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With protests against police brutality, mass incarceration, and systemic racism sweeping the nation, activists seeking to empower local movements and elevate on-the-ground solutions have developed a set of resources that highlights the "the slow but sustained work of many communities to enact meaningful reforms that transform both the practices and the purposes of our policing and criminal justice systems."
Building Momentum from the Ground Up: A Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing, was released Wednesday by the advocacy organizations PolicyLink and the Center for Popular Democracy, both of which work to advance racial and economic justice through grassroots organizing and progressive policy campaigns. A companion Justice in Policing website will launch on Friday.
"While media attention waxes and wanes, the groundswell of anger and grief unearthed by the public killings of sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and transgender sisters and brothers has started to translate into meaningful policy reform at the local, state and national level," reads the introduction.
The Toolkit, its authors say, was developed in collaboration with leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement and "is a direct response to organizers, elected officials, and community members from across the country seeking support and resources for campaigns aimed at transforming the policies and practices of local law enforcement."
 We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers. This media model only works if enough readers pitch in. We have millions of readers every month and, it seems, too many take our survival for granted. It isn't. Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is off to a very slow start - only 301 readers have contributed a total of $11,000 so far. We must raise $39,000 more before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best.  |
It showcases best practices, successful organizing efforts, and model legislation from across the country, and puts forth 15 recommended policy reforms aimed at ending mass incarceration, improving relations between law enforcement and the community, ensuring independent oversight, and improving department standards and training. These include:
For each recommendation, the Toolkit offers examples of successful implementation and sample legislation.
Take, for instance, the section on municipal court reform. "Under most state law, courts can issue bench warrants for the arrest of anyone who does not appear for a court date after being ticketed for a violation or given a summonses," the Toolkit explains. "As a result, too many individuals serve jail time for parking infractions or park code violations. Incarceration is not an appropriate response to the failure to pay a fine or appear in court for a minor or civil offense."
Noting that both city councils and municipal courts can lessen the "discriminatory and crippling impact of bench warrants," the Toolkit points to best practices such as:
"We hope that by providing resources and model policies, and by elevating the inspirational and transformational work underway, we can support organizers and elected officials in their continuing struggle for a fundamental reorientation of both the purpose and practice of policing in this country," the Toolkit reads.
The groups also call on mayors across the country to sign a Mayoral Pledge to End Police Violence, which includes "important principles and actions that model community-centered policing."
By signing the pledge, a mayor commits to "immediately take...actions to end the police violence epidemic and help ensure that NOT ONE MORE person unjustly dies at the hands of our police force."
With protests against police brutality, mass incarceration, and systemic racism sweeping the nation, activists seeking to empower local movements and elevate on-the-ground solutions have developed a set of resources that highlights the "the slow but sustained work of many communities to enact meaningful reforms that transform both the practices and the purposes of our policing and criminal justice systems."
Building Momentum from the Ground Up: A Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing, was released Wednesday by the advocacy organizations PolicyLink and the Center for Popular Democracy, both of which work to advance racial and economic justice through grassroots organizing and progressive policy campaigns. A companion Justice in Policing website will launch on Friday.
"While media attention waxes and wanes, the groundswell of anger and grief unearthed by the public killings of sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and transgender sisters and brothers has started to translate into meaningful policy reform at the local, state and national level," reads the introduction.
The Toolkit, its authors say, was developed in collaboration with leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement and "is a direct response to organizers, elected officials, and community members from across the country seeking support and resources for campaigns aimed at transforming the policies and practices of local law enforcement."
We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers. This media model only works if enough readers pitch in. We have millions of readers every month and, it seems, too many take our survival for granted. It isn't. Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is off to a very slow start - only 301 readers have contributed a total of $11,000 so far. We must raise $39,000 more before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best. |
It showcases best practices, successful organizing efforts, and model legislation from across the country, and puts forth 15 recommended policy reforms aimed at ending mass incarceration, improving relations between law enforcement and the community, ensuring independent oversight, and improving department standards and training. These include:
For each recommendation, the Toolkit offers examples of successful implementation and sample legislation.
Take, for instance, the section on municipal court reform. "Under most state law, courts can issue bench warrants for the arrest of anyone who does not appear for a court date after being ticketed for a violation or given a summonses," the Toolkit explains. "As a result, too many individuals serve jail time for parking infractions or park code violations. Incarceration is not an appropriate response to the failure to pay a fine or appear in court for a minor or civil offense."
Noting that both city councils and municipal courts can lessen the "discriminatory and crippling impact of bench warrants," the Toolkit points to best practices such as:
"We hope that by providing resources and model policies, and by elevating the inspirational and transformational work underway, we can support organizers and elected officials in their continuing struggle for a fundamental reorientation of both the purpose and practice of policing in this country," the Toolkit reads.
The groups also call on mayors across the country to sign a Mayoral Pledge to End Police Violence, which includes "important principles and actions that model community-centered policing."
By signing the pledge, a mayor commits to "immediately take...actions to end the police violence epidemic and help ensure that NOT ONE MORE person unjustly dies at the hands of our police force."
With protests against police brutality, mass incarceration, and systemic racism sweeping the nation, activists seeking to empower local movements and elevate on-the-ground solutions have developed a set of resources that highlights the "the slow but sustained work of many communities to enact meaningful reforms that transform both the practices and the purposes of our policing and criminal justice systems."
Building Momentum from the Ground Up: A Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing, was released Wednesday by the advocacy organizations PolicyLink and the Center for Popular Democracy, both of which work to advance racial and economic justice through grassroots organizing and progressive policy campaigns. A companion Justice in Policing website will launch on Friday.
"While media attention waxes and wanes, the groundswell of anger and grief unearthed by the public killings of sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and transgender sisters and brothers has started to translate into meaningful policy reform at the local, state and national level," reads the introduction.
The Toolkit, its authors say, was developed in collaboration with leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement and "is a direct response to organizers, elected officials, and community members from across the country seeking support and resources for campaigns aimed at transforming the policies and practices of local law enforcement."
We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers. This media model only works if enough readers pitch in. We have millions of readers every month and, it seems, too many take our survival for granted. It isn't. Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is off to a very slow start - only 301 readers have contributed a total of $11,000 so far. We must raise $39,000 more before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best. |
It showcases best practices, successful organizing efforts, and model legislation from across the country, and puts forth 15 recommended policy reforms aimed at ending mass incarceration, improving relations between law enforcement and the community, ensuring independent oversight, and improving department standards and training. These include:
For each recommendation, the Toolkit offers examples of successful implementation and sample legislation.
Take, for instance, the section on municipal court reform. "Under most state law, courts can issue bench warrants for the arrest of anyone who does not appear for a court date after being ticketed for a violation or given a summonses," the Toolkit explains. "As a result, too many individuals serve jail time for parking infractions or park code violations. Incarceration is not an appropriate response to the failure to pay a fine or appear in court for a minor or civil offense."
Noting that both city councils and municipal courts can lessen the "discriminatory and crippling impact of bench warrants," the Toolkit points to best practices such as:
"We hope that by providing resources and model policies, and by elevating the inspirational and transformational work underway, we can support organizers and elected officials in their continuing struggle for a fundamental reorientation of both the purpose and practice of policing in this country," the Toolkit reads.
The groups also call on mayors across the country to sign a Mayoral Pledge to End Police Violence, which includes "important principles and actions that model community-centered policing."
By signing the pledge, a mayor commits to "immediately take...actions to end the police violence epidemic and help ensure that NOT ONE MORE person unjustly dies at the hands of our police force."
