Stories of Impact
We are turning stories of pain into stories of power.
These are just a few stories about people like you. They are people who stepped up. Now, they are leading major change in the criminal justice system across the country. These community leaders are channeling their pain, disappointment and outrage into something tangible—the prosecutor accountability movement. Read these stories to learn about their successes.
Movement Impact
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In November 2022, Color Of Change, in partnership with Survived and Punished NY, successfully pressured Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to drop the charges against Tracy McCarter.
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In 2023, Color of Change successfully pressured District Attorney Fani Willis to reduce the Fulton County Jail population.
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In 2018, organizers for prosecutor accountability achieved an incredible win that would not only change the course of St. Louis County history but also alter the landscape of criminal justice throughout the county for years to come.
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In 2019, Chesa Boudin swept the race for San Francisco District Attorney after campaigning on a platform of reform and decarceration.
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After Philadelphians elected District Attorney Larry Krasner to be their new district attorney in 2016, communities wanted to make sure their high hopes for his tenure would not be wasted, leading to the disappointment they had faced with so many others. Soon after Krasner’s election, the local coalition held a rally outside his office to demand that he implement an aggressive reform agenda within his first 100 days.
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Activists in Dallas recently exposed their prosecutor, Faith Johnson, for taking money from the for-profit bail industry. Now, communities are demanding that she return her corporate money, take the side of the people—not profits—and use the power of her office to finally end money bail.
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In 2016, the people of Chicago united to hold State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez accountable. The new prosecutor, Kim Foxx, vowed reform. The people are making sure she follows through. In a city like Chicago, with a police force that has killed more Black people than almost any other police department, it is critical for community members to help ensure Foxx will deliver on the promises she has made.
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In 2016, running on a reform platform, Aramis Ayala become the first Black State’s Attorney in Florida, and the first woman to hold that position in Florida’s ninth circuit court district, which includes Orlando.
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Organizers and community members created a public outcry against their prosecutor, Kimberly Robb, as part of a strategy to win the release of Dontae Sharpe, who has been falsely convicted of murder.
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Activists recently forced both Manhattan and Brooklyn prosecutors, Cyrus Vance and Eric Gonzalez, to announce in January, 2018 that they would be ending the use of money bail for most misdemeanors, including jumping subway turnstile and minor drug possession.
