Justice Advisory Council [remote]

A majority of board members in attendance, meeting called to order at 8:33.

Justice Michael Hyman opens w/ 3questions to consider:
1. What are our priorities/goals
2. How to allocate resources
3. What needs to change since we’re “post-pandemic”

Minutes approved.

JAC Public Information Officer Laura Grossman begins with a reminder of the JAC mission: https://t.co/QlxilkGTLH

Grossman lists the ten pieces of legislation the Council will focus on the upcoming session. JAC Deputy Director Ali Abid said there hasn’t been much “pushback” on the proposed legislation. https://t.co/2LarQHQykG

Grossman discusses the $100M investment in the community for gun violence prevention and reduction, which includes 73 funded organizations. https://t.co/tic6nc41s4

Ray Robinson, Community Liaison in Englewood, presents on best practices on community engagement using the JAC model. It’s best to “talk with them” not “talk at them” when convening community in a “warm” and “welcome” place where they feel comfortable talking about trauma.

Robinson’s goal is to assess people’s experiences at every step interfacing with the criminal justice system, including when they’re stopped, at the police station, at the Cook County Jail, and with their public defender, helpful or not, in order to “chip away” at the problem.

Robinson says people are not offered assistance–like access to education and poverty reduction–for what drives them to the “steps of justice.”

People feel it’s a “caste system,” they feel “inferior” and “people in a position to make a change don’t understand their plight.”

Patrick Covington, also a community liaison, is now presenting on working within the Safety and Justice Model, now in its third year. He stresses the importance of educating people who interface with the criminal justice system about the Justice Advisory Council support systems.

Covington stresses the importance of talking solutions to, for example, someone getting arrested who doesn’t have an ID, or who is homeless, and isn’t released from jail because they have nowhere to go, instead of only talking about the problems.

Board member Edith Crigler comments on how appreciative she is to hear from the liaisons so the board can see the “racist, archaic, mean-spirited practices” in the criminal justice system.

Ray Robinson remarks that liaisons are essential to “chipping away” at the community’s distrust of the County. “It’s a slow process but I believe we can accomplish it if we…introduce the human element back into the equation…”

Justice Hyman closes the presentation: “[Y]ou educated us, enthused us, told us what we need to do…we’re so fortunate to have you two in the community…I can’t think of better people…We will be out there…We have to be seen, so we’re going to be doing that.”

Justice Hyman adjourns at 9:39.

This concludes the Justice Advisory Council meeting. The next meeting date was not provided.

For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org.