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Civil Rights Corps
@civrightscorps.bsky.social
1.7K followers 40 following 91 posts
Challenging systemic injustice in the US legal system and changing the narrative around the punishment bureaucracy.

www.civilrightscorps.org
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In Maryland, a law that was meant to keep birthing people and newborns safe has now been used to create the ultimate parent trap.

The Safe Haven Law promised protection – but Baltimore’s family police punished a mama anyway. 🧵
MARYLAND’S PARENT TRAP: Maryland’s Safe Haven Law promised protection. Baltimore’s family police punished a mama anyway.
October 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
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📣 WE'RE HIRING: Investigative Fellows

🗓️ Start date: Summer 2026
🗓️ Application deadline: Rolling with priority for applications submitted before October 29, 2025

🔗 Learn more about the position: civilrightscorps.org/investigativ...
We're hiring: Investigative Fellows - Summer 2026 Investigative Fellows work collaboratively with case teams in support of complex civil rights litigation in federal and state courts. Their work varies and pulls on the skills of an investigator and paralegal, and will often involve working closely with and supporting local organizers and their campaigns. They are a crucial part of our impact litigation and advocacy challenging mass human caging and other injustices within the criminal legal system. This is an entry-level two-year position at CRC. Deadline: Rolling with priority for applications submitted before October 29, 2025 Learn more on our website: civilrightscorps.org/join-our-team
September 30, 2025 at 7:09 PM
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We're looking for Summer 2026 Litigation Interns! Learn more about the internship and find out how to apply here: civilrightscorps.org/summer-2026-litigation-interns-2l/
We're Hiring: Summer 2026 Litigation Interns (2L) Summer interns will have a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge civil rights cases in a fast-paced environment. Interns will work closely with Civil Rights Corps staff to investigate and challenge systemic injustice in the criminal legal system. Deadline: Rolling with priority for applications submitted before September 8, 2025 Learn more on our website: civilrightscorps.org/join-our-team
August 27, 2025 at 5:48 PM
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Join us Aug 20th for a discussion on how we can breakthrough the noise and reclaim the media narrative around the child welfare system!

🗓️ Aug 20th
⏰ 6-7:30 PM
📍424 S Pulaski St, Baltimore

🔗 RSVP here: bit.ly/mediawrkshp
Breaking through the Noise: Telling Our Stories about Family & Safety How can we reclaim the media narrative around the child welfare system, and discuss real safety options for families? Featuring: Alexis Taylor, Managing Editor, AFRO News Natasha Khalfani, Senior Attorney, MD Office of the Public Defender, Better Together Program Sam Collins, Staff Writer, Washington Informer Event details: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 6:00 - 7:30 PM The Food Project, 424 S Pulaski St, Baltimore, MD 21223 RSVP: bit.ly/mediawrkshp
August 5, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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William is a Playwright-Poet-Orator-Emcee who wields his pen for the purpose of reclaiming his agency, by giving voice to the lives and to the plights of African Americans and other marginalized people of color, while achieving catharsis through self-expression.
Introducing William Anderson, Poet-in-Residence William is a Playwright-Poet-Orator-Emcee who wields his pen for the purpose of reclaiming his agency, by giving voice to the lives and to the plights of African Americans and other marginalized people of color, while achieving catharsis through self-expression. He is currently serving a 27-to-life sentence in an Ohio Correctional Facility and uses his time to create and to implement programming he and his comrades need for personal growth and development beyond incarceration.
July 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
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Kenneth is a multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and cultural architect whose work bridges visual art, movement, and conceptual storytelling. His art is deeply influenced by personal and collective histories, centering themes of resilience, identity, and transformation.
Introducing Kenneth W. Webb, Artist-in-Residence Kenneth is a multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and cultural architect whose work bridges visual art, movement, and conceptual storytelling. Rooted in an expansive creative practice, Webb challenges dominant narratives and reimagines systems of power through painting, performance, and community-based initiatives. His art is deeply influenced by personal and collective histories, centering themes of resilience, identity, and transformation.
July 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
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April is a dedicated community activist based in Philadelphia, committed to supporting families affected by harmful systems. She has a deep passion for writing and has performed her poetry on numerous stages throughout Philadelphia and beyond.
introducing April Lee, Poet-in-residence April Lee is a dedicated community activist based in Philadelphia, committed to supporting families affected by harmful systems, including the child welfare (family policing) system, the carceral system, and other structures that negatively impact her community. Beyond her activism, she has a deep passion for writing and has performed her poetry on numerous stages throughout Philadelphia and beyond.
July 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
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Meet our 2025 Artists-in-residence 👉🏽 April Lee, Kenneth Webb, and William Anderson!
Meet our 2025 Artists-in-residence April Lee Kenneth Webb William Anderson
July 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
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Civil Rights Corps is hiring an externally funded legal fellow to start in Fall 2025. Learn more here 👉🏽 civilrightscorps.org/externally-funded-legal-fellow-fall-2025/
We’re hiring! Externally funded legal fellow Civil Rights Corps seeks a law school graduate or licensed attorney to sponsor as an externally funded Legal Fellow, beginning in Fall 2025. Once selected, CRC will work closely with the candidate to submit project proposals to funding organizations that are able to evaluate fellowship applications on an expedited basis. Deadline: Rolling with priority for applications submitted before July 21, 2025 LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE: civilrightscorps.org/join-our-team
July 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
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🧵 NEW CASE: Faith leaders, detained people, and civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit challenging Riverside County's Bail Process.

What: Lawsuit
Where: Riverside County, CA
Issue: Bail, Pretrial Detention
New Case Faith leaders, detained people, and civil rights groups file lawsuit challenging Riverside County's bail process
June 6, 2025 at 5:17 PM
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Mashai Small is a mother, doula and abolitionist committed to exposing the harsh realities of the family policing system.
It’s been 10 years since “Black Lives Matter” chants broke out. As we remember our brother, Freddie Gray, and all the lives lost to police violence, I am here to share that there is another system violently tormenting and killing our families. A system many call the child “welfare” system, but those impacted by this system call it the family policing system. If we are to fulfill the promise of the Black Lives Matter movement, we must fight for the Black mothers and families who are entangled in and threatened by this harmful system.
May 13, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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Check out this new op-ed by Mashai Small in Afro News: "From trauma to advocacy, a Black mother's mission to end family policing."

Read: afro.com/family-polic...
Op-Ed From trauma to advocacy, a Black mother’s mission to end family policing by Mashai Small “It only took one complaint for the family police to tear my family apart. How long will it take for someone to be held accountable for the harm they’ve caused?” Read: afro.com/family-policing-system-black-families
May 13, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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Join us in THREE DAYS for the 4th annual #BlackMothersMarch to fight back against family policing!

Black Mothers March
🗓️ May 11th
⏰ 11 AM
📍Lafayette Park

RSVP here: BlackMothersMarch.com/Registration
May 11 | 11:00 AM | Lafayette park 3 days RSVP: blackmothersmarch.com
May 9, 2025 at 3:40 PM
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“When the head of a prosecutor’s office has a history of ethical complaints, it becomes difficult to trust that her subordinates are being held to the high ethical standards their power demands.” - Michael Ogul, former president of CPDA.

Read more in @48hills.bsky.social
48hills.org/2025/04/the-...
New Article. 48hills. "What if the DA broke the law? Where is the outrage from all the tough-on-crime folks?" by Tim Redmond “Prosecutors wield extraordinary power to take away a person’s freedom, and with that comes a heightened ethical duty to pursue justice, not just convictions. When the head of a prosecutor’s office has a history of ethical complaints, it becomes difficult to trust that her subordinates are being held to the high ethical standards their power demands.” - Michael Ogul, former president, California Public Defenders Association
April 11, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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Diversion for me, but not for thee 🤔

Read more in @missionlocal.org missionlocal.org/2025/04/broo...
New Article. Mission Local. "DA Brooke Jenkins, in the ultimate irony, is placed in diversionary program" by Joe Eskenazi
April 11, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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"It’s ironic that District Attorney Jenkins, who often opposes diversion in court—and thereby closes off an avenue for our clients to better their lives—has now been ordered to complete professional diversion." - @manorajupd.bsky.social, San Fransisco Public Defender. 6/6
"It’s ironic that District Attorney Jenkins, who often opposes diversion in court—and thereby closes off an avenue for our clients to better their lives—has now been ordered to complete professional diversion. When an elected District Attorney has a history of ethical violations, it undermines the integrity of the entire District Attorney’s Office and can lead to wrongful convictions and unjust incarceration." - Mano Raju, San Fransisco Public Defender Article by David Greenwald in The Vanguard
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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"The State Bar concluded that Jenkins’ conduct raised enough red flags to warrant enrollment in the diversion program—a reform-oriented track typically reserved for attorneys facing relatively minor ethical breaches." 5/6
The State Bar concluded that Jenkins’ conduct raised enough red flags to warrant enrollment in the diversion program—a reform-oriented track typically reserved for attorneys facing relatively minor ethical breaches. But given the gravity and number of allegations, the confidential nature of the outcome raises profound questions about transparency, accountability, and the limits of legal oversight when it comes to prosecutors. Article by David Greenwald in The Vanguard
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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"Retired Judge Martha Goldin’s complaint to the State Bar, originally filed in October 2022 and supplemented through 2023, offers a scathing and meticulously detailed account of what she alleges is a pattern of misconduct by Brooke Jenkins." 4/6
Retired Judge Martha Goldin’s complaint to the State Bar [...] offers a scathing and meticulously detailed account of what she alleges is a pattern of misconduct by Brooke Jenkins. The ethics complaints against her—five in total, filed between 2022 and 2023—touch on a wide range of conduct: the improper handling of a confidential rap sheet, misstatements during public debates, undisclosed financial entanglements with political nonprofits, and alleged discovery violations in criminal prosecutions. Article by David Greenwald in The Vanguard
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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"Prosecutors are rarely disciplined for breaches of professional ethics, so this decision by the State Bar ordering District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to take corrective action, speaks volumes." - Mano Raju, @sfpublicdefender.bsky.social 3/6
"Prosecutors are rarely disciplined for breaches of professional ethics, so this decision by the State Bar ordering District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to take corrective action, speaks volumes." - Mano Raju, San Fransisco Public Defender As noted in a report by the Northern California Innocence Project, of 707 California cases in which prosecutorial misconduct was found over an 11-year period, only six prosecutors were formally disciplined by the State Bar. Article by David Greenwald in The Vanguard
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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"In a rare and potentially far-reaching decision, the State Bar of California has required San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to complete a confidential diversion program in response to multiple ethics complaints." 2/6
In a rare and potentially far-reaching decision, the State Bar of California has required San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to complete a confidential diversion program in response to multiple ethics complaints. While the State Bar stopped short of issuing formal discipline, its action is nearly unprecedented in the realm of prosecutorial misconduct—especially for an elected official of Jenkins’ stature. Article by David Greenwald in The Vanguard
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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NEW: San Francisco DA Jenkins Enters State Bar Diversion Program After Ethics Complaint.

"Jenkins is accused of multiple ethics complaints, including handling confidential records improperly."

Read more in The Vanguard 👉🏽 davisvanguard.org/2025/04/broo...
New Article San Francisco DA Jenkins Enters State Bar Diversion Program After Ethics Complaint By David Greenwald
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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✨ We're hiring! CRC is searching for a seasoned leader to join and support our team as Chief of Staff.

Learn more & apply: civilrightscorps.org/chief-of-staff
We're hiring. Chief of staff Civil Rights Corps is searching for a seasoned leader to join and support our team as Chief of Staff. Learn more on our website.
March 4, 2025 at 5:41 PM
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"Mr. Holland’s experience is not an anomaly. HPD frequently escalates low level traffic stops into traumatic and life-altering experiences for Black and Brown drivers. We want justice for Mr. Holland and an end to discriminatory traffic stops." - Shirley LaVarco.
"Mr. Holland’s experience is not an anomaly. The Houston Police Department frequently escalates low level traffic stops into traumatic and life-altering experiences for Black and Brown drivers. We want justice for Mr. Holland and an end to discriminatory traffic stops." - Shirley LaVarco, Attorney for Mr. Holland. With this lawsuit, Mr. Holland hopes to shed light on the epidemic of police violence against Black disabled people*, who are both disproportionately targeted for police violence and more likely to suffer severe and lasting injuries as a result. *americanprogress.org/article/understanding-policing-black-disabled-bodies
February 11, 2025 at 7:27 PM
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The complaint alleges that six Houston Police Department (HPD) officers used overwhelming and excessive force on Mr. Holland when they repeatedly hit, kicked, punched, and tased him during the traffic stop.

The attack left Mr. Holland injured and traumatized.
The complaint alleges that six Houston Police Department officers used overwhelming and excessive force on Mr. Holland when they repeatedly hit, kicked, punched, and tased him during a minor traffic stop. The attack left Mr. Holland injured and traumatized. Per the complaint, the defendants’ assault ruptured the stitches in Mr. Holland’s ear, split his lip open, and wounded his rib cage. The complaint also alleges that after the attack, defendant officers arrested Mr. Holland & charged him with assault on an officer, using falsified evidence to cover up their excessive use of force. The charges against Mr. Holland were ultimately dismissed, but not before he was made to endure an unjust prosecution that, the complaint alleges, was designed to cover up defendants’ own violence.
February 11, 2025 at 7:27 PM
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It is with the most profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Kiah Duggins. Kiah was our colleague, our friend, our mentor, our inspiration, and an extraordinary civil rights leader. She was kind and brilliant and full of laughter, joy, and energy.

Rest in power, Kiah. ​​♥️
It is with the most profound sadness that we at Civil Rights Corps mourn the passing of Kiah Duggins. Kiah was our colleague, our friend, our mentor, and our inspiration. She was kind and brilliant and full of laughter and joy and energy. She dedicated her life to fighting for the liberation of Black and all oppressed peoples. She believed deeply in the moral and strategic imperative of partnering with social movements and the people most directly harmed by the injustices of our society – specifically the injustices that pervade the court systems, police departments, jails, and prisons of this country. And she lived her values everyday, striving to support us all in becoming more thoughtful, clear-eyed, and courageous versions of ourselves. The survivors of state and corporate violence whom Kiah represented knew and felt her deep love and respect for their lives and dignity. This generation has lost an extraordinary civil rights leader. Rest in power, Kiah. Kiah’s family has requested privacy. It is with their approval that we issue this statement in honor of Kiah’s life. Those who would like to support the Duggins family and honor Kiah's legacy should consider donating to Kiah's Princess Project. If you want to learn more, please watch her TEDx talk about the project. Collage of Kiah.
February 7, 2025 at 7:36 PM