Criminal Justice
The Open Society Foundations support criminal justice reform around the world by developing alternatives to pretrial detention, broadening access to legal representation, and promoting new alliances for reform.
Homicide Reduction
Q&A: How One Colombian City Is Tackling Violent Crime
Palmira, Colombia, is one of the most violent cities in the world. But a prevention program focusing on youth has reduced crime significantly—and earned it an international peace prize. The city’s mayor on what’s working.
In Remembrance
Lani Guinier’s Overlooked Education Legacy
The late Lani Guinier thought deeply about the intersection between education and criminal justice. Her leadership at Open Society helped pave the way to colleges across the country offering higher education to the incarcerated.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Challenging Mexico’s Abusive Preventative Detention System
Mónica Esparza’s case is one of the most notorious cases of extreme gender violence carried out by Mexican authorities. What her story teaches about how to combat the country’s scourge of gender-based violence.
A Crisis Averted
Fighting the Pandemic in Pakistan’s Prisons
Thanks to the heroic efforts of civil society groups, prisoners in Pakistan did not suffer a mass outbreak of COVID-19. What the near miss underlined, however, is the country’s urgent need for criminal justice reform.
Honoring a Legend
Honoring a Social Justice Legend
Following 25 years of service, Herb Sturz retired from the Open Society Foundations in July. He leaves behind a legacy of work that lifted up lives, from the townships of South Africa to the classrooms of New York City.
EVENT RECAP
How Racism and Inequality Are Influencing the Rise of Legalized Cannabis in the United States
As the legal cannabis industry in the United States continues its explosive growth, a new documentary raises challenging but vital questions about the interaction between drug policy, racism, mass incarceration, and justice.
Ending mass incarceration
What a Soccer Star Teaches Us About Criminal Justice
Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the World Cup–winning U.S. women’s soccer team, told a story about her brother’s struggles with addiction and incarceration. Here’s what we can learn from his story—and why prison breeds violence rather than making communities safer.
Keep Families Together
We Must Not Forget the Children of the Incarcerated
As a new report shows, draconian anti-drug policies in Latin America don’t just harm people who use or sell substances; they harm the children and families of the incarcerated, too. Thankfully, there’s a better way.