Building Power & Changing Laws

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We build power with currently and formerly incarcerated people and families to change unjust laws and put an end to perpetual punishment.

We believe in the transformative possibility of our stories, our vision, and our voices. Through monthly member meetings, our Summer Organizing Institute, strategy retreats, and one-on-one relationship building, we create powerful spaces for our members to identify the policies that drive mass incarceration. We then launch bold and strategic campaigns, building coalitions with hundreds of organizations, and shift the balance of power in New York State to produce legislative wins for millions of people.

Our Campaigns

Clean Slate

Our Clean Slate campaign won a historic victory with the passage of a law to seal old conviction records and allow New Yorkers to access jobs, housing, and higher education.

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Communities Not Cages

The three bills of our Communities Not Cages campaign will end unjust and racist sentencing laws and bring our loved ones home from decades in prison.

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Justice Roadmap

The Justice Roadmap brings together over 200 organizations leading campaigns in New York State to build greater power and shift broader narratives about the criminal legal system and immigration.

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No Price On Justice

No Price on Justice will combat the criminalization of poverty by eliminating predatory court fees and ending incarceration for an inability to pay court fines and fees.

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The Court New York Deserves

The Court New York Deserves fights to hold judges accountable and change who sits on the bench.

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Youth Justice

The Youth Justice and Opportunities Act will protect the futures of young people up to age 25, enhance community well-being, and provide emerging adults the opportunity to move forward in their lives.

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Our Victories

CCA has won transformative victories that change lives and build a safer and more just future for all New Yorkers.

Clean Slate Act

In 2023, we won historic passage of the Clean Slate Act, the most inclusive and expansive record-sealing bill in the country. This law will automatically seal many old conviction records, enabling millions of New Yorkers to access employment, housing, education, and other opportunities. This historic victory was achieved with the support of an unprecedented coalition of businesses, labor unions, and civil rights organizations.

The Court NY Deserves

In 2022, we launched a first-of-its-kind campaign to block the nomination of a regressive judge and former prosecutor to New York’s highest court. We then won the nomination and confirmation of Justice Rowan Wilson, a brilliant and progressive jurist who has a strong record of advocating for the rights of marginalized people. This victory delivered a more just future for New Yorkers and successfully piloted new models of advocacy around the court system.

“The passage of the Clean Slate Act is transformative for me and millions of New Yorkers who share my struggle.

In October of 1999, I was sentenced to three years’ probation. I completed my sentence, and since then, I have become a mom and a grandma, returned to school, obtained both my bachelor’s degree and my master’s. Yet 25 years later, despite all that I have done to give back to my community, I am still turned away from jobs, denied promotions, and rejected from housing programs because of my two-decade-old conviction. While our fight to end perpetual punishment for all people is ongoing, we celebrate the passage of Clean Slate and our four year campaign that got us to this point.”
Melinda Agnew
CCA Member Leader

Stories from CCA Members & Leaders

We organize thousands of members and leaders from across New York state, and amplify first-person narratives that honor our truth, power and collective self-determination.

Sharon Adams & Eon Shepard

At just 16 years old, Eon Shepard was coerced into accepting a guilty plea, just like over 98% of those convicted in New York. He was sentenced to three consecutive 15-year terms, totaling 45 years to life. After nearly three decades in prison, Eon and his sister, Sharon Adams, have become leading advocates for sentencing reform. Through CCA and our Communities Not Cages campaign, they champion the Marvin Mayfield Act to end mandatory minimums and the Second Look Act, which would allow judges to reconsider excessive sentences. Their story highlights the urgent need for legislative change to address the lingering injustices of America’s rampant incarceration of Black teens in the 1990s.

Aatika & Shawn Peace

Shawn Peace was sentenced to 110 years in prison at the age of 26 for crimes committed when he was 22—an extreme sentence that reflects the unjust and racist nature of mandatory minimums and consecutive sentencing. Despite his current incarceration, Shawn has taken every opportunity to educate himself, mentor others and lead the fight for change. Alongside his sister, Charisse, and his wife, Aatika, Shawn has joined CCA and fought for the Second Look Act, which would allow judges to reconsider excessive sentences and offer Shawn an opportunity to return to his family.

Thomas & Kerry Gant

While incarcerated, Thomas Gant became a member of CCA, working closely with us to draft the legislation for our Communities Not Cages campaign. After 25 years behind bars, Thomas returned home and continues this work as CCA's Community Organizer in Rochester.  Alongside his wife and CCA board member, Kerry, Thomas’s journey from incarceration to community leadership demonstrates the transformative power of hope, persistence, and the fight for justice. Together, Thomas and Kerry work to bring others home and ensure that those still incarcerated have a path out of cages and into community.

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CCA builds power with currently incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated or convicted people, and families with incarcerated loved ones. Learn more and get involved.

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