In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, and shared that dream with hundreds of thousands of people on the National Mall. Today, with more than 2 million people locked behind bars, we have a dream to reduce the incarceration rate by 50% in the next 10 years. Let's get started now.
Books Not Bars
CLOSE PRISONS. OPEN OPPORTUNITies.
Books Not Bars organizes the largest network of families of incarcerated youth and champion alternatives to California’s costly, broken prison system.
Currently we are focused on:
- Closing the Division of Juvenile Justice and placing youth in community-based programs.
- Ending the misuse of Solitary Confinement in California's youth prisons and county jails.
- Addressing the overcrowding of California's adult prisons through sentencing reform.
- Building the leadership of our families to become advocates for themselves and for necessary reforms to the prison system.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
A new film explores the impact of incarceration on the loved ones of those locked up.
As we head into National Juvenile Justice Awareness month, it’s wonderful to celebrate the many bills that Books Not Bars supported which were recently signed into law.
A new report outlines the struggles of families impacted by the juvenile justice system.
When Alma Barillas last visited her son at Ventura youth prison, she didn't expect to be pepper sprayed by guards. But that's exactly what happened.
Jennifer shares the story of how Books Not Bars helped end Time Adds in the DJJ.
With the Governor’s signing of the new budget, the controversial practice of time adds in our youth prisons will finally end bringing a sliver of justice and hope to California youth and families.
Dangerous Time Adds Provision No Longer Allowed in California Youth Prisons, Impacting 1,000 Youth
Jails were not designed to house and care for individuals with mental health issues. However, because our communities are failing to provide adequate mental health services, many of them wind up in our broken criminal and juvenile corrections system.
WATCH
Together, we speak out for justice, build a green economy, empower voters, build community and invest in young leaders.
Thanks for 15 years of people-powered change, will you help power the next 15?
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