Transforming how it delivers civic education, The Restorative CommUnity Coalition has created and produced the new iChange Justice series.
This captivating series began Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021 at high-noon, and airs weekly on KPNW-DB.org covering Whatcom County, WA. Past episodes will also be available from Spotify, iTunes and at www.therestorativecommunitycoalition.org.
Joy Gilfilen, President of the Coalition says, “This podcast series is focused on “shop talk about the business of justice” and is the start of new civic literacy outreach. The RCC will expand our programs by hosting community engagement Zoom meetings and producing webinar style training about the civic blind spots we’ve found in the administration of justice. We’ve also found gaps inside our public health and wellness systems; and are producing regenerative economic programs to help citizens adapt and pick up the pieces (following a call for help that went awry).
“The RCC’s motto, ‘ReClaiming Lives and ReForming Justice since 2006,’ is what the Restorative CommUnity Coalition does historically; advocating for humane solutions to crisis events. Reinforced by our research, depth of knowledge and experience we are continually building responsive, cost effective programs with improved outcomes for clients. We have learned up close and personal that “an ounce of listening and compassion is worth a pound of punishment.”
The Restorative CommUnity Coalition (RCC) was founded as the Whatcom County ReEntry Coalition in 2006 and was the first such organization in WA State. As a 501 C3 non-profit located in Bellingham, WA, the goal originally was reentry; to help those released from prison get back on their feet, find housing and secure employment.
Over 15 years we have learned that while we continue this work, there is far more local work to be done in stopping recidivism before it starts: at the point of a 911 crisis call. There are serious systemic flaws in incident response, emergency management, pre-arrest and investigation systems; as well as in the fields of prevention, early childhood education, abuse and addiction intervention, and mental health.
Each of these gaps converge into marketing funnels for expanding the jail and justice systems. These business funnels can only be reversed by local social, economic and civic interception and involvement. The iChangeJustice podcast examines these soul-searching topics and how they affect society, the personal lives of family and friends as well as those harmed by a crisis action or event.
The RCC has been instrumental in the public education process that has helped taxpayers defeat both the 2015 and 2017 jail building/tax initiatives by publishing documents such as Stop Punishing Taxpayers, Start Rebuilding Community Report; Noble Cause Corruption; Blindspots- Unexpected Findings from Jail Trauma Research, and No Bigger Jail; Invest in People, not Failurehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVzOXzxzwQc&t=65s. Our most recent broadcast was WhatcomCounty98225: Civic Blindspots.
Contact:
The Restorative CommUnity Coalition
www.theRestorativeCommUnity.org
PO BOX 31026
Bellingham, WA 98228
360-354-3653
info@theRestorativeCommunity.org
Episode 2 – Why does it matter?Why on earth would we want to expose the ‘justice system’ inconsistencies? Why risk our individual freedoms and reputations?Why are we willing to step out and speak up about sensitive information which can ignite so many perceptions?What difference does it make if we do or don’t speak up about the injustices with the system?There are many layers of the effects the system has on families, communities and even as a country or world! Recidivism is real, it is continuing to grow and yet it is correctable through evidence based practices which is our hope to implement directly into the system.Using our times of trauma, restoration and education to speak up for the millions of others who are frozen with fear, fear of condemnation by a system that rules with power and fear. Let’s work together to drop the false beliefs and learn to do things differently.Join us as we speak our truth and put it out into the universe so the power can then be shifted and put back into the hands of a healed and healthy system. Humanity is alive and we owe our next generations the knowledge and empowerment to continue to grow closer through our differences.
Episode 1 – This first episode engages discussion among four women, long-time Coalition volunteers, working with people involved in the justice system. They speak about lived experiences since one is recovering from incarceration, another works with disabilities and mental health as a family member and social worker.