The Challenge

More than 50 years ago, the United States dramatically overhauled drug policy and sentencing, embarking on a path of mass incarceration that has led to a staggering increase in the prison population. 
 
Today, almost 2 million people—a disproportionate number of them Black—are incarcerated in our nation’s prisons and jails. The prison population has grown 500% since 1973. 
 
In early 2023, The Sentencing Project, a national leader in research on mass incarceration and its impact on communities and families, teamed with a coalition of advocates, experts, and partners to launch a U.S.-focused public education campaign – “50 Years and a Wake Up: Ending The Mass Incarceration Crisis In America.” 

The title for the campaign was born out of a colloquial phrase that incarcerated people sometimes use to describe the life of their sentence, plus the day of their release. I have 20 years and a wake up. It also serves as a double-entendre, calling for our country to “wake up” to the harsh and dangerous realities of mass incarceration in America.” 

Our Approach

The “50 Years and a Wake Up” campaign focused on awareness and education about: 

• The dire state of the U.S. criminal legal system 

• The devastating impact of incarceration on communities and families, and 

• The need to implement more effective crime prevention strategies 

Brand: 

The “50 Years and a Wake Up” brand includes a logo and branding, including branding guidelines and social media graphics for use by partner organizations. 

Partners: 

Marketing, communications, and public affairs strategies and tactics were led by Meraki Communications Group, with support from other organizations. Coalition partners included ACLU, the American Bar Association, Color of Change, Human Rights for Kids, NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice, The Last Prisoner Project, The Vera Institute for Justice, and others. 

Research: 

“50 Years and a Wake Up” was a tremendous framing device to help stress the importance of this research and the severity of this problem. Several highly influential reports released by The Sentencing Project ensured the “50 Years and a Wake Up” campaign had a clear North Star – moving beyond simple impressions to focus on reach and impact. 

Events: 

The Sentencing Project collaborated to host numerous webinars, panels, press events, and convenings to discuss 50 years of mass incarceration in Connecticut, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and other states. Each of these educational events generated significant turnout and press. 
 
Paid Advertising: 

The “50 Years and Wake Up” campaign also deployed a multi-pronged paid digital advertising campaign in the states where events were held to build general awareness about the movement. 

PSA: 

A powerful PSA featured Joel Caston, the first person elected to public office while incarcerated in Washington, D.C., alongside Kemba Smith-Pradia, a prominent sentencing reform advocate and author, whose sentence was commuted by President Clinton, after she was convicted to 24 years as a college student in an abusive relationship with a drug dealer. 

The Results 

Throughout the 16-month campaign, The Sentencing Project was referenced in more than 6,500 news articles and broadcast news clips. Print and web articles alone accounted for: 
 

• Total Unique Monthly Viewers (UVM): 24.34 Billion 

• Total Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE): $229.49 Million 

  
  

More than 30 op-eds, often from third-party authors, were placed across national and state media outlets, including MarketWatch, The Detroit News, Tulsa World, and many others. 

Multiple advertising campaigns raised awareness about mass incarceration, generating more than 2,300 leads and millions of impressions using a relatively small budget. 

The “50 Years and a Wake Up” PSA aired on television more than 14,000 in markets across the country, from Boston, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, and Washington, D.C.,  to San Diego, Palm Springs (Calif.), and Bend (Ore.). An estimated 84.8 million gross impressions were accumulated and there were 699 primetime airings. 

Each of these efforts led to a heightened awareness about America’s mass incarceration crisis, and the need for an alternative approach. 

The Anthem Awards recognized Meraki Communications Group and The Sentencing Project with a 2024 Global Awareness Campaign Gold Award for their work to raise awareness about 50 years of mass incarceration in the United States.