DJP fights to shift power and reallocate resources toward accountability and community safety. Our policy work includes (1) advocating for policy that increases oversight, introduces alternatives, and reallocates resources to community care, (2) hosting public forums and candidate events to increase community engagement and expand awareness, and (3) mobilizing community voices in conversations about state-sanctioned violence.
We work towards systemic transformation by building relationships with public officials, government agencies, oversight bodies, and community coalitions to advocate for policies that reduce the harmful impact of the carceral state and expand community-centered approaches to public safety.
Independent Oversight of Law Enforcement
Denver Justice Project advocates for independent, community-driven oversight of law enforcement, recognizing that meaningful accountability requires more than internal review. DJP has contributed to the establishment and strengthening of civilian oversight and accountability mechanisms in Denver, including the Office of the Independent Monitor, Community Oversight Board, and Denver’s disciplinary matrix, and continues to advocate for stronger prosecutorial transparency, data-reporting requirements, and accountability for law enforcement and prosecutorial misconduct. Given the long history of impunity afforded to law enforcement, independent oversight is essential to rebuilding trust with the communities most harmed by policing — and DJP works to ensure that oversight systems remain transparent, accessible, and accountable to the public they’re meant to serve.
Forums with Candidates and Elected Officials
Denver Justice Project hosts forums with candidates and elected officials across every level of government where public safety and accountability decisions are made — mayoral, city council, auditor, District Attorney candidate, and Attorney General forums — tailored to what each office actually has the power to do.
These forums are community-led, not top-down: the majority of every forum is reserved for community members to ask their own questions directly, rather than listening to questions asked on their behalf. Hosted in partnership with fellow advocacy organizations, most often at Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center in Five Points, our forums are accessible and rooted in historically oppressed communities, strengthening informed civic participation and public understanding of what elected officials are actually responsible for.
District Attorney Advocacy & Accountability
Denver Justice Project takes a distinct approach to criminal legal system reform by focusing specifically on the office of the District Attorney. As the officials who decide who is charged, what they’re charged with, and whether police and prosecutorial misconduct is ever held accountable, District Attorneys wield some of the most significant, and least scrutinized, power in the criminal legal system. DJP works to make that power visible and answerable to the communities it affects.
We host District Attorney candidate forums that give residents direct access to those seeking the office, creating space for community-informed questions on charging practices, prosecutorial transparency, and accountability for law enforcement misconduct. We continue that engagement once candidates take office, meeting directly with sitting DAs and organizing forums that hold the position accountable to the communities it serves, not just at election time.
DJP also serves as a liaison between DA’s offices and the community, translating prosecutorial decisions and policies into information the public can understand and act on. When that liaison role reveals unjust charging practices or racial bias in how justice is applied, DJP organizes direct action and public pressure campaigns targeting the DA’s office directly, ensuring elected prosecutors are held to the same standard of accountability they’re empowered to enforce on others.
Public Awareness Campaign
Denver Justice Project uses digital platforms and public awareness campaigns to elevate policy and institutional changes that often move forward without public knowledge or input — from shifts in use-of-force policy and officer discipline procedures to expansions of surveillance and government contracts with private prison corporations. These campaigns translate complex policy and legal developments into clear, accessible information, ensuring communities are informed about decisions being made on their behalf and equipped to respond. By keeping the public engaged and informed, DJP increases scrutiny of government decision-making and builds public pressure for greater transparency and accountability.
Alternatives to Police Response
Denver Justice Project was one of the original groups advocating for the creation of Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program. STAR was designed to remove police officers from emergency situations involving a behavioral or mental health crisis, substance use disorder, or homelessness. Law enforcement officers are not equipped with the training, empathy, patience, or cultural proficiency required to successfully navigate, de-escalate, and peacefully resolve these situations — they should be replaced by professionals specifically trained to assist people in crisis. Given the history of impunity afforded to heavily militarized and often violent police departments, there is an understandable barrier to trust among vulnerable populations. DJP advocates for a community-based, professional, and compassionate response to people in crisis, and continues pushing to expand alternatives to traditional police response across the Denver metro area.
Strategic Community Partnerships
Denver Justice Project’s impact is built through deep, ongoing collaboration with a diverse range of organizations and community leaders who share our mission and values — from grassroots coalitions to legal advocates to statewide policy organizations. We work alongside partners including the Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety, Together Colorado, and the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition to advance community-informed reforms that strengthen civilian oversight, transparency, and accountability across Colorado’s criminal legal system.
As threats to immigrant communities have grown, so has our coalition work. DJP partners with immigrant rights advocate Jeanette Vizguerra, Sanctuary for All Colorado, No Camps Colorado, Aurora Community Organizing for Solidarity, and Shut Down GEO to coordinate direct action, education, and advocacy that improves detention conditions and elevates the voices of those directly impacted by immigration enforcement. Our partnership with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) reflects our ability to move beyond local organizing and help drive significant policy change at the state level, working alongside statewide coalition partners to advance shared legislative priorities.
Our partnerships extend into participatory defense as well, working alongside organizations like the Epitome of Black Excellence, the Crowley Foundation, Street Fraternity, Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center, WellPower, and civil rights attorneys, to ensure families receive coordinated legal and community support. Together with our partners, DJP builds a broader, more resilient coalition working toward transparency, accountability, and community-centered public safety across Colorado.
