Advancing Real Change, Inc.

The mission of Advancing Real Change, Inc. is to create a more just world by advancing empathy, dignity, and equity within and beyond the criminal legal system.

Advancing Real Change, Inc. envisions a world where causing one another irreversible harm is an anomaly, not a daily occurrence. We unearth the true histories of people accused of crimes and share their stories with decision-makers to foster empathy and understanding. We aim to take what we learn through this work—mitigation investigation—and uplift those experiences to reshape and rebuild social systems so that communities and individuals may truly flourish. 

Our Work - Advancing Real Change (advancechange.org)

Our vision is the transformation of the criminal legal system and all social systems into systems that deliver true justice.

Our Values

Our work is grounded in the values of human dignity, truth, and empathy. In a system designed to dehumanize those accused of crimes, we fight for the recognition of our clients’ humanity. False narratives about crime and those who may commit harm drive our most excessive sentences: that some crimes render people unworthy of mercy; that some individuals cannot change or grow; that everyone chooses the life they have. We counter these and other inaccurate and fear-based accounts with true, nuanced narratives that demonstrate our clients’ full personhood and help decision-makers see the complete picture of their lives.

We take our duty to provide accurate and complete mitigation information seriously, following the professional standards in the American Bar Association’s Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases, the Supplementary Guidelines for Mitigation Function of Defense Team in Capital Cases, and the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth Guidelines for the Representation of Child Clients.