Southern Center for Human Rights

What Southern Center for Human Rights does

The Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization founded in 1976 (originally as the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee) and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It delivers three core service lines: the Capital Litigation Unit (direct representation in death penalty cases in Georgia and Alabama, including five U.S. Supreme Court victories), the Impact Litigation Unit (class actions and systemic challenges to bail, fines and fees, private probation, and jail/prison conditions), and the Public Policy and Advocacy unit (legislative work at the Georgia General Assembly supported by Fast Democracy bill tracking). Supporting programs include Justice Watch Georgia (court monitoring), the First Amendment Lawyer Bridge (rapid-response First Amendment defense network), The People's Process (community testimony on jail conditions), and The People's Voice (public-meeting access advocacy). SCHR's competitive advantage rests on 50 years of precedent-setting case law, deep coalition infrastructure (Justice Reform Partnership's 90+ member organizations, Communities Over Cages, JUSTGeorgia with NAACP Georgia), and a senior attorney bench with elite credentials. There are no proprietary technology products; the tech stack is limited to donation processing (Bonterra EveryAction, Stripe, PayPal), planned giving (FreeWill), and legislative monitoring (Fast Democracy).

The organization is funded entirely through charitable revenue: individual donations (including the recurring Pillars of Justice Society program), a limited set of foundation grants, and special-event fundraising through the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, Justice Taking Root, regional receptions in New York and San Francisco, and the 2026 50 Years Forward Gala in Washington DC (sponsorship tiers from $1,500 Friend to $100,000 Visionary). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. SCHR holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and a 2019 GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Award; 100% of board members made personal contributions in 2025. The team comprises 33 staff and a 23-member Board of Directors, led by Executive Director Terrica Redfield Ganzy and Board Chair E. Michelle Drake. SCHR serves communities across the Deep South — Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina — targeting the 450,000+ Georgians under correctional supervision, the 150,000+ on misdemeanor private probation, capital defendants, and people with serious mental illness held in jail.

Name

Southern Center for Human Rights

Legal name

Southern Center for Human Rights

Website

https://schr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Southern Center for Human Rights is a 50-year-old Atlanta-based nonprofit legal organization that provides direct representation, impact litigation, and policy advocacy to challenge the death penalty, mass incarceration, and criminalization of poverty in the Deep South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Interest Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Criminal legal advocacy
• Impact litigation
• Death penalty defense
• Criminal justice reform
• Civil rights legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: SCHR relies on individual donations from supporters, with monthly giving program (Pillars of Justice Society) and one-time gifts
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from philanthropic foundations supporting criminal justice reform work
3. Special Events: Revenue from annual events including Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, Justice Taking Root, and regional receptions in New York and San Francisco

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SCHR provides free direct legal representation in death penalty and criminal cases, impact and class action litigation challenging unconstitutional criminal justice practices (money bail, fines and fees, private probation, jail and prison conditions, and extreme sentencing), public policy advocacy at the Georgia General Assembly, and community-led initiatives such as Justice Watch Georgia (court watching), the First Amendment Lawyer Bridge, The People's Process, and The People's Voice. Supplementary outputs include publications and toolkits, including the Death Penalty & Intellectual Disability Legal Advocacy Toolkit and an annual Human Rights Report.

Product overview

The Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization offering legal representation, policy advocacy, and community engagement programs rather than commercial products. The core service portfolio consists of the Impact Litigation Unit providing class action litigation on bail, fines/fees, and jail conditions; the Capital Litigation Unit representing death penalty clients including five U.S. Supreme Court victories; and the Public Policy Unit conducting legislative advocacy at the Georgia General Assembly. Supporting programs include Justice Watch Georgia (court monitoring), the First Amendment Lawyer Bridge (legal support network), The People's Process (community testimony gathering), and The People's Voice (public meeting access advocacy). SCHR also produces publications and toolkits including the Death Penalty & Intellectual Disability Legal Advocacy Toolkit and annual Human Rights Reports. The organization marked its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a brand refresh and redesigned website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Impact Litigation Unit Legal representation and class action litigation challenging unconstitutional criminal justice practices in Georgia, including bail, fines and fees, private probation, and jail and prison conditions. Provides direct representation and impact cases for individuals and classes impacted by wealth-based punishment.
• Capital Litigation Unit Direct representation for people facing the death penalty in Georgia and Alabama, including Supreme Court arguments, post-conviction proceedings, and challenges to racial discrimination in capital trials. Has argued and won five cases before the United States Supreme Court.
• Public Policy and Advocacy Legislative advocacy at the Georgia General Assembly focused on criminalization of poverty, death penalty reform, mass incarceration, and racial justice, including real-time bill tracking and coalition coordination through the Justice Reform Partnership.
• Private Probation Advocacy Litigation and policy advocacy against for-profit misdemeanor supervision companies in Georgia, exposing extortion practices and championing transparency and reform.
• Extreme Sentencing Campaign Campaign to secure release of people serving extremely long sentences for drug charges in Georgia; has freed over twenty people since 2015, including thirteen serving life without parole sentences.
• Justice Watch Georgia Court-watching initiative that equips volunteers with tools to monitor and understand court proceedings, produces policy recommendations on local arrest, diversion, and incarceration practices, and engages community members in justice reform.
• First Amendment Lawyer Bridge Rapid-response network that connects protestors, organizers, journalists, and movement groups with experienced First Amendment attorneys for legal support and representation; provided representation for 61 Stop Cop City protesters among other cases.
• The People's Process Community-led initiative gathering public testimony and demanding government accountability following the DOJ investigation into human rights abuses at Fulton County Jail, including assemblies, webinars, and a final report.
• The People's Voice Community engagement initiative protecting open and accessible public meetings, collecting stories of public comment experiences at Atlanta City Council, and advocating for the People's Voice Act legislation with a coalition of community partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 Supreme Court victories in death penalty cases
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• White & Case LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2026Law firm that entered into agreement with Georgia DBHDD alongside Georgia Advocacy Office and SCHR to reduce jail wait times for psychiatric evaluations and competency restoration.
• Caplan Cobb LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Law firm that joined the lawsuit on behalf of women detained at South Fulton Jail alongside SCHR and Georgia Advocacy Office. Partnered in litigation challenging conditions of confinement for women with serious mental illness.
• Georgia Advocacy OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership in litigation and advocacy including class action on jail conditions, competency restoration agreements, and mental health advocacy in Georgia.
• Mixte CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunications firm partnered with SCHR over the past year to listen to staff, partners, and community and develop the organization's refreshed brand identity for its 50th anniversary.
• Communities Over CagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of national and local organizations united in commitment to decarceration in Atlanta and fighting to end mass criminalization in Fulton County.
• Justice Reform PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective of over 90 diverse organizations and individuals from communities across Georgia working collaboratively to advance criminal justice reform at state and local levels.
• JUSTGeorgia CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition led by NAACP Georgia and SCHR forming mechanism to move local and statewide demands, direct national organizations, and strengthen social movements throughout Georgia.
• Barton Child Law & Advocacy Center at Emory UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization expert in child law policy that SCHR works with to ensure Georgia treats children appropriately in the criminal legal system.
• Deep Center in SavannahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that centers experiences of children when considering proposals and campaigns related to juvenile justice.
• Play Fair ATLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the People's Voice Act to protect open and accessible public meetings in Atlanta.
• Barred BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the People's Voice Act coalition for protecting public comment access.
• Black Futurist GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the People's Voice Act coalition.
• Central Outreach and Advocacy CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the People's Voice Act coalition.
• Legal Action CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the People's Voice Act coalition.
• NewLife-Second Chance Outreach, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the People's Voice Act coalition.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Founded by SCHR alumnus Bryan Stevenson, EJI provides direct capital defense representation, impact litigation, and policy advocacy challenging the death penalty and racial injustice in the Deep South. EJI operates a complementary geographic footprint (Alabama base) with significant alumni overlap from SCHR, making it the most directly comparable organization in mission, practice area, and donor base.
• ACLU of Georgia: ACLU of Georgia conducts impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and organizing on criminal legal system issues including bail reform, jail conditions, and First Amendment rights — directly overlapping SCHR's core practice areas within the same Georgia jurisdiction.
• Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center: MacArthur Justice Center operates offices across multiple states conducting impact litigation on criminal justice issues including conditions of confinement, police accountability, and sentencing reform. It is a direct peer of SCHR with comparable practice model and overlapping alumni (e.g., SCHR staff with MacArthur Justice Center legal fellowships).
• Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR): CCR is a national impact litigation and advocacy organization focused on civil liberties, including criminal justice, government accountability, and international human rights. It is a direct peer with comparable practice model, particularly in First Amendment and protest-related representation that mirrors SCHR's Lawyer Bridge initiative.
• Georgia Innocence Project: Georgia Innocence Project investigates and litigates wrongful conviction cases in Georgia, including SCHR-co-led matters like Johnny Gates. It is a direct peer focused on a narrower post-conviction/wrongful conviction niche within SCHR's broader criminal justice reform portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): SPLC is a large, established Southern civil rights organization engaged in impact litigation, policy advocacy, and education, including significant criminal justice reform work. It is a broader incumbent operating across many civil rights domains beyond SCHR's criminal-legal-system focus.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF): LDF is a national civil rights law firm that litigates death penalty cases, challenges racial discrimination in the criminal legal system, and conducts policy advocacy. It is a broader incumbent covering education, voting rights, and economic justice alongside SCHR's narrower criminal justice focus.
• Brennan Center for Justice: Brennan Center is a national law and policy institute that conducts research, litigation, and advocacy on criminal justice reform, voting rights, and democracy issues. It is a broader, primarily New York-based policy institution that complements SCHR's Southern ground-game litigation work.
• Vera Institute of Justice:

Others

• Justice Reform Partnership: Justice Reform Partnership is a Georgia-based coalition of 90+ organizations that SCHR co-convenes. It is not a direct competitor but a closely allied ecosystem participant through which SCHR coordinates collective advocacy; included here because it represents SCHR's most important coalition infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/southerncenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thesoutherncenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/southerncenterforhumanrights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/373562
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesoutherncenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles52 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southern Center for Human Rights