Criminal Justice
We support training and employment programs that deter young people from entering the criminal justice system.
In the criminal justice reform space, there are few national funders focused on preventing young people from experiencing incarceration. Our philanthropy is focused on filling that void by investing in initiatives that support opportunity youth through training, jobs, hiring and research.
This includes increasing community support through mentorship, providing good job opportunities and fostering positive relationships with law enforcement. We’re especially focused on helping youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not working and not in school.
We established this pillar in 2020, recognizing that the Black incarceration rate was more than five times the White incarceration rate, as of the end of 2018. Over the last few years, we’ve worked in ways that have helped us invest in areas that uplift all communities.
Grantee Spotlight
Unlock Potential
Walmart’s grants to the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) and Persevere helped launch Unlock Potential, a program focused on providing career opportunities for young people at the highest risk of incarceration. The program focuses on 4.4 million “opportunity youth” in the U.S. – young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not working and not in school, and who are more likely to experience poverty and incarceration.
