guild’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Prisology
Nonprofit organization dedicated to fixing the U.S. criminal justice system, for the benefit of taxpayers, policymakers, prisoners, ex-offenders, their families and for the good of our entire nation. Helped make retroactive drug sentencing reform possible for 46,000 federal prisoners, saving taxpayers up to $4 billion.
Prison Scholar Fund
Nonprofit that provides incarcerated people the tools they need to become successful members of their communities by funding college, vocational, and technical courses. PSF also provides transition and employment assistance after release.
R Street Institute
Public policy research organization whose mission is to engage in policy research and outreach to promote free markets and limited, effective government.
Joined Reason Foundation’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Reason Foundation
Organization committed to advancing the values of individual freedom and choice, limited government, and market-friendly policies.
Submitted an amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Restore The Fouth
Nonprofit organization that seeks to strengthen the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and eliminate programs that violate it.
Restoring Liberty Action Committee
Action committee dedicated to restoring liberty in the U.S.
Joined Downsize DC’s amicus brief [PDF] supporting Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
Right On Crime
National criminal justice reform initiative in the U.S. that aims to gain support for criminal justice reform by sharing research and policy ideas, mobilizing leaders, and raising public awareness.
Rio Grande Foundation
Research institute affiliated with the U.S. nationwide State Policy Network. Dedicated to increasing liberty and prosperity for all of New Mexico’s citizens.
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Nonprofit human rights advocacy organization that aims to teach change through human rights advocacy for social justice. It was named after U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, a few months after his assassination.
ShapeShift
Leading instant digital asset exchange that offers global trading of a variety of digital assets via web and mobile.
StopTheDrugWar.org
Nonprofit organization whose goal is to replace the illicit drug trade and criminalization with a combination of regulation, health and social programs addressing substances’ risks and harms.
Students for a Sensible Drug Policy(SSDP)
International student-led advocacy and education organization of thousands of members working to end drug prohibition and reforming drug policy.
Students for Liberty (SFL)
Largest libertarian student organization in the world whose mission is to educate, develop and empower the next generation of leaders in support of freedom. SFL nominated Ross for alumnus of the year 2016.
Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC)
Nonprofit research and advocacy institution that advances solutions and builds coalitions to reduce mass incarceration and foster safer Texas communities.
The Decarceration Collective
Premier collective of lawyers, community organizers, and criminal justice policy consultants working together to dismantle mass incarceration and defend federal prisoners serving life sentences for drug-related offenses.
The Ladies of Hope Ministries (The LOHM)
Their mission is to help disenfranchised and marginalized women and girls transition back into society through resources and access to high-quality education, entrepreneurship, spiritual empowerment, advocacy and housing.
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF)
Progressive legal organization that focuses on cases regarding free speech and dissent, domestic spying and surveillance, police misconduct, and government transparency.
Joined National Lawyers Guild’s amicus brief [PDF] in support of Ross’s Supreme Court petition.
The Taifa Group
Dynamic social enterprise firm in Washington, DC, whose mission is to advance justice. Led by Nkechi Taifa, a criminal justice veteran and founder of the Justice Roundtable coalition.
The Weldon Project
Dedicated to funding social change and financial aid for those who are still serving prison time for cannabis-related offenses. Founded by Weldon Angelos, a first-time offender who was sentenced to 55 years in prison for selling cannabis. Thanks to a bipartisan campaign supporting his release, he regained his freedom after having served 13 years in federal prison.
Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR)
Educational and advocacy nonprofit aimed at developing a more coordinated criminal justice system that values the humanity of all people, restores relationships, and uses incarceration as a last resort for public safety.
Young Americans for Liberty (YAL)
Pro-liberty student organization with more than 900 chapters and 300,000+ members nationwide.