ARCHCITY DEFENDERS

ArchCity’s clients are inescapably targeted and punished by the criminal legal system of police, courts, and jails. Our clients experience many collateral consequences as a result of their interactions with the system - losing jobs, vehicles, and apartments, and facing large barriers to regaining housing and employment. ArchCity Defenders uses holistic legal advocacy to fight with our clients in court, help families rebuild their lives together, and bring civil rights lawsuits to challenge the direct abuses of the criminal legal system.

ACD envisions a society liberated from systems of oppression where the promise of justice and racial equity is realized; communities where our approach to public safety prioritizes investment in well-being, health, and transformation without relying on criminalization and incarceration; and people living freely in their communities, thriving regardless of their race or income.