At Sustainable Action Now, we fight for justice—not just for animals and the environment, but for every system that perpetuates inequality and exploitation. In Louisiana, a grim story is unfolding that’s more than a civil rights issue—it’s a humanitarian crisis tangled in history, policy, and profit. The practice of forced prison labor at Angola Prison […]
At Sustainable Action Now, we fight for justice not only in the natural world—but within our social systems too. One of the most overlooked yet deeply harmful practices within the U.S. criminal justice system is the routine charging of medical copays to incarcerated individuals—a policy that criminalizes illness and denies essential care to society’s most
Why Waiving Prison Medical Copays Isn’t Enough – A Broken System in Need of Overhaul Read More »
Standing Up for Communities, Not Cages At Sustainable Action Now, we believe in putting people, communities, and the environment before profit and punishment. One of the most urgent and underreported issues we confront is the continued expansion of jails and the private prison system across the United States. As local governments and private entities push
Fighting Jail Expansion: A Sustainable Action Now Report Read More »
In a significant development for both criminal justice and women’s health advocates, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has released new data on pregnancy prevalence, outcomes, and the availability of prenatal and postnatal programming in prisons. While this updated data is a welcome addition to the growing conversation about incarcerated women, it also raises important
As the Trump administration completes its first 100 days, significant policy shifts have emerged across various sectors. This report examines key actions and their implications, emphasizing areas of concern and potential avenues for advocacy. 1. Criminal Legal System: Rollbacks and Reversals The administration has initiated several measures that may reverse progress in criminal justice reform:
There’s a quiet distortion hiding in plain sight on the political maps of Oklahoma — one that shifts power away from the communities that need it most and hands it to areas built around incarceration. It’s called prison gerrymandering, and despite being rooted in outdated federal policy, it’s something Oklahoma lawmakers can fix — today.
As we reach the 100-day mark of Donald Trump’s second term in office, the country finds itself at a pivotal crossroads in criminal legal policy — one that’s receiving far less attention than it deserves. That changes this week. On Wednesday, April 30th, at 12:00 PM Eastern, Communications Strategist Wanda Bertram will join a critical
Sustainable Action Now reports: For the first time in two decades, the public finally has access to comprehensive, national-level data on the criminal charges leading to jail incarceration in the United States. Our analysis of newly released figures from the Jail Data Initiative fills a critical gap left since the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2002
New National Jail Data Ends 20-Year Information Gap on Charges Driving Incarceration Read More »
This week, Sarah Staudt, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Sustainable Action Today, will be on the ground in Chicago for the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge Network Meeting, taking place April 15–17. The event brings together a diverse network of reformers, advocates, system leaders, and community members working to reshape the U.S. criminal justice
A call for safety should never come at the cost of human dignity. Recently, thousands of New York prison staff staged a strike, calling for rollbacks to the HALT Solitary Confinement Act—a law designed to limit the use of prolonged isolation in prisons. They argue that these reforms have made their jobs more difficult and
Reinstating Solitary Confinement Isn’t the Answer — It’s a Step Backward Read More »
In an effort to streamline operations and adapt to shifting priorities, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has outlined a new workforce transition program aimed at offering buyouts to employees within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Announced via an email to staff on Monday evening, the move is being seen as part of the larger
Here are seven shocking facts about mass incarceration that sound like April Fools’ jokes but are, unfortunately, very real: The U.S. Incarceration Rate is the Highest in the World – With 664 people incarcerated per 100,000 residents, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate globally, far surpassing countries like Canada (104 per 100,000) and many
Seven facts about mass incarceration that sound like April Fools’ Day hoaxes, but aren’t Read More »
Dean Gillispie Wins $45 Million for Wrongful Conviction: A Landmark Victory for Justice and Accountability In a significant and long-awaited victory, Dean Gillispie, an Ohio man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years, has been awarded $45 million in a civil lawsuit against the police department and detective responsible for his conviction. This case not
Dean Gillispie Wins $45 Million for Wrongful Conviction Read More »
The UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project is a groundbreaking initiative that seeks to address the alarming lack of transparency surrounding prison mortality statistics. As prison populations continue to grow, and concerns about human rights in carceral systems increase, the need for accurate, accessible data on prison deaths has never been more urgent. This project,
As we approach the end of 2024, there’s no better time to reflect on how far we’ve come in the fight for animal rights and what we still have to do. This year has been full of victories for animals, thanks to the power of online activism. Yet, there is always more to be done.