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A Call and Response installation and excerpt from The Writing on the Wall, a collaboration between Hank Willis Thomas and Baz Dreisinger, were part of the Fund’s closing exhibition, No Justice Without Love, curated by Daisy Desrosiers. Photo by Erin Baiano

COMMUNITY BULLETIN 09.12
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** COMMUNICATIONS DISPATCH
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In June of 2023, the Art for Justice Fund (A4J) concluded its grantmaking after six impactful years. During this time, A4J engaged with artists, advocates, and allied donors to end mass incarceration. The Fund supported grantee partners to safely reduce the number of people in jail and prison and shift the narrative around criminal justice through art. We’re proud that A4J helped to transform the broken criminal legal system and the racial bias that drives it.

Being a time-limited initiative was always the intended strategy. It enabled A4J to make deeper investments to secure policy and narrative change and support greater field building among artists, advocates, and allied donors. The urgency of a 6 year duration inspired more creative grantmaking and required the Fund to respond to needs in real time (e.g., the Covid crisis inside prisons and jails, opportune state-based ballot measures). Upon its sunset, A4J had made 457 grants totaling $127 M to more than 200 individuals and organizations. Artists, advocates, donors, justice impacted people, and others have powerfully aligned to build a future of shared safety. The work must continue and all of us have a vital role to play.

A few members of the A4J team are spending the fall developing an archival website, grantee directory, evaluation of outcomes and impacts, and compiling lessons learned. Expect a few additional newsletters before the end of the year with links to these and other resources.

Jody Kent Lavy, Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth, Alec Karakatsanis, Civil Rights Corps, and Insha Raman, Vera Institute for Justice describe their advocacy victories. Photo by Erin Baiano

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** POLICY UPDATES
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This is a good opportunity to reflect on the progress and key victories achieved by the A4J community and its impact on the overall movement to end mass incarceration.

First, let’s celebrate the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and its partners for reaching an incredible landmark — 1,000 ([link removed]) individuals who were sentenced to life without parole as children are now FREE. For years, CFSY’s tireless advocacy has led the movement to end juvenile life without parole across the country. Since 2018, with A4J’s support, the Campaign’s work has led to nine states banning JLWOP, including three in 2023: Illinois, New Mexico, and Minnesota. In total, 33 States ([link removed]) (and Washington, D.C.) have now banned or have no one serving life without parole for children.

In addition to Minnesota ending JLWOP, the state also recently made all prison phone calls free. This is thanks in large part to the hard work of Worth Rises and other state advocates working to ensure families can stay connected ([link removed]) during a loved one’s incarceration. Minnesota joins Connecticut and Colorado ([link removed]) , along with several other U.S. cities and counties making calls from prisons and jails free. Not only do free calls relieve financial burdens, they also allow families to stay united and ease the reentry process.

Finally, there has been groundbreaking news ([link removed]) from the bail reform movement on the west coast. Los Angeles — the country’s largest jail system and most profitable bail industry — struck down the bail schedule system. This huge victory was led by local and national leaders, including Insha Rahman from the Vera Institute of Justice and Alec Karakatsanis from Civil Rights Corps. The preliminary injunction ruled the LA County bail schedule unconstitutional and reinstated the $0 Emergency Bail Schedule from the pandemic. The ruling citied clear evidence that even short periods of detention destroy lives, harm the community, and lead to more crime and lower rates of court appearances. The case is set to go to trial next year.

The fight for bail reform and ending the criminalization of poverty continues to be one of the key issues within criminal justice reform across the nation, which also include recent battles ([link removed]) in New York where advocates prevented further rollbacks ([link removed]) to 2019 reforms proposed in Governor Hochul’s initial 2023 state budget. Negative media coverage of bail reform coupled with real and perceived incidents of rising crime have created fear and confusion for many, and troubling backlash for those seeking policy change. If you’re interested to learn more, we can connect you with field experts.
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** REFLECTIONS BY A4J’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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The Fund’s board members were asked to share their thoughts upon A4J’s final grantmaking cycle:

“If it weren't for Art for Justice and our shared goals. I might not have had the opportunity to meet wonderful new friends like Susan Burton, Tyra Patterson, Maria Gaspar, Dwayne Betts, Alec Karakatsanis and Desmond Meade who so generously shared their joy, resilience and creativity. Long time artist friends like Mark Bradford and Julie Mehretu and my own role models, Bryan Stevenson and Ava DuVernay, gave me hope and confidence. I’m especially encouraged by the launch of the Center for Art and Advocacy that was founded by Jesse Krimes and Russell Craig. Their model of supporting formerly incarcerated and justice system-impacted artists with fellowships, mentoring, capacity building, and a residency center will continue the movement to reframe our society’s criminal legal narrative. As long as the unjust system of mass incarceration persists, we must not look away.” (Photo © Copyright 2023 Annie Lebovitz)

—Agnes Gund, Philanthropist and Founder/Board Chair, Art for Justice Fund
“During tough times, unity and resilience are crucial. By channeling our anger and grief into productive action through art, advocacy, and mutual aid, we can amplify our passion, knowledge, experience, and creativity. Embracing our unique capacities as artists, activists, and philanthropists within the community sustains the strength of our movement.”

—Catherine Gund, Documentary Filmmaker and Founder, Aubin Pictures

“Agnes Gund’s vision and leadership created a powerful partnership among donors, justice advocates and artists, the likes of which has never been seen before. That model, like the work of Art for Justice itself, will continue to accelerate progress. Serving as a board member has been an honor and an inspiration.”

—Melissa Berman, President and CEO, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

“My favorite A4J memory is its genesis. To be invited to hold hands with Aggie in an effort to forge new directions around an issue we both care about so much. To be aligned with her in our desire to amplify issues around mass criminalization. To ignite ideas and instigate action alongside our comrades in this group. To bear witness to Aggie’s vision blossoming so bravely and beautifully. This bevy of incomplete sentences captures just a fraction of my joy, my hope, my gratitude for Aggie and A4J. What a trailblazer. What a time. Onward for all of us.”

—Ava DuVernay, Filmmaker and Founder, ARRAY

“It’s been most gratifying and fulfilling to serve in communion with disparate groups of people who understand that equal opportunity is not granted to all - often, knowingly - and, to work with these keen hearts and minds, through the best of our abilities, to bring that to light and try to birth change.”

—Sonia Lopez, Philanthropic Advisor, Office of Agnes Gund
“A4J inspired people to think differently about who goes to prison and why, challenged the narrative around the necessity of our current justice system, and galvanized the philanthropic sector to support the movement to end mass incarceration. I’m hopeful that the end of the Fund is just the beginning of artists, advocates, and allied donors working together to create a safer and more just future for all. It’s a privilege to have Agnes Gund as my friend and partner in this extraordinary effort to secure policy, practice, and narrative change in the criminal legal system.”

—Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation

Writer, advocate, and grantee partner Mahogany Browne, serves as a board member for the Writing Freedom Fellowship. Photo courtesy of Mahogany Browne
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** WRITING FREEDOM GRANTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
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Earlier this year, Haymarket Books launched the Writing Freedom Fellowship, a program to support writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction impacted by the criminal legal system. In October, 20 writers will receive a significant unrestricted award based upon their existing body of work and one year of support through mentorship, professional development, and shared learning with writers in their cohort. Thirty-three writers have been named as finalists, seven of whom are currently incarcerated in facilities in Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The finalists comprise 16 men, 16 women, and 1 non-binary person. Two of the writers are trans.

Writing Freedom aims to uplift the vital artistic and cultural contributions of “system-impacted” writers. The term calls attention to the broad reach of the criminal legal system—one of the most inequitable and inhumane structures in our society—beyond formal incarceration. Nearly half of all people in the United States have a family member or loved one who has spent time in prison or jail. Writing Freedom supports writers who have been directly and indirectly impacted by these carceral institutions. Haymarket is implementing the Writing Freedom Fellowship with support from the Art for Justice Fund ([link removed]) and the Mellon Foundation ([link removed]) .

Michael Powell spent 12 years at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio. He is now the director of creative and youth programming at Healing Broken Circles, an initiative which encouraged him to write and perform music and poetry while he was incarcerated. He says the Writing Freedom Fellowship and programs like it are important because they create a positive culture in an inherently negative place. They also set people up for success after imprisonment. “So often the thinking is based on punishment, which does little to help those who are incarcerated,” Powell noted. “They’re not taking into account, if you continuously punish the person that you already thought was bad, what is going to happen? They’re just gonna get worse if you keep beating them down.”

The Writing Freedom Fellowship seeks change by giving those who are directly affected by incarceration the resources and support to share their stories.

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** IN THE NEWS
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Over the summer, the community of Art for Justice artists and advocates generated significant press attention. A sampling of coverage is attached:

The Center for Art and Advocacy is creating incredible momentum.
* [link removed]
* [link removed]

Harper’s Bazaar ran a three-part series on the importance of art in interrogating the crisis of mass incarceration.
* [link removed]
* [link removed]

Grantee partners, sheri crider and Die Jim Crow, were featured in print and on the radio.
* [link removed]
* [link removed]

The team at Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN) ([link removed]) were profiled regarding their inspiring work.
* [link removed].

Tony Coles, Robyn Coles, Catherine Gund, and Darren Walker toasting the A4J community. Photo by Erin Baiano

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** ONWARD TOGETHER: ARTISTS, ADVOCATES, AND ALLIED DONORS
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On June 29, A4J organized a closing event, Celebrating 6 Years of Creativity and Impact, coinciding with the final day of the No Justice Without Love art exhibition at the Ford Gallery. Guests were able to talk with many of the featured artists in advance of the dinner program. Jody Kent Lavy, Alec Karakatsanis, and Insha Rahman shared insights about Achieving Policy Wins and Building Lasting Impact. A4J’s Helena Huang moderated Building an Art and Advocacy Network/Advancing New Narratives, with artists Jesse Krimes and Russell Craig, founding leaders of The Center for Art and Advocacy, and Bianca Tylek, founder and executive director of Worth Rises. The final panel, Engaging Allied Donors and Institutional Funders, was a lively conversation between Agnes and Catherine Gund and moderator Maria Hinojosa of Futuro Media. Poet Faylita Hicks closed out the gathering with a powerful spoken word performance.

Faylita Hicks galvanized the audience. Photo by Erin Baiano
We were honored that 10 members of the Incarcerated Children’s Action Network (ICAN) / National Family Network (NFN) shared their painful and powerful stories. All were sentenced to die in prison under juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) or had family members inside– some since the age of12. The ICAN / NFN members are leading the fight to ban this practice so others can return home. The US is the only country in the world that sentences children to die in prison, a practice condemned by international law.

Alva Greenberg and Daisy Desrosiers take part in the program. Photo by Erin Baiano
Many had spent upwards of 25 years behind bars before it was determined that some JLWOP sentences constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” based on age and were struck down. Other rulings acknowledged that kids’ brains and ability to reason are not fully formed and gave states the right to end the sentence. As lawyer Bryan Stevenson said, “I believe that each person is more than the worst thing they’ve ever done.”

Eddie Ellis, author and co-director of CFSY’s outreach and member services and Jose Burgos, a Michigan-based advocate to end JLOWP in front of artist Jared Owens’ work. Photo by Erin Baiano
At the end of their remarks, the assembled artists, advocates, and allied donors rose in unison, to thank the ICAN / NFN representatives for their work and bear witness to their journeys. You can watch and listen here: [link removed] password: artforjustice

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