The Justice Reform Foundation, founded by Justin Magnuson, is announcing its official launch. The nonprofit will advocate for bail reform, provide support to those affected by the justice system, and educate the public on various justice reform topics.
DALLAS, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Local entrepreneur and Dallasite Justin Magnuson today announced the launch of the Justice Reform Foundation (JRF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those impacted by America's broken criminal justice system.
Magnuson experienced the fundamental dysfunctions in the U.S. criminal justice system firsthand when he found himself wrongfully accused and unlawfully incarcerated. Magnuson ultimately spent 20 months in a county jail under false pretenses during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Magnuson is a self-made entrepreneur who worked his way through undergrad at University of North Texas and grad school at Southern Methodist University. As he was pursuing his Executive MBA from UCLA and commuting between Dallas and Los Angeles, he decided to expand his business ventures into the legal cannabis industry. He partnered with producers in California already legally growing cannabis and obtained all necessary permits for the business but, unbeknownst to him, the people he'd partnered with had violated federal law by selling products across state lines.
The prosecution had no evidence to produce a guilty verdict and still, due to the abuse of bail systems, he was detained and had his life upended. However, despite the difficulty he faced, Magnuson recognizes it was still a privilege he was able to walk away at all.
The experience compelled Magnuson to do his part to help fix a broken system by launching the Justice Reform Foundation, a non-profit advocating for structural change in the criminal justice system that is destroying lives and hurting families across the nation. Magnuson wants to ensure that people with fewer resources than him have the opportunity to get their lives back on track.
"I'm honored to have the ability to use my platform to aid those most directly impacted by the criminal justice system," said Justin Magnuson, founder, and president of the Justice Reform Foundation. "Our system has long discriminated against the very citizens it is meant to protect. The Justice Reform Foundation is going to fight against the disparities that start with a person's first contact with the system and continue through court hearings, conviction, incarceration, release, and thereafter."
Magnuson continued, "in the past I gave my time and money to worthy organizations without taking an active role, but now I feel compelled to do more. Only other formerly incarcerated people can understand what it feels like to have all of your personal freedoms stripped away. I can no longer be passive, I must use my voice and my resources to help."
Magnuson wants to bring awareness to the same unjust practices he was victim to, so the JRF will educate the public on topics like unlawful detainment, the need for bail reform, the importance of decriminalizing marijuana, prosecutorial misconduct, the abuse in the use of confidential informants, and the disparate treatment among classes of citizens.
The Justice Reform Foundation recognizes the importance of listening to and working with individuals already well-versed in criminal justice activism. In the coming weeks and months, the Foundation will focus on expanding our board of directors, vetting volunteers to support our reintegration program, and seeking partnerships with other organizations focused on criminal justice reform.
To learn more about the Justice Reform Foundation and Justin Magnuson's story, visit https://justicereformfoundation.org or visit JRF on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About the Justice Reform Foundation
The Justice Reform Foundation (JRF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those impacted by the broken U.S. criminal justice system. The JRF focuses on educating and affecting change on topics like unlawful detainment, the need for bail reform, the importance of decriminalizing marijuana, prosecutorial misconduct, the abuse in the use of confidential informants, and the disparate treatment among classes of citizens.
About Justin Magnuson
Justin Magnuson is a Dallas-based entrepreneur who put himself through college and business school by working in sales before starting a neurodiagnostic testing company. He earned the prestigious recognition of making Inc. 5000's list for five years in a row before ultimately selling the company. Magnuson then started a second successful business in the medical field which is continuing to flourish. After investing in a legal cannabis business, Magnuson found himself detained in county jail for 20 months despite his innocence, and harming the positive reputation he'd earned. Since his recent release, Magnuson has been working toward rebuilding his life, including starting the Justice Reform Foundation to help those impacted by a broken criminal justice system.
Media Contact
Justin Magnuson, Justice Reform Foundation, (954) 642-2248, [email protected]
SOURCE Justice Reform Foundation
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