Our Team

Our work began in 2014 when Eileen DiNino died in Berks county jail while serving a 48-hour sentence for inability to pay a truancy fine. We advocated for legislative remedies and filed daily RTK requests for jail admission logs. In 2022, when County Commissioners relaunched plans to build a new jail, we came together as Building Justice in Berks in an effort to minimize incarceration and mitigate harm.

 

In October 2023, Building Justice in Berks selected for a prestigious partnership with Vera Institute of Justice, a national organization founded in 1961 that works to transform the criminal legal system so that money doesn’t determine freedom, fewer people are incarcerated, and everyone behind bars is treated with dignity. Our combined team includes justice advocates, community organizers, researchers, and those with direct experience with incarceration.