Ten years ago, things weren’t looking good.
A group of defense attorneys (including myself), business leaders, and community advocates found ourselves having the same discussions over and over again about our criminal justice system. Things were broken: Taxpayers were being asked to fund a system that was costing them more money every year, but public safety wasn’t improving and our economy was sputtering. These problems weren’t unique to Memphis, and they’re far from resolved today. The difference is that we decided to do something about them. Just City was born, not out of frustration, but out of conviction. We believed then — as we believe now — that a system that treats everyone fairly, decently, and humanely can keep us safe and make smart use of our tax dollars. A system like this isn’t built or maintained on its own, however — people have to demand it. Just City was one of the first voices making those demands.
It’s easy to get discouraged by the amount of work that’s still ahead of us, particularly (waves hands at everything) these days. Still, I remind the Just City team as often as I can that there is an enormous amount of joy in this work. At its core, our work is about taking action so that everyone can live in a city that is free and safe, with less surveillance, less waste, and more humanity. What could be more joyful? So as we look to the future, here are 10 things we’ve accomplished so far with the community’s help. We’re grateful for each one and excited about what they mean for the future of this movement.
1. We helped end the jailing of kids in solitary confinement.
Keeping children in isolation isn’t tough love — it’s trauma. Just City worked with state and local lawmakers to change the so-called “safekeeping law” and bring an end to this barbaric practice.
2. We eliminated the expungement fee.
We built a bipartisan alliance to eliminate the filing fee for clearing criminal records all across Tennessee. Thousands of people can now more easily move forward with their lives as a result.
3. We launched a bail fund (actually, we launched two).
We didn’t ask permission — we just paid bail for people who hadn’t been convicted of any crime to get them out of jail and return them to their families and jobs. The money comes back when people show up to court so we can help the next person.
4. We launched a podcast.
It’s called The Permanent Record, and it’s very good.
5. Our Court Watch volunteers showed up.
We’ve trained over 250 volunteers to sit in criminal courtrooms and take notes. Judges and prosecutors take notice when someone’s watching — especially when they see Just City Court Watchers with their notepads.
6. We filed a bunch of lawsuits.
We sued the state of Tennessee for its wealth-based driver’s license suspensions. We sued Shelby County government for embarrassing IT failures that lost people and caused them to be locked up unlawfully. We sued the sheriff for ignoring vulnerable people during Covid. And we sued the county (again) for the way it implemented a clearly unconstitutional state law passed in response to changes to the bail system.
7. I got personally insulted by the mayor.
Mayor Jim Strickland called me “the leading disseminator of false information” after I dared to criticize an ineffective — but extremely expensive — new law that he wanted.
8. And a state senator.
State Senator Brent Taylor called me a “restorative justice schemer” on the floor of the legislature and in the press. I don’t know what that means either.
9. We built a movement.
What politicians don’t realize is that this work isn’t about me at all. It’s about thousands of people — volunteers, donors, partners, and neighbors — who believe that our criminal justice system should do more than punish indiscriminately. Every year for 10 years, we’ve drawn more support from more parts of our community, and we’re just getting started.
10. We planned a party, and you’re invited.
On Sunday, June 8th, we’re bringing Emmy-nominated comedian Roy Wood Jr. to Minglewood Hall. We’ve got Representative Justin J. Pearson, Kontji Anthony, DJ Cozmo, and a whole lot more. It’s called Stand Up With Just City and tickets are on sale now at justcity.org/standup.
Here’s to the next 10 years of justice and joy. Things are looking better all the time.
Josh Spickler is the executive director of Just City.
