In this episode of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald speaks with Daniel Forkkio, CEO of Represent Justice, a national organization that amplifies the voices of formerly incarcerated people through storytelling. Forkkio explains that Represent Justice partners with filmmakers, advocates, and ambassadors across the country to humanize those impacted by the criminal legal system and shift public perception. “It’s all storytelling all the time,” he says, emphasizing dignity, authenticity, and lived experience as central to systemic change.
Forkkio traces the organization’s origins to the Just Mercy campaign in 2019, when screenings of the film inspired powerful audience reactions and led him to found Represent Justice as a permanent platform for narrative change. Today, the nonprofit supports projects like Chasing Redemption, which explores life-without-parole sentences, and A Million Dollar Cage, a film exposing the staggering costs of youth incarceration in Los Angeles. Through these campaigns, Represent Justice uses stories to influence legislation, reshape culture, and empower communities to envision a justice system rooted in transformation rather than punishment.
Throughout the conversation, Forkkio challenges the myths surrounding crime, punishment, and safety, calling for broader public understanding of trauma, housing insecurity, and mental health as drivers of incarceration. He urges greater media literacy and a rejection of fear-based narratives that dominate headlines, reminding listeners that “authentic stories can shift beliefs by the thousands.” His advocacy for restorative justice reflects a vision of reconciliation and healing — a vision that contrasts sharply with America’s overreliance on prisons and punishment.
Forkkio concludes by inviting audiences to take action: watch a film, learn about its campaign, and support the storytellers who are reshaping the conversation around justice. “Everyone has a role to play when it comes to narrative,” he says. “Take a stand by watching something and changing the way that you think.” Represent Justice, through its growing network of ambassadors, films, and partnerships, is redefining how stories of incarceration and redemption can move a nation toward empathy and reform.
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