Social Entrepreneurs and Criminal Justice

by Matt Kelley · 2008-10-28 17:31:00 UTC
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I'm fascinated with the developing world of socially motivated business and I'm a big fan of microfinance.  But I haven't been able to come up with any good ideas for social enterprise in criminal justice. This is why I was so happy to see International Bridges to Justice on Nathaniel's Social Entrepreneurship blog.

IBJ is working around the world to build capacity for indigent defense. The group is hosting an online vote for the Justice Makers Award, a $5,000 seed grant to the organization or individual with the best idea to combat torture and legal abuse. Take the pledge here to vote in the Justice Makers Award.

More on social enterprise and criminal justice after the jump.

IBJ is a social venture, and the group's work is admirable and important. But it still relies on donations and pro bono support to stay alive. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I've been trying to think about self-sustainable projects to improve our criminal justice system and prisons worldwide, and I'm not coming up with much.

Could an organization give inmates the tools to start their own Internet businesses while behind bars? Successful ventures could pay for the prison and help families left behind by inmates.

Is it possible to train paralegals for free, asking each graduate to charge a market price for their services and subsidize the training of the class behind them?

I'll post more about this as I continue exploring.

Matt Kelley is the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project and a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter @mattjkelley.
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