Ohio Justice & Policy Center champions policy, prison reform

During his college years, David Singleton returned to New York City to visit his birthplace. Singleton grew up in South Carolina but was born in the South Bronx, and when he returned, he says he had a “transformative experience.”

He witnessed a devastated community where young black males—like himself—were dealing drugs and living the lifestyle of poverty and crime that Singleton says he was fortunate to have never been a part of. 

“It made me realize and appreciate like I never had before, just how much it matters who your parents are and how hard they fight for you and where it is you grow up,” Singleton says. “I don’t think it’s right that an act of birth can make all the difference in terms of what kind of life you have.” 

It was at that moment that Singleton knew he wanted to go to law school to serve and try to make a difference for those whom he says “didn’t have the same breaks” as he had.  

Singleton worked as a public defender for years in both NYC and Washington, DC. During the summer of 2001, he moved to Cincinnati and worked a 10-month stint at a large law firm before he began his work with the Ohio Justice & Policy Center as the nonprofit’s executive director. 

The OJPC strives to transform the criminal justice system at both the micro and macro levels. By providing free legal help to prisoners treated inhumanely, in addition to offering assistance to reformed individuals who have been released from prison and are struggling to get back on their feet, the OJPC works to make sure the justice system operates as fairly as possible. 

To best use its limited resources, Singleton says the OJPC builds on its work through individual client victories to engage in policy efforts that will impact many.

For example, this past summer, the OJPC worked with Gov. John Kasich and state legislators to pass a bill that would enable released prisoners to apply for certificates of qualified employment, which will make it easier for people to get jobs in the industry in which they want to apply, Singleton says.

“Under state law, you can’t own your own construction company if you’ve got a felony," says Singleton. "That’s silly. It makes no sense. That’s one thing you might learn while in prison—how to do construction. So now, if you get one of those certificates, you’ll no longer automatically be barred from working in that industry.” 

There are some laws that are well-intentioned, Singleton says, but when they prevent people from getting jobs, they need to be reformed. So Singleton and the attorneys at OJPC invest their time and dedication to break down barriers that imprison individuals for years after they’ve been released. 

“What I do is a calling for me,” Singleton says. “It’s never been about the money. It’s what I feel I’m here on this earth to do, and I love it, I love every minute of it.” 

Do Good: 

• Make a donation to help the OJPC continue its efforts to reform the criminal justice system. 

• Contact the OJPC to join its mailing list and help put pressure on elected officials to initiate policy changes.

• Reach out to the organization by liking and sharing its Facebook page.

By Brittany York

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.