Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants

What Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants does

Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a grassroots 501(c)(3) criminal justice reform advocacy organization. Founded in 1972 in San Antonio, Texas by Charlie Sullivan and Pauline Sullivan, the organization became a national entity in 1985 and now coordinates federal-level advocacy from its Washington, DC headquarters. It serves families of incarcerated individuals, formerly incarcerated persons, and criminal justice reform allies, providing information, advocacy tools, and community organizing resources aimed at reducing incarceration, eliminating mandatory minimums and solitary confinement, and promoting rehabilitation-focused sentencing and fair release processes.

CURE does not develop or sell technology products. Its core offering is membership-based access to position papers, advocacy resources, and a federated chapter network spanning 22+ U.S. state chapters (across states from Alabama to Oregon) plus special-issue chapters including CURE-SORT for sex-offender registry reform, juvenile justice, and drug-law reform. International CURE extends this model through affiliates in at least eight African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda) and holds consultative status with the United Nations. The organization operates with a lean national staff of approximately 10 and is volunteer-driven at the chapter level.

CURE's business model is funded through membership dues and contributions, including stamps sent by incarcerated individuals where cash is not permitted. Members are acquired through grassroots referrals, faith-based outreach grounded in Matthew 25, word-of-mouth, and the organization's website at curenational.org. Documented strategic partnerships include Maryland CURE's collaborations with bipartisan organizations on second-chance policy advocacy. Notable historical legislative wins include Pauline Sullivan's passage of WIC nutrition access for pregnant incarcerated mothers and legislation permitting mothers to serve time with their small children.

Name

Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants

Legal name

Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants

Website

https://curenational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a grassroots 501(c)(3) criminal justice reform advocacy organization founded in 1972. It serves families of incarcerated individuals, formerly incarcerated persons, and reform allies through a federated network of state, special-issue, and international chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAFAI

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGADAM

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAIAFAE

Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYBPAKANAH

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management)

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Corrections, Detention & Prisoner Transport Services

SECONDARYBPAIAFAF

Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

Keywords

• Criminal justice reform
• Prison advocacy
• Sentencing reform
• Prison conditions
• Reentry support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CURE is primarily funded through membership dues paid by individuals, including prisoners who contribute stamps instead of cash when permitted by the prison system. This is the core revenue stream supporting the organization's advocacy operations.
2. Contributions and Donations: The organization accepts voluntary contributions from supporters. Incarcerated individuals often send stamps instead of cash, demonstrating their commitment to the organization. Donations from family members, advocates, and the general public supplement membership revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a grassroots criminal justice reform advocacy organization. It provides members with information and tools to understand the criminal justice system, organizes them through a federation of volunteer-led state and special-issue chapters, and advocates for policies such as alternatives to incarceration, humane prison conditions, rehabilitation-focused sentencing, elimination of mandatory minimums and solitary confinement, and fair release and reentry processes.

Product overview

Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a grassroots criminal justice reform advocacy organization, not a technology product company. CURE operates as a membership-based organization that provides advocacy tools, position papers, and chapter coordination services for criminal justice reform. It does not offer software products, platforms, or technology-based services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CURE Membership

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bipartisan OrganizationsminorOthersMaryland CURE partners with bipartisan organizations that share similar perspectives on criminal justice reform, particularly regarding second chances for incarcerated individuals. These partnerships are described as collaborative relationships supporting shared policy goals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Marshall Project: The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization covering the US criminal justice system and influencing reform discourse. It is comparable to CURE as a criminal justice reform voice, though its primary modality is journalism rather than direct advocacy.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: NAACP Legal Defense Fund litigates and advocates for racial justice within the criminal legal system, aligning with CURE's emphasis on disproportionate incarceration of people of color. Comparable as a reform advocacy organization, though it operates via litigation rather than grassroots chapters.
• Council on Criminal Justice: The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan policy center advancing criminal justice reform through research and consensus-driven recommendations. Comparable to CURE's reform mission and federal/state policy engagement, though it operates with institutional rather than grassroots funding.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Vera is a long-standing criminal justice reform organization working on sentencing, incarceration conditions, and reentry. It is comparable to CURE in mission but operates with significantly larger institutional capacity and a research-and-pilots delivery model.
• Prison Policy Initiative: Prison Policy Initiative produces research and advocacy on mass incarceration, prison conditions, and criminal justice data. It is directly comparable to CURE's reform agenda and grassroots-oriented advocacy positioning.
• Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM): FAMM is a national advocacy organization focused on reforming mandatory minimum sentencing laws, directly engaging families of incarcerated individuals. It mirrors CURE's family-led advocacy model and criminal justice reform policy agenda.
• JustLeadershipUSA: JustLeadershipUSA is a national organization led by directly impacted people working to cut the US prison population in half. It is closely comparable to CURE in its lived-experience leadership model and reentry/rehabilitation focus.
• The Sentencing Project: The Sentencing Project is a national nonprofit that researches and advocates against excessive incarceration, mandatory minimums, and for rehabilitation-focused sentencing. It is directly comparable to CURE's mission and policy priorities and serves a similar advocacy audience.

Broad incumbents

• Brennan Center for Justice: The Brennan Center conducts research and advocacy on criminal justice policy, voting rights, and democracy. It overlaps with CURE on criminal justice reform advocacy but operates at significantly larger scale and with a broader portfolio.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): The ACLU runs one of the largest US criminal justice reform advocacy programs alongside broader civil liberties work. It is comparable to CURE as a US-based advocacy organization pushing policy reform, though its scope, budget, and institutional capacity are far larger.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citizens-united-for-the-rehabilitation-of-errants

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants