Dear friend,

Since our founding in 2018, the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) has served as the leading organization dedicated to mobilizing the private sector to advance criminal justice reform in the U.S. and the U.K. 

Over the years, we’ve built a network of more than 600 companies committed to this work, with much of that growth happening in 2024.

This was a year of expansion: our policy advocacy efforts reached 17 states, our hiring program for opportunity youth saw a 300% increase in applicants, and 182 new executives joined our global Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty campaign. Supporting it all was our incredible staff, which welcomed four new team members. 

I’m proud to be able to share all this progress and more in RBIJ's first publicly available Impact Report. You can dive in here.

In an increasingly polarized time, RBIJ's mission embodies a “both-and” approach. Dismantling workforce barriers for justice-impacted individuals is both a moral imperative and a strategic advantage for employers facing labor shortages. Championing justice solutions that uphold human dignity is both the right thing to do and a powerful way to engage today’s impact-driven consumers. 

Reflecting on our achievements in 2024 helps clarify our priorities for the work ahead. Certainly 2025 will not be without its challenges — no year is — which is why I hope you’ll enjoy celebrating these wins with us and considering what they mean for the future of our movement.

Together, RBIJ and our business community will continue reforming justice systems, restoring communities, and reframing narratives — into 2025 and beyond. 

Let's make justice our business,

Maha Jweied
Chief Executive Officer