Utah Prisoner Advocate Network
UPAN | A nonprofit community advocacy group supporting the families of Utah inmates.
We bring together unlikely allies—formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, community members, crime survivors, local elected officials, and law enforcement. By recognizing the humanity of those impacted, we can change laws in order to create safer streets and more peaceful neighborhoods.
#cut50, an initiative of The Dream Corps, is a national bipartisan effort to reduce the number of people in our prisons and jails while making our communities safer.
The Dream Corps helps cutting-edge initiatives grow big enough to impact millions of lives. We support economic, environmental and criminal justice innovators – all under one roof. Our shared platform helps leaders create synergies, leapfrog obstacles and maximize impact.
Van Jones, Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Former Attorney General Eric Holder at the 2015 Bipartisan Summit on Criminal Justice Reform in Washington, D.C.
National Director Jessica Jackson Sloan comes to the criminal justice movement from a personal perspective of having a family member incarcerated, a professional perspective as an attorney, and a public safety perspective as the Mayor of Mill Valley, CA.
Co-founder Matt Haney has seen first hand how the criminal justice system impacts students and teachers through his work as an SF School Board commissioner and worked hard to break the school to prison pipeline.
Van Jones’ understands how to elevate conversations and leverage mainstream and nontraditional media to reach key audiences.
These unique perspectives and skills, combined with a vast network of local elected officials, state legislators, key thought leaders in the criminal justice reform movement, cultural influencers, and cross-sector innovators allows #cut50 to identify and elevate smart safety policies that reduce crime and incarceration while healing communities from the devastating consequences of both.
When a friend or loved one ends up in prison, it’s a grueling experience for all involved as the inmate and his or her supporters try to adjust to the rules, regulations and restrictions of a life separated by bars.
The Utah Prisoner Advocate Network aims to make navigating that new life less complicated and lonely for inmates’ supporters while also advocating for better conditions inside the prison.