News from ARC
Explore the latest updates from ARC
ARC’s Statement on Excessive Police Violence
On July 6 and 7, 2016, the world witnessed the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, adding to the growing list of African-Americans who have been killed by excessive and unnecessary force at the hands of law enforcement. Their names have also been added to the growing list of African-Americans whose deaths have been captured by cell phone video and shared across the globe via social media. For many, these macabre videos provide a never-before seen glimpse into the ways in which our justice system has unfairly treated members of the Black community. For others, these videos serve as an[...]
ARC Member Sean Wilson: Beyond the Bench 2015
ARC member Sean Wilson attended Beyond the Bench 2015, a statewide conference devoted to youth and families in the California court system. In this blog post, Sean shares his experiences at the conference, where he participated in a discussion with Founder Scott Budnick and Director of CDCR’s Division of Rehabilitative Programs Millicent Tidwell showcasing four selections from TEDx Ironwood State Prison. Sean Wilson, ARC Member Participating in the Beyond the Bench conference was the best first experience I've had in the free world since my release one month ago. Scott reminded me of how adventurous but righteous life could be as a[...]
NJJN: A Moral Obligation to Meet the Promise of Fairness and Justice for Our Children
The American juvenile justice system was founded over a century ago on the basic (and correct) premise that children are different from adults and that dealing with crimes committed by them requires a different set of tools. Yet it seems that over time, the system has morphed into something never intended: one that actually punishes children more harshly than it would adults in similar situations – consider for example the fact that 95 percent of youth tried in adult courts have committed nonviolent offenses. In the 1980’s, America, swept up in political scare tactics, began a three-decade long journey of “tough on crime” policies. Fueled by the fear[...]
How to Repair the Criminal Justice System
by Scott Budnick, film producer and founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition About ten years ago, a friend in the movie industry invited me to attend a writing workshop at Sylmar Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles County with the InsideOUT Writers program. I immediately signed on to teach classes, and began visiting juvenile halls weekly to mentor incarcerated youth, while executive-producing the Hangover series. As I was creating hit comedies, I was witnessing firsthand how the cycle of trauma, crime, incarceration, and recidivism destroys individuals, families, and communities across Los Angeles. But I also saw incredible resiliency. I saw that with support and[...]
ABC Nightline: Hollywood Producer Turned Prison Mentor Offers California Inmates New Hope
As valedictorian of his graduating class, 26-year-old Sean Wilson was beaming as he got in line with about 100 other men to receive his college diploma. But this wasn’t a typical college graduation. Wilson and his fellow classmates are all convicts, serving time at California’s Ironwood State Prison, and this graduation ceremony was held behind bars with correction officers watching close by. Many of these inmates were able to get a college degree thanks to an unlikely advocate. Scott Budnick, a former Hollywood producer best known for “The Hangover” franchise, is now a regular face in around 20 of California’s 34 state[...]
ARC Members Star in Closer to the Cuts Video Project
Susan Sobel, ARC Ally, InsideOUT Writers (IOW) teacher and second-year law student at Seattle University, created Closer to the Cuts to lift the voices of incarcerated youth and change the narrative around criminal justice reform. In Susy's own words, "Closer to the Cuts is a visual interpretation of a poem that was born from my experiences working as a poetry teacher inside the criminal justice system. I would never attempt to speak for my students, as I do not have their same lived experiences and would not be able to do their stories justice; this poem however, is what I've learned in[...]
