Changing public attitudes about criminal legal reform by engaging with the humanity of incarcerated people. The Douglass Project brings members of free society into direct proximity with people in prisons, in order to discover firsthand our common humanity and advocate for systemic change.
In January 2020, Marc launched the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, a new non-profit organization that embodies the values and legacy of the 19th century champion of education, emancipation, equality, and justice.
Marc developed the idea for the Douglass Project after years of bringing Georgetown students and colleagues into prisons and jails, while seeing how this firsthand interaction opened their minds and hearts. The Douglass Project’s Prison Visitation Program is now being expanded to prisons across the country, with the goal of reaching as many outside visitors and inside participants as possible.
“The Douglass Project gives us the opportunity to interact with the public, to put ourselves in their shoes and themselves in ours — to see things through our eyes.”
Goal
We aspire to change the public’s perception of the criminal legal system by facilitating structured meetings and respectful conversations between members of free society and prisoners, so that they can learn from each other, form powerful human connections, and transform both their own lives and society at large.
Method
The Douglass Project’s Prison Visitation Program enables community members around the country to visit local correctional facilities and engage in open, face-to-face conversations with incarcerated people.
“For myself, just to still be able to connect with people in society. Sometimes you lose that in here because you don’t get conversations like that. So just to engage in civilized conversation… makes me feel pretty good about myself!”
Vision
We believe that these unique encounters spur understanding and empathy — for both the visitor and the prisoner — that will, in turn, drive meaningful personal and systemic change.
scope
The Douglass Project is quickly expanding its programs. We are now operating in Colorado, Florida, Washington D.C., and Louisiana, and we will soon launch in New York and several other states.