Participatory Defense is a powerful community organizing model that mobilizes people facing charges, their families, and communities to impact case outcomes and transform the court system's power landscape. Unlike traditional legal approaches, Participatory Defense reimagines the courtroom by positioning families and communities as vital extensions of the defense team—bringing critical context, support, and advocacy to what is often an overburdened public defender.

At the heart of this model is a radical shift from a system that isolates and disempowers to one that uplifts and centers those most directly impacted. By engaging families in legal strategy, case documentation, mitigation efforts, and courtroom presence, Participatory Defense transforms how justice is exercised and experienced in America. It is not only about winning cases—it’s about reclaiming power.

This particular group’s work is deeply rooted in supporting women—those facing charges and those who bear the brunt of the system as caregivers, advocates, and often, the first responders to crisis. Women are too often erased in conversations about incarceration despite being disproportionately impacted by criminalization and punishment. Centering women in Participatory Defense highlights the gendered dimensions of mass incarceration and creates a more holistic and just movement for change.

As part of our Reimagining Communities initiative, Join us and learn how Participatory Defense can assist you or a loved one and is changing courtrooms, empowering families, and reshaping the justice system—one case, one story, one community at a time.

NOTE: This is an in-person with an option for Zoom presence. https://tinyurl.com/womenspd