Category: Emma done

Accepting responsibility for racial oppression | Reimagining Justice This Month

Reimagining Justice This Month is a monthly digest that highlights communities that are organizing for effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism.

“Georgia police chief to apologize for department’s role in 1940 lynching,” CBS News
One of the recommendations to come out of EJUSA’s Police/Community Initiative in Newark, NJ is for the police department to publicly recognize its historical involvement in the oppression of communities of color. This type of accountability for historical trauma is a necessary step toward healing and building safer communities that can prevent violence. Here’s a video of a Police Chief who is accepting that accountability.

“The Walking One Stop: Door to Door Victim Services,” HealingWorks
This amazing group in Miami is taking to extreme the idea of “finding people where they are” – and it’s working! Once every couple of weeks, they take to the streets to provide healing services in the most marginalized areas of their community, addressing unmet needs, specifically in in neighborhoods of color. EJUSA’s Latrina Kelly-James and Christine Henderson are working with The Walking One Stop to amplify voices of those calling for change and supporting this important local work.Continue reading

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Faith leaders support new trial in case of juror exclusion

Over 500 pastors recently released a letter calling for a new trial for Texas death row inmate Chris Young. The letter urges Texas officials to award Young a new trial because of the exclusion of a potential juror in his original death penalty case.

Young and his attorneys argue that the prospective juror was improperly struck from the jury because of her religious affiliation and her involvement in her church. They argue that striking a potential juror for that reason is a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution.

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157 – an update from CCATDP

Late last month, after serving several years on Delaware’s death row, Isaiah McCoy was released and acquitted of the murder for which he was originally convicted. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, and the testimonies that were used against him were inconsistent. Despite this, McCoy was sentenced to die, but after receiving a new trial, he was acquitted of murder. Upon hearing the news, McCoy wept and said that he plans on spending the coming days with his daughters. McCoy is the 157th person to be released from death row due to a wrongful conviction.

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Reimagining Justice This Month | Feb 2017

Our current criminal justice system harms millions of people – from crime survivors to the justice-involved and their families.

Reimagining Justice This Month highlights communities that are organizing for effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism.

“When Killer and Victim’s Mother Meet, Paths From Grief, Fear and Guilt Emerge,” The New York Times
A restorative justice program in Kansas brings together people whose lives are inextricably linked violence and death. Through “victim-offender dialogues,” those who commit harm come face-to-face with those who were harmed.

“Gun Violence Should Be Treated As A Public Health Crisis, Study Says,” NPR
The study helps show that “there must be a more coordinated approach to drive gun violence down, one that treats it as a public health epidemic and not just a policing problem.”Continue reading

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Funding available for groups serving survivors in Florida

Florida has opened an application process for organizations to apply for funds (pdf)  through the Federal Victims Of Crime Act (VOCA). If you are an organization in Florida that works with crime survivors, you may be eligible to apply through this RFP process.

Through our VOCA Funding Toolkit, and assistance from our Grassroots Capacity Building Specialist, EJUSA can help groups determine if they are eligible, answer questions about the process, and provide some support for your group’s application. Please contact Latrina Kelly-James at latrinakj@ejusa.org or (203) 823-5826 or download the toolkit here.

Full information about Pennsylvania RFP process:
http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MNOS-AGVJ42/$file/VOCANoticeofAvailability.pdf

Note: the deadline is fast approaching February 24, 2017. Organizations must register in Florida’s E-Grants system in order to access the RFP.

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Spring 2017 Police/Community Initiative on Trauma-Informed Responses to Violence – Newark, NJ

EJUSA is excited to be launching a second round of trainings in Newark, NJ to increase the capacity for police and the community to build mutual understanding of the other’s trauma and respond to trauma in the wake of violence. This spring, a team of facilitators will be leading trainings on trauma-informed responses to violence with the Newark Police Department and Newark community members: “Police/Community Initiative on Trauma-Informed Responses to Violence”

Read about our first series of trainings in Fall 2016 here.

The goal of this training is to understand the symptoms of community trauma and vicarious trauma as well as build necessary skills to address and problem-solve when trauma arises. These trainings will focus on community/police partnerships, and each group training will consist of the following:

  • 3 weekly sessions, 4 hours each* at Liberating Word Ministries, 126 Mt Pleasant Ave, North Newark, NJ 07104.
  • Participants will include 15-20 police officers and 15-20 community members.
  • Learn about trauma symptoms, ACES, historical trauma, and the cycle of violence.
  • Hands-on skills-building and problem solving activities that will be customized for trainees on the front lines addressing violence and trauma.
  • A focus on addressing special populations, including boys/men of color, LGBT communities, girls and women, etc.

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Newark event – Talk Back: Police/Community Trauma Trainings In Action

Join us for a Community Talk Back about the recent trauma trainings for Newark Police and Community.

Talk Back: Police/Community Trauma Trainings In Action
Wednesday, January 25th
5:30pm – 8:30pm
Refreshments at 5:30, prompt start at 6pm.
Located at the HUBB 135 Prince St., Newark between Court and W Kinney Streets (Lower Level)

Over 150 Newark residents, community leaders, and police officers participated in trainings to learn tactics that help both community and police break cycles of trauma and address the needs of survivors. Join us at the talk back to learn how the trauma trainings are impacting Newark and take action to break cycles of violence and trauma in the community.
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I’ve heard from so many people

My first year and a half at EJUSA has been incredibly rewarding. I’m so grateful to be part of a team of such caring people who fight so hard and so courageously to advance justice in our nation.

And I’m so grateful to you, our true partners in justice, who fight right alongside us and make everything we do possible. I marvel at how many of you have been with us for years, even decades!

Will you continue to fight with us? Please give a tax-deductible gift to EJUSA before December 31, and your donation will be matched.

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Here’s the plan

Working for justice is hard. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. You know that because you’ve been in the trenches with EJUSA for more than two decades.

But we always go on because we feel strongly and passionately that we must change the conversation about violence – its causes and solutions. And today, we are at an important tipping point moment to do just that.

Help EJUSA change the conversation about violence with a tax-deductible donation today. Together, we will tip the scales toward justice.

New national attention to mass incarceration and racial inequities in the justice system has created an unprecedented opportunity. Leaders on all ends of the political spectrum are paying attention, and pressure is mounting for change.

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Texas’ declining death penalty – An update from CCATDP

The death penalty remains in steep decline across the United States, and a recently released report (PDF) illustrates how capital punishment is falling out of favor even in Texas. According to the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, this year the Lone Star State sentenced the fewest number of people to die since 1976. Furthermore, Texas has executed seven people in 2016, which represents a 20-year low. This is incredibly encouraging and demonstrates the hard work of many people in Texas. It also underscores what we’ve known for years: the death penalty is dying.

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