Medical Justice Alliance Logo

How do we shepherd a newly formed organization to new heights?

Challenge

Medical Justice Alliance is a network of physicians and clinicians who volunteer their time and medical expertise to protect the constitutional right to medical care for people in carceral facilities. Born during the COVID-19 pandemic, MJA is a relatively new organization seeking to fix a niche issue within the medical-criminal-legal space—and they are hoping to increase their prominence and credibility amongst other organizations and government officials who fight for a more equitable healthcare/criminal justice system.

MJA asked KMSG to support with:

  • Refreshing their website and creating digital graphics for social media platforms

  • Crafting and distilling their message to varying audiences

  • Connecting them with donors, volunteers, government officials, and other nonprofit organizations

Context

KMSG accomplished the following:

  • Transformed their website and redesigned their message to general audiences

  • Pitched and landed an op-ed in the Gotham Gazette, a New York policy-specific news outlet, to spread the word about who MJA are and why they fight for expanding the eligibility requirements for compassionate release laws

  • Secured advocacy meetings with Members of Congress, including Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)

Action & Impact

MJA’s New Website

In partnership with Agency 6, we helped define a new era for MJA. The new site needed to highlight the impact of their work, showcase the people behind the work, tell stories of the people the organization serves, and provide information for how volunteer physicians and clinicians can get involved in securing compassionate release for medically vulnerable in America’s prisons and jails.

Inside a facility, a man is cleaning the floor with a mop, standing near a blue metal gate and a yellow wall.

Medical Justice Alliance featured prominently in the Gotham Gazette opinion article, highlighting the vast network the organization has established:

“In the case of Diego, an independent physician provided a detailed report outlining how his conditions qualified him for medical parole. The physician was a volunteer with the Medical Justice Alliance (MJA), a network of over 200 medical professionals in 24 states who volunteer their time and medical expertise to protect the constitutional rights of those in carceral facilities. The New York Department of Corrections’ chief medical officer denied the request for medical parole without any written explanation of the reasons. The MJA volunteer reached out to better understand the medical basis for their decision. Two months later, he has yet to receive any response.”

Social Media Images

Close-up of a poster with text emphasizing the importance of respecting constitutional rights and the right to medical care.
Pie chart displaying data on cases by race, ethnicity, and gender, with categories including Native American or Alaskan Native, Asian, Multiracial or Biracial, Hispanic or Latino, White, Black or African American, and Gender with labels for Transgender Male/Female, Cisgender Female, and Cisgender Male. Percentage values are shown next to each category.
Map of the United States highlighting 34 states with cases of an illness or condition, indicating 223 medical volunteers involved.
Quote from Alicia Tarin-Herman in green background with large MJA letters: "When my client went on hunger strike for approximately 2 months, it was a very scary time. Not only was I concerned for my client's health and safety, but I had to go to court for my first time to fight against ICE involuntarily feeding him through the forced placement of a NG tube — something which arguably amounts to torture. MJA not only provided much-needed knowledge on understanding medical standards and medically what was happening with my client, but he made me feel like I wasn't alone in the fight. I honestly cannot fathom what I would have done without the help of MJA. Alicia Tarin-Herman, Perkins Coie LLP"
Text reading "Medical Justice Alliance" on a dark green background.
Infographic showing case submission numbers, success rate, and average metrics with circles and percentage data points.

Curious about our other Case Studies? Check them out here!