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Our impact


Since we were founded in 2014, ARC has become a national leader in the field of mitigation.

Transforming the system

Advancing Real Change, Inc. is transforming the lives of individuals and making a long-term impact on the criminal legal system.

94%

of our clients have received shorter and more humane sentences

100%

of our pre-trial Federal cases have not received death sentences

1,400

defenders attended our trainings in 2025

Transforming lives

Nine Votes for Life in Alabama

Our client, Cory Maples, was originally sentenced to death in 1995, and his sentence was overturned in 2022. ARC joined the defense team later that year and began the enormous task of investigating Cory’s life after decades of litigation. We spent thousands of hours working to understand Cory’s history and in May 2024, 9 of the 12 jurors – all residents of a smaller county in Alabama – voted for a life sentence. A few weeks ago, the judge agreed,
bringing the 30 years of litigation in Cory’s case to an end.

In 2025, ARC provided training to more than 1,400 defenders in more than 166 jurisdictions across 48 states.

  • Please keep doing this, and don’t ever give up. You have given me hope. And made me feel less alone.”

    Baltimore skill-building training attendee
  • “This training, like all ARC trainings, are like oxygen for lawyers who entered the field hoping to help people and advance justice.”

    Mitigation in second look cases training attendee
  • “The sense of community was great and hearing different stories was so moving.”

    Jacksonville conference participant 2025

    Upcoming events

    Conference

    2023 Baltimore Mitigation Skill-Building Training

    The application for this training is now closed. Please direct all training questions to Mary Roberts at [email protected]. The training,…

    • October 11
    • 8:30 am EDT
    • Presenter: Dr. Jill Patterson

       

    Webinars

    2023 Federal Death Penalty Strategy Session (Virtual)

    Registration is now open for the 2023 virtual Strategy Session, which will be presented online for the federal capital defense…

    Conference

    2023 Jacksonville Conference Re-Thinking Justice: Mitigation Impacting the U.S. Legal System

    This two-day training, Re-Thinking Justice: Mitigation Impacting the U.S. Legal System is an opportunity for defenders to engage with experts…

    Featured Resources

    Conference

    2023 Baltimore Mitigation Skill-Building Training

    The application for this training is now closed. Please direct all training questions to Mary Roberts at [email protected]. The training,…

    • October 11
    • 8:30 am EDT
    • Presenter: Dr. Jill Patterson

       

    Featured Publications & Media

    2024 Impact Report

    It is only with a true understanding of the individuals accused of crimes that judges, juries, prosecutors, and other decision-makers…

    • Published August 10, 2023

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