#Remissionnow
WE DESERVE JUSTICE. WE DESERVE OUR LIVES BACK.
About
Restitution has created a life sentence for many returning citizens. They are unable to purchase homes, cars, life insurance, and have bank accounts and credit cards. These barriers to reentry cause detrimental financial and psychological effects on women and their families. Many of the women’s convictions were based on the mortgage meltdown of 2008.
While the banks and executives received bailouts, civil fines, and minor penalties, the government determined that there were billions of dollars of restitution to be paid by these women.
Restitution is another way to keep justice-impacted and formerly incarcerated individuals confined, imprisoned, and locked out of opportunity for ourselves and those we love. The remission of these egregious fines is a step toward racial and gender justice.
WE DESERVE JUSTICE. WE DESERVE OUR LIVES BACK.
Join us in the fight to end lifelong restitution. #RemissionNow
Hear their Stories
End the Life Sentence of Restitution
Sign the Petition
Join us in the fight to end lifelong restitution!
Fairness in Restitution Act
The Ladies of Hope Ministries has partnered with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to draft the Fairness in Restitution (FIR) Act.
The FIR Act would improve federal restitution law by:
- Ensuring fairness, proportionality, and accuracy in the amount of restitution owed.
- Preventing restitution obligations from becoming overly onerous or lengthy.
- Helping victims recover while also helping defendants avoid burdensome debts.
New Report
Empty Pockets and Empty Promises
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) has released Empty Pockets and Empty Promises: How Federal Restitution Law Fails Everyone, a groundbreaking report co-created with partners including The LOHM. The report exposes how federal restitution law leaves victims without real compensation while trapping justice-impacted people — especially women and mothers — in lifelong debt. It features the courageous stories of women like Cathie, Gertie, and Mary Kay, who shared their lived experiences to show the true human cost of restitution.
We are deeply grateful to Dr. Topeka K. Sam for her leadership and to all who made this publication possible. This report is a major step forward in the fight to end restitution as a financial life sentence.
Join Us in Making Change
It's time we recognized that when we put women in jail, we inflict potentially irreparable damage to their families.
Contact
Get in Touch
We'd love to hear from you!