“We need to address the root causes of crime, and that really fuels my passion for this work,” says T. Shekinah Braveheart, an artist and educator turned policy advocate.
Ms. Braveheart found her calling for justice as a volunteer wellness facilitator at Baltimore City Jail, serving the female juvenile and prenatal populations. She realized that the justice system wasn’t as fair as its name suggested, leading her to decide to amplify the voices of those whose voices have been historically and structurally suppressed and silenced.
She now works as a policy advocate for Justice Policy Institute (JPI). As a policy advocate, Ms. Braveheart is committed to creating spaces for people affected by the justice system to share their unique stories and perspectives in legal and policy discussions.
Justice Policy Institute (JPI) collaborates with communities affected by crime to create better solutions. For over 25 years, JPI has used research, public education, and advocacy to improve the criminal legal system, aiming to enhance safety and well-being without increasing incarceration. The organization investigates the causes of crime –such as socioeconomic class, quality of education, or access to mental health care– before the actual crime to prevent it.
Statistics and data have shown that the United States leads the world in incarceration rates. According to JPI, over 2.3 million individuals are incarcerated in the United States at any given time, and one in four Americans will experience incarceration during their lifetime. Despite this, federal, state, and local governments allocate 214,620 dollars per incarcerated youth annually, compared to just 12,612 dollars per child for all of their K-12 schooling, revealing that the system sets Americans up for criminalization rather than success.
This massive disparity fuels cycles of crime and punishment, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. Black Americans, for instance, represent 48% of those serving the longest sentences¹, despite making up less than 15% of the overall United States population¹.
As a policy advocate, Ms. Braveheart works to tie data and research to the lived experiences of those impacted by the system, creating a bridge between the technical aspects of criminal law and the human stories that demand reform. “We make deliberate efforts to create space for them in all legal reform arenas and allow their lived experience to drive policy reforms,” she explains. By partnering with both external organizations and incarcerated individuals, Ms. Braveheart ensures that the perspectives of those most affected by the justice system are central to the advocacy work.
Justice Policy Institute’s mission to elevate these stories extends beyond policy circles. JPI’s strategic use of media, including featured articles, op-eds, and reports.
For example, the Incarceration Reduction Act (IRA) in Washington, D.C., and the Juvenile Restoration Act (JRA) in Maryland have paved the way for significant changes in sentencing laws. These laws allow for judicial review of long sentences, giving incarcerated individuals, often sentenced under outdated or unjust laws, a second chance.
While the road to reform is long, Ms. Braveheart remains hopeful. She emphasizes that true prison reform would require a complete overhaul of the system, built on a moral foundation prioritizing public safety, prevention, and rehabilitation. But even as progress is made gradually, she sees each victory as transformative. “Every win is transformative,” she says, especially when stakeholders from opposing sides come together to support reform.
For those passionate about criminal justice reform, Ms. Braveheart advises getting involved in various ways, from policy work to supporting reentry programs and volunteering with organizations like Free Minds Book Club, which helps incarcerated writers express themselves. “There are so many opportunities for young people to get involved,” she notes, urging those passionate to take action.
Justice Policy Institute continues working to tackle issues in the criminal justice system and represent those impacted by it. To learn more about Justice Policy Institute, visit their website at https://justicepolicy.org/, or check out Révolutionnaire’s Instagram carousel post with JPI and Ms. Braveheart at (insert link).
¹: “In 2022, there were an estimated 47.9 million people who self-identified as Black, making up 14.4% of the country’s population” (Pew Research Center).
All other statistics have originated from Justice Policy Institute website and an interview between Mina Pisan and T. Shekinah Braveheart.
