Description
The courthouse is an important part of every story of mass incarceration in America and, too often, it is a place of powerlessness for those facing criminal charges, their families, and their communities. But the courthouse can also be an important site of resistance, a place where Americans affected by incarceration can become agents of change--even though they are not lawyers or judges. Writing for those new to activism and seasoned organizers alike, celebrated criminal justice advocate Raj Jayadev provides a comprehensive introduction to participatory defense, the incredibly effective community organizing model that leads to better outcomes for criminal cases, shifting power in courtrooms along the way.
In lively, accessible prose, Jayadev presents remarkable stories from organizers across the country who demonstrate how participatory defense has led to acquittals, dismissed and reduced charges, and prevented lengthy prison sentences. Lifting up a radical vision of community intervention, Protect Your People also addresses bail hearings, deportation cases, and youth threatened with transfer to adult court, showing that real change is possible when ordinary people step into America's courtrooms and get involved.
Author: Raj Jayadev
Publisher: New Press
Published: 08/06/2024
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.30w x 0.40d
ISBN13: 9781620977002
ISBN10: 1620977001
BISAC Categories:
- Law | Criminal Procedure
- Law | Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Law | Criminal Law | Sentencing
About the Author
Raj Jayadev is the co-founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organizing, advocacy, and multimedia storytelling organization. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Time, the San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost, on PBS, the BBC, and other media outlets across the country. The author of Protect Your People (The New Press), he is a 2018 MacArthur "genius" fellow and lives in San Jose, California, with his wife and son.