In December 2016, the Open Philanthropy Project awarded a renewal grant of $3,400,000 over two years to JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) to support their campaign to close the Rikers Island Prison Complex in New York City (#CLOSErikers). This grant falls within Open Philanthropy's work on criminal justice reform.
JLUSA is a national advocacy organization formed in 2014 to advocate for reforms to reduce incarceration, with a focus on training and lifting up the voices and leadership of formerly incarcerated people as advocates. Funding for this grant is intended to expand JLUSA’s overall campaign capacity over 2017 and 2018 to continue advocating for the closure of Rikers.