Injustice & Corruption
The most vulnerable are often victimized by the worst of our world’s legal systems. What can be done?
MAKING THE LEGAL SYSTEM JUST
The U.S. prison population has increased 500% since 1973.
According to the Pew Research Center, the leader of the free world is also the frontrunner in locking up its citizens. But the problem of injustice and corruption goes well beyond the razor wire of prisons.
The most vulnerable are often victimized by the worst of our world’s legal systems. To address the past and current injustices impairing and imprisoning people unjustly, we recognize how our laws and unequal enforcement of laws victimize those with the least amount of power.
Our legal and criminal justice systems are fraught with problems. From over-incarceration to unjust laws to inadequate counsel to violent jails, corruption and malpractice plagues the pursuit of freedom and fair treatment for all people.
For those that are imprisoned–justly or not–the responsibility for God’s people to care for them and invest in them does not change.
How can the Church respond to corrupt and broken legal systems?
“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Hebrews 13:3
Pete Ochs has built a number of businesses and several of them operate behind bars, giving imprisoned men and women a chance at dignifying work even while incarcerated.
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America’s Incarceration Rate Falls to Lowest Level Since 1995
After decades of sharp growth, rates of incarceration began to decline after peaking in 2008. Even with the decline, though, the per capita incarceration rate in the United States is higher than any other country in the world.
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Latin America's Deadly Jails
Recent riots in Ecuador, Honduras, and Colombia highlight the deadly reality for inmates at many jails in Latin America. The illicit drug industry, growing gang problems, and limited economic opportunity fuel the problem.
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The Legacy of Redlining
The impact of racist laws in American history created lasting implications in the United States. “The typical homeowner in a neighborhood that was redlined for mortgage lending by the federal government has gained 52% less—or $212,023 less—in personal wealth generated by property value increases than one in a greenlined neighborhood over the last 40 years.”
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Turning an NC prison Into a Trade School?
The nonprofit Proverbs 226 is committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational incarceration. It aims to transform a Polkton prison facility — that has been sitting empty since 2009 — into a trade school. Something like this has never been done before in the U.S.
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Second Chance Month
Together with hundreds of partner organizations, Prison Fellowship established April as “Second Chance Month,” an opportunity to celebrate the contributions made by the formerly incarcerated and to advocate for needed reform to American prison and reentry systems.
Take action. Change lives.
Below you’ll find some of the best-in-class organizations that are working to renew the imagination. These organizations are trustworthy, effective and innovative. In a world full of choices, we want to make the complex accessible. So, we invite you to explore them and consider giving and investing. Or you might consider building your own venture.
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What if we could turn prisoners into lawyers...
Justice Defenders is doing just that. This innovative organization is training prisoners and prison officers within defenseless communities to provide legal services for themselves and others. By equipping justice defenders to facilitate a just legal process–through legal education, training, and practice–they help ensure a fair hearing at the point of greatest need. Because everyone deserves the right to tell their story.
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You can't get a job without a home and you can't get a home without a job. Why?
For the homeless, not having a physical address remains a barrier to accessing any services. The first thing service organizations ask for is a home address. As a result, many homeless end up incarcerated with no one to defend them. But Restoring Justice provides holistic and loving legal defense and social services for those who could otherwise not afford adequate representation.
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Could writing your own eulogy save your life...
Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) has seen that it can. PEP recruits prisoners in Texas into a program that gets them on the journey to building their lives after prison. One of the assignments asks prisoners to write their own eulogy as a self-reflection exercise. After the program, PEP unites convicted felons with the nation's top executives business owners and entrepreneurs.
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What percent of the world's prison population does the U.S. have...
A whopping 20%. Founded by Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship® is the world's largest family of prison ministries. It works to restore America’s criminal justice system and those it affects. They help men and women replace the cycle of brokenness that landed them in prison, advocate for justice reform, and equip wardens to bring restorative change to their facilities.
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Which Harvard lawyer traveled to Alabama to represent a death-row inmate wrongfully accused of murder...
Bryan Stevenson. The bestselling author of Just Mercy, Bryan is a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned. He is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
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What if there were a general hospital for legal help...
Now there is. Like a hospital, Open Door Legal is serving as a single point of entry where everyone who needs can get help. They have a wide network of community and pro bono partners who help them ensure that nobody is turned away. Every dollar spent on their services generates $21 in benefit for the community, making their services one of the most cost-effective anti-poverty solutions.
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Is police reform really possible...
Yes, and necessary. The Institute for American Policing Reform (IAPR) is a non-partisan nonprofit organization addressing laws and policies in public safety, standards, education, and training. Their services to communities and governments aim to help ensure immutable regard for human dignity and fortify citizens’ trust in police service across the United States.
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TrustBridge Giving Space
Keep discovering vetted opportunities at TrustBridge Giving Space, which helps donors send money to charities around the world.
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Can investing end corruption...
Yes it can—when it's used to purchase the claims from the sovereign government. Restitution is a litigation funder with a difference. Dedicated to assisting democratic, anti-corruption-focused governments in their fight against corruption, Restitution provides funding and support for civil enforcement and asset recovery. Restitution treats claims as assets, purchasing the claims from the sovereign government, which invests side-by-side with impact investors and patient capital to maximize enforcement.
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What if there was an app that could keep people out of prison...
Now there is. The Pokket app from Acivilate makes the justice system work better for everyone by helping justice officers work with human services professionals to reduce rates of recidivism. The software achieves this by sharing information safely and securely among returning citizens, caseworkers, and supervisors, so that the people providing support services can stay up-to-date on their clients’ big pictures, while also preserving their privacy.
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What's like Shark Tank for faith-driven entrepreneurs without being cutthroat...
The Faith Driven Investor Marketplace. This platform is a free tool for accredited, faith-driven investors looking to put capital to work. Funds and deals that go on the platform are at the discretion of a group of faith-driven investors with experience ranging across all different asset classes. Whether a multi-million dollar real estate venture or a small business, concessionary capital or a high financial return profile, Marketplace connects investors and entrepreneurs.
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What if Christian entrepreneurs didn't have to be alone...
Now, they don't have to be. Faith Driven Entrepreneur helps Christ-following entrepreneurs find their community and fulfill their God-given call to create. They do this by providing inspiring content and sparking meaningful connections between like-minded entrepreneurs and investors.
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What's wrong with doing things right...
It’s not enough. The ethical way says, “I win, you win.” But the redemptive way says, “I sacrifice, we win.” To this end, Praxis is a venture-building ecosystem advancing redemptive entrepreneurship. They support founders, funders, and innovators motivated by their faith to address the major issues of our time.
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What is limiting to a leader's potential...
Isolation. Faith-driven, results-minded CEOs and executives meet in C12 Business Forums monthly to encourage and challenge one another. These groups of peers work together to make better decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and create solid plans for business growth, all while striving to create eternal impact far beyond the bottom line.
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What happened to the family macademia nut business...
Sinapis' business training turned this business on the brink of failure into a source of livelihood for Kenyan workers. Sinapis provides training, ongoing opportunities ,vibrant community, and faith-based principles to Christian entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Its alumni report an average increase of 138% in revenue 1 year after graduation.
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What percent of startups fail...
90%. One out of 10 startups fail within the first year. And most of them fail due to avoidable mistakes. Founders navigating potential pitfalls on their own is hard, though. OCEAN is a training community for entrepreneurs that integrates practical business skills with biblical wisdom so that entrepreneurs can start and lead a sustainable business without the pressure of figuring it out alone.
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What if you had to leave your kids for 2,555 nights...
This is the reality for many Filipinos who leave to their families to build a brighter future for their kids. What if they didn’t have to? Dream Bigger Ventures empowers Filipino Founders to grow as leaders who will have the character, community, and competency to solve seemingly impossible problems with sustainable ventures.
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What does "ziwani" mean in Swahili...
"At the lake." In the same vein, the nonprofit Ziwani represents a place of refreshment, community, and commerce for Christian business leaders in Africa. It equips and partners with the Christian business community so that they can meaningfully and practically live out their marketplace calling on the African continent.
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What continent has the world's youngest and fastest-growing workforce...
Africa. Future Africa is working to increase the continent’s 3% contribution to global GDP by investing in global businesses that will lead the digital economy. They've raised 2 unicorns, have 6 exits, deployed $10M+ in 106 portfolio companies and $1B+ in follow-on capital.
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