COMMON JUSTICE INC
540 ATLANTIC AVENUE 4TH FLOOR, BROOKLYN, NY 11217 www.commonjustice.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: COMMON JUSTICE DEVELOPS AND ADVANCES SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENT CRIME THAT TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THOSE HARMED AND FOSTER RACIAL EQUITY WITHOUT RELYING ON INCARCERATION. LOCALLY, WE OPERATE THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE-TO-INCARCERATION AND VICTIM SERVICE PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES THAT FOCUSES ON VIOLENT FELONIES IN THE ADULT COURTS. NATIONALLY, WE LEVERAGE THE LESSONS FROM OUR DIRECT SERVICE TO TRANSFORM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, ADVOCACY, AND ELEVATING THE EXPERIENCE AND POWER OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED. RIGOROUS AND HOPEFUL, WE BUILD PRACTICAL STRATEGIES TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR HARM, BREAK CYCLES OF VIOLENCE, AND SECURE SAFETY, HEALING AND JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.

COMMON JUSTICE DEVELOPS AND ADVANCES SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENCE THAT TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THOSE HARMED AND FOSTER RACIAL EQUITY WITHOUT RELYING ON INCARCERATION.

WE OPERATED A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE-BASED ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION AND VICTIM SERVICE PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED VIOLENT CRIME AND THOSE THEY HARM IN BROOKLYN AND THE BRONX. THE RAPID ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC FORCED US TO ADAPT OUR PROGRAM MODEL IN A WAY WE COULD CONTINUE ENGAGING PARTICIPANTS REMOTELY AND SUBSTANTIALLY. ALONGSIDE THIS REMOTE MODEL, WE LAUNCHED A STIPEND PROGRAM TO MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH THE ABILITY TO MANAGE ANY OBSTACLES TOWARDS MAINTAINING STABILITY, INCLUDING HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES, INCOME LOSS, AND FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY. IN ADDITION TO ADAPTING OUR WORK WITH RESPONSIBLE PARTIES, OUR TRAUMA SUPPORT TEAM HAS ESTABLISHED A WORKGROUP TO ADVANCE AND INCREASE SUPPORT FOR HARMED PARTIES AROUND ISSUES OF MENTAL HEALTH, FOOD INSECURITY, AND EVICTIONS. OUR OUTREACH TEAM, WITH SUPPORT OF INTERVENTION AND TRAUMA SUPPORT, WORKED TO ADAPT AND IMPLEMENT NEW PROCESSES FOR VIRTUAL RESTORATIVE CIRCLES. THE ADAPTATIONS THE PROGRAM HAS UNDERTAKEN DURING THIS PERIOD HAVE BEEN FAR-REACHING AND MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WE ANTICIPATED. WE HAVE NOT LOST CONTACT WITH A SINGLE PARTICIPANT AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TOWARDS MAINTAINING FOOD AND HOUSING SECURITY.

ALONGSIDE OUR WORK ON THE GROUND, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW OUR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION EFFORTS TO SHIFT THE NARRATIVE AROUND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, INCARCERATION, AND THE VIOLENCE THAT PEOPLE SURVIVE. OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANIELLE SERED'S BOOK, UNTIL WE RECKON, IS EXPANDING THE NARRATIVE REACH OF OUR WORK: DANIELLE HAS BEEN INTERVIEWED ON DEMOCRACY NOW, THE BRIAN LEHRER SHOW, POD SAVE THE PEOPLE, ON THE MEDIA, DECARCERATION NATION, THE ACLU AT LIBERTY PODCAST, AND THE DECARCERATED PODCAST, AMONG OTHERS. DANIELLE WAS ALSO AWARDED THE RESEARCH/JOURNALISM AWARD FOR 2019 BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FOR THE SEMINAL QUALITY OF HER BOOK AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FIELD AND WAS A FINALIST FOR THE GODDARD RIVERSIDE BOOK AWARD. MOST RECENTLY, IT WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF FIVE BOOKS FOR THE ART FOR JUSTICE AND NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION'S LITERATURE FOR JUSTICE SERIES, WHICH SHOULD EXPAND THE REACH OF THE BOOK SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR. BUILDING ON THESE EARLY STAGES, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS AND THE WORK GREW RAPIDLY. COMMON JUSTICE PARTICIPATED IN YOUTUBE'S SOCIAL IMPACT LAB FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. WE UTILIZED YOUTUBE'S NEW YORK PRODUCTION STUDIO AND ARE THRILLED TO BUILD THIS PARTNERSHIP TO ELEVATE THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS AND SHIFT THE NARRATIVE AROUND VIOLENCE.

TO ENSURE OUR LOCAL WORK WITH SURVIVORS SERVES AS A CATALYST FOR BROADER REFORM, WE OPERATED A NATIONAL MOVEMENT-BUILDING PROJECT, UNITED FOR HEALING EQUITY, THAT WORKS TO ENSURE HEALING EQUITY FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. UNITED FOR HEALING EQUITY GREW ITS WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS FOR COLLABORATIVE MEMBERS IN NYC AND NATIONALLY. THIS YEAR, UHE STAFF CONDUCTED 17 TRAININGS FOR ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY TO GROUPS RANGING FROM SAFE HORIZON TO MAN UP! TO NEIGHBORS IN ACTION. THESE TRAININGS INCLUDED A HANDS-ON APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE TRAUMA-INFORMED STRATEGIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR, INCLUDING A FOCUS ON TRAUMA-PSYCHOEDUCATION, TRAUMA IN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, AND CREATING COMMUNITIES OF HEALING. WE ARE ALSO IN THE EARLY PILOT PHASES OF TESTING THE HEALING FROM COMMUNITY VIOLENCE SCALE. THE UHE TEAM HAS BEEN DEVELOPING THIS SCALE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES ENGAGED IN HEALING WORK - FROM VARIOUS SETTINGS, APPROACHES, NEIGHBORHOODS, HISTORIES, VISIONS, AND EXPERIENCES OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE AND HEALING IN THE AFTERMATH.

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