SOUTHERN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

SCHR’s Capital Litigation Unit (CLU) has a long history of providing zealous legal representation to people who are facing the death penalty or who have received death sentences. This includes leading significant litigation in the United States Supreme Court, where we have argued and won five death penalty cases, four of which involved profound race discrimination. SCHR also consults with attorneys across the country to assist dozens of other capital defense teams each year. Our attorneys and investigators routinely serve as lecturers at national and regional conferences to share their expertise on death penalty litigation.

SCHR’s Impact Litigation Unit (ILU) files civil suits to protect our communities against numerous injustices. This includes defending people who face severe charges and receive harsh sentences; people who are incarcerated as a form of wealth-based detention; and people who suffer abuse and inhumane treatment in jails and prisons. Over the years, SCHR has used its impact litigation to leverage systemic changes, including Georgia’s establishment of a capital defender office and public defender system. SCHR fields thousands of complaints each year from people who are incarcerated, concerned citizens, and family members of incarcerated people. We also regularly view court sessions in different communities to identify injustices in the courtroom and visit with people in jails and prisons who have experienced inhumane treatment. These strategies help us identify future litigation efforts that address specific injustices in the criminal legal system.

SCHR’s Public Policy Unit (PPU) runs the organization’s legislative, communications, and coalition efforts. Currently, SCHR is leading a push in the Georgia General Assembly to scale back some of the harshest policies that exacerbate Georgia’s mass incarceration epidemic. These reforms include limiting mandatory minimum sentencing, expanding parole eligibility, and reducing the length of probation sentences. SCHR is also the convening organization of the Georgia Justice Reform Partnership (JRP), a statewide coalition of organizations seeking to transform our justice system at the statewide and local levels. The PPU leads JRP advocacy campaigns, public education events, and coalition-building activities.