Advancing Real Change, Inc. (ARC, Inc.)

ARC, Inc. seeks to transform the U.S. criminal justice system by providing comprehensive and accurate life history investigation to decision-makers in order to inform the fates of individuals facing the most severe penalties. Their Work Programing Areas   Casework As life history investigators (often referred to as mitigation specialists) and record collection specialists, they work as members of defense teams at both the trial and post-conviction phases of cases. They engage in multi-generational and multi-disciplinary inquiries into the life histories of their client and their communities through the collection of documents and multiple conversations with their clients, their families and friends, and acquaintances. By doing so, they come to understand the trajectories of their clients’ lives, which, in turn, allows the defense team to be better advocates. The information gathered in the course of these investigations is often presented to prosecutors or courts to help them make more just decisions about the fate of their clients as they are often concerned with the circumstances of the individual defendant when deciding how best to proceed in a particular case. They work on cases all around the United States and have experience at the state and federal levels. Consulting and Training They collaborate with public defender organizations and court-appointed defenders around the country to provide support, teach their successful methods of investigation, and help improve overall practices. They participate in local, state, and national conferences and training seminars in which they teach on topics related to records collection, visiting clients and other individuals, and organizing and understanding materials. They are in the process of developing protocols for defenders to use at all stages of the adjudicative process that will focus on collecting comprehensive life history information no matter what the charge.