Writing about the criminal legal system can be fraught with language that is dehumanizing and harmful to people and communities. Changes to the way we talk about people who have had contact with the criminal legal system have resulted from a long history of organizing and advocacy from people who have been impacted most by criminalization. Language alone is not enough to change systemic biases, especially in the criminal legal system, which is deeply rooted in racist policies and practices. But language is powerful and can shape and reshape people, popular culture, and the way we think about systems. In this guide, we identify some best practices people can follow to support Catalyst Grant Program participants and others striving to write about the criminal legal system responsibly.

This is one in a series of guides developed by the Urban Institute for community groups, drawing on the experiences of Catalyst Grant Program participants and Urban researchers. The Catalyst Grant Program is a collaboration between the Urban Institute and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative to help nonprofit organizations use data and technology to advance racial equity in the criminal legal system.

The other Catalyst guides in this series are:

• Best Practices in Community Surveys for Criminal Legal System Reform
• Advice from the Field: Requesting Data from the Criminal Legal System
• Strategic Communication of Reform Efforts in the Criminal Legal System
• Designing Data and Technology Projects for Criminal Legal System Reform

Visit the Catalyst Grant Program Insights page for more resources and stories about the grantees.