The Appeal

Exposing how the U.S. criminal legal system fails to keep people safe and perpetuates harm.

Mission

The Appeal is a nonprofit news organization that envisions a world in which systems of support and care, not punishment, create public safety.

The Appeal’s journalism exposes the harms of a criminal legal system entrenched in centuries of systemic racism. We equip people with the information necessary to make change, and we elevate solutions that emerge from the communities most affected by policing, jails, and prisons in the U.S.

About our journalism

In a precarious moment for criminal justice reform, The Appeal’s work is crucial. We produce fact-based reporting and analysis that centers the voices of the people directly impacted by the issues we cover and educates the public on how the criminal legal system works. We correct common misconceptions and counter tough-on-crime narratives to assert that a world without mass incarceration and criminalization is possible and necessary.

Our stories have sparked protests and grassroots activism, inspired legislation that reduces policing and incarceration, and shaped the national narrative about justice and punishment. We push the debate beyond incremental reforms that do little to address systemic problems, and we explore ideas that stand for truly transformative change.

Additionally, our model as a worker-led nonprofit newsroom offers a new, sustainable path for the future of journalism.

Location

Landers, CA, USA


Reach

National


Year Founded

2021