Our Story

Founded in 2020, Nebraskans for Prison Reform (NFPR) is an organization focused on finding common sense solutions for Nebraska’s overcrowding and oversentencing crisis. Our work is based on our Agenda For Change, a document designed to help reduce Nebraska's prison population by 50% in the next ten years, written by our currently incarcerated members. We believe no one is better placed to fix the problem than those who have lived it for multiple decades, and the involvement of these individuals is key to both our core values and our success.

Our Work

Since our inception, we have partnered with both national and local organizations to move toward a Better Nebraska. Working closely with organizations such as The Sentencing Project, FAMM, Reform Alliance, ACLU Nebraska, RAN, and many more, we continue to build national and local-level coalitions to share knowledge, expertise, and best practice in achieving a system that works for the public, the taxpayer and those incarcerated.

Our work so far includes introducing bills in the legislature, public education with nationally renowned speakers and local activists, providing resources to assist grassroots efforts in the state, and much more. All of our resources can be found on our Resources page.

Agenda in Action

We saw our Agenda in action during the 2021 and 2022 Nebraska legislative sessions. LB 624 (2021), written by our incarcerated members and introduced by Senator McCollister, sought to grant ‘earned time credit’ (reduction in served time) to incarcerated persons who participated in pro-social and rehabilitative activities. We further worked with The Circle of Concerned Lifers organization at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and Senator McKinney on LB 980 (2022) which would offer those with life sentences parole eligibility after serving 25 years.

In the 2025 session, Senator Holdcroft has introduced LB215 which includes provisions on both second look and clean slate.

We believe in Nebraska, its people, and what its systems could be. We are tired of our elected officials allowing us to become a national laughing stock in criminal justice, wasting taxpayer money, and putting the public in danger in the process. It’s time for change, and we need solutions - not excuses.

Who We Are