Cut50 Initiative Aims to Halve Prison Population by 2024

As a paralegal and legal assistant, Shaian Mohammadi provides legal services to underserved groups including women, minorities, and immigrants. In 2017, he participated in Dream Corps’ Cut50 nonprofit initiative. Among his responsibilities as a post-bar fellow in the initiative, Shaian Mohammadi conducted statistical research and collaborated with administrative agencies to organize a listening tour across California.

The Cut50 initiative aims to cut the US prison population in half by 2024. Founded by the Dream Corps, the initiative is supported by key activists such as Van Jones.

As an important part of the prison reform movement, Cut50 emphasizes alternative approaches to policies of the criminal justice system. For example, it aims to improve the effectiveness of parole and probation practices to prevent their abuse by judges. Additionally, the initiative acted as an impetus to increase support for female prisoners through the Dignity for Incarcerated Women campaign. Launched in 2017, the campaign helped pass laws in multiple states that ban shackling pregnant inmates and increase access to female healthcare products.