At least 10M Americans have lost their licenses for reasons unrelated to driving. What is the impact of reforming license suspension practices and restoring licenses to drivers? Using CPS data and a staggered diff-in-diff design, our new working paper suggests an unexpected payoff – measurable increases in state-wide employment when reforms are of high-quality and… Read more: New Working Paper on the Impact of Debt-Based License Suspension Reform (April 7, 2025)

By Alivia Dawson, 2nd year undergrad student, Berkeley   The Paper Prisons Initiative recently presented our Racial Justice Act (RJA) tool, forthcoming “Digital Juneteenth” expungement notification campaign with the Santa Clara Public Defender, and how AI tools can be leveraged to increase access to justice, before hundreds of public defenders during a webinar on Technological Developments… Read more: Technological Developments & Tools in the Criminal Legal System Webinar (April 4, 2025)

By Adriana R., Age 17 My name is Adriana, and I am a 17-year-old African American child from Riverside County, California. I have never seen my father face to face… When I was still in my mother’s belly, my father was arrested for a case that would forever impact my life and upbringing.  On December… Read more: RJA Blog: A Daughter’s Hope for Justice and Reunion (July 30, 2024)

By Ryan Flaco Rising, a PhD student at UC Irvine My name is Ryan Flaco Rising, and I am empowered by the Racial Justice Act to stand up against the injustices of a racist system that has manipulated our judicial system to uphold white supremacy. Being labeled as a documented gang member, I have experienced… Read more: RJA Blog: The Impact of the RJA on Documented Gang Members (July 30, 2024)

By Esther Wolczynski, CEO of Checkmate My name is Esther Wolczynski, and I’m honored to lead the work of the non-profit agency CheckMate as the CEO. Our mission is to enhance individuals’ quality of life and increase accessibility to resources by providing safe, inclusive, and uplifting experiences for all families in San Joaquin County. Our… Read more: RJA Blog: The Fight for Mr. Williams’s Freedom (July 30, 2024)