Free to imagine better alternatives to imprisonment in the USA

Imprisonment has a bad record. Its success rate in terms of serving the needs of victims, healing communities and reforming criminals is unimpressive. Common Justice believes there is a better way. It operates the first alternative-to-incarceration and victim-service programme in the United States. Focusing on violent felonies in the adult courts, it takes a restorative approach, rooted in the community and with victims at the heart.

Survivors of serious crimes are given the choice whether to engage in this cutting-edge approach. If they consent, Common Justice diverts the cases into a process designed to recognise the harm done, honour the needs and interests of those harmed, and develop appropriate responses to hold the responsible party accountable. 

This better serves the needs of victims, perpetrators and communities alike, but the impact is greater than this. By engaging a wide variety of stakeholders – local partners in district attorneys' offices, formerly incarcerated people, crime survivors, advocates and healers across the country – Common Justice mobilises a collective effort to transform responses to violence and to uproot and displace the harmful narratives that underlie our current systems.