RBIJ grew out of a diverse collaboration: lawyers who had witnessed destructive cycles of incarceration first hand, businesses committed to seeing change within their communities, and government leaders working to secure human rights for all. Out of their collective insights, experiences and frustrations, a common vision formed that became our central mission - to build an effective criminal justice system that increases safety, deters violence and is above all fair.
Every human, regardless of their circumstances, is entitled to respect, equality, fairness and dignity before the law. This universally accepted norm is enshrined in statutes, regulations, international treaties and agreements. And yet so often systems of justice fail to deliver on this promise and in reality discriminate, over-criminalize, and trap the world’s most vulnerable people in destructive cycles of punishment. This has to change.