From prison yards to the State Capitol, our community is rewriting the story of justice and democracy in California.
Here’s everything we accomplished last year
We trained 70+ new Inside Organizers this year, expanding our network to more than 450 Inside Organizers statewide, including 42 Senior Leaders and 17 mentors. Together, they are building advocacy infrastructure from the inside out—organizing for dignity, accountability, and systemic change behind prison walls.
We provided more than 3,200 incarcerated people across California with civic education, advocacy tools, and critical resources. Through workshops, resource fairs, and organizing events, participants strengthened their ability to engage in civic life and lead change within their institutions and communities.
We coordinated Community Connect, a first-of-its-kind two-day gathering at Central California Women’s Facility, bringing together 130 incarcerated participants and seven community partners. With 10 workshops, the event created space for healing and leadership.
28 new Outside Organizers graduated from our Institute of Impacted Leaders cohorts in Sacramento and San Diego. These leaders are strengthening advocacy capacity in their regions and organizing directly impacted communities to influence policy and public narrative.
Directly impacted advocates met with more than 70 legislative offices this year, from in-district meetings to a two-day Advocacy in Action event at the State Capitol. Participants shared lived experience and policy priorities directly with lawmakers, ensuring those closest to harm shape the solutions.
Season 4 of Abolition Is for Everybody reached 50,000 listeners, expanding the conversation about justice, liberation, and community power. Through storytelling and political education, the podcast continues to grow a broader audience committed to systemic change.
We successfully moved the California Secretary of State to designate CDCR’s Division of Adult Parole Operations as a Voter Registration Agency—expanding voting access for people on parole. This victory strengthens democracy and advances civic inclusion for directly impacted communities.
We launched The Road to Democracy: Honoring Incarcerated Voices and the Right to Vote, a report analyzing more than 1,100 incarcerated voices. The findings elevate lived experience and make a powerful case for expanding civic participation and protecting voting rights.
To date, we have sponsored more than 20 pieces of legislation and successfully changed 15 laws. Each policy win moves us closer to transforming the criminal legal system and building a future rooted in accountability, dignity, and liberation.
