Root & Rebound

Root & Rebound
Name	Root & Rebound
Founded	2012
Founders	Alicia Bannon; Neelum Arya
Type	Nonprofit legal services organization
Headquarters	Oakland, California
Focus	Reentry, criminal justice reform, civil rights restoration

Root & Rebound is a nonprofit organization focused on reentry services and legal advocacy for people affected by the criminal legal system. Based in Oakland, California, the group provides direct legal help, policy advocacy, and community education aimed at restoring rights and reducing barriers to housing, employment, voting, and family reunification. Its work intersects with litigation, legislative reform, coalition-building, and public education across the United States.

History

Root & Rebound was founded in 2012 by Alicia Bannon and Neelum Arya amid growing national attention to mass incarceration issues highlighted by events such as the 2010s Sentencing Reform debates and organizations like the ACLU, Equal Justice Initiative, and The Sentencing Project. Early influences included campaigns led by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, advocacy from the Vera Institute of Justice, and policy analyses from the Brennan Center for Justice. The organization developed during the same period that catalyzed reforms in states like California and New York, responding to initiatives connected to Proposition 47 lobbying and policy shifts influenced by the Obama administration clemency efforts. Root & Rebound grew its services alongside municipal and statewide reforms championed by figures such as Kamala Harris and organizations like the Legal Aid Society and Public Defender Service.

Mission and Programs

The organization’s mission centers on restoring civil rights and removing collateral consequences for people with criminal records, aligning programmatically with organizations such as Legal Services Corporation, Equal Justice Works, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Programs include rights restoration clinics, expungement assistance, and policy outreach similar in scope to efforts by the Innocence Project, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Human Rights Watch. Root & Rebound’s approach meshes direct legal services with community education seen in projects by the Center for Constitutional Rights, American Civil Liberties Union, and Pro Bono Net, while engaging legislative partners such as state legislatures and municipal councils influenced by advocates like Michelle Alexander and Bryan Stevenson.

Legal and Policy Advocacy

Root & Rebound engages in litigation strategy and policy reform advocacy comparable to campaigns waged by organizations like Lambda Legal, Public Citizen, and Earthjustice in their respective domains. The organization advocates for changes to laws and administrative rules affecting voting rights restoration as with the Brennan Center for Justice and Voting Rights Lab, employment barriers as addressed by the National Employment Law Project, and housing access paralleling work by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. It has participated in coalitions alongside the Center for Popular Democracy, Color Of Change, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and contributes expertise to campaigns linked with campaigns such as Second Chance Month and federal rulemaking under the Department of Justice.

Services and Impact

Root & Rebound provides direct legal representation, know-your-rights materials, and continuing legal education similar to resources offered by organizations like Legal Momentum, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and National Legal Aid & Defender Association. Its services assist individuals seeking expungement, pardon, or record sealing in jurisdictions across California and beyond, impacting clients whose cases interact with institutions such as state courts, parole boards, and administrative agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles. The organization’s impact is documented in collaborations with academic partners including researchers from Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford Law School, and UC Berkeley School of Law, and in reports that join the evidentiary work of Urban Institute, RAND Corporation, and Pew Charitable Trusts.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Root & Rebound operates with a leadership team, legal staff, and community organizers supported by a board of directors and advisory committees similar in governance to nonprofits such as United Way, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and the Ford Foundation-funded initiatives. Funding sources include private foundations, individual donors, and philanthropic programs like those of the MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Hewlett Foundation, alongside government grants reminiscent of funding streams from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and state grant programs. The organization maintains compliance with nonprofit regulatory entities and participates in networks alongside the National Council of Nonprofits and Independent Sector.

Partnerships and Recognition

Root & Rebound collaborates with law schools, public interest organizations, and community groups, partnering with institutions like UC Berkeley, UCLA School of Law, Columbia Law School clinics, and community partners including Legal Aid Society offices and state public defenders. Recognition for the organization’s work has come from advocacy coalitions and prize-giving entities similar to awards offered by the Soros Justice Fellows program, Ashoka, Skoll Foundation, and local government commendations. Root & Rebound’s partnerships extend to national campaigns involving the ACLU, Equal Justice Initiative, Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, and the National Reentry Resource Center, situating its work within a broad network of reform-minded organizations and civic institutions.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in California Category:Criminal justice reform organizations