Dear Friends,
 
Last week, Alabama’s legislature passed a $1.3 billion plan to build two new 4,000 bed prisons in the state. The billion-dollar prison construction bill contains no funding for necessary medical and mental health care, no funding for rehabilitative services and safety programs, no funding for reentry support to reduce recidivism, and no plan for how Alabama will staff two new megaprisons when the state is only able to staff its existing prisons at 40%.

WASHINGTON, DC – The power of pro bono partnerships and advocacy networks to resolve complex community challenges was a main theme among speakers at the Appleseed Foundation’s annual Pillars of Justice Celebration on September 9. The event’s speakers, including Pillar of Justice Award honorees John Johnson of Edgeworth Economics and the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA), shared examples of pro bono partnerships that have provided concrete benefits on a broad range of issues, including economic advancement, systemic racism, and the rule of law.

​Dear Friends,
​
I am thrilled to announce the launch today of the Appleseed Network Opportunity Fund, established and made possible by the generous support of John Johnson, the CEO and Co-Founder of Edgeworth Economics and Edgeworth Analytics.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Appleseed Foundation will present its Pillars of Justice award to John Johnson and the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance at the annual Appleseed Pillars of Justice Celebration on September 9.  The Pillars of Justice award recognizes individuals and organizations who have shown remarkable leadership and commitment to advancing justice for all.

Friends,

Earlier this week in Atlanta, GA, eight people were murdered in three separate spas. Six of the victims were Asian women. During this period of grief, our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones.

Friends,
 
I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the release of Ronald McKeithen, an Alabama man sentenced to life without parole for a first-degree robbery – in which no physical harm occurred – 37 years ago. Ronald is one of the many victims of Alabama’s draconian Habitual Felony Offenders Act, mandating life without parole for anyone convicted of a felony if they have three prior felonies on their record, regardless of whether they were nonviolent crimes or how long ago they occurred. This past summer, Alabama Appleseed took on Ronald’s case and, as of December, successfully won his release. They have since been helping him adjust to daily life in the midst of a global pandemic after 37 years inside a correctional facility.

​Dear Friends,

Appleseed Mexico was founded in 2003 with a mission to strengthen the country’s civil society organizations and provide systemic legal support for vulnerable communities. A key component of Appleseed Mexico’s work has been building up a thriving pro bono culture in Mexico to help more, and to help better.