Decriminalizing Communities

Jewish Community Action’s work for criminal justice reform and immigrant justice has always been guided by Jewish history and principles.

We believe that every person is created b’tzelem elohim / in the image of God; 

We also believe in every person’s capacity to change and make t’shuvah / repent; 

We listen when the Torah commands us—36 times, in fact—to love, protect, and respect those new to our communities.

And we return again and again to the declaration, tzedek, tzedek tirdof / Justice, justice, you shall pursue;

That is why we are called to this work—because, despite its name, our criminal justice system is not just, and our immigration system punishes those forced to migrate.

Together, this violent crimmigration system criminalizes and cages poor, Black, Brown, and Indigenous people across our state. Instead of making our cities safer, it causes untold harm, not just to those it targets, but to our communities as a whole. 

The Decriminalizing Communities Campaign synthesizes our work to transform this elaborate system of criminalization into one of true public safety. 

With our 30+ coalition partners, we are organizing for a community-centered system that uses comprehensive approaches to public safety. Together, we are working to heal the suffering caused by institutional oppression, and create a system where no one is condemned to cycles of despair and hopelessness.