Below is a FAQ addressing commonly asked questions.
GENERAL
What is Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP)?
Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) is a fiscally-sponsored project of Tides Center. The Tides Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation’s largest fiscal sponsor for social change initiatives. FJP supports practical, community-oriented and evidenced-based solutions to improve prosecution in this country. We provide expert advice, resources, and guidance to solutions-driven prosecutors committed to promoting a fairer, more effective, and more equitable criminal legal system. The resources, research, and guidance FJP provides to prosecutors are designed to help these officials conceptualize and implement evidence-based strategies that fit their local communities, all with the goal of strengthening public safety and reducing systemic disparities.
Who does FJP work with?
FJP works with elected local prosecutors, district attorneys, and their staff who are committed to improving the criminal legal system. The organization also collaborates with policy experts, researchers, and advocates to support innovative approaches to prosecution and reform of the criminal legal system.
What issues does FJP focus on?
FJP works on a range of criminal justice issues, including:
- Ending mass incarceration and promoting alternatives to punishment-based accountability and imprisonment
- Addressing racial and economic disparities in the legal system
- Implementing evidence-based diversion and rehabilitation programs
- Ensuring transparency and accountability in prosecutorial decision-making
- Supporting crime prevention strategies that focus on public safety and community well-being
How is FJP funded?
FJP is entirely funded by private donations from philanthropic foundations and individuals who support its evidence-based approach. It does not receive any direct government grants at the federal, state, or local level.
Is Fair and Just Prosecution a partisan organization?
No. FJP is a nonpartisan organization that works with elected prosecutors of all political affiliations to promote policies that enhance fairness, transparency, and public safety. The goal is to support evidence-based strategies, not to advance any political party’s agenda.
Does FJP provide electoral support to elected prosecutors?
As a project of a 501(C)(3) organization, FJP is prohibited from providing any form of direct or indirect electoral support to any elected official. As such, FJP does not make political endorsements, independent expenditures, or provide in-kind services such as partisan polling or voter mobilization. FJP does not provide any campaign donations to any candidate running for any office in the United States.
Understanding FJP’s Fiscal Sponsorship by Tides
FJP operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Tides, a nonprofit organization that provides administrative and financial oversight to mission-aligned projects. This relationship allows FJP to focus on its core work—supporting prosecutors and advancing a more just and equitable criminal justice system—while Tides manages the operational and compliance aspects of nonprofit administration.
What is a fiscal sponsor, and how does it work?
A fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that provides administrative and financial oversight for mission-aligned projects that do not have their own independent tax-exempt status. This allows mission-aligned initiatives to focus on their work while the fiscal sponsor handles back-end operations, such as compliance, financial reporting, and grant management.
What exactly does Tides do for FJP
FJP raises funds through private foundation grants and donations from independent funders. Tides serves as the fiscal steward of these funds, advising on compliance with nonprofit regulations and managing financial transactions related to FJP.
Does Tides control Fair and Just Prosecution’s activities or policy positions?
No. FJP sets its own strategic priorities, programming, and advocacy work. Tides’ role is to provide administrative support and financial oversight. Though FJP and Tides are mission aligned, Tides does not influence FJP’s mission, leadership, or programmatic decision-making. Tides does not influence FJP’s position on criminal legal reform issues.
DEBUNKING THE Conspiracy Theories
Does FJP tell prosecutors what to do?
No. FJP provides guidance, research, and best practices, but all policy decisions are made independently by each duly elected prosecutor. FJP serves as only a resource and network.
Is FJP funded by USAID?
No. FJP is primarily funded through philanthropic grants and private charitable dollars. FJP has never received any funding from USAID or any public agency. False claims like this are part of a broader effort to spread misinformation and discredit solutions-driven prosecutors and organizations working toward a more just criminal legal system.
Is FJP secretly funded by George Soros?
No. FJP operates independently and receives funding from multiple private foundations and donors – none of whom are Mr. Soros or his organization. Ultimately, FJP policy and advocacy priorities are determined by FJP staff and not by our donors. Claims that FJP is “controlled” by Soros are categorically false.
Does FJP encourage prosecutors to ignore laws they disagree with, such as abortion restrictions?
No. FJP provides resources and a network for prosecutors to make their own decisions and exercise their own prosecutorial discretion. Absent court intervention, all prosecutors have well-established legal discretion to make charging decisions, sentencing recommendations, and set other policies relative to their official duties as local elected officials. This discretion is what allows prosecutors to allocate the scarce resources of their office to best pursue justice and protect public safety in their communities. FJP advocates for prosecutors to have that discretion, emphasizing that prosecutors should prioritize cases that enhance public safety and reflect community values. In instances where enforcing certain laws may undermine public trust or disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, FJP supports the exercise of discretion to promote justice and equity.