Represent Justice

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Represent Justice

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Changing the narrative around incarceration through stories, advocacy & programs that :

10/08/2026

Our friends at Nation Outside recently held their Seeds of Change benefit where they premiered Represent Justice Ambassador Cecilia Zavala’s new film What Grace Leaves Behind for her hometown Detroit.

The evening was so much more than a film screening. It was a reminder that power is created in community, through connection, and by sharing our stories.

If you haven’t already watched Cecilia’s film, you can do so now at repjustice.org/films

10/01/2026

How can storytellers portray young people impacted by the justice system with greater authenticity, complexity, and humanity?

We're excited to share a new resource made in collaboration with our friends at the Center for Scholars and Storytellers (CSS): How to Tell Stories of Justice System-Impacted Youth On Screen — 10 Tips for Authentic Portrayals.

Created through CSS’s Narrative Change & Social Impact Initiative, the resource brings together CSS’s work at the intersection of research and entertainment with Represent Justice’s expertise in using storytelling to reimagine the legal system.

Importantly, the recommendations were shaped by Represent Justice Ambassador alumni with firsthand experience of the justice system. Their perspectives highlight opportunities for storytellers to move beyond portrayals that define young people solely by their system involvement and instead show their relationships, aspirations, challenges, joy, growth, and futures.

This resource also marks an exciting new chapter for both of our organizations as Represent Justice officially joins CSS as a partner, helping connect lived experience and advocacy expertise with the entertainment industry to support more authentic storytelling.

We’re grateful to The Annie E. Casey Foundation, whose support made this partnership and work possible.

Explore the full tip sheet: scholarsandstorytellers.com/tipsheets

09/30/2026

Represent Justice Ambassadors Julius Irving and Leigh Scott brought their recently released films to a packed screening in Gainesville, Florida, and something powerful happened.

300-400 community members showed up—from local leaders and activists to social workers, system-impacted people, friends, family, and neighbors. And after the film, people took to the mic and shared their own stories. There were tears, honest conversations, healing, and a real sense of connection. People left asking what they could do next.

That’s the power of our Ambassador films and of system-impacted storytelling. Congratulations to Julius and Leigh on a successful night, and thank you to everyone in Gainesville who showed up, listened, and shared.

If you haven’t already watched their films, The Silent (R)evolution: Freedom from the Inside Out by Julius Irving and Uncarcerated by Leigh Scott, watch now at repjustice.org/films

📸: Taylored Memories

09/28/2026

The nine 2026 Ambassador films released this month are now all available for on-demand viewing! Each of the short films tells a deeply personal story about finding pathways outside of criminalization, how to build a sense of belonging after incarceration, the persistence of punishment even after serving time, and how we can reimagine just futures together.

Watch them all at repjustice.org/films.

09/26/2026

Ambassador Courtenie Jackson appeared on the Everyday Injustice podcast to discuss her experience trying to find a stable job after incarceration and why she thinks now is the perfect time to release her film, Shackled in Freedom.

Courtenie’s film highlights how barriers to employment and unfair hiring practices continue to limit access to stable work and economic mobility long after people complete their sentences.

You can watch her film now at repjustice.org/films.

09/21/2026

Exposing injustice is just the first step. Pushing for accountability and taking action are what builds the future.

Introducing Reimagining Just Futures, the fourth and final curated collection in our 2026 Ambassador film rollout, featuring Cesar Garcia’s Stocopticon and Kenneth Webb’s The Weaver in a Haystack.

Bringing together two films and their accompanying impact campaigns, Reimagining Just Futures shows what's possible when communities dare to imagine a system focused on healing over punishment. These films shift the conversation from what must be dismantled to what we have the power to create. They remind us that technology and art are not neutral: their impact depends on who shapes them, whose needs they serve, and which futures they help us imagine.

A just future requires more than just reforming harmful systems. It needs investment in the creativity, knowledge, and leadership of the people who have experienced those systems.

Watch both of these films, learn more about the filmmakers, and explore their impact campaigns today at repjustice.org/films.

09/17/2026

2026 Ambassador Marcus Kelley recently sat down with the Everyday Injustice podcast to discuss his recently-released film No Exception to the Promise, why he decided to make this documentary, and how our current justice system is just a continuation of chattel slavery.

You can watch Marcus’ film now at repjustice.org/films.

09/11/2026

“It’s time for people to pay attention.”

As our 2026 Ambassador films roll out, Represent Justice CEO Daniel Forkkio recently joined the Everyday Injustice Podcast to discuss how system-impacted people sharing their stories can help change public perceptions of incarceration and influence policymaking.

Head to the link in our bio to watch the full interview.

09/07/2026

Freedom is not something we experience alone. Being released from incarceration doesn't automatically create belonging.

Introducing Belonging After Incarceration, the second curated collection in our 2026 Ambassador film rollout, featuring What Grace Leaves Behind by Cecilia Zavala and Rewritten by Angie Frias.

Bringing together two films and their accompanying impact campaigns, Belonging After Incarceration explores how mentors, artists, advocates, peer navigators, and community members help people move beyond the labels and barriers imposed by the system. Together, these films show the importance of building community and how we all play a part in helping others reclaim identity, dignity, voice, and opportunity after contact with the justice system.

Watch both of these films, learn more about the filmmakers, and explore their impact campaigns today: repjustice.org/films

08/31/2026

What becomes possible when we respond to a crisis with care instead of punishment?

Introducing Pathways Beyond Criminalized Crisis, the first curated collection in our 2026 Ambassador film rollout.

Bringing together three films and their accompanying impact campaigns, Pathways Beyond Criminalized Crisis explores what happens when trauma, mental health needs, and personal struggles are met with criminalization. Together, the films point toward another path, one grounded in care, accountability, healing, and the possibility of transformation.

Now Available for Digital Streaming:
The Silent (R)evolution: Freedom from the Inside Out by Julius Irving follows a deeply personal journey after Julius enters a Florida courtroom expecting to be released, but a judge’s words both shock and forever shape him.

Uncarcerated by Leigh Scott challenges us to imagine mental health crises as public health issues rather than criminal justice encounters—and asks what could change if care responded first.

Loud Silence by Todd Jones confronts childhood sexual abuse, trauma, and the silence surrounding mental health among Black men, showing what becomes possible when survivors are heard.

Watch all three films, learn more about each filmmaker, and explore their impact campaigns at repjustice.org/films.

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