A Message to Our Community

A Message to Our Community from the LCJP Staff

LCJP stands against senseless killing, violence, racism, sexism, and all discriminatory acts that lead to irreparable harm. LCJP respects the value of human life no matter how it is dressed: dark skinned, encased in a vest, aged or youthful. We continue to use the opportunity that Restorative Justice provides to bring together people of diverse backgrounds, identities and beliefs to challenge the assumptions and stereotypes that divide communities.

At LCJP, accountability, respect, and empathy are paramount. We facilitate restorative processes that ask every person to voice their truth, with the belief that we can sit in the discomfort of differing perspectives while still upholding accountability and repairing harm. Through dialogue and equal voice, we support radical realization that individually and collectively, we each have a part to play to move towards reparation. We are invested advocates and facilitators of community dialogue, because through our work, we witness how dialogue directly impacts polarizing beliefs based on assumptions fueled by bias. We trust that these dialogues contribute to gradual, sustained change, which leads to greater understanding, respect, and ultimately, accountability by all. 

The LCJP staff and board recognizes that we have been granted a great privilege in the form of trust offered to us by community members and law enforcement. The police officers who choose to send cases to Restorative Justice contribute to making this alternative to the Criminal Justice System a credible, evidence-based reality. We acknowledge that as an agency, there is more we can do with our privilege in order to better serve all our stakeholders. To do better, we will continue to listen. And we will take responsibility, a guiding principle for Restorative Justice, for the action steps below.

LCJP ACTION STEPS

Internally at LCJP:

  • As a staff, we will begin a scaffolded curriculum for anti-racist work next week. This will help inform a critical review of our policies and services, as well as our ongoing commitment to bring implicit bias to light through our trainings and actions. 

  • We are invested in our roles as facilitators of genuine dialogue to bring people, who may otherwise be polarized, to a common ground. As a responsive community-serving agency, we invite all stakeholders, including police officers and community members, to communicate with us about what your hopes are for community dialogue that promotes respect and responsibility. Please send any such requests to an LCJP staff member or kathleen@lcjp.org.

Community Engagement:

  • We invite you to get involved in community dialogue at the upcoming Race Relation Reconciliation Event, June 19-21 in Longmont.

  • We commit to integrating more education about implicit bias and anti-racism into our volunteer training. Upon completion of the scaffolded anti-racist curriculum mentioned above, staff will design opportunities for LCJP volunteers to participate in this curriculum as well.

  • In accordance with the new Safer at Home policy, LCJP staff will return to police briefings to continue our work with Public Safety by encouraging RJ referrals during this challenging time.

  • We are already in communication with city leadership, including city council and police command staff, about the importance of Restorative Justice in strengthening community-police relations. We are available as facilitators of restorative community dialogue.

  • We will make available, through our blog and social media, anti-racism resources and active steps you can take to engage in education and awareness.

Shalene Onyango