Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama (EJI) (Alabama)
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"Up" is the number of experts who agree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in the
field. "Down" is the number of experts who disagree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in field.
Headquarters Location: Montgomery, AL
Founded: 2002
Mission: A nonprofit organization providing legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners denied fair and just treatment in the legal system.
Tags:
legal representation, policy reform, research, advocacy, racial disparity, public education, legal training, juvenile justice, death penalty
Summary
Stories
Expert Reviews
Leadership
From the Nonprofit
Leadership
Bryan Stevenson.
Bryan Stevenson has been representing capital defendants and death row prisoners in the deep south since 1985 when he was a staff attorney with the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 1989, he has been executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a private, nonprofit law organization he founded that focuses on social justice and human…
See full bio.
Financial Data
Overhead Ratio:
10.78%
Total Revenue:
$3,536,743
From the Nonprofit
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Contact Info
Address:
122 Commerce St
Montgomery, AL 36104, USA
Story:
Since 1973, more than 130 people have been released from death row after evidence of their innocence was uncovered. For every 8 people executed in this country, one innocent person has been exonerated.
Seven people have been exonerated in Alabama. Walter McMillian, Randall Padgett, Gary Drinkard, Louis Griffin, Wesley Quick, James Cochran, and Charles Bufford are among those found not guilty of the crimes that originally put them on Alabama's death row. The astounding error rate in capital punishment is a serious indictment against the death penalty.
Since its inception, EJI has obtained relief for dozens of death row prisoners who were illegally convicted or sentenced to death. EJI represents condemned prisoners on death row, the incarcerated who have been sentenced to excessive and harsh terms of imprisonment, children sentenced to adult prisons, the mentally ill and others who have been unfairly or unreliably convicted. In 2006, EJI won freedom for several people who had been sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole for non-violent drug offenses or other petty crimes. EJI has won relief for a mentally retarded man who was wrongfully sentenced to death and is defending dozens of poor people who have been sentenced to death and denied adequate legal assistance which resulted in wrongful convictions.
Expert Reviews of Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama (EJI) (Alabama)
Evidence of Impact Summary:
The Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama has bettered the lives of individuals entering the Alabama criminal justice system because of the high quality of legal representation that they offer. They have also addressed the root cause of injustices in Alabama through litigation and efforts to reduce the effect of racial discrimination in the state.See expert comments.
Organization Strengths Summary:
According to experts, EJI has been able to have the impact that it has had because of the innovative and dedicated staff leading the organization and their ability to tackle a wide range of issues with limited resources.See expert comments.
Areas for Improvement Summary:
Experts believe that EJI's impact could be broadened through greater visibility around the nation and an increase in funds.See expert comments.
Expert Comments: Evidence of Impact
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Foundation Professionals (F)
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Researchers and Faculty (R)
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Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
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Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
High-Quality Legal Representation |
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The Equal Justice Initiative provides outstanding legal services in a state with a long history of racial discrimination and inadequate legal representation for indigent defendants. This organization truly is the difference between life and death for many defendants, and it serves a role that no other organization or agency fulfills. | ||
Effective Litigation and Reform Efforts |
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EJI's terrific litigation on behalf of juvenile offenders and their reports on a variety of criminal justice issues have greatly impacted the community. | ||
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EJI is leading the (uneven) fight against the death penalty in Alabama, case by case, as well as highlighting the injustices rampant in Alabama's administration of the death penalty in an incredibly under resourced state. | ||
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EJI has been the only bulwark against the death penalty in AL for years. It has litigated the most significant capital cases in the state and in some cases in the country for the past fifteen years or more. It also publishes very well researched and written reports on issues like racial discrimination in jury selection and juveniles serving life without parole sentences. These reports and the litigation with which they are coordinated garner national media attention and shed light on serious criminal and racial justice problems that still impact most of the country. | ||
Strong Leadership & Focus |
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EJI is brilliant. Their leadership is strong, and they have laser-like focus. I am always impressed by their work. | ||
Expert Comments: Organization Strengths
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Foundation Professionals (F)
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Researchers and Faculty (R)
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Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
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Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Respected Leadership and Staff |
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The leader of this organization is a well-known, admired, and credible figure in the legal and advocacy community. Over the last two years, the organization has provided outstanding reports that address issues related to jury discrimination and arbitrary sentencing. | ||
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They have a very smart staff and a thoughtful and inspiring director. EJI also seems to be very effective in its marketing materials of the research and representation it is undertaking. | ||
Comprehensive Approach |
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EJI superbly takes a multifaceted approach to issues, using both public education initiatives and litigation. | ||
Effective Use of Resources |
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The organization has a very strong, bright, creative, and ambitious leader in Bryan Stevenson. It also has a very strong staff and continues to attract people from all over the country to work in Montgomery, AL. It also uses its resources very judiciously and makes a large impact with relatively little money. | ||
Expert Comments: Areas for Improvement
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Foundation Professionals (F)
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Researchers and Faculty (R)
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Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
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Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Greater Visibility |
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I think this nonprofit suffers from a lack of branding or name recognition. It would benefit from closer collaboration with other advocacy and legal agencies in the South. | ||
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Staff could be more accessible to the national policy community at large. | ||
Stronger Assistance to Out-of-State Counsels |
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They have done some interesting studies that serve as a model. However, they are VERY weak in providing assistance to out of state counsel they recruit to work on death penalty cases. They have some very effective studies that are models for other states. However, they recruit out of state counsel and then virtually abandon them. | ||
More Funds |
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This organization could definitely use more funds. | ||
Leadership
Bryan Stevenson
Executive Director
Executive Director
From the Nonprofit
The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at
feedback@myphilanthropedia.org
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