NEW ORLEANS — The ACLU of Louisiana has received a $30,000 grant from the Gucci North America Changemakers Impact Fund to support its work to combat pretrial incarceration in Louisiana. The funding will help advance the organization’s research and advocacy toward reducing the number of people jailed before trial, and the length of their incarceration.
“We are incredibly honored to be among the first organizations to be recognized by the Gucci North America Changemakers Impact Fund,” said Alanah Odoms Hebert, ACLU of Louisiana executive director. “Louisiana is experiencing a pretrial incarceration crisis that subjects thousands of people to prolonged incarceration – even though they haven’t been charged with a crime or even seen a judge. People belong in communities, not cages, and this grant will help us build a stronger and more just criminal justice system for all.”
A 2015 study by the Vera Institute for Justice found that Louisiana had the highest per-capita pretrial incarceration rate in the nation. The ACLU of Louisiana will soon announce findings from a two-year research project to gather and analyze statewide data about who Louisiana incarcerates pretrial, for how long, and at what cost.
The Changemakers Impact Fund is an annual $1 million grant fund to support community organizations creating social impact across diverse communities in 12 cities in North America focused on arts and culture; social justice and equity; and education. The next round of applications for the Gucci Changemakers Impact Fund will open in the Fall of 2020.
###
