Trans people are more than twenty times more likely than the average U.S. citizen to be incarcerated in their lifetime I spent part of this month celebrating Pride alongside thousands of other Greater Cincinnatians. At the Pride Parade in particular, the joy of celebrating inclusivity, acceptance, and love was palpable. I wish so badly that […]
Legislators have heard us loud and clear: We want real reform that safely decarcerates Ohio’s overcrowded prisons and recognizes Ohio cannot incarcerate its way out of the drug epidemic. In the first six months of the 133rd General Assembly, OJPC has been a force for change in the legislature. We’re pleased to see a number of […]
We’re so excited to introduce OJPC’s newest project, Beyond Guilt. If you’re a friend of OJPC, you’ve likely heard us call ourselves “the Guilty Project” on occasion. We are finally making that sentiment official, by launching a project that will seek to free people who admit guilt, are serving long sentences, have rehabilitated themselves and […]
How Assigning or Assuming Blame Impacts Sex Trafficking Survivors By: Verjine Adanalian As an attorney who advocates exclusively for sex trafficking survivors, I often get asked: what’s the hardest part of the job? My answer usually surprises people—it’s dealing with the concept of blame. Who or what is to blame for what happened to my […]
The Ohio Justice & Policy Center is honored to work with Policy Matters Ohio and The Fund for Our Economic Future analyzing how collateral sanctions to criminal convictions are affecting Ohio’s workforce. The report finds that an estimated 1.3 million Ohio jobs are either completely or partially off limits to Ohioans with previous criminal convictions. That […]
Maybe you volunteered with the Issue 1 campaign. Maybe you collected signatures or canvassed your neighborhood or proudly displayed a yard sign. Maybe you voted “yes.” We’re incredibly thankful for all of it. And it wasn’t for nothing. Ohio is energized about criminal justice reform at this moment. We’re talking about sentencing reform, drug policy, […]
We at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center are saddened by the results of tonight’s election with regards to Issue 1. Our team worked tirelessly on this proposed amendment from the first draft to election night. OJPC supported Issue 1 because we saw a problem with our criminal justice system. Our criminal justice system is […]
An exciting new record sealing law just went into effect in Ohio. Until now, most Ohioans with criminal records could never clear away the stigma of their past. But, Ohio’s new record sealing law will allow many deserving people to finally have a fresh start in life. The Ohio Justice & Policy Center zealously advocated for this […]
2018 summer intern Erin Phillips describes how a parable “The Starfish Story” taught her the importance of fighting for sustainable system change.