29 Apr 2016

Thank you for attending the Spring Forum!

Awardees Spring Forum

Sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago – Jane Addams College of Social Work, and in partnership with Acclivus, Inc., Girls Like Me, and Traffick Free, ALSO co-hosted the “Transforming Justice: Mobilizing Incarcerated Mothers and Young Women through Community Action” forum on April 12, 2016. This forum was an extension of the November 12, 2015 community dialogue, “Fostering Community-Based Opportunities for High-Risk Young Women in Chicago,” where participants identified barriers and solutions for Chicago’s young women at risk for involvement with the criminal justice system.

The April 12th forum held three panels which discussed restorative justice practices, the sexual abuse to prison pipeline, and the reintegration of incarcerated women returning to their communities. These panels were moderated by community partners and included speakers from various institutions, community organizations, and those with lived experiences. By incorporating representatives on all levels of the issue, the “Transforming Justice” forum was able to discuss the importance of centering the voices on those with lived experiences, what is needed to transform and hold systems accountable for girls and women, and how to reimagine community and mobilize as a powerful collective. During panel Q&A, women in the audience had the opportunity to share their own stories of trauma and their ability to heal despite these afflictions. The support and encouragement provided to these women from those who have also lived these experiences, was an extremely transformative and powerful moment during the forum.

Panel_Spring Forum

Forum attendees participated in three conversation tracks (School Reform/Restorative Justice and Advocacy for Girls, Responding to Sexual Abuse and Trauma, and Reentry and Criminal Justice Reform for Women and Girls) through World Café Model discussion. Through this interactive dialogue approach, participants were able to collaboratively identify contributions to the problem, community and policy level recommendations, and resources needed for each topic issue. Each tabletop discussion was jointly facilitated by a youth and a community member to model the collaborative relationship needed in order to transform our systems.

World Cafe_Spring Forum

The “Transforming Justice” forum closed with an awards ceremony for sixteen women nominated by community partners and survivors. Each woman received an award for their ability to rise above adversity and positively impact others in their community. These awardees proved that transformation is possible and that they are more than the years they have served.

To view photos, please visit the Spring Forum album.

Written by Stephanie Hausen
ALSO MSW Intern

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