As a company, Google isn't one to shy away from political topics. It's come out in support of gender equality, immigrants, and now it's taking a stance against mass incarceration.
Google.org, in particular, has pledged to donate $11.5 million in grants to organizations across the country working on reforming the criminal justice system. From the official blog post:
We believe better data can be can be part of the solution [against mass incarceration], which is why we're investing in organizations using data and evidence to reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system. We're giving $5 million to support the Center for Policing Equity (CPE), which partners with police agencies and communities by bringing together data science, trainings and policy reforms to address racial disparity. This intersection gives CPE a unique opportunity to both identify the cause of problems, and propose concrete solutions. CPE's National Justice Database is the first in the nation to track national statistics on police behavior, including stops and use of force, and standardizes data collection across many of the country's police departments. Soon, Google engineers will be volunteering their time and skills with CPE to help build and improve this platform.
Google plans to dole out the grants to ten different organizations. "The goal of these efforts is a society where everyone, regardless of race, is ensured an equal outcome under the law," writes Justin Steele, Principal at Google.Org. "We hope that our grants will provide resources and support to bring about this much-needed change."
