Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism.
This month, we have a special digest to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This month’s stories focus on crime survivors, their needs in the wake of violence, and challenges facing communities to address those needs.
Christie’s neglect leaves crime victims without help, The Star-Ledger
Only 1/3 of the money that New Jersey is supposed to spend on crime victims actually reaches them. That is devastating for groups who are providing healing services in the most marginalized areas of their communities, addressing unmet needs, specifically in in neighborhoods of color. Through our Police/Community Initiative, EJUSA’s Fatimah Loren Muhammad is working with crime survivors and police in Newark and beyond to reimagine a system in which survivors get what they need in the wake of harm.
PTSD in black women needs attention, study of South Side group says, Chicago Tribune
After her 19-year-old daughter was murdered, all this mother could do was cry. She lost pounds in a matter of weeks. Her sister took her to see a doctor, and she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She is one example of a larger issue of black women in underserved communities living with PTSD, a study found.
Parents of slain Hurst Putt-Putt manager seek to halt killer’s execution, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jonas Cherry’s parents are calling on Texas to halt the execution of Paul Storey, the man on death row for Jonas’s murder. They say the death penalty will not bring them comfort or closure, and they don’t want another family to suffer the loss of a child.
Crime victims like Timothy Caughman deserve more respect from reporters, Columbia Journalism Review
News coverage of the New York City murder of Timothy Caught used very disturbing, blame-the-black-victim rhetoric. This is all too familiar for crime survivors of color, particularly boys and men of color, who are often not seen as survivors in need of support and healing. If we have any hope of having productive, trauma-informed responses to violence, blaming the victim in the media needs to stop.
Chicago Trauma: Counting Broken Bodies, But Not Broken Spirits, NBC News
While there are numerous ways that we count those who have died, reports rarely name those who are co-survivors of homicide. One local grassroots organization, Chicago Survivors, is taking on increased visibility and advocacy for crime survivors in Chicago and beyond.
‘Post-traumatic growth’: Researchers look at resilience and victims of violent crime, Ottowa Sun
Researchers are studying survivors of violent crimes and families who have lost loved one to homicide. They are examining various interactions with the criminal justice system and social services, hoping to find what can be done to help victims of violence and improve training for those who work with victims.
