Protect Your People: How Ordinary Families Are Using Participatory Defense to Challenge Mass Incarceration - Paperback

by Raj Jayadev (Author)

Shortlisted, 2025 Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice

An eye-opening look at "participatory defense," the innovative practice that allows the loved ones of those charged with crimes to help influence the outcome of court cases, by the MacArthur Award-winning activist

The courthouse is an important part of every story of mass incarceration in America and, too often, it is a place of powerlessness for those facing criminal charges, their families, and their communities. But the courthouse can also be an important site of resistance, a place where Americans affected by incarceration can become agents of change--even though they are not lawyers or judges. Writing for those new to activism and seasoned organizers alike, celebrated criminal justice advocate Raj Jayadev provides a comprehensive introduction to participatory defense, the incredibly effective community organizing model that leads to better outcomes for criminal cases, shifting power in courtrooms along the way.

Author Biography

Raj Jayadev is the co-founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organizing, advocacy, and multimedia storytelling organization. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Time, the San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost, on PBS, the BBC, and other media outlets across the country. The author of Protect Your People (The New Press), he is a 2018 MacArthur "genius" fellow and lives in San Jose, California, with his wife and son.