We Free Us

Transformative Justice, Community healing & abolition
We are building a future where communities thrive by investing in care and divesting from policing and incarceration.

Over 13,000 are currently caged in Los Angeles jails and over 50% of them are considered legally innocent. (source)

Bail amounts for Black men are 35% higher than those given to white men facing similar charges. (source)

Although Black people make up just 8% of Los Angeles population, they account for 30% of those in jail (source)

$4.1 billion dollars was budgeted for the LA Sheriff's Department in 2025, which is 100x larger than the budget for the Youth Development department. (source)

On any given day, nearly half of the people incarcerated in LA County jails are living with a mental illness, affecting 45% of men and 65% of women. (source)

The County spent $99 million dollars in litigation costs for LASD in 2024 and over $150 million dollars in 2023 (source | source)

Programs

Empowering System-Impacted Communities Through Healing

Our programs empower those affected by incarceration, offering resources and support that drive personal and collective transformation.

We support system-impacted individuals and their families through holistic, community-led programs focused on healing, dignity, and advocacy.

Before we fight for each other, we have to care for each other.

We know that well-resourced communities centered around healing can restore the lives of those most impacted and support our collective care.
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Liberation Through Policy, Investment, and Collective Action

Our campaigns focus on disrupting and dismantling incarceration and police violence.

We believe the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution.

Our community of directly and indirectly impacted family members work with us to build pathways toward justice and liberation through policy, equitable community investment, and compassionate care.

We are abolition in action, come join the movement.
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Campaigns

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IMPACT

Program Highlight
Mutual Aid
Since 2019, we have provided direct support—including household, hygiene, baby items, and back to school essentials—to those most impacted by incarceration, always centering dignity and care.
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Program Highlight
Forever Rooted
Our 7-week leadership program uplifts formerly incarcerated people through political education and community. With 22 grads in 2024 and 58 in active support groups, it proves healing and advocacy go hand-in-hand.
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Program Highlight
JusticeLA Virtual Action (JLAVA)
A weekly online space for abolitionist action, JLAVA engages nearly 1,000 people monthly in calls, letters, and organizing. It builds leadership, especially among formerly incarcerated folks.
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Program Highlight
Community Care Healing Program
Healing is justice. Our CCHP connects people to culturally rooted care—therapy, massage, yoga, acupuncture. With 29+ healers and 35 people served in 2025 alone, we are embedding wellness into the movement.
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Campaign Feature
Black Mamas Bail Outs
In partnership with National Bail Out, DPN reunited 3 families by bailing out Black mothers before Mother's Day—highlighting that no one should be jailed for lack of money.
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In-custody Coroner’s Reports
In partnership with UCLA’s BioCritical Studies lab, we published a report scrutinizing LA County’s in-custody death determinations.
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$3.5B Jail Expansion Stopped
DPN helped halt LA County’s $3.5 billion jail expansion, shifting the narrative from incarceration to care-based solutions.
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Campaign Feature
Justice for John Horton
After LASD deputies killed John Horton in jail, DPN funded an independent autopsy that exposed the truth—challenging false “natural causes” claims in jail deaths. Partnering with UCLA, this campaign now combats institutional coverups nationwide.
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Driven by Community, Grounded in Healing, Focused on Impact

Founded by and for system-impacted people, DPN blends grassroots organizing, healing justice, and strategic campaigns to dismantle incarceration, end police violence, and build pathways to true community safety and care.



From advocating for accountability in the wake of in-custody deaths, to investing in collective wellness and leadership development for formerly incarcerated individuals, our work is rooted in a belief that those most affected by systems of harm hold the solutions.