This press release initially appeared at the American Justice Project
| Hartford, CT (May 1, 2023) – The American Justice Project (AJP), a newly launched nonprofit, vows to disrupt abuses of power that have stolen the lives and liberty of so many already marginalized people and people from low income backgrounds. AJP was born out of the #Justice4Dukes campaign after President and Co-Founder Christopher L. Dukes was exonerated of multiple charges in a high-profile case. After persistent defamation and discrimination in the pretrial process by the Connecticut State’s Attorney, the Hartford Police Department, and his former employer Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), Dukes and other community leaders founded AJP to prevent these injustices from harming others. Later this spring, the Connecticut Supreme Court will rule on Dukes’ rightful reinstatement to his CCSU job and retroactive compensation.As a result of these wrongful accusations, in 2018 Dukes lost custody of his children, and has only been granted supervised visitation since. The separation he says, has impacted the entire Dukes family. “The last five years of my life have been lost to this ordeal, and the harms it has brought to my children can never be undone,” Dukes said. “We’re working to ensure that what happened to me will never happen to another innocent person again. American Justice Project will work to dismantle the unjust policies and systems that allow police, prosecutors, judges, and others to wield unchecked power.” Through the #Justice4Dukes campaign and others, AJP is providing support and advocacy for individuals caught up in the array of pretrial tactics like overcharging, excessive bail, and denial of family rights that officials use to coerce plea bargains. In the coming months, AJP will continue to unveil its mandate to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans by expanding access to justice, speaking up for the voiceless and advocating on their behalf. “I am fortunate that my children are resilient and mostly unaware of the harms that have been inflicted against me over the last five years,” said Dukes. “No child should be unjustly separated from their father.” “The U.S. judicial system is working just as it was designed to, treating black men like criminals while favoring white, wealthy, and privileged people and maintaining their innocence until proven guilty,” said AJP’s Co-founder, Peter Little. “How ironic that the institutions that threatened Christopher’s liberty are now being held to account by a new ambassador for justice.”Learn more about American Justice Project at www.americanjusticeproject.org. Christopher Dukes and Peter Little are available for questions and comments. |
| ABOUT THE AMERICAN JUSTICE PROJECT American Justice Project supports victims of injustice and their families. We challenge inequity and confront those who perpetuate it. We campaign for systemic change. |
