Project Protocol: Building Transparency and Peer Support in Reentry

Community safety

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The issue we are addressing is the lack of transparency, accountability, and support in the parole system, Parole officers hold immense discretion, yet there is no consistent way for people to share their experiences or be informed about who is supervising them. This power imbalance, coupled with a lack of reliable information and resources, perpetuates cycles of harm and recidivism.Project Protocol exists to change that by giving people a platform to share insights, access trusted resources, and collectively shift the narrative and policies around parole.

This grant will support the continued development and expansion of Project Protocol, a community-driven digital platform designed to support individuals on parole in California. Our platform includes three core features:
Rate My PO – an anonymous review system where people on parole can safely share their experiences with their parole officers, helping others prepare for and navigate these critical relationships.
Resource Directory – a growing, statewide map of reentry resources, including housing, employment, healthcare, and legal support, all filtered by location and user reviews.
Civic Engagement & Community Hub – a space where people on parole can access information on restored voting rights, policy updates, and opportunities to engage in collective advocacy.
This grant will help us reach more people through outreach, develop training for case managers and life coaches to support users, and build capacity for analyzing and sharing data insights to drive policy reform. The goal is to empower individuals on parole, strengthen peer support, and ensure that the parole system is transparent, accountable, and rooted in community care.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will lead the way in building a transparent, community-centered approach to reentry. With roughly 44,000 residents incarcerated on any given day—split between the county jail system and California state prisons—Los Angeles is one of the largest contributors to the state’s overall incarcerated population (Vera Institute for Justice, 2023). Project Protocol’s anonymous platform will create transparency by allowing people on parole to rate their parole officers, access vital reentry resources, and share knowledge and insights.