Fools Mission Participatory Defense
Thomas Atwood

Members and friends of UUFRC who are interested in over-incarceration and the disproportional incarceration of people of color are invited to attend and learn about this innovative new approach to community organizing and criminal justice. Family members and friends of defendants facing criminal charges gather together to learn how to work with public defenders on their cases. Strategies include analysis of documents and creation of “social biography packets” that put a human face on the defendant. Packets include photos, character letters, grades, certificates, pay stubs—anything that helps prosecutors, judges, social workers, or probation officers to see a human being instead of a case number