Criminal Justice
We seek to kick-start and strengthen systems change efforts that prevent people from entering the criminal justice system.
Black Americans are far more likely than white Americans to be incarcerated. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Black incarceration rate at the end of 2018 was more than five times the rate among whites. In the criminal justice reform space, there are few national funders focused on criminal justice prevention, which includes reducing unnecessary incarceration, eliminating bias and fostering positive relationships with law enforcement.
Our philanthropy is focused on filling the void in criminal justice prevention initiatives by activating and sustaining systems change efforts that prevent people from entering the criminal justice system. The center is supporting research and building networks to help scale community-based prevention efforts.
The center complements the work of the Walmart criminal justice shared value network (SVN), which is focused on areas where the business intersects with the systems that make up criminal justice reform: prevention, intervention during incarceration and aftercare post-incarceration. With a focus on prevention, the center bolsters the SVN's efforts by supporting networks that amplify emerging best practices and connect the organizations doing this work on the local level.
Grantee Spotlight
National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR)
A grant from the Walmart Foundation was made to the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). The funding will help NICJR build capacity and develop a juvenile component within its National Offices of Violence Prevention (OVP) Network, a national network of government agencies focused on violence prevention and reduction. NICJR is using a data-driven approach to build capacity for civic leaders and mayors to prevent incarceration, particularly among at-risk youth, using evidence-based programming.
