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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-10-19 Community Realtions y„>UTH B4<:>. O irk'. F, „., dy wag PEACE; 1865 OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK KAREEMAH FOWLER, CITY CLERK COMMUNITY RELATIONS JUNE 10, 2019 4:50 P.M. Committee Members Present: Regina William-Preston, Gavin Ferlic, John Voorde, Jo M. Broden, Eli Cantu (citizen member) (late) Committee Members Absent: None Other Council Present: Jake Teshka, Karen White, Dr. Oliver Davis, Sharon L. McBride, Tim Scott Other Council Absent: None Others Present: Bianca Tirado, Graham Sparks, Bob Palmer Presenters: Regina Williams-Preston, Suzan Sharp, Cathy Streeter Agenda: Proposal Discussion of Restorative Justice Initiative Committee Chair Regina Williams-Preston called to order the Community Relations Committee meeting at 4:50 p.m. She introduced members of the Committee and proceeded with the meeting. Proposal Discussion of Restorative Justice Initiative Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston, 838 North Elmer Street,stated,We tried to be proactive and pass out the draft resolution. If you could pass that in, it did not copy double-sided, so it is missing half of the content. So, please pass those back and then we will pass these copies out (which are available in the City Clerk's Office). You should have the new one (1). So, about two (2)years ago,the Community Relations Committee brought together peace-keeping organizations from all over the community to talk about the work they were doing to address violence. At that time, part of what we found was that a lot of these organizations were already using restorative practices, but they had not been working together or anything in a coordinated manner. So, we have been working since that time with several community partners to do something that is more coordinated and sustainable throughout our community and begin being proactive to address these issues of violence.The concept is to reduce violence by building peace. What we know is we can't always depend on the Police for everything. In talking to our wonderful Chief, he talks about in- reach. The community needs to stand up and I think a lot of people really agree with that. By the time we call the Police, there is already harm that has been done. So, what can we be doing, as a City, to affirmatively begin building a peaceful community? She continued, A lot of this has to do with people learning those skills to resolve conflict without violence. Also, we need to build those supportive networks within our communities, our families, and our churches so that when something goes wrong, even if there is a gun around or present,we INTEGRITY' SERVICE'ACCESSIBILITY JENNIFER M.COFFMAN BIANCA L.TIRADO JOSEPH R.MOLNAR CHIEF DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 1227 W.Jefferson Blvd.I South Bend,Indiana 46601 I p 574.235.9221 I f 574.235.9173 I www.southbendin.gov SCITY OFSOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK don't choose to grab that in an impulsive moment that changes our lives. Maybe it ends another person's life. We need to have people we can go to, to work on those issues. So, this concept of building supportive relationships really hits many of our targets as the City of South Bend. Some are obvious. Reducing violence, school safety because it's done in partnership with South Bend Schools and people working on restorative practices there. Also, issues of mental health, reducing issues of people using drugs because often times that is a way we self-medicate because we have issues. Another thing that might not be thought of often is, as we move forward in economic development, in the interest of building diverse and inclusive neighborhoods, we can't just put people who are very different in that same space. By looking at systemic ways to bring people together in conversation to build relationships,we begin to learn to communicate across difference, so that when we have these diverse and inclusive neighborhoods, they are also peaceful communities where people don't have a lot of stress or strife.People begin to come together around where they are the same and they have less conflict around where they aren't. She went on, Borrowing the model we had when we did the Climate Change resolution, we have in front of you today, a draft of a resolution with a whole bunch of Whereas clauses to document the reasons we do this and what we are thinking of. Then the resolution is to really focus on how we can be intentional in creating these spaces and our presenters today are going to talk a little bit more about where they come from in terms of their expertise in this work. What their proposal is, first (1st), is a pilot to both gather more information and begin to do this work right away. Also, we want to use that as a springboard to build something systemic to do this work. Today I have two (2) amazing people and I will let them introduce themselves. They come to us, among other things, as members of the Restorative Justice Implementation Team through the South Bend Community Schools. Susan Sharp, 1504 East Colfax Avenue, stated, Thank you so much. I appreciate this invitation to be here. I am employed by the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame. My title is the Advisor on Restorative Justice. I've been working in restorative justice for about twenty- five (25) years. I began this work in Canada, and then in Seattle before moving to South Bend. In that time, I began as a community volunteer during victim offender mediations in criminal cases. That lead to consulting. I've worked with restorative justice programs and agencies in Canada, the US, and in South Africa. That lead to teaching restorative justice as a college instructor before coming here to Notre Dame eight(8) years ago. In the eight(8) years I've been here, I, of course, have been advocating for restorative justice because I so believe in the potential that it brings. I have been talking about this and with people who are interested. I've been encouraging restorative justice and I have been adamant that we should not just start a restorative justice program. It is so important to have a comprehensive approach. Many people understand restorative justice in terms of one (1) of its practices. Some people understand it as school discipline, alternative sentencing, or community building. It can be all of those things. She continued, What is important to understand is that it is an overarching approach. It is a commitment to the belief that when people in our community have been harmed, we should make it a priority to repair that harm, rather than let it fester and grow worse. It is also a commitment to when people have caused harm, we hold them accountable in a way that is meaningful. We insist they step into responsibility. Not just punish them and send them away, but we should hold them accountable in a way that increases their responsibility and their sense of connection to the community. Third (3rd), it's a commitment to the fact we all share responsibility for justice in our classrooms, neighborhoods and our community. That is why I have been working with people to EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235 9173 TTD574.235.5567 sww.southbendin.gov 2 CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK find a coordinated approach. This is not something that can stand alone in a silo. I've seen too many communities where a restorative justice program gets started and it struggles, and it lives on the margin and it dies due to the lack of stable support. I'm committed to the notion that, if we are going to do this in South Bend,we need to really do it well. So,what you have in front of you,this resolution lays out the connection between restorative justice and public safety. It talks a little bit about restorative justice as an evidence-based and trauma-informed approach. It suggests we have a vision for a coordinated approach that would be sustainable and supportable. We would like to start with a one (1) year pilot. Cathy Streeter, 20608 Johnson Road, stated, I am the Restorative Justice Coordinator at Jefferson Middle School. I'm the chair of the District team and the liaison for the District for restorative justice. This is a perfect example of a community partnership. I've been partnering with Susan, I've been partnering with IUSB and teaching as an adjunct there and managing restorative practice in my classroom. We have people in our District team from neighborhood centers. We have professors from Notre Dame and it is quite the group of partners. We've come together because of the community. All the seeds have been planted in the community that last eight(8) years and they are really coming to fruition. People are calling for this. We held an event at Robinson Community Center in January and we had forty (40) people come in a snow storm, including our Deputy Superintendent. We were all there to see how we can come together for the good of the children and how we could come together for the community as a whole because it's not just about children. It is about all people being in a good relationship. If you want to talk to me about school safety, I will talk to you about people that belong and know their sense of belonging. It is very hard to teach a child without a friend. So, the first (1St) level at the school of restorative justice is community building, good relationships and forming connections with each other. We've done the same thing in our District team. We've built relationships and have formed connections with each other. Nobody misses a meeting. They want to come and be in this type of relationship, as principals and District leaders, to talk about how to be better together and change the paradigm shift. She continued,But,it is counter-cultural. So,to do this kind of work,we have to have a community hub. It's not a program. When I started at Jefferson, it takes three (3) to five (5) years and this is only the second (2°d) year. It is so counter-cultural. It's not a program where you can just roll out a manual and say start Monday. It is something you have to do by building and developing relationships. So, we are very excited about this because this proposal has been called for by the community, asked for, and developed with a group of community members over several months since that January meeting. It rolled out of that. Weekly meetings have happened, and we ask for your support from the City to prevent violence. Ms. Sharp stated, The traction we've gained by working together in getting restorative justice implemented in schools,Cathy is the only full-time Restorative Justice Coordinator in the District, but there are several schools that are implementing the practices to the extent that they can. As we've done this work, the people in the schools have been very clear in saying that we've got to have this work done in concert with the community. As we meet with community members who are interested in supporting this,they are saying the same thing and saying we have to partner with the schools. As Cathy just said, the work in the schools, we've learned, needs to start with establishing a foundation. A community building foundation that teaches values, approaches, builds a sense of connection and invites people to think about what it means to be a just community. And, that has been very successful in the schools that are doing it. We need to echo that in the community, as well. So, that is where the pilot project gets involved. It is training community EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION ; EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f574.235.9173 111)574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 3 CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK members to do community building circles, much like what we've done in the schools, but for community members.We want to train those people and support them while they go out and extend that work in their neighborhoods. We hope it anchors the work in the community. Committee Chair Williams-Preston stated, Just to skip ahead, page four (4) talks more about the pilot and a suggested timeline. What we are asking the Council to do is support this with a resolution. What we will be working on is partnerships,not just with the City,but Notre Dame and the schools, to see how this can roll out. This is just a suggestion at this point in terms of what we hope it looks like. What it will also require is an appropriation, from Council, so we can get this started this fall. I think this is listed in here as well.We'll stop the presentation there to move along. Committeemember Eli Cantu arrived at the meeting at 5:05 p.m. Councilmember Karen White stated, Looking at the timeline, you and others will be asking that the Administration would appropriate dollars from the current budget,because the new budget we are working on is for 2020. So, you are looking for monies to come out of some source for the summer of 2019? Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, Yes, exactly. Councilmember White followed up,And that would be a one(1) time thing? Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, It would be a one (1) time thing for a year-long pilot program. As we roll that out, we are looking for support from Council Members but also for you to review it and give your ideas and thoughts.Then, as we are creating the budget,for the following year of course, we will be thinking about how we can put this in place. So, the pilot would be an opportunity to learn more about how this works and get additional feedback from community members and partners. As we do that, we also want to think about appropriating some money in the 2020 budget and how we can move that forward. Councilmember Dr. Oliver Davis clarified, So, following up on Councilmember White's question, there is the first (1st) need for this in 2019. So, would that be $60,000 from now until the end of the year? Committee Chair Williams-Preston stated, It is $142,000, September to September. Councilmember Dr. Davis followed up, So, parts of that will be on this year's budget and parts of that will be on next year's budget? Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, That is right. Councilmember Dr. Davis followed up, You see what I'm saying that would have to be that kind of concept. Committee Chair Williams-Preston stated, I've also had a conversation with Superintendent Dr. Cummings in terms of partnerships with the City and how something like this might fit into the School-City compact agreement. The school will also take on some of that financial responsibility for doing this work, as well. Again, it's all on the table to have these conversations. EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 1TD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 4 CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Councilmember Tim Scott stated, That was my number one (1) question. What role does the School Corporation play? I've been to a few of the public meetings last year and it didn't seem the schools were aware of or on board with what is going on. Have you had that ask? I'm talking about the School Board. Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, Actually, Stuart Greene is on the Restorative Justice Implementation Committee, so, he has been watching the process. I know the new School Board members and then Todd Cummings, I had a few conversations with him, he wants to support it. So, yeah, they are for it. Ms. Streeter stated,They are trained in restorative practices and they just attended the training that Susan and I held. It was a four(4) day training. Committee Chair Williams-Preston stated, So, there absolutely has been a commitment from the Corporation moving forward. This is what it is about. It is about coordinating efforts and working together. Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, I just want this to be clarified. What we are talking about here, this pilot program, goes beyond schools, right? Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, Oh, yeah. This is already happening in schools. Councilmember Sharon L. McBride asked, Is there a list of names for that Committee? Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, We can get that to you. We might be reaching out to additional partners. One (1) thing to note, too, is GVI is doing this work of restorative justice. Committeemember Eli Cantu stated, I think it would be appropriate. I worked at Jackson and we went through restorative training and if we all use the same format, and we maybe show that to the parents, it works well. That's why I support it. Committee Chair Williams-Preston then opened the floor to members of the public wishing to speak. Nicole McLoughlin, 2102 Bader Avenue, stated, I'm from Faith in St. Joseph County and we are a network of faith-based and community organizations who are working with the City,the County, the State and Federal government leaders to implement what we call a family's-first(1st) agenda. Basically, we are working across congregational lines to advance policy measures that increase opportunity for all and that work against mass-incarceration. We work to include people versus excluding people. So, I just wanted to speak in favor of the direction of this. I have looked it over and it looks fantastic. We do a lot of canvassing. We are out in the neighborhoods and are talking to people in neighborhoods throughout the City. What we are hearing is people in the neighborhoods want safe neighborhoods, but they also want a real solution that does not just segregate people and push them off to exclude them. We want to address the root causes like addiction, mental health issues and things like that. Restorative justice is part of our family's-first (1St)platform. So, we want to not only speak in favor of this but just offer ourselves to say we are here as a partner to work on the implementation of this proposal.I really liked the fact that churches EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY .I INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 5 CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK and religious groups are included in here. I think we are a site for conflict and resolving conflict, potentially. Thanks for that. Christina Brooks, Diversity and Inclusion Officer with offices located on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, stated, These are all things that our office is discussing and are actually putting forth some funding into next year's budget. Committee Chair Williams-Preston stated,Just another comment,too,the NRC was actually a part of this process, as well. They hosted a circle with neighborhood associations and sent their representatives to experience a circle. There was broad support and they want to do more of it. We've been out there connecting with people and this would be an opportunity to bring us together in a more structured way, moving forward. If there are any additional questions or comments, email them to me. We will be finalizing this and bringing it to you on June 24th Councilmember White asked, Who have you spoken with in the Administration, regarding funding? Appropriations for that would have to come through various departments. Committee Chair Williams-Preston replied, I've had general conversations with Alkeyna and also with James. But there have been general conversations. One (1) person I kept saying I was going to was Chief Ruszkowski. This is also about public safety, in my mind. So,what would that mean? With no further business, Committee Chair Williams-Preston adjourned the Community Relations Committee meeting at 5:15 p.m. Ressectfully Su it d, 1 II Regina `k ams-Preston, Committee Chair EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221'f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendingov 6