What Is the AOT Justice Affinity Group?

A lived-experience leadership pipeline for justice reform and abolition

The AOT Justice Affinity Group is a national, directly impacted-led community centering the voices of people currently incarcerated across the United States. We create structured opportunities for incarcerated individuals to share their lived experiences and policy perspectives in conversations shaping laws, public safety, and justice.

Our members are already sharing their voices from inside. This initiative formalizes and expands that work, connecting incarcerated leaders with advocates and policymakers to advance justice reform, abolition, and community-driven solutions to mass incarceration.

With more than 1.8 million people incarcerated in the United States, AOT believes meaningful public safety cannot exist without the voices of those most affected by the system.

How It Works

The Affinity Group connects incarcerated leaders with outside advocates, and policymakers to foster meaningful dialogue, elevate lived experience, and support policy impact.

We aim to:

  • Elevate incarcerated voices in policy and justice conversations

  • Build bridges between leaders inside and allies outside

  • Support advocacy that reduces harm and strengthens justice

  • Advance community-driven solutions to mass incarceration

Voices From Inside

The Justice Affinity Group creates space for incarcerated leaders to identify the policies affecting their lives and offer their perspectives on how those policies should change.

We ask:

  • What laws or policies need to change—and why?

  • How have current laws and policies impacted your life?

  • What would you tell the decision-makers shaping these policies?

Get Involved

Help build a national community centered on the voicesWhether you are incarcerated, a family member, an advocate, an organization, or a policymaker, there are ways to support the AOT Justice Affinity Group and help bring directly impacted voices into conversations about justice, public safety, reform, and abolition.

Want to get involved? Contact us at vidal@aotny.org.

We communicate with our incarcerated members through letter writing and email.