What The Next 250 Years of American Justice Should Look Like

Over the last 250 years, we’ve learned a lot about what improves safety, supports victims, and helps communities thrive—and we have clearer evidence than ever about where to go from here. We also have helpful guideposts.  

Last year, 14 national organizations from the left and right—who agree on almost nothing else—agreed on four principles to guide the next era of justice: safety, accountability, fairness, and dignity. Those principles aren’t abstract. They’re already being built into real systems, by real people, right now.

In Dayton, Ohio, a blind man with mental illness was hours from being evicted from his apartment of 35 years. When he became agitated and the situation escalated, his landlord called a civilian crisis response unit for help instead of the police. The situation de-escalated. The man stayed out of jail, and he got connected to new housing. That’s dignity in action. 

In Seminole, Oklahoma, a survivor of extreme physical and sexual violence, who was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the murder of her abuser, went home. She is the first person released under a new state law letting courts revisit cases where abuse played a role, and where time has already been served. That’s fairness in action.