We Dream

For part two of our special series on Dream. Org’s Empathy Network, Janos invites two advocates who have been instrumental in passing legislation in their respective states. Sean Wilson, Dream. Org’s Senior Director of Organizing and Partnerships and architect of our Dream Justice Cohort, discusses his journey from incarceration to inspiring new leaders, the challenges of passing criminal justice...

To start us off, Janos announces the rebranding of the “crime bill” campaign to the Serious About Safety Campaign. Then he’s joined by Yusuf Dahl and Matthew Petit for part one of a special series focused on Dream. Org ’s Empathy Network Leaders. Yusuf was denied housing in Pennsylvania for past drug convictions and now advocates for the local and national versions of the bipartisan Fair Future Ac...

This week, Kandia Milton, Dream. Org’s Government Affairs Director, returns with Janos to breakdown the missed opportunities of Trump’s State of the Union speech, the draconian Republican legislation introduced to withhold federal funds for state correctional systems, and how the Iranian strikes are being used as leverage to advance the President’s DHS policies and eroding our constitutional and d...

In the last episode before our midseason break, Janos brings on Insha Rahman, Vice President of Advocacy and Partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice. They discuss her work with the Bronx Defenders, the goal of the New York’s Close Ryker’s campaign to shift public perception on incarceration and jail systems, the challenges posed by political rhetoric, and how the fight for justice is directl...

Janos gives some updates on projections for the potential  “crime bill” and its connections to immigration. Then, this week’s guest Jason Pye from the Due Process Institute talks about his involvement in the First Step Act and gives a libertarian perspective on criminal justice that transcends party lines and explains why fear-based policymaking and expanded federal immunity won’t make communities...

Minneapolis residents and formerly incarcerated advocates Elizer Darris, Executive Director of the Minnesota Freedom Fund, and Moncies Franco, former Valedictorian of the Dream Justice Cohort now working for the Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Lab, join Janos to give on the ground insight into the tragic killing of Renee Good and ICE occupation of Minneapolis. They speak on the unrestri...

In a special episode, Janos speaks with January 6th-er and 2025 Dream Justice Cohort alumni, Danean McAndrew. She recounts her first hand experience from that fateful day at the Capital and and her journey to becoming a criminal justice advocate. Then Anthony Petty, of Neighbors for Justice and Peer Support Worker for the book club, Free Minds, tells us about the struggles of his policy work and h...

Janos demystifies bail reform this week alongside Erin George, the National Director of Policy at The Bail Project. Erin shares the bail misconceptions she encounters most often, reflects on her work in New York’s Close Rikers campaign, and talks through what The Bail Project is seeing in communities nationwide. The conversation then turns to the upcoming crime bill, where Janos and Erin outline h...

Joined by Princeton Professor and Founder of the Smart Justice Campaign, Udi Ofer, this week Janos discusses the progress most Americans don’t know about, whether or not bipartisan criminal justice reform is a thing of the past, and the importance of centering justice-impacted voices. Conversation surrounding the crime bill also continues with the need for a bipartisan response.  —---- Check out t...

This week Janos Marton, joined by Kandia Milton, Dream. Org’s Government Affairs Director, and Josh Hoe, Dream. Org’s Senior Policy Manager, dives into Dream. Org’s common ground strategy, their role in helping pass the bipartisan First Step Act in 2018, and lay out the current criminal justice landscape. They also speculate on the troubling potential aspects of a Trump crime bill and what they co...