Robert Rooks: Dreaming of Justice Reimagined

Dreaming in Color

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

In this episode, Christian interviews Robert Rooks, CEO of REFORM Alliance, founded after the unjust re-imprisonment of recording artist Meek Mill. Robert is one of the nation’s premier criminal justice reformers with over two decades of experience as a grassroots organizer, strategist, and movement leader.

Under Robert’s leadership, REFORM has won major legislative reforms to transform probation and parole systems in California, Georgia, and Mississippi and has lifted up the experiences of people on supervision to educate the public and build support for broader change.

Robert co-founded the Alliance for Safety and Justice before joining REFORM, expanding it to eight states with high incarceration rates and leading advocacy efforts for criminal justice reform nationwide, resulting in legislative wins like the Neighborhood Safety Act in Illinois. He directed successful campaigns such as Yes on Proposition 47 and Yes on Proposition 57 in California, which reduced incarceration rates and increased parole eligibility. Additionally, Robert played a key role in fundraising for Florida's Amendment 4, restoring voting rights for over one million individuals with past convictions.

Join this conversation as Robert paints a picture of what our society can look like if we “educate not incarcerate.”

This is Dreaming in Color.

Jump straight into:

(0:32) Introduction of Robert Rooks: CEO of REFORM Alliance.

(2:22) Robert shares how his upbringing inspired his passion for prison reform.

(7:26) Robert discusses how reform legislation in the last 20 years has made strides toward a better justice system and dreams about what the next 20 years will bring.

(9:03) We visit the story of Meek Mill’s unjust incarceration and how that spurred the beginnings of REFORM Alliance.

(13:53) Robert illustrates a picture of society with true reform.

(20:38) Abolition vs. reform

(22:10) We need everybody and how investing in community organizers is the pathway to change.

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Rooks on LinkedIn and Instagram
• Learn more about the REFORM Alliance through their website
• Follow the REFORM Alliance on X, LinkedIn and Instragram
• Read about Robert’s work in Bridgespan’s report on philanthropy and the criminal legal system
• Learn more about Alliance for Safety and Justice through their website

Read Robert’s interview with Katie Couric about how we can fix prison pipelines.