April 10, 2024 – Today, REFORM Alliance hosts its second Gen Z Day of Action taking place on college campuses around the country, during Second Chance Month. The announcement was made with a new video featuring REFORM Future Shapers Advisory Council members including Houston Texans’ quarterback CJ Stroud, Tik Tok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young, and the youngest advisor to the United Nations in US history, Sophia Kianni, among others, are calling on Gen Z’ers of both political parties to take action on improving our nation’s supervision system.

Two out of every three people in our criminal justice system are on probation or parole – that’s nearly four million people. Probation and parole were originally designed to be alternatives to incarceration and tools to hold people accountable while redirecting them back to community, stability, and work. Instead, they’ve become trapdoors to prison, undermining public safety. 42% of all prison admissions nationally are the result of supervision violations, many of which are non-criminal technical violations like missing a fines and fees payment or crossing county lines without permission.

The Gen Z Day of Action will unite students on college campuses and online to learn more about our supervision system and take action locally and nationally to transform the system. 

“We could write every high school graduate a check for $2500 with the amount of money we spend on incarceration resulting from failures in our supervision system,” said Jessica Jackson, Chief Advocacy Officer at REFORM Alliance. “We’re excited to bring in the next generation of advocates to take action on an issue that directly impacts their lives and grateful to Michael Rubin and Kim Kardashian for inspiring and kick starting this effort.”

One year ago, REFORM co-chair and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin partnered with Kim Kardashian to host a dinner to inspire young content creators to learn about and inform their audiences on the injustice in our criminal justice and supervision systems. That event spurred REFORM’s Future Shapers Advisory Council, a cohort of some of the nation’s leading Gen Z leaders and influencers building a movement for reform.

”For longer than most of my generation has been alive, the United States has held the title for highest incarceration rate on earth,” said Future Shapers Advisory Council Co-Chair Hannah Jackson. Hannah’s father was incarcerated early on in her life, which opened her eyes to the failures of the criminal justice system. “As Gen Z comes of age, we have a unique opportunity as the youngest and most diverse voters in history to work together and find solutions. Together, we’re going to raise awareness about the criminal justice system, create content that helps inform Gen Z audiences, and work with REFORM Alliance to drive awareness and action.”  

“We need to make sure that prisons, jails, and our supervision system don’t continue to create cycles of harm,” said Future Shapers Advisory Co-Chair Rondo Bonilla. Rondo was incarcerated in Rikers Island at the age of 18. “Hurt people hurt people – and the system doesn’t really help them get better. We need to help people who’ve been hurt, and get them healed and onto a better path. I believe my generation will show up and lead the charge. Let’s get to work!”

REFORM will activate at the following campuses on Gen Z’s Day of Action:

  • University of Miami*
  • Virginia State University*
  • Occidental College
  • University of Georgia*
  • University Of West Georgia
  • Georgia State University
  • Community College Of Philadelphia*
  • Purdue University
  • Columbia University
  • IU Kokomo
  • Penn State Berks*
  • *Denotes campus forum event with speakers

Student ambassadors at each campus have planned community forums, classroom takeovers, and other activations to educate and empower Gen Z, encouraging students to become REFORMers, contact their elected representatives, and actively engage in the embracing supervision reform as a priority issue.

For more information, please visit REFORMAlliance.com or @reform on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok. 

To view the campaign video, please visit HERE.

About REFORM Alliance   

REFORM is committed to transforming probation and parole throughout the United States by changing laws, systems, and culture.  The organization is working to replace America’s criminal justice system with a restorative approach that is fair, accountable, and invested in rehabilitation. Our goal is for people to reenter society with dignity, create meaningful pathways to work, and equip them with the tools to succeed, all while making families and communities safer and stronger. 

The nonprofit organization was founded in the wake of the #FreeMeek movement.  REFORM Board Members include award-winning recording artist Meek Mill; Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin; Arnold Ventures co-founder Laura Arnold; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter; Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman, CEO Robert F. Smith; Brooklyn Nets co-owner and philanthropic investor Clara Wu Tsai.  Veteran criminal justice advocate Robert Rooks leads the organization as CEO.

To date, REFORM has worked to pass 18 bipartisan bills in 11 states, which have created new pathways for more than 800,000 people to exit the system.

About Future Shapers Advisory Council

The Future Shapers Advisory Council unites some of the nation’s leading Gen-Z leaders and influencers to learn about the criminal justice system, create content that helps inform their audiences, and work alongside REFORM to drive awareness and action.  

Council members include: Co-Chair Hannah Jackson, Co-Chair Rondo Bonilla, Artist Lil Baby, Houston Texans Quarterback CJ Stroud, Carolina Panthers Quarterback Bryce Young, Creators Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Mental Health Advocate Jack Wright, Founder of Climate Cardinals and the youngest United Nations advisor in U.S history Sophia Kianni, Founder of Social Equity through Education Alliance Zander Moricz, Founder of Gen Z For Change Aiden Kohn Murphy, and Content Creator Jax Ajueny.