Barrios Unidos: A Civic Leadership and Racial Equity Institute
Barrios Unidos is more than a community organization—we are a Civic Leadership and Racial Equity Institute grounded in decades of movement-building, cultural education, and systemic change. We cultivate leadership among the most impacted members of our society—those who have experienced incarceration, systemic racism, and generational poverty—while advocating for policies and practices that advance justice, equity, and healing.
The Prison Project
At the core of our civic and racial justice work is The Prison Project, one of the longest-standing efforts in California that brings political and cultural education into the prison system. With over 40 years of direct engagement, we support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals through policy advocacy, public awareness campaigns, mutual aid projects, and healing-centered support. We have partnered with incarcerated organizers and reentry leaders to create meaningful change inside and outside prison walls.
Our programming includes UC-accredited classes at CTF Soledad, where we facilitate college-level coursework in areas such as Transcommunal Peacemaking, Restorative Justice, history, and cultural resilience. Additionally, we offer a Veterans Healing Circle, Anger Management courses, and cultural programming rooted in Indigenous, Chicano, and African traditions that reconnect incarcerated individuals with their identity, purpose, and community.
Interactive Prison Trailer
Our Interactive Prison Trailer, a replica of a Pelican Bay Security Housing Unit (SHU), serves as a powerful mobile exhibit and educational tool. This trailer brings the reality of solitary confinement and mass incarceration to schools, universities, community centers, and legislative offices. Designed by formerly incarcerated artists and advocates, the trailer functions as a storytelling and advocacy platform—sparking urgent conversations on the impact of incarceration and the need for structural reform.
Youth Civic Leadership & Advocacy
Barrios Unidos also invests deeply in youth civic leadership and racial justice education through our Elevate Youth Program and Prison Project. Our youth program includes Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR), community-based advocacy campaigns, vocational training, and peer education initiatives. Young people not only learn about systems of oppression—they actively challenge them. We empower youth to research local issues, present their findings to decision-makers, and develop creative strategies to create change in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
We regularly bring youth and formerly incarcerated individuals to meet with local Senators and Assembly Members to voice their experiences and demand equitable investments in education, mental health, housing, and community safety. These powerful exchanges have resulted in deeper relationships with elected officials, as well as increased awareness and responsiveness to community-identified needs.
Strategic Coalitions & Indigenous Partnerships
Barrios Unidos is a proud member of national and state-level coalitions, including All of Us or None and the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM). Through these alliances, we build collective power to advance policies that end mass incarceration, expand voting rights, and prioritize community-led safety strategies.
We also maintain strong relationships with the American Indian Movement (AIM) and Indigenous tribal bands across the country, integrating Native leadership and traditional teachings into our civic and cultural work. These partnerships allow us to practice and promote Indigenous sovereignty, land stewardship, spiritual healing, and cross-cultural solidarity within all aspects of our programming.
At Barrios Unidos, civic leadership is not reserved for the privileged—it is reclaimed by those most impacted by injustice. Our Civic Leadership and Racial Equity Institute stands as a model for what’s possible when lived experience, cultural wisdom, and organized power come together to reshape systems and restore dignity. We are committed to building a future where every voice counts, every story matters, and every community thrives.