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Dear John,
This spring, the Netflix series When They See Us, the true story of five teenagers falsely accused of a crime and the years they spent in the criminal justice system, had people from around the nation and across the globe talking. It’s been called “essential viewing” for understanding the problems within our criminal justice system, and was especially poignant for those of us fighting for criminal justice reform.
Storytelling has the power to change people. This story took the audience from hopelessness at the magnitude of this injustice to hope that we have the power to change the system. It was painful to watch, but it's necessary: through our understanding of this story and those like it, which LEAP's speakers magnify, we begin to understand the system and the many ways it has been broken. There is no escaping the issues of race and identity when navigating the criminal justice system, and when people are incarcerated, it impacts and damages their families, their community, and the culture for generations.
LEAP speakers are criminal justice insiders fighting to make the justice system truly just and keep communities safe. By telling their stories from inside the justice system, they work to address issues including sentencing, cash bail, police training, recidivism, and re-entry programs -- key reforms that can help change the justice system for the better. And our voice keeps getting louder: our speakers bureau has doubled in size since we expanded our focus into broader criminal justice reform two and a half years ago. We’re excited to share what we’ve been working on with you. Thank you for standing with LEAP and standing for reform.
In solidarity,
Major Neill Franklin (Ret.)
Executive Director
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