Meet our Donors: Part 3

This giving season we’re giving thanks to supporters like you.For the month of December, we’re sharing the stories of a few of our supporters as a small token of our appreciation for their generous donations, and for joining us in the fight to change the justice system.This week we reflect on the power of storytelling, and hear about some of the stories that have helped our supporters shift and broaden their perspective on our country’s justice system. You can also take a look at last week’s post to learn about a few other supporters, and why we are so grateful for our donors this year. Carolyn ClarkRegistered Nurse, Renton, WA Carolyn was moved to think a little differently about the justice system the more she heard about the experiences of young people being incarcerated. In particular, it was an episode of the Wrongful Conviction podcast that stuck with her. It focused on a young person who received a lengthy prison sentence, and was left to spend much of his time in solitary confinement. The podcast shared how he’d developed a relationship with the person he’d harmed, and that was what saved him and kept him whole during his incarceration. “I am touched by all you do. But I do wish that I could wave a wand to make your jobs obsolete.”We do, too, Carolyn.Karen HermanFairport, New YorkFor Karen, it’s never been a question to advocate for a shift in our justice system. A young woman, Karen has grown up seeing the flaws in our system and the harm that mass incarceration, and the death penalty has brought to our communities. She envisions a space where everyone contributes to the conversation and is invested in transforming our justice system. “We must fight racism and inequality!”Jane R. HoussiereRetired, Boulder, COThe power of storytelling to change hearts and minds isn’t limited to podcasts or articles. For Jane, it was watching Ava Duvernay’s four-part Netflix series “When They See Us” that helped broaden her perspective. “When They See Us” tells the stories of the Central Park Five, a group of Black teens who were falsely accused, then convicted of, the rape and assault of a white woman in New York’s Central Park in 1989. After more than 10 years, their convictions were vacated and the teens were finally free.When asked whose voices she’d liked to see lifted up in the justice reform space, Jane said “those who never knew cases like these existed.”