Free The People WNY is a coalition of organizers and organizations—including the formerly incarcerated, directly affected people, activists, and attorneys—that envisions a world free from the violence and death of mass incarceration. We act together to dismantle a justice system built on white supremacy and oppression, one that dehumanizes people, and we work to create in its place anti-racist systems, with the values of collective liberation and true justice at their core.
The Free the People state working group unites organizers, advocates, and activists working on state-level campaigns that promote basic human dignity and ensure equity and harm reduction for our communities. The cohort uplifts decarceration through a racial justice lens and works across issue areas—justice system, housing, climate, and more—with awareness the fight for anti-racist systems is intersectional. The state working group works alongside a network of coalitions and organizations working on bills that address harm caused by criminal and immigrant systems, and supports statewide efforts through collective work.
Our 2022 State Priorities: