ACLU’s Smart Justice is an organization made up of FIP – formerly incarcerated people. This tactic has proved to be extremely effective as our members can lobby for prison reform due to first-hand life experience.

It is effective to speak to a Senator or General Assemblyman intelligently and with factual information because our stories are real, passionate, and necessary for change. Our prisons are systemically broken – we understand it has to begin to change, and we are committed to making sure that happens.

We are in legislation each year alongside our elected officials lobbying for prison reform and making sure all the promises that were made by the elected officials have been kept.

Focus areas include: