UnCommon Law

UnCommon Law UnCommon Law believes all people incarcerated for violent crime deserve access to healing, justice, Two thirds of them are Black or Brown.

Today, there are too many people in prison, and too few pathways home. 76% of people in prison are serving time for a violent and/or serious crime. In California alone, 35,000 people are serving life sentences - that amounts to roughly a third of our state’s prison population. The vast majority of people in prison experienced serious trauma prior to their incarceration. Research has shown that bet

ween 62% and 87% of people incarcerated in men’s prisons have experienced traumatic events at some point in their lifetime, and the rate is even higher for women and those who identify as transgender. UnCommon Law is at the forefront of changing public narratives about people serving lengthy prison sentences for violent crime. For the past 15 years, our team has fought to ensure that all people incarcerated for violent crime have access to healing, justice, and effective legal representation. Through our unique, trauma-informed model of advocacy, we provide the space currently missing in the system for healing, accountability, and safe pathways home from prison. In developing new self narratives, the people we serve are able to more effectively disrupt violence inside and outside prison, and become leaders who change negative societal narratives about those incarcerated for violent crime. Our groundbreaking approach is changing policy and outcomes, driven by the voices and experiences of system-impacted communities.

Join the California Alliance for Parole Reform (CAPR) for our next Community Connect Meeting on Tuesday, June 9, from 6:...
06/05/2026

Join the California Alliance for Parole Reform (CAPR) for our next Community Connect Meeting on Tuesday, June 9, from 6:00–7:30 PM. This is CAPR's monthly virtual space for people impacted by the parole hearing process to learn, connect, and advocate together.

What to expect:

- Parole Board & Policy Updates: We'll share the latest news, including updates from the legislative session and reportbacks from recent parole board meetings.

- Mini Mock Parole Hearing: Coalition members will enact an excerpt of a mock parole hearing so you can get a feel for what the process looks like in action. We'll highlight the kinds of questions that come up in hearings and what strong versus weak answers sound like.

- Community Brainstorm: Some of our most powerful moments have come from responding organically as a community as questions and requests emerge. We're setting aside dedicated time for you to bring any questions, challenges, or requests for support related to the parole process.

Whether you've personally navigated the parole process or are supporting a loved one, all are welcome.

Register at https://bit.ly/CAPRConnect

This legislative session, the California Alliance for Parole Reform has been working together to fight back against a wa...
06/03/2026

This legislative session, the California Alliance for Parole Reform has been working together to fight back against a wave of harmful “tough-on-crime” parole bills aimed at rolling back elderly parole, expanding punishment, and further politicizing the parole process. Fueled by political pressure following several highly publicized parole cases, these proposals ignore decades of evidence showing that people age out of crime and that the elderly pose little to no risk to public safety.

These bills are misguided, costly, and unsupported by public safety data — all while diverting taxpayer dollars away from real investments that strengthen communities.

So far, five harmful parole bills have been stopped and four are still advancing through the legislative process.

Stay informed on parole legislation and advocacy efforts by signing up for email updates from the California Alliance for Parole Reform: https://caparole.com/

06/01/2026

Last week, members of the UnCommon Law team attended the Law and Society Association Annual Conference in San Francisco, where they presented on Home After Harm during the Prison Reform and Penal Transformation session.

The presentation featured UnCommon Law Parole Success Advocate Kareem Starkes and Advisory Board Member Megan Comfort, who shared insights on Home After Harm, our 10-month program inside maximum-security prisons supporting people navigating California’s parole process. Led by formerly incarcerated people who have successfully navigated the parole process themselves, the program creates space for accountability, healing, and growth.

We were honored to share our work to an audience of researchers, advocates, and practitioners from across the country and to engage in conversations about expanding access to healing inside prisons and building a more restorative approach to justice.

Thank you to the Law & Society Association for the opportunity to present, and thank you to everyone who attended our session, shared insights, and contributed to these important discussions. We're grateful to be part of a growing community working to create pathways home and support people on their healing journeys.

What if you were denied release from prison because of a faulty drug test? This is a question thousands are wrestling wi...
05/27/2026

What if you were denied release from prison because of a faulty drug test? This is a question thousands are wrestling with this possibility across California prisons. An investigation from examines the harmful consequences of the Board of Parole Hearings relying on faulty drug screening results in parole-related decisions — despite medical guidance that these tests are intended for medical purposes only, not punishment.

After UnCommon Law worked with reporter Glen Stellmacher over many months to help bring attention to this issue after a previous investigation, nearly 5,000 incarcerated people in the MAT program were identified as potentially impacted by false-positive op**te test results tied to a reagent change by the state’s contracted lab provider. The reporting raised broader concerns about how these tests are being used in parole proceedings. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a highly effective treatment for substance use disorders and can be life-saving for people in state prisons.

This latest piece follows impacted voices and medical professionals exploring the harmful effects of using faulty screening results in parole decisions, including how it has discouraged some incarcerated people from participating in treatment or seeking support out of fear that disputed test results could negatively impact their chances at freedom.

Read full piece: https://prismreports.org/2026/04/16/california-parole-false-positive-drug-tests

05/26/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re continuing our “Healed People Heal People” video series as part of our 20th anniversary and this year’s theme, “A Fundamental Right to Heal.”

Home After Harm is a healing-focused, peer-led in-prison program led by people who have gone through the parole process themselves. The program takes place inside Level IV maximum-security prisons, where there is often little access to tools and programming for healing.

Diovanni reflects on how Home After Harm helped shift his mindset and pushed him to fully commit to doing everything in his power to return home to his family. He also speaks about the importance of healing through community and how the program created a safe space for people to be vulnerable, build trust, and support one another in an environment often shaped by isolation and survival.

More photos from yesterday’s RIGHT Grant lobbying day at the California State Capitol, where UnCommon Law Supervising Pa...
05/22/2026

More photos from yesterday’s RIGHT Grant lobbying day at the California State Capitol, where UnCommon Law Supervising Parole Success Advocate Warren Hands joined Transformative Programming Works (TPW) and fellow advocates in speaking with lawmakers about the importance of healing-centered programming inside prisons.

We’re proud to stand alongside our partners in this fight for healing, accountability, and the resources people need to successfully return home from prison. The fight continues.

UnCommon Law is seeking a strategic and systems-oriented Director of Finance and Operations at a pivotal moment in our g...
05/21/2026

UnCommon Law is seeking a strategic and systems-oriented Director of Finance and Operations at a pivotal moment in our growth. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year, we are deepening our impact, expanding our healing-centered advocacy model, and building the long-term foundation needed to carry this work forward.

JOB DETAILS:
• Location: Oakland, CA (Hybrid)
• Compensation: $142,200 to $154,050, commensurate with experience
• Priority Application Deadline: Friday, June 5 | 5 pm PST

This is an opportunity to play a key leadership role in sustaining and strengthening a movement grounded in healing, accountability, and transformation inside prison, within parole systems, and across the communities people return home to. The Director of Finance and Operations will help shape the financial strategy and operational foundation that make this work possible, working closely with leadership to guide long-term planning, strengthen organizational systems, and support a collaborative, values-driven workplace.
Learn more and apply today: https://uncommonlaw.bamboohr.com/careers/109

05/21/2026

Yesterday, UnCommon Law Supervising Parole Success Advocate Warren Hands joined our partners and friends at Transformative Programming Works (TPW) at the California State Capitol to advocate for the RIGHT Grant and educate lawmakers about the importance of healing-centered programming inside prisons. When people inside prison have real opportunities for healing, the ripple effects create safer communities – both inside and outside prison walls.

Healing is essential to break cycles of harm and build real, lasting safety. We’ll continue fighting alongside our partners for the resources and programming people need to heal, grow, and come home prepared to thrive.

05/20/2026

Yesterday, UnCommon Law’s Director of Legal Services, Lilli Paratore, provided public comment at the Board of Parole Hearings Executive Monthly Meeting, raising concerns about how aging and elderly parole candidates are being denied parole based on communication challenges related to aging and health issues – not their low public safety risk or decades of rehabilitation and programming.

We’re fighting for a future where everyone has a fair chance at returning home.

For the past 20 years, UnCommon Law has supported incarcerated people in healing and returning home through parole. Now,...
05/14/2026

For the past 20 years, UnCommon Law has supported incarcerated people in healing and returning home through parole. Now, we’re announcing our 20th Anniversary campaign, A Fundamental Right to Heal — a community event series designed to reimagine what justice and healing can look like.

Join us throughout the year for:
Film screenings + community conversations (Summer)
Healing From the Inside Conference (Oct 22)
20th Anniversary Gala: A Fundamental Right to Heal (Oct 23)
Homecoming Picnic celebration (Oct 24)

We’re also now accepting proposals for our Healing From the Inside Conference! We welcome submissions from community organizations, formerly incarcerated leaders, advocates, educators, and service providers supporting incarcerated people.

📅 Proposal deadline: June 15

Submit a proposal here: https://bit.ly/4wnVAXe

We hope you’ll be part of our 20th anniversary and join us for one or all of the events in this series.

🔗 Learn more: www.uncommonlaw.org/20th-anniversary

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318 Harrison Street, Suite 103
Oakland, CA
94607

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