Dear John,

Five years ago, the country mourned the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of police violence in Minneapolis, igniting some of the largest protests this country has seen calling for an overdue nationwide reckoning on racial justice.

But we know from history that with progress comes backlash. Our collective fight for thriving, safe communities where all people are treated with fairness and dignity is under attack. The Trump administration’s racist rhetoric around migrants and aggressive tactics to increase mass detention, attacks on DEI and other initiatives highlighting systemic racism, devastating cuts to critical federal grants that support evidence-based public safety initiatives, are just a few of the many obstacles our movement is facing.

While we know this is a particularly challenging moment, I want you to know that The Sentencing Project remains steadfast in our values and commitment to racial justice. In response to the death of George Floyd, we launched our Racial Justice Fund to help our community-based partners–often led by directly impacted advocates–build their capacity and expand their impact. Since 2021, we have funded 47 grants to non-profit organizations across 23 jurisdictions. This year’s Racial Justice Fund grantees include:

Family Support Network: Helped lead the Maryland Second Look Coalition to pass the state’s landmark legislation that allows Marylanders to petition for a judicial review after serving at least 20 years behind bars.
Millions for Prisoners New Mexico: Its directly impacted leadership helped expand voting rights to more than 11,000 people on felony probation and parole, and is developing a civic engagement curriculum for incarcerated people.
Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project: YSRP has succeeded in over 70% of their youth cases in preventing a young person from going to adult prison. They are working to expand diversion and eliminate the automatic charging of children as adults in Pennsylvania.

We cannot do the work of ending mass incarceration and racial injustice alone, and we are proud to support our community partners in this vital work. Sustained progress will take time, persistence, and tireless collective efforts from us all. I hope you’ll continue to support The Sentencing Project’s work and follow our community-based partners advancing the cause for justice.

Change is possible!