JustUs

JustUs, the film and the movement, was created by Cedric B. Theus and Maya Ben-Shahar to highlight the grassroots efforts of prisoners, ex-prisoners and activists in reforming the criminal justice system and ending the racial disparity in sending African Americans to prison. It began as a pitch that prisoner Cedric B. Theus typed up and mailed to his friend and then-student-activist, Maya Ben-Shahar. Ced and Maya had first corresponded through a pen pal program, and after several years of writing, emailing and calling, they had developed a deep respect for one another’s voices.