How do successful engineers think about problem-solving and planning projects?  Clear answer:  They ask the client what problems they want to solve, what they need, what they want, and LISTEN to the answers for the purpose of meeting those needs.  It doesn’t work the other way around.

“Being harassed and scared all the time is normal for a homeless youth and carrying the burden to protect your parents by telling them your experiences becomes normal”. “One lesson, ask us what’s going on-don’t pretend it's not happening!”

Most of us, when we think of homelessness we are jaded by our own perceptions and omit the young generations who are afflicted by it. In 2020 Whatcom County counted approximately 103 homeless youth, according to the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness 2020 Annual Report and yet where are the ‘boots on the ground’ services to keep youth with their family instead of trying to separate them?

Join us with our special guests as they speak up and out about the long, hard look we all need to take when thinking about and taking action to end homelessness. Everything from Social, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual wellness are seemingly disregarded for our youngest members in the community, but they are our future.

Our guests will share their unique experiences, traumas and especially solutions to the revolving and endless blockades that inhibit them to be their best selves. A mother and her daughter open up and share their ideas and hope for future generations regarding this topic. We stand beside them, encourage and support them to keep on sharing their experiences as they now navigate gaining some normalcy after nearly 5 years of uncertainty.

Driver’s License…is it necessary to have a driver’s license to be successful? Is it really appropriate to suspend or revoke a driver's license as a consequence of crimes unrelated to violence or driving at all?

Who really is paying for the consequences of a lost license? Family, children, taxpayers, and employers are paying much more of their own funds due to loss of employees, retraining, public services shelling out bus passes and vouchers for taxis, and such.

When the documents say in black and white ‘loss of drivers license for 99 years” how then can a person even live? They are met with challenges beyond their sentencing range and yet we sit back and assume “they” have to figure it out for themselves, they are the criminal. This is backward thinking if we want to see peace and collaboration in our community. Are we really still stuck in that ‘spank your child’ false belief system when it comes to crime? New parenting techniques using talk therapy, art therapy, and reward systems have permeated the old ways of abuse to get children to listen so why are we still doing it to adults in the criminal legal system?

When a driver's license is taken away as a consequence of crimes committed it is an additional sentence on top of the criminal legal sentence that far surpasses the judicial sentence length of incarceration or probation and has to be changed for the better of our local, state and national communities.

Have you been confused about the cost of incarceration? Maybe you're confused about task forces and how they spend money? Or maybe, about city and county district expenditures?

In this episode, we share our personal and observed experiences with the ins and outs of criminal legal expenditures. Expenditures come in many forms, from court fees, fines, taxes, and even medical costs. Did you know that it costs taxpayers $55k a year per person to house an inmate? What about after that inmate releases back into our community?

Our guests speak candidly about the impacts from all sides of these expenditures and also give possible solutions to these massive spending deficits. It is a time in our country to begin a more frugal and effective work in the arena of the criminal legal system so that our community members don’t have to carry the weight of taxable burden repeatedly. Recidivism is interruptable and our money can be spent more wisely elsewhere.

One car accident threw a family of 7 out into the cold to live in the streets of Blaine.  What happened that that happened? How did it affect the whole family?  Our client talks about the trauma, the fear, and then the reality of living on the streets, under constant harassment, with police surveillance, being preyed upon, and vulnerable to any small crisis, however little it may seem. The 24/7 need to be doing self-protection, the fear of being arrested or having what little possessions the family has have left impounded or stolen, living in harm's way without physical safety, and constantly figuring out how to live without basic services – is hard to comprehend.  

This is the candid journey of a family in Blaine where the father was a Veteran, gainfully employed, and providing for his family.  Suddenly he was disabled in a truck accident that was not his fault, and the mother became the sole protector and provider of homeschooling 5 children with no income, no services, living in poverty.  She was thrown into a situation of family trauma, CPTSD, and physical disabilities.  What is that like living on the edge of constant crisis and fear; living one tiny paycheck to paycheck, between lawsuits and legal issues her journey with candid truth and hope for solutions.

The millions of dollars they say are available for the homeless and housing is a patchwork: hard to qualify for and inaccessible to many. 

Listen to the courage, hope, resilience, and capacity of the human spirit stand up in the face of a system that is broken and smoldering with inconsistency and oppression.

We talked earlier about Justice, what is it and what does it mean to us as individuals as well as community members? Today we discuss and share our previous perceptions of Restorative Justice in comparison to what we know today about what Restorative Justice really is.

Restorative Justice is intentional in its holistic ability to include all involved parties such as the accused, children and or family of the accused, professionals working in the system and courts, the victim and their children, and family members…ALL PARTIES.

We know humans on some level want to help other humans so how have we gone from loving thy neighbor to a more me, mine, I action? Looking at our own communication assets and liabilities, we are able to shift our perspective simply by learning to communicate on a new level. Moving from domination, punishment, and directives to educating and conversing with each other to become better humans together is key to a thriving nation and world.

Join us as we continue to learn and grow through our real-time experiences with the criminal legal system. We have learned a lot these last 15 years and more so the past few years as our work is coming to fruition.

Our founder, Irene Morgan shares a personal encounter with an incarcerated fellow as she was walking through the prison yard with the chaplain of the prison chapel. It only takes one thought to be brave enough to be vocal to create waves of hope and promise for the future for ALL

This episode first aired on Feb 3rd and we are rebroadcasting it today February 10th. 

Is COVID to blame for the backed-up court cases? Or is it clogged administrative problems inside our system, or a problem with the Prosecutor’s or the Defender’s office? The jail has had steep reductions in occupancy load because of Covid rules being implemented, yet our direct reporting from people living inside the jails and awaiting representation, or for court action, there are real gaps in communication, services, and justice.

In this call, we deliver real and recent examples of the gaps in services for families and adults. When these gaps are allowed, combined with fear and with the current social isolation climate compounds the mental, emotional, and physical stressors. The justice system on all fronts is glutted with backup, and the person inside is subject to it all. Now, more than ever, people dealing with “the systems” need help from people who understand the complications.

Is COVID to blame for the backed-up court cases? Or is it clogged administrative problems inside our system, or a problem with the Prosecutor’s or the Defender’s office? The jail has had steep reductions in occupancy load because of Covid rules being implemented, yet our direct reporting from people living inside the jails and awaiting representation, or for court action, there are real gaps in communication, services, and justice.

In this call, we deliver real and recent examples of the gaps in services for families and adults. When these gaps are allowed, combined with fear and with the current social isolation climate compounds the mental, emotional, and physical stressors. The justice system on all fronts is glutted with backup, and the person inside is subject to it all. Now, more than ever, people dealing with “the systems” need help from people who understand the complications.

Community safety nets-what are they? Why do we need them?

Chene’ shares her introduction to our organization and she states, “Direct and transparent communication is key”.

Debbie explains her path that led to working with us and shares deeply personal stories of how her perspective shifted and enabled her to seek out collaboration with us.

Irene speaks up about her journey and explicit examples of how the safety net has begun to fray throughout the last 40 years. Irene gives credit to Jim Cozad for his orchestration and implementation of the ‘Re-Entry University’, a curriculum we still use today. Connecting her parental influences as a child to her dogged determination in this movement refers to the ‘help your neighbor’ attitude which is not that of today's community climate. She takes us back to the ’80s to ’90s when she first participated in legislation in WA state for the ‘State of Esteem’ campaign.

The results of Restorative Justice include healing for all parties, healing for the community, and most importantly lays the groundwork for those still incarcerated to heal prior to being released back into the community with a new perspective of their value and purpose.

We spotlight our founder Irene Morgan for her massive contribution to Restorative Justice and the many venues she has participated, works in her writings, and the implementation of many parts and pieces of her work. She has and continues to speak up and speak out for justice and equality regardless of pushback. A real trailblazer and she is here with us!