Evident Change

The group opposed the use of cash bail as a condition of pretrial release, claiming that it places an unfair burden on poor and nonwhite defendants. ¹ The group has advocated for dropping the term “ex-con” to refer to previously incarcerated persons, and recommended the term “justice-involved individual” or “returning citizen” instead. ²

The group is funded by left-of-center foundations such as George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and the MacArthur Foundation, among others. ³

Background

Volunteer probation and parole workers founded Evident Change in 1907 with a focus on keeping juveniles out of the adult criminal justice system. The group played a role in helping states create their juvenile justice systems. ⁴

The group later expanded its focus to the adult criminal justice system. In the 1990s, the group expanded into the child welfare system. In the 2000s, the nonprofit expanded into the adult protective services system. ⁴

In 2020, the group changed its name from the “National Council on Crime and Delinquency” to “Evident Change,” claiming the old name did not reflect what the group had become, which is an initiative working to transform social systems. ⁵

Criminal Justice System Stances

Opposition To Cash Bail

Evident Change has opposed the use of cash bail as a condition for pretrial release, claiming that it places an unfair burden on poor defendants who are disproportionately non-white. The group instead favors the use of risk assessments, but it also claimed structurally racist systems and institutions taint those risk assessments. The group recommended risk assessments incorporate equity from the very beginning. ¹

Softer Punishments for Violent Offenders

Evident Change has supported less strict sentences for violent offenders, claiming it is a necessary way to reduce incarceration. The group claimed that the focus on non-violent drug offenders and private prisons by many criminal justice activists did not address the problem of mass incarceration because so few inmates are in prison for non-violent drug offenders or are held in private prisons. The group claimed that correctional officer unions, police unions, and state district attorney associations were the biggest obstacles to criminal justice leniency. ⁶

COVID-19

During the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Evident Change was skeptical of governments imposing fines and other fees as punishments. The group claimed that the penalties were disproportionately impacting the poor and largely went unpaid as a result. ⁷

Redefining Offenders

In 2019, Evident Change published a blog post suggesting that those incarcerated and released from prison should not be called “ex-cons,” “offenders,” or “perpetrators.” Instead, they should be called “justice-involved individuals” or “returning citizens.” The post claimed that the language change was about recognizing the humanity of people. ²

Transgender Issues

In February 2022, Evident Change opposed a proposal from Texas that would have treated child sex change operations as child abuse. The group claimed the proposal would reject transgender children’s innate sense of self and would unjustly target transgender children and young people. ⁸

Illegal Immigration

Evident Change opposed detaining illegal immigrants, claiming private prison companies were doing so for high profits. The group accused the government of locking up illegal immigrants without a criminal offense and in poor conditions, including malnourishment and poor medical care. ⁹

Commitment to Equity

Evident Change is committed to the left-of-center concept of “equity” which views unequal outcomes by race, gender, etc. as inherently racist and sexist. In September 2023, Michele D. Harper was named the first chief equity officer. ¹⁰

The group provides equity training through its Steps to Equity model. ¹¹

Leadership

Evident Change’s CEO is Kathy Park, who has been with the group since 2000. ¹²

Leon Andrews Jr. is the chair of the board. He is the president and CEO of Equal Measure. ¹³

Finances

According to Evident Change’s 2022 tax return, the group had $16,908,625 in revenue, $16,683,911 in expenses, and $13,688,999 in assets. ¹⁴

The group’s funders include Akonadi Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Arcus Foundation, The Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the California Endowment, the California Wellness Foundation, Casey Family Programs, the Chartrand Foundation, the Community Foundation of Jacksonville, Cowles Charitable Trust, ACLU Foundation of Northern California, Jessie Ball duPont Fund, East Bay Community Foundation, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Houston Endowment, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Paul L. and Berta Klopsch Trust, Kresge Foundation, Langeloth Foundation, Longwood Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, William Penn Foundation, Public Welfare Foundation, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Rosenberg Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Edith B. Smith Trust, Stoneleigh Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and Zellerbach Family Foundation. ³