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JusticeLA

Website:

justicelanow.org/
Location:

Los Angeles, CA
Type:

Prison Reform Activist Group
Formation:

2017

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JusticeLA is a coalition of left-of-center groups that advocate for the reduction in incarceration rates and prevalence of jails in Los Angeles, California. 1

It is a coalition project of two left-of-center criminal justice policy groups, Dignity and Power Now and JustLeadershipUSA. 2 3 Dignity and Power Now was founded by Patrisse Cullours, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter. 4

Background

The coalition formed in 2017 in response to Los Angeles County’s plan to construct two new jails. JusticeLA and its coalition claimed that the construction would cost upwards of $3.5 billion and worsen incarceration rates in Los Angeles.  2

Member Organizations

As of July 2024, the JusticeLA coalition is made up of 45 groups: 1 ACLU of Southern California, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), AWARE-LA, the Black Community Clergy and Labor Alliance, Black Lives Matter: Los Angeles, Blackout for Human Rights, California Calls, the California Partnership, the California Immigrant Policy Center, the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance, Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), the Center for Popular Democracy, CLUE: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Code Pink, the Cornerstone Theatre Company, Critical Resistance LA, the Defend Movement, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Fair Chance Project, the Garment Worker Center, Gender Justice LA, Homies Unidos, Immigrant Youth Coalition-San Gabriel Valley, the Immigrant Youth Coalition-Free The People Network, Jobs R 4 U, the Justice Environmental Coalition, JusticeNotJails, Justice Warriors 4 Black Lives, LA CAN (Los Angeles Community Action Network), LA VOICE, the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, March And Rally Los Angeles, March for Racial Justice, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, ONE WAY UP, Our Revolution Los Angeles, Presente, Restore the Delta, SEIU, SEIU USWW, the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, the Eviction Defense Fund, Labor Community Strategy Center, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the USC Race and Equity Center, and White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Affiliate Los Angeles. 1

As of July 2024, the coalition’s executive committee is made up of 12 groups: Californians United for a Responsible Budget, Color of Change, Critical Resistance Los Angeles, Dignity and Power Now, the Essie Justice Group, the Frontline Wellness Network, Gender Justice LA, La Defensa, Million Dollar Hoods, White People 4 Black Lives, The Youth Justice Coalition, and Our Mission. 1

Activities

In 2020, JusticeLA launched its Care First campaign that sought to redirect money from law enforcement into affordable housing, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment. The coalition claimed that money given to Los Angeles County for COVID-19 relief could be redirected to these “community based” programs.  5

In 2023, JusticeLA urged the LA County Board of Supervisors to shut down Men’s Central Jail, citing inmate safety concerns. 6  

Funding

Between 2018 and 2020, JustLeadershipUSA gave $210,000 across five grants to JusticeLA through Social and Environmental Engineers, Community Partners, Tides Advocacy, and the Youth Justice Coalition.  7 8

Between 2018 and 2022, the Heising Simons Foundation gave $575,000 to JusticeLA through Dignity and Power Now. 9 10 11 12

Between 2020 and 2023, The California Endowment gave $950,000 to JusticeLA through Dignity and Power Now.  13 14 15 16

In 2017, Good Ventures and Open Philanthropy separately gave $500,000 to JusticeLA through Dignity and Power Now. 17 2

JusticeLA has also received $20,000 from the Liberty Hill Foundation, and $20,000 from the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. 18 19

References

  1. “About Justicela.” JusticeLA. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://justicelanow.org/about/.
  2. “Dignity and Power Now – Justicela Campaign (2017).” Open Philanthropy. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/grants/dignity-and-power-now-justicela-campaign-2017/.
  3. “Justicela.” JustLeadershipUSA. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://jlusa.org/campaign/justicela/.
  4. “Dignity and Power Now.” InfluenceWatch. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/dignity-and-power-now/.
  5. “Justicela Coalition to Present a ‘Care First’ Budget.” Spectrum News, June 24, 2020. https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-east/news/2020/06/24/justicela-coalition-to-present-a–care-first–budget.
  6. Garcia, Sid. “Protesters and Families of Inmates Call for Complete Shutdown of Men’s Central Jail.” ABC7 Los Angeles, September 14, 2023. https://abc7.com/los-angeles-mens-central-jail-protest-downtown-la-county-board-of-supervisors/13773963/.
  7. “Justleadershipusa Inc, 2018 Form 990, Schedule I – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/901019268/201923189349307437/IRS990ScheduleI.
  8. “Justleadershipusa Inc, 2020 Form 990, Schedule I – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/901019268/201923189349307437/IRS990ScheduleI.
  9. “The Heising Simons Foundation, 2018 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/260799587/201903189349101855/IRS990PF.
  10. “The Heising Simons Foundation, 2019 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/260799587/201903189349101855/IRS990PF.
  11. “The Heising Simons Foundation, 2020 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/260799587/201903189349101855/IRS990PF.
  12. “The Heising Simons Foundation, 2022 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/260799587/201903189349101855/IRS990PF.
  13. “The California Endowment, 2020 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954523232/202140349349100904/IRS990PF.
  14.  “The California Endowment, 2021 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954523232/202140349349100904/IRS990PF.
  15. “The California Endowment, 2022 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954523232/202140349349100904/IRS990PF.
  16. “The California Endowment, 2023 Form 990PF – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954523232/202140349349100904/IRS990PF.
  17. “Dignity and Power Now – Justicela Campaign.” Good Ventures. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.goodventures.org/our-portfolio/grants/dignity-and-power-now-justicela-campaign/.
  18. “Liberty Hill Foundation, 2020 Form 990, Schedule I – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/510181191/202122259349302832/IRS990ScheduleI.
  19. “ACLU Foundation of Southern Calif, 2022 Form 990, Schedule I – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/952673361/202330199349301508/IRS990ScheduleI.
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JusticeLA


Los Angeles, CA