In honor of Women’s History Month, we are celebrating the work of women making profound impacts in the fight for criminal justice reform.

Marilynn Winn and other formerly incarcerated women at the advocacy organization Winn founded, Women on the Rise, succeeded in their battle to close the Atlanta City Detention Center.

Winn was incarcerated several times—including once for 30 days when she couldn’t pay a $100 fine. She noticed that the Atlanta jail largely incarcerated those who had violated city ordinances like jaywalking, shoplifting, and traffic laws. It typically devastated the lives of those imprisoned.

Winn began her advocacy after her last stint in the jail when she learned about “ban the box” campaigns, which call on employers to remove the box asking job applicants about their criminal record. After struggling to find employment with a criminal record, she launched a similar “ban the box” campaign in Atlanta. In February 2018, Atlanta eliminated cash bail for violations of city ordinances. Since then, over 6,000 people have been released from jail. In May 2019, Winn made history when Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, signed legislation to close the jail and repurpose it as a center for services and resources to keep people from being arrested.

Advancement Project National Office is also working to eliminate cash bail in the St. Louis Workhouse via the #CloseTheWorkhouse campaign. We’re working with powerhouse advocates like Inez Bordeaux. Bordeaux is working to close the notoriously inhumane jail which condemns hundreds of mostly Black people to unspeakable conditions, often solely due to their inability to post bail.

Bordeaux ended up in the Workhouse for minor poverty-related crimes and it devastated her life. In an interview, Ines said the Workhouse was infested with mold, rats, roaches, and provided food that “you wouldn’t give to an animal.” Advancement Project National Office worked with Bordeaux to successfully challenge the constitutionality of St. Louis’ cash bail system.

People have finally been able to go home and reunite with their families – after spending months locked in cages. These critical steps have vitalized our campaign as we continue to work towards closing the jail entirely.

This month, we honor the women of color who are making transformative change in their communities. Read our latest blog post on Women’s History Month and honor the women who’ve made a difference in your life on social media using: #BecauseOfHer.

In solidarity,

Advancement Project National Office Team