A CAMPAIGN OF THE JUST TRUST

Justice & The Next 250

BUILDING A FUTURE WE'RE PROUD OF

People crossing a striped crosswalk, seen from above

ABOUT JUSTICE & THE NEXT 250

Justice & The Next 250 is a campaign of The Just Trust, inviting Americans to look ahead to the future of justice and safety in the country. For the entirety of 2026 — the year marking the 250th birthday of the United States of America — we're bringing together advocates, culture-makers, policymakers, and community leaders to shift the conversation from what's broken to what's possible.

WHY THIS CAMPAIGN? WHY NOW?

For decades, the criminal justice reform field has done the essential work of documenting harm, exposing failure, and naming injustice. That work changed public awareness, shifted policy debates, and built a shared understanding that the system must do a far better job of delivering on both safety and justice.

Because of that work, we are no longer in a moment of discovery.

In the year marking America's 250th birthday, the question before us is no longer whether the system needs to change. The question is what we are building next. Justice & The Next 250 is an invitation to shift our collective focus to what CAN BE, and to lead the way there.

We know what is broken.

We know the impact of that brokenness.

And we know that the status quo does not deliver safety, accountability, or dignity. The things literally everyone wants.

From diagnosis →TO DESIGN

From outrage →TO SOLUTIONS

From the past →TO THE FUTURE

CAMPAIGN UPDATES: FROM THE BLOG

Blog posts, news, and event recaps from the campaign — new posts publish here all year.

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Event recapJUL 2026

By the campaign team · 4 min read

INSIDE THE CRIME & PUNISHMENT PREMIERE AT THE PRESIDIO

Highlights from our advance screening with Ana Zamora, John Legend, Scott Budnick, Kerry Washington, and Kim Kardashian at Lucasfilm.

READ THE FULL POST →

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NewsJUL 2026

By the campaign team · 3 min read

HOW COMMUNITIES ARE SHAPING THE NEXT 250

Meet the organizations turning forward-looking ideas about justice and safety into conversations, screenings, and gatherings.

READ THE FULL POST →

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PerspectiveJUN 2026

By the campaign team · 6 min read

WHY WE'RE DONE DIAGNOSING — AND STARTED DESIGNING

The reform field changed what America knows. Here's how the next chapter changes what America builds.

READ THE FULL POST →

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NewsJUN 2026

By the campaign team · 3 min read

KEN BURNS & LYNN NOVICK SERIES COMES TO PBS THIS NOVEMBER

Crime and Punishment in America airs Nov 2026 — and campaign partners can host advance screenings now.

READ THE FULL POST →

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PerspectiveJUN 2026

By the campaign team · 5 min read

WHAT A FUTURE WE'RE PROUD OF ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE

Leaders across the field on the solutions they'd scale first — safety, accountability, and dignity in practice.

READ THE FULL POST →

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Event recapMAY 2026

By the campaign team · 4 min read

CAMPAIGN LAUNCH: THE TOOLKIT, THE LOOK, THE INVITATION

Justice & The Next 250 is live — here's the digital toolkit and how partners are already putting it to work.

READ THE FULL POST →

HOW WILL YOU SHAPE THE NEXT 250?

This summer, let's showcase what's working, and what can be scaled, strengthened, and sustained in the years ahead.

We invite you to engage with Justice & The Next 250 in ways that make sense for your work, audiences, and this particular moment. Here are ways to participate.

HOST AN EVENT JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE PLAN A FILM SCREENING

HOST AN EVENT

Hosting a Justice & The Next 250 event is an opportunity to bring people together to talk about what you're doing to shape the next 250. The format, the audience, the discussions — that's up to you. The only requirement is that you look ahead, and talk about what your organization is doing to lead the way forward.

What it looks like:

PLAN IT!

Convene a gathering centered on shaping the next 250. Take a moment for where we’ve been, but spend most of your time on where we’re going. Your event should reflect your community and expertise—not a prescribed agenda. We’re here to help with planning, branding resources, promotion, and more. Share your event details with us early so we can list it on the site, amplify it across our channels, and support you as your plans take shape.

MAKE IT YOURS

Choose a format that fits your community: a town hall, dinner, webinar, fundraiser, community conversation, or another forward-looking gathering.

SHARE WHAT HAPPENS

Document the ideas, stories, and commitments that emerge, then share them with the campaign so others can learn from your community. Click the “Tell us about your event” button below so we can support and help amplify your event.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EVENT EXPLORE CAMPAIGN EVENTS

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE

Use the campaign toolkit to bring Justice & The Next 250 into your channels and invite your community to share what justice and safety should become.

DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT

Find campaign logos, graphics, messaging, and ready-to-use assets.

START A CONVERSATION

Post a question, a story, or an example of what is already working in your community.

CONNECT THE CAMPAIGN

Tag @thejusttrust and use #JusticeAndTheNext250 so the campaign can find and amplify your contribution.

GET THE DIGITAL TOOLKIT FOLLOW @THEJUSTTRUST

PLAN A FILM SCREENING

Bring your community together around Crime and Punishment in America, the upcoming PBS series from Lynn Novick and Ken Burns.

CRIME ANDPUNISHMENT IN AMERICAA PBS SERIESA film by Lynn Novick, Executive Produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard

EXCLUSIVE ADVANCE SCREENINGAIRS NOV 2026
PBS

HOST AN ADVANCE SCREENING

Campaign participants can host an exclusive advance screening before the series airs in November. You'll receive a roughly 50-minute clip, a discussion guide, and marketing materials. We can also connect you with your local PBS station to explore an event partnership.

REQUEST A SCREENING PACKAGE

SHOW UP FOR THE NEXT 250.

Find campaign gatherings across the country, from community conversations and leadership convenings to film screenings and public programs.

AUG

PEOPLE'S AGENDA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE — MONTGOMERY, AL

Faith in Action Alabama · Film screening and facilitated community conversation

DETAILS COMING SOON

AUG

20/22

CRIME & PUNISHMENT SCREENINGS — MISSISSIPPI

Clergy for Prison Reform · Virtual screening followed by an in-person gathering in Columbia

DETAILS COMING SOON

AUG

21–23

REGIONAL JUSTICE CONVENING — CHICAGO, IL

Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People & Families Movement · Regional gathering

DETAILS COMING SOON

AUG

RACE UNWRAPPED: ART AS ACTIVISM — LOUISVILLE, KY

Louisville Public Media · Community storytelling and visions for the next 250

DETAILS COMING SOON

HOST YOUR OWN EVENT