Justice & The Next 250
BUILDING A FUTURE WE'RE PROUD OF
ABOUT JUSTICE & THE NEXT 250
Justice & The Next 250 is a campaign of The Just Trust, inviting Americans to look ahead to the future of justice and safety in the country. For the entirety of 2026 — the year marking the 250th birthday of the United States of America — we're bringing together advocates, culture-makers, policymakers, and community leaders to shift the conversation from what's broken to what's possible.
WHY THIS CAMPAIGN? WHY NOW?
For decades, the criminal justice reform field has done the essential work of documenting harm, exposing failure, and naming injustice. That work changed public awareness, shifted policy debates, and built a shared understanding that the system must do a far better job of delivering on both safety and justice.
Because of that work, we are no longer in a moment of discovery.
In the year marking America's 250th birthday, the question before us is no longer whether the system needs to change. The question is what we are building next. Justice & The Next 250 is an invitation to shift our collective focus to what CAN BE, and to lead the way there.
We know what is broken.
We know the impact of that brokenness.
And we know that the status quo does not deliver safety, accountability, or dignity. The things literally everyone wants.
CAMPAIGN UPDATES: FROM THE BLOG
Blog posts, news, and event recaps from the campaign — new posts publish here all year.
INSIDE THE CRIME & PUNISHMENT PREMIERE AT THE PRESIDIO
Highlights from our advance screening with Ana Zamora, John Legend, Scott Budnick, Kerry Washington, and Kim Kardashian at Lucasfilm.
READ THE FULL POST →HOW COMMUNITIES ARE SHAPING THE NEXT 250
Meet the organizations turning forward-looking ideas about justice and safety into conversations, screenings, and gatherings.
READ THE FULL POST →WHY WE'RE DONE DIAGNOSING — AND STARTED DESIGNING
The reform field changed what America knows. Here's how the next chapter changes what America builds.
READ THE FULL POST →KEN BURNS & LYNN NOVICK SERIES COMES TO PBS THIS NOVEMBER
Crime and Punishment in America airs Nov 2026 — and campaign partners can host advance screenings now.
READ THE FULL POST →WHAT A FUTURE WE'RE PROUD OF ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
Leaders across the field on the solutions they'd scale first — safety, accountability, and dignity in practice.
READ THE FULL POST →CAMPAIGN LAUNCH: THE TOOLKIT, THE LOOK, THE INVITATION
Justice & The Next 250 is live — here's the digital toolkit and how partners are already putting it to work.
READ THE FULL POST →
HOW WILL YOU SHAPE THE NEXT 250?
This summer, let's showcase what's working, and what can be scaled, strengthened, and sustained in the years ahead.
We invite you to engage with Justice & The Next 250 in ways that make sense for your work, audiences, and this particular moment. Here are ways to participate.
HOST AN EVENT
Hosting a Justice & The Next 250 event is an opportunity to bring people together to talk about what you're doing to shape the next 250. The format, the audience, the discussions — that's up to you. The only requirement is that you look ahead, and talk about what your organization is doing to lead the way forward.
What it looks like:
PLAN IT!
Convene a gathering centered on shaping the next 250. Take a moment for where we’ve been, but spend most of your time on where we’re going. Your event should reflect your community and expertise—not a prescribed agenda. We’re here to help with planning, branding resources, promotion, and more. Share your event details with us early so we can list it on the site, amplify it across our channels, and support you as your plans take shape.
MAKE IT YOURS
Choose a format that fits your community: a town hall, dinner, webinar, fundraiser, community conversation, or another forward-looking gathering.
SHARE WHAT HAPPENS
Document the ideas, stories, and commitments that emerge, then share them with the campaign so others can learn from your community. Click the “Tell us about your event” button below so we can support and help amplify your event.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE
Use the campaign toolkit to bring Justice & The Next 250 into your channels and invite your community to share what justice and safety should become.
DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT
Find campaign logos, graphics, messaging, and ready-to-use assets.
START A CONVERSATION
Post a question, a story, or an example of what is already working in your community.
CONNECT THE CAMPAIGN
Tag @thejusttrust and use #JusticeAndTheNext250 so the campaign can find and amplify your contribution.
PLAN A FILM SCREENING
Bring your community together around Crime and Punishment in America, the upcoming PBS series from Lynn Novick and Ken Burns.
PBS
HOST AN ADVANCE SCREENING
Campaign participants can host an exclusive advance screening before the series airs in November. You'll receive a roughly 50-minute clip, a discussion guide, and marketing materials. We can also connect you with your local PBS station to explore an event partnership.
SHOW UP FOR THE NEXT 250.
Find campaign gatherings across the country, from community conversations and leadership convenings to film screenings and public programs.
PEOPLE'S AGENDA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE — MONTGOMERY, AL
CRIME & PUNISHMENT SCREENINGS — MISSISSIPPI
REGIONAL JUSTICE CONVENING — CHICAGO, IL
RACE UNWRAPPED: ART AS ACTIVISM — LOUISVILLE, KY
JUSTICE & THE NEXT 250 OUT IN THE WORLD
Follow films, conversations, event moments, and community stories from across the campaign — wherever they are shared.