Common Justice

We're on Bluesky! Follow us at @commonjustice.bsky.social and don't miss the latest on how we’re fighting for real justice - rooted in healing and accountability. Tap in to share our vision of a different, more just future ➡️ bsky.app/profile/common…

Did you know? Black people are 2.7x more likely than white people to die by guns. As we recognize Gun Violence Awareness Day, it's important that we ground our advocacy in facts. Studies show that Black and brown communities encounter higher rates of gun homicides and police shootings due to historical and systemic racism. These statistics are not a coincidence. It's proof of how our current system is rooted in racial injustice. As we continue the fight to create a safer world, we must address the systematic issues that create fatal inequities for our communities.

Our partners in St. Louis need your help after a tornado hit the city earlier this month. Visit the link to help provide immediate relief and long-term rebuilding of areas impacted by the tornado ➡️ stl.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/cre…

Our partners at @Common_Justice are working to create safer communities for all. When people are free from all harm—physical, emotional, psychological, and systemic—that's when true public safety is possible. To learn more: bit.ly/4jkofWd

We commend Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for including critical victim compensation reforms in the final budget, but the progress is not enough. We must build on this momentum to ensure that ALL survivors are met with compassion, not judgment, when seeking healing and support.

Join Common Justice and members of the Survivors First Act Coalition to phone-bank on May 6 and 20 to demand justice and healing for all survivors. We'll call on elected officials to co-sponsor the Survivors First Act, which will end the harmful contributory conduct policies and ensure all survivors get the resources they need to heal.  🔗 secure.everyaction.com/wkVn3ssZ4keZec…

5: At Common Justice, we believe survivors deserve care, not judgment. We know that investing in survivors = investing in public safety.

4: The Survivors First Act (S4584/A5443) would change this. It removes contributory conduct as a reason to deny help, increases funeral assistance, expands coverage for crime scene clean-up, and requires more transparency from the Office of Victim Services.

2: These denials hit Black and Brown communities the hardest. Between 2015 and 2022, Black men made up 14% of claims but nearly 47% of contributory conduct denials. That’s not justice. That’s systemic harm.

1: “Contributory conduct” is when a survivor is blamed for their own harm and denied or given reduced compensation. It’s an outdated, harmful practice that silences survivors and retraumatizes people who’ve already endured violence.

Did you know? In New York State, Black victims made up 31% of all victim compensation claims but 53% of denials for “contributory conduct.” This isn't just a stat. It's racial bias playing out in real time. Survivors are being denied the help they need. 🧵

Prison is seen as the only path to justice but there are better alternatives to our current system. On Just Justice with @jhenryjustice, Danielle Sered, Common Justice founder, survivor, and author, shares how restorative justice listens to survivors, redefines accountability, and rebuilds community trust in ways prison doesn't. Listen to learn more! bit.ly/DanielleSeredP…

The Earned Time Act has passed the Senate Corrections Committee. Now we need it on the Assembly Corrections agenda. Take 2 minutes to email Assembly Member Dilan with the template here to make your voice heard. Email: DilanE@nyassembly.gov

Common Justice’s Practitioners Lab participants joined our Core Partner, @FCCStLouis, for a powerful immersion into the spirit, culture, and political landscape of the city and included restorative justice practitioners from across the country. Interested in building alternatives to incarceration for serious violence with us? Join our info session on April 10 at 3 PM or apply for the 2025-2026 cohort by May 16! 🔗 commonjustice.org/practitioners-…

Don't miss Thursday's powerful conversation on healing and justice for survivors! Hear from our panel of advocates and researchers about all things contributory conduct and victim compensation. Register now 🔗 tinyurl.com/cvrwwebinar

That's why we operate the first alternative-to-incarceration and victim-service program in the country that focuses on violent felonies in the adult courts. Solutions that rely on restorative justice and accountability, not isolation and punishment, make us safer. Visit commonjustice.org to learn more.

Did you know? More than two-thirds of people serving life sentences in the United States are Black or Brown, and people of color are more likely to receive long sentences while being less likely to ever be released from them. Mainstream narratives about incarceration often show an inaccurate picture of the prison population. We know that incarceration and punishment only worsen cycles of violence.

4. "Our system of mass incarceration is better understood as a system of racial and social control than a system of crime prevention or control." - Michelle Alexander

3. "Unless we address those that are leaving prisons, we can't begin to repair the damage of mass incarceration and make our communities whole and healthy once again." - Susan Burton

Prisons are built to keep people safe, but they’ve torn families apart. This Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting the female abolitionists who’ve fought to show that real safety comes from changing the system, not putting people in cages. 🧵