In this episode of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald welcomes Raj Jayadev, founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug, to discuss the grassroots origins of one of the most transformative movements in criminal justice today: participatory defense. Originally launched as a worker collective to give voice to the overlooked communities of Silicon Valley’s booming tech economy, Silicon Valley De-Bug evolved over the years into a hub of grassroots organizing for families facing the carceral system. Jayadev recounts how their early efforts to create community-driven platforms laid the groundwork for deeper engagement with issues of racial profiling, police violence, and court advocacy.
A pivotal moment in De-Bug’s evolution came with the police killing of Rudy Cardenas in 2004, an act of mistaken identity that galvanized the organization to support families seeking justice. As more families affected by police brutality and prosecution turned to De-Bug, the group realized that courtrooms, not just city streets, needed to be sites of community organizing. What began as informal meetings with families soon formalized into a national movement known as participatory defense—where community members actively support and reshape court outcomes by working alongside public defenders and their loved ones facing charges.
Jayadev shares how participatory defense has grown far beyond Silicon Valley, inspiring over 55 hubs nationwide and producing tangible results: shortened sentences, case dismissals, and strengthened communities. He explains how this approach, rooted in collective problem-solving and storytelling, has even bridged long-standing divides between public defenders and the communities they serve. Social biography packets, court support, and direct advocacy have transformed what once seemed like solitary battles against overwhelming odds into collective campaigns for justice.
Throughout the episode, Jayadev underscores a powerful lesson: real systemic change doesn’t require waiting for permission or institutional reform. It starts with families and communities refusing to be bystanders and instead inserting themselves into the process—with courage, audacity, and relentless hope. He encourages listeners to find or build participatory defense hubs in their communities, and to believe that even in the face of daunting systems, ordinary people have the power to bend the arc of justice back toward humanity.
