Milestones

2008
2009
2010
2014
2016
2017
2018

Worth Rises secures passage of laws in New York, Connecticut, Colorado, Texas, and Minnesota, making phone calls free for incarcerated families.

Key Policy Wins
Diane Lewis and Bianca Tylek from grantee Worth Rises share their victories. Photo by Erin Baiano.

Florida’s Amendment 4 ballot initiative passes with 64 percent of the vote, restoring the rights of over 1.4M formerly incarcerated Floridians. This represents the single largest expansion of voting rights in the U.S. in 50 years.

Key Policy Wins

Congress passes the First Step Act, reforming federal prisons and sentencing laws to incentivize decarceration. It’s the first criminal justice reform bill to pass with bipartisan support in decades.

Key Policy Wins
2019

New York’s City Council votes to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex by 2027.

Key Policy Wins

Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth ends juvenile life without parole in nine additional states over five years with A4J’s support.

Key Policy Wins

Landmark bail reform legislation passes in New York State, California, Illinois, Houston, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.

Key Policy Wins
2020

Federal Department of Education Pell Grant Program lifts a 30-year policy excluding incarcerated students, creating opportunities for thousands of people to earn college degrees while inside.

Key Policy Wins
2021

New York State enacts the Less is More Act, reducing sentencing and racial bias in the state parole system.

Key Policy Wins
2022
2023
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