Southern Center for Human Rights

Since 1976, the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) has been a powerful force for change in the criminal legal system. leading the fight across the Deep South to reduce mass incarceration; eliminate the death penalty and other extreme sentencing practices; ensure that people receive humane care in jails and prisons; and advocate for “Smart on Crime” justice reforms.

We have argued and won five death penalty cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, and our combined litigation and policy advocacy helped bring about the creation of a statewide public defender system in Georgia. We are committed to seeking real justice on behalf of those for whom justice is often denied. Tackling racism and race discrimination is central to our mission.

We work to ensure that people experiencing poverty who are accused of crimes are treated fairly, compassionately, and with dignity. We agitate for justice every single day. We do not endeavor only to reform the criminal legal system; we seek to create a sea-change in the way that we, as a society, understand equal justice.

Equal justice cannot tolerate even a hint of racism; it cannot endure the oppression of people who are poor; it cannot bend to the will of the powerful. Equal justice must be just that: equal and just. Our efforts are felt not just across the South, but throughout the nation, and not only by individuals, but entire communities.

Contribute online (be sure to indicate in the comment field that donation is in connection with the Associates' Campaign):