The Gibbons Fund — Our First Three Years

EJUSA launched the John J. Gibbons Fund in 2016 to honor the life and legacy of Judge John J. Gibbons, former Chief Judge of the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Gibbons was a tireless advocate who used his position to protect and expand civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights in our nation.… Continue reading The Gibbons Fund — Our First Three Years

Centering Trauma, Healing Communities

For generations, communities of color have experienced deep mistrust of police, resulting from years of institutional racism and violence. Only after the 2014 police murders of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Ezell Ford, all within a month of each other, did discussions of police violence and accountability become a part of the larger national conscience.… Continue reading Centering Trauma, Healing Communities

Exposing Trauma to Heal

Violence interventionist and Trauma to Trust participant Darren Miller (center) speaks about the impact of the program, and his experiences with law enforcement.

Over 500 police and community members have completed in EJUSA’s Trauma to Trust program. Click here to learn more and participate. Summer sunlight poured through tall windows into the community room of a historic Newark building this past June. Long tables formed something like a horseshoe, with chairs lining the outer perimeter. A large projection… Continue reading Exposing Trauma to Heal

For survivors of police torture, justice means education | Reimagining Justice This Month

Image: Darrell Cannon, an activist and survivor of Chicago police torture. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism. For survivors of torture, justice means education, WBEZ For survivors of police torture in Chicago, repair meant more than a financial settlement. It meant educating the city’s youth on the realities of… Continue reading For survivors of police torture, justice means education | Reimagining Justice This Month

Reimagining Justice for Survivors | Reimagining Justice This Month

This is a special edition of Reimagining Justice This Month. In conjunction with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, from April 7-13, we’re shining a light on stories about survivors of violence, and how they’ve responded to their experiences with trauma and healing.   Dealing with Trauma After A Mass Shooting — Over The Long Term, NPR… Continue reading Reimagining Justice for Survivors | Reimagining Justice This Month

Care, Dignity, and Respect: A Survivor’s Perspective

Lisa Good (right) is the founder of Urban Grief

Some people are born into a vocation—whether it’s teaching, making art, or training to be a physician. They know from an early age and pursue their goals with laser focus. For others a career path winds and shifts directions as life intrudes and uncovers opportunities that weren’t previously apparent. Lisa Good belongs in that latter… Continue reading Care, Dignity, and Respect: A Survivor’s Perspective

Newark PD memorandum has huge potential for transformation

EJUSA's Senior Strategist, Will Simpson (far left), actively works with communities, police officers, and local leadership to facilitate greater understanding between police and Newark residents.

Today, the Newark Police Department has adopted a policy to end practices that for too long prevented survivors of trauma — specifically survivors of color — from accessing the support and healing services they need.   Over the past 2 years, EJUSA Senior Strategist Will Simpson has facilitated the South Ward Public Safety Roundtable alongside our… Continue reading Newark PD memorandum has huge potential for transformation

From Trauma to Trust: Police and Community Collaborative Training

This spring, Equal Justice USA is continuing to lead an effort to facilitate healing and build trust between the community and police with a goal of better responses to trauma in the wake of violence. A team of facilitators will be leading trainings on trauma-informed responses to violence with the Newark Police Department and Newark… Continue reading From Trauma to Trust: Police and Community Collaborative Training

Reckoning With Violence | 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.   Reckoning with Violence, New York Times People convicted of violent crimes are too often overlooked in justice reform movements. If the ultimate goal is to end mass incarceration, though, we cannot… Continue reading Reckoning With Violence | Reimagining Justice This Month