Worth Rises

Worth Rises is a non-profit advocacy organization founded in 2017. We work to dismantle the prison industry and end the exploitation of people impacted by it. We partner with directly impacted people to expose the commercialization of the criminal legal system. Our work involves researching and analyzing data to uncover the harms of the prison industrial complex. We use this information to create accessible content, raise awareness, and lead campaigns that protect and return economic resources to affected communities. We also provide tools for consumers, investors, public agents, elected officials, celebrities, litigators, advocates, and the general public to challenge those who profit from the carceral system.

We successfully made prison calls free in New York state prisons, saving over $13 million annually for 30,000 incarcerated people and their families. We helped the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limit rates for prison phone and video calls, saving families an estimated $500 million annually for 1.4 million incarcerated people. We’ve also helped pass legislation making communication services free in state prisons and local jails in Massachusetts, Minnesota, California, and Colorado, saving families tens of millions of dollars each year.

We developed “The Prison Industry,” a report and interactive digital tool that maps over 4,000 corporations and investors profiting from mass incarceration and surveillance. Our campaigns, like #EndTheException, address the 13th Amendment’s exception for slavery as criminal punishment. We also organized the “Capitalizing on Justice” exhibition, which featured art by incarcerated individuals.

Our mission is to dismantle the prison industry and end the exploitation of those it targets. Our vision is a society where no entity or individual relies on human caging or control for their wealth, operation, or livelihood.

We operate with core values: integrity, impact, excellence, getting things done, and intellectual curiosity. We act with integrity through honest, transparent conduct and accountability to our mission, the abolition movement, and the communities we serve. We focus on impact, working to deliver tangible results for communities and empowering them to advocate for themselves. We pursue excellence through collaboration, aiming for high-quality work that builds credibility. We emphasize problem-solving and overcoming obstacles to achieve our promised outcomes. We also foster intellectual curiosity, continuously learning about global and movement landscapes and assessing our role.

Worth Rises has a team of 11 to 50 employees. We look for strategic thinkers, self-starters, and proactive problem-solvers who thrive in a fast-paced, remote work environment.

Worth Rises offers a comprehensive compensation package. We provide an annual budget for remote work options and a monthly technology stipend. Our paid time off includes 20 vacation days, 10 personal/sick days, 3 bereavement days, 11 federal holidays, and a winter break. We also offer full medical, vision, and dental coverage, a healthcare flexible spending account, and a 401k plan with an organizational match divested from the prison industry. Employees receive a monthly wellness stipend and an annual budget for professional development.