Dear Friends,
Happy October. The leaves around here are transforming into glorious reds and gold, filling the local skyline with colors that can’t help but lift even the most downtrodden spirits.
But I also understand the downtrodden spirit part. If that’s you, I get it. It’s hard to feel motivated amid the seemingly endless onslaught of chaos and divisiveness. But here are FOUR ways to get energized and moving for justice.
1: Sign to Support the New Jersey Rehabilitative Release Law
I am part of a state-wide coalition seeking to create a Rehabilitative Release law that would allow our elders in prison the opportunity to show that they can be safely released. The facts are clear:
- People over 60, released after decades of incarceration, are among the least likely of all demographics to reoffend.
- It costs taxpayers at least $74,000 annually to incarcerate a healthy 60-year-old, and over $500,000 per year for those requiring long-term or acute medical care — costs that far exceed supervised release in the community. (Source: Data shared by the NJ Department of Corrections during a meeting with advocates on March 11, 2025.)
- A growing number of states are considering “second look” resentencing laws, and 13 have already enacted laws similar to our bill, S2338/A4463.
- The bipartisan Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission has identified this reform as one of its top priorities.
Sign the petition here and join our efforts to make New Jersey a state of second chances.
2: Pre-Order My Friend Nikki Mammano’s Memoir, Breaking Good !
My dear friend, Nikki Mammano, has written a memoir that embodies second chances. Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black, describes Breaking Good like this:
In her inspiring and often heartbreaking memoir of addiction and recovery, Breaking Good, Nikki Mammano pulls readers deep into the underworld of Oahu, as she ricochets among club kids, drag queens, military men, and drug dealers. Mammano’s brave and intimate story reveals the searing suffering of addiction, the painful complexity of family ties, and the extraordinary resilience and strength that people bring to recovery and healing. Nikki Mammano’s wry and pointed perspective on her difficult, moving life in Breaking Good makes this memoir a must-read.
Breaking Good is available now for pre-order on Amazon or wherever you get your books. Trust me on this — you should get yours today!
3: Breathe a sigh of relief that Robert Roberson, an innocent man on Texas’ death row, was spared (for now) and find out what you can do to help.
The death penalty is wrong in all cases. And the last week has been a devastating whirlwind of scheduled and completed executions, with the wonderful exception of Robert Roberson. Roberson is an innocent man on Texas’ death row who has been fighting to clear his name for decades. Just days ahead of his execution, courts granted him the chance to show in court how testimony about so-called “shaken baby syndrome” science is just junk science. I wrote an entire book, Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened, about no-crime wrongful convictions; Roberson, in my humble opinion, has been staring death down for decades, all for a crime that never even happened in the first place. I hope that Roberson finally gets the justice he deserves.
If you want to learn more about the other upcoming scheduled executions, including two scheduled for TODAY (Lance Shockley in Missouri and Samuel Smithers in Florida), go to Death Penalty Action where you can find information about what you can do to make your voice heard.
4: Listen to Leaders with Integrity
On Just Justice, my three most recent guests share a common thread: they lead with integrity. How refreshing, right?
Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer was recently a guest on Just Justice. (You may know her as “Lawyer Oyer” on the socials or have seen her on the news; here she is with Katie Couric sounding the alarm). We talked about her former role as pardon attorney and what it was like to be summarily fired after standing up for what’s right.
Liz embodies the idea that doing justice with integrity is important, even when it comes at a tremendous personal cost.
Aliza Kaplan, Law Professor at Lewis and Clark, has changed the Oregon legal landscape. Aliza never falters in the face of injustice. Listen as we talk about her work as a second chance advocate, innocence attorney, and legal scholar.
Just out today, Jeffrey Deskovic, an innocent man who served 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, turned his pain into power. After his exoneration, Jeffrey became an attorney and founded the Deskovic Foundation for Justice where he fights for the rights of other innocent people. You can support his organization here.
Despite these challenging times, we can lift each other up by taking even the smallest actions. Thank you for all that you do.
Be safe and well,
Jessica
P.S. Be sure to vote — and vote well — in November. If you are in NJ, especially vote in the race for Governor. Your vote matters.