Why you should listen
Through De-Bug's criminal justice community organizing program, the Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project, "participatory defense" was created -- a methodology for families whose loved ones are facing the criminal court system to impact the outcome of the case and transform the landscape of power in the courts through policy initiatives. After eight years of implementing the practice in San Jose, Raj Jayadev and the De-Bug team have gone on to train community organizations across the country to become participatory defense hubs. There is now a National Participatory Defense Network that De-Bug coordinates, which represents hubs from more than 30 cities. Jayadev’s community organizing and writings have been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, BBC, TIME Magazine and media outlets across the country. In 2018, he was selected as a MacArthur Fellow.
