🟦 Policing, Custody, and State Violence
Organizations working for accountable public safety, civil rights, due process, and humane treatment in law enforcement, detention, incarceration, and immigration custody.
This guide is part of a series on Violence Prevention and Community Safety. Check its Introduction for an overview of the series, its goals, and other guides in the series.
Public safety should protect people from violence, crime, and abuse of government power.
This guide highlights organizations working to prevent misconduct, defend civil rights, uphold due process, and protect the dignity of people in encounters with police, immigration enforcement, courts, jails, prisons, detention centers, and other state-controlled settings.
It is not about abandoning public safety. It is about making public safety accountable, lawful, humane, and worthy of public trust.
At these websites, activists may find practical ways to help: becoming members, volunteering, donating, responding to policy alerts, reading reports and toolkits, contacting elected officials, supporting legal aid, and learning how to stand with people directly affected by policing, detention, incarceration, immigration enforcement, and other public systems.
Civil Rights, Due Process, and Police Accountability
Groups focused on constitutional rights, transparency, use-of-force rules, misconduct investigations, racial profiling, surveillance abuse, crisis response, and accountable public safety.
American Civil Liberties Union | ACLU of Washington
A leading civil liberties organization defending constitutional rights, due process, privacy, immigrants’ rights, criminal legal reform, and government accountability. Its Washington affiliate works on related state and local civil rights and justice issues.
National Police Accountability Project (NPAP)
A national membership organization working to end law enforcement abuse through legal action, education, and support for civil rights attorneys handling police misconduct cases.
A data-driven police accountability organization focused on reducing police violence through policy research, public data, use-of-force standards, and accountability tools.
Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA)
A coalition of families working together on statewide policies to create safer communities by reducing police violence and increasing accountability.
Immigration Enforcement and Detention Watchdogs
Groups focused on ICE, Border Patrol, DHS, immigrant detention, deportation defense, family separation, raids, legal aid, due process, and humane treatment.
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP)
A Washington-based immigrant rights organization with several regional offices, providing direct legal services, community education, impact litigation, and detention/deportation defense for immigrants.
A Washington-based grassroots immigrant justice organization focused on ending detention and deportation, especially connected to the detention system in Tacoma.
Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW)
A Northwest organization based in Tacoma that offers practical volunteer and community support opportunities for people who want to help detained and recently released immigrants directly.
A national research and advocacy organization working to transform criminal justice and immigration systems, including detention, prosecution, incarceration, and dignity behind bars.
Jails, Prisons, Sentencing, and Reentry
Groups focused on prison and jail conditions, excessive punishment, sentencing reform, solitary confinement, compassionate release, parole, reentry, and the rights of incarcerated people.
Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)
A national nonprofit founded by Bryan Stevenson that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in jails and prisons. It also challenges excessive punishment and supports reentry.
A research and advocacy organization known for clear data and graphics on mass incarceration, jail growth, parole, prison policy, and over-criminalization. Useful for readers seeking clear data and analysis on incarceration policy.
A national research and advocacy organization focused on sentencing reform, incarceration, racial disparities, youth justice, voting rights, and criminal legal reform.
FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums)
A national, nonpartisan advocacy organization working for fairer sentencing, prison reform, compassionate release, and a justice system that respects accountability and dignity.
A Washington legal advocacy organization using impact litigation and legislative advocacy to advance racial and economic justice, with a special commitment to people affected by incarceration, immigration, and unfair labor practices.
Bail, Pretrial Justice, and Court Fairness
Groups focused on money bail, pretrial detention, public defense, court access, legal representation, and fair treatment for people who have not been convicted.
A national nonprofit providing free bail assistance while advocating for a fairer pretrial system that does not punish people because they are poor.
Northwest Community Bail Fund (NCBF)
A Washington/Northwest bail fund providing bail support for people jailed before trial because they cannot afford bail, with work in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties.
National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA)
A national organization supporting legal aid and public defense. Public defenders are a core due-process safeguard for people facing criminal charges, detention, or loss of liberty.
Youth Justice and Young People in Public Systems
Groups focused on juvenile justice, child welfare, school discipline, youth homelessness, mental health systems, family court involvement, and young people caught in courts or public agencies.
A Washington-based organization providing free legal services and advocacy for young people involved in juvenile justice, child welfare, education, and mental health systems.
Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC)
A Washington legal nonprofit advancing the rights and safety of youth through direct representation, community partnerships, and systemic advocacy. Its work includes child welfare, juvenile court, youth and family immigration, and youth homelessness.
Public Worker Safety, Whistleblowing, and Responsible Agency Practices
Groups and resources focused on safe working conditions, trauma support, whistleblower protection, ethical leadership, professional standards, and protection from unlawful or politically motivated orders.
National Whistleblower Center (NWC)
A national nonprofit helping whistleblowers find legal aid, advocating for stronger protections, and educating the public about whistleblowers’ role in democracy and the rule of law. Especially relevant for public workers who report misconduct or unlawful orders.
First Responder Support Network (FRSN)
A nonprofit providing educational treatment programs for first responders recovering from stress and critical incidents.
A mental health and wellness resource for emergency responders, health care workers, and their families, including law enforcement, EMS, fire, dispatch, and rural responders.
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
A national police research and policy organization focused on police services, public debate, criminal justice issues, management, training, and policy development.