Our Story
About the Founder
Alissa Washington is a Minneapolis-based community organizer, advocate, and founder of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council—Minnesota. She is a loved one of someone directly impacted by the criminal legal system, and her work is deeply rooted in lived experience, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Alissa became involved in organizing because her fiancé, Cornelius Jackson, has been wrongfully incarcerated and over-sentenced since 2006. What began as a personal fight for justice quickly grew into a broader commitment to advocacy, as she saw firsthand how many families across Minnesota were facing similar injustices with little support or visibility.
For the past six years, Alissa has been on the frontlines advocating for Cornelius’s freedom and for others impacted by wrongful incarceration and excessive sentencing. Through that journey, she transformed pain into purpose—building community, raising awareness, and refusing to stay silent in the face of systemic injustice.
Alissa founded the organization to create a platform where impacted families are not only heard—but supported, organized, and empowered. Through grassroots advocacy, community events, public education, and direct support, she works to challenge systemic injustice and bring awareness to the realities too often hidden behind prison walls.
Her leadership centers Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration. She has organized rallies, panels, caravans, and campaigns that connect families, mobilize communities, and push for real accountability and change within Minnesota’s legal system.
Alissa stands in solidarity on the frontlines for all struggles connected to liberation and justice. Her work extends beyond wrongful incarceration to include advocacy against police brutality, mass deportations and immigrant detention, the criminalization of Black and Brown communities, and the fight for queer and trans lives. She stands with families impacted by state violence, supports the movement for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and continues to show up wherever communities are being harmed, silenced, or pushed to the margins.
Alissa believes that those closest to the pain should be closest to the solutions. Her work is driven by love, fueled by community, and grounded in the belief that freedom, dignity, and second chances should not be out of reach.
She continues to build partnerships, amplify stories, and fight relentlessly—not just for Cornelius, but for all those who have been wrongfully incarcerated or over-sentenced.
About the Organization
The Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council—Minnesota is a Black-led, family-centered grassroots organization dedicated to advocating for individuals who have been wrongfully incarcerated or over-sentenced, and for the families and communities impacted alongside them. Founded by Alissa Washington, whose personal fight for her fiancé, Cornelius Jackson—wrongfully incarcerated and over-sentenced since 2006—sparked a broader mission to support others facing similar injustices.
What began as one woman fighting for her loved one has grown into a movement—one rooted in love, resilience, and the unwavering belief that our people deserve freedom.
Founded on lived experience and built through community, our organization exists to uplift the voices too often silenced by the criminal legal system. We work to expose injustice, challenge harmful systems, and fight for the freedom, dignity, and humanity of those impacted.
Our work is rooted in advocacy, education, and direct support. We organize rallies, caravans, panels, and community events that bring awareness to wrongful convictions and excessive sentencing across Minnesota. We create spaces where impacted families can share their stories, find support, and build collective power. We also provide resources, connections, and support to families navigating the hardships of incarceration.
We are committed to centering Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities, who are disproportionately targeted and harmed by mass incarceration. We believe that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution—and should be leading the movement for change.
We stand in solidarity with movements fighting against police brutality, mass incarceration, deportation, and all forms of state violence. Our struggles are connected, and our fight reflects that.
Mission
To advocate for the freedom and fair treatment of wrongfully incarcerated and over-sentenced individuals in Minnesota while supporting and empowering the families and communities impacted by the criminal legal system.
Vision
We envision a future where no one is wrongfully incarcerated or excessively sentenced, where families are no longer torn apart by systemic injustice, and where impacted communities have the power, resources, and platform to lead change.
Values
Community-Led Advocacy
We center the voices, experiences, and leadership of directly impacted individuals and their families.
Justice & Accountability
We challenge systems that uphold injustice and demand accountability from institutions that harm our communities.
Solidarity Across Movements
We stand with all oppressed people and recognize that struggles against incarceration, deportation, police violence, and systemic racism are interconnected.
Healing & Support
We create spaces for families to share, heal, and find support while navigating the impacts of incarceration.
Truth-Telling & Awareness
We uplift real stories and expose injustices that are often hidden or ignored.
Liberation & Transformation
We believe in second chances, restoration, and building a future rooted in freedom and dignity for all.
Join us & support our movement