Scott Hechinger speaking on stage

Scott Hechinger

@scotthechinger

Public defender for nearly a decade. Founder and Director of Zealous. Working around the country with defenders, organizers, and people who have lived the system to change how America talks about justice.

Voting open through October 29

Four of our projects are 2026 Anthem Awards finalists. One tap helps them win.

Two ballots, one vote on each. Pick a project, tap Celebrate, then click the confirmation email Anthem sends you. That last step is what makes it count.

Campaign ballotLet Her Go Home · Defend Mississippi Content & Media ballotPower of Free · Starved for Care

The finalists

Tap a post to see the work
Collage of photos and home video stills from women who were jailed before trial Finalist Let Her Go HomeFiona Apple's "Pretrial," built from thousands of home videos Map of Mississippi centered on Jackson Finalist Defend Mississippi100+ organizations for fully resourced public defense The Power of Free site: two illustrated women on a phone call joined by an orange cord Finalist Power of FreeThe fight to make prison and jail calls free Illustrated portraits of people who died in U.S. jails Finalist Starved for CarePeople who died of starvation and dehydration in jail

More of my work

With Zealous and partners around the country

Interactive & campaigns

Felony Murder Reporting Project Felony Murder Reporting ProjectAn interactive hub mapping 10,000+ felony murder cases The Alabama Solution The Alabama SolutionThe investigation behind the Oscar-nominated film Decriminalize Poverty Decriminalize PovertyA scrollytelling archive on the criminalization of poverty in Tennessee Drug Test Innocence Drug Test InnocenceAn interactive story and live map of faulty field drug tests Flashlights: Jailhouse Lawyers Flashlights: Jailhouse LawyersAn immersive history of jailhouse lawyers Advocacy Through Walls Advocacy Through WallsAn open guide for advocates working with incarcerated people Still in Prison Still in PrisonThe campaign to free people convicted by Oregon's non-unanimous juries Court Watch Court WatchThe digital home for courtwatching Texas Freedom Stories Texas Freedom StoriesPlace-based stories of pretrial freedom in Texas Gathering for Freedom Gathering for FreedomA national gathering and televised conversation, with John Legend Need to Talk Need to TalkBillboards carrying families' words to loved ones in jail For the Sixth For the SixthSustainable pay for public defenders in New Orleans End Torture Now End Torture NowThe campaign against long-term solitary confinement

Digital archives

Silenced SilencedLetters, poems, and art from people in solitary confinement in Michigan Shedding Light Shedding LightPhone calls from people held pretrial in Texas This Is Defense This Is DefenseVideo stories from public defenders End the Exception End the ExceptionLetters from people forced to work in prison

Film & video

Still in Prison Still in PrisonA film series on the people Oregon's jury law left behind 132 Calls 132 CallsA three-part animated series on pretrial detention The Court Watchers The Court WatchersA graphic-novel film scored by Fiona Apple, narrated by Jesse Williams Nilda's Story Nilda's StoryA music video paired with one woman's story We Have Rights We Have RightsA five-part know-your-rights series for ICE encounters, in seven languages The Faces of Bail Reform The Faces of Bail ReformA short film on what bail reform means for real people This Is Freedom This Is FreedomA documentary on what freedom looks like after pretrial release Beyond the Now Beyond the NowA justice explainer series with Teen Vogue Clarence and Clara Clarence and ClaraShort film Hear Us Hear UsShort film In the Dark In the DarkShort film Power of Prosecutors Power of ProsecutorsShort film In Louisiana In LouisianaShort film

Brand & identity

Harris County Public Defender Harris County Public DefenderA full rebuild of the office's identity and website Govern for America Govern for AmericaBrand and website for a public-service pipeline Incarcerated Writers Bureau Incarcerated Writers BureauIdentity and platform for PEN America's incarcerated writers