Community-driven, trauma-informed solutions to public safety | Reimagining Justice This Month

Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism.

Race, History, Policing: A New Vision of Public Safety Conference, National Network for Safe Communities
This video features EJUSA’s Trauma Advocacy Program Director Fatimah Loren Muhammad on a panel talking about community-driven, trauma-informed solutions to public safety. The biennial conference brought together over 300 public safety stakeholders, national organizations, academics, and community groups to talk about advancements in the field.

Blueprint for a New NewarkThe New York Times
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Newark Rebellion, in which the police killing of a black cab driver ignited a city to fight for freedom from oppression and divestment. In this op-ed piece, Ryan Haygood, President of the NJ Institute for Social Justice and a collaborator of EJUSA, highlights this historical trauma and opportunities to create new police/community relationships today. EJUSA is proud to support the Newark community in forging these new relationships.

When Police Fail to Solve Homicides, Families Carry the WeightThe Trace
Parents and loved ones of murder victims in cases that go unsolved suffer the unbearable pain of loss and the unknown. EJUSA has provided technical support to Mothers of Murdered Children Detroit, which has a special project to help solve cold cases in the community.

Victim families use their pain to help murderers changeThe Californian
A powerful program in California, where people who have lost loved ones to murder meet with men who have taken a life, all in the hopes of finding healing and reconciliation.

Neither Justice nor Treatment, Physicians for Human Rights: PHR Library
A new report shows that drug courts often prioritize punishment over healing, and they often fail medical standards for treatment.

New program aims to end cycle of violenceThe Columbus Dispatch
In Columbus, Ohio, social workers will be on the streets to help address the trauma caused by homicides and other violent acts. “To have a trauma-informed lens means you’re asking what happened to a person instead of just accusing them of doing the wrong thing.”

Inside the Algorithm That Tries to Predict Gun Violence in ChicagoThe New York Times
The biggest risk factor for violence is exposure to violence as a victim. This is more proof that violence spreads and that responses to it need to prioritize public health approaches to prevention and healing.

Benny and Jorge and the quest for peace in Little VillageThe Chicago Tribune
How two former gang members are trying to keep the peace in their small neighborhood in Chicago.


Fatimah Lorén Muhammad

Fatimah Loren Muhammad served as EJUSA's Deputy Director until December 2018.