Pretrial Justice Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PRETRIAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE INFORMS, INSPIRES, AND MOBILIZES LOCAL PRETRIAL CHANGEMAKERS WORKING TO END MASS INCARCERATION.
- Income
- $2.5 million
- Spending
- $2.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 2.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 73%
- Employees
- 10
- Volunteers
- 6
- Highest pay
- $138,127, senior associate
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100.
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.3 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 67% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 43% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 256 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $1.9 million spent. PRETRIAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE (PJI) IS ONE PARTNER IN THE PRETRIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES ORGANIZERS, ADVOCATES, RESEARCHERS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS, AND COUNTLESS OTHERS WORKING NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY ON AN ARRAY OF REFORMS, FROM INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS TO RADICAL REIMAGINATION.OUR ROLE IN THIS ECOSYSTEM IS TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY AND SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS TO TRANSLATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS' VISION FOR SAFETY, FAIRNESS, AND EQUITY INTO TANGIBLE PRETRIAL POLICIES AND PRACTICESAND HELP THEM BUILD THE CAPACITY AND MOMENTUM TO IMPLEMENT THEM.WE DO THIS BY LISTENING TO (AND LEARNING FROM) THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEMAND LEVERAGING OUR NEARLY 50-YEAR HISTORY OF WORKING WITHIN PRETRIAL PROCESSES; OUR TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE OF PRETRIAL LAW, RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICES; AND OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO RACIAL JUSTICE.PJI'S NEW FRAMEWORK FOR CHANGE IS LOCAL ANTIRACIST PRETRIAL JUSTICEWHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS PARTNER TO IMPLEMENT DECARCERAL SOLUTIONS ROOTED IN EQUITY, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL.TO FOSTER EQUITY, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE NEED A SEISMIC SHIFT IN OUR NATION'S APPROACH TO PRETRIAL JUSTICE: ONE THAT EXPLICITLY NAMES AND ADDRESSES THE SYSTEMIC DEPRIVATIONS THAT LEAD TO INCARCERATIONAND DEMANDS RELIEF FROM RACIAL OPPRESSION AND CORRECTIONAL CONTROL, BOTH IN JAILS AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS.LOCAL ANTIRACIST PRETRIAL JUSTICE (LAPJ) AIMS TO DO JUST THAT.LAPJ IS A HOLISTIC FRAMEWORK THAT ADDRESSES THE SPECTRUM OF PRETRIAL DECISION POINTS, STARTING WITH A PERSON'S CONTACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENTOR BEING ABLE TO AVOID CONTACTTHROUGH THE DISPOSITION OF THEIR CASE. OUR VISION FOR LAPJ IS A PRETRIAL PROCESS THAT HONORS THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE FACING CHARGES, WITH THE VAST MAJORITY REMAINING IN THE COMMUNITY WITH ACCESS TO COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES AND VERY LIMITED COURT-IMPOSED RESTRICTIONS.BY REDUCING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT A PERSON COMES UNDER CORRECTIONAL CONTROL AT THE "FRONT DOOR" OF THE SYSTEM, WE DECREASE THE ODDS OF FUTURE STAYS IN JAIL OR PRISONULTIMATELY FREEING UP RESOURCES THAT CAN BE INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.TO THAT END (OR, REALLY, BEGINNING), PJI PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY AND SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP COURAGEOUS, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE GROUNDED IN THE WISDOM OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCEINCLUDING CRIME SURVIVORSAND ORIENTED TOWARD JUSTICE FOR BLACK, BROWN AND OTHER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.WE BELIEVE THAT'S NOT ONLY THE FUTURE OF PRETRIAL JUSTICEIT'S A PATHWAY TO OUR COLLECTIVE FREEDOM.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1977.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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