2026 WINNER

Hillary Blout

For the People

For The People advances prosecutor-initiated resentencing by providing training, technical assistance, and support to help reunite families and strengthen communities.

Hillary Blout is the Founder and CEO of For The People, the national nonprofit working with prosecutors to safely bring people home from prison—reuniting families and strengthening communities for generations to come.

In 2018, Hillary drafted and helped pass the nation’s first Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing (PIR) law, which allows prosecutors to revisit past sentences when continued incarceration is no longer in the interest of justice. Hillary’s career began as a prosecutor, handling violent crimes against women and children—an experience that continues to inform her nuanced approach to justice.

Since 2019, For The People has expanded nationwide: PIR has now been enacted in six states and secured a second chance at freedom for more than 1,000 people.

Hillary’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Fast Company, Essence, among others. She is a Galaxy Gives Fellow, a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation social entrepreneur, an Ashoka Fellow, and a member of the Council on Criminal Justice.