Twenty-two years into a life sentence for a crime committed as a teen, a former gang member found hope with the help of USC legal advocates.
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For nearly 40 years, the Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP) at the USC Gould School of Law has been tirelessly advocating for the incarcerated.
PCJP fights for second chances — through parole representation, parole-readiness workshops in prisons, courtroom representation and legislative advocacy. A clinical program directed by professors Heidi Rummel and Michael Brennan with certified law student interns, PCJP works with men and women — many sentenced to life-terms for crimes committed in their youth over 20 or 30 years ago. Since 2008, PCJP has co-sponsored or written nearly every juvenile justice bill in California, impacting tens of thousands of lives.
“We believe in the power of hope.”
Heidi Rummel
Co-Director
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Clients Assisted
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Life-Term Clients Released
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Law Students and Alumni
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Workshops in 20 Prisons
The Latest News
In Pursuit of Justice: Conversations on Inequality and Activism – Racial Injustice in the Criminal System
The Post-Conviction Justice Project brought former clients and USC Gould students together for a discussion, "Racial Injustice in the Criminal System," Nov. 6.
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Inspiring passion for justice
Forty years after its founding, PCJP is one of the most enduring and influential clinical programs in the nation.
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Three clients freed from California prisons
As Black Lives Matter draws national attention to the pervasive systemic racism of the U.S. criminal system, USC’s Post-Conviction Justice...
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Virtual Parole Hearing Victory: A Message from the Directors
On April 9 USC Gould School of Law student Simone Rudolf-Dib won a parole grant for her client at his initial...
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PCJP client shares thoughts on gratitude and mindfulness
Former juvenile lifer client Louis shared his story for Homeboy Industries: “To be walking through that tunnel, with no light at...
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