Gideon Project (2000-2008)
Grants & FellowshipsNote: The Criminal Justice Fund is no longer accepting funding requests through the Gideon Project.
In an effort to facilitate more coordinated grantmaking and other programmatic activities, U.S. Programs merged four projects focused on criminal justice reform into a single Criminal Justice Fund.
The Gideon Project funded initiatives to protect the rights of individuals at all levels of the criminal justice systems. The project had three funding priorities: achieving death penalty reform or abolition, improving public defense services, and combating racial profiling.
The Gideon Project is named for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright, which established that everyone charged with a felony, whether wealthy or poor, has a right to legal counsel. The project sought to safeguard that right and to promote fair administration of justice.
Uunequal application of laws, wrongful convictions and incarcerations, and an overburdened criminal justice system frequently thwarts the ability of the poor and marginalized communities to receive justice. Such systemic flaws compromise human and constitutional rights, while also undermining the foundation of a democratic society.
