#238 Justice Podcast - An Opportunity for Generational Change

"Memo to Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission regarding jail population forecast and the use of pretrial incarceration in Whatcom County"

This episode of iChange Justice is presented in partnership with the Restorative Community Coalition and the Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission.

In this powerful installment, our board members—Karen Ball, Atul Deshmane, and Irene Morgan—are joined by Miriam Karamoko and Ray Rodriguez to unpack a newly released, accessible to the public, assessment memo from the nationally recognized Prison Policy Initiative (PPI). For years, community advocates have pushed back against county justifications for a massive jail expansion, only to face constant resistance, closed doors while watching prevention programs go away.

This new national data report fundamentally contradicts the county’s own metrics, validating what local advocates have known all along: the data does not support the need for a bigger jail, and pre-trial incarceration causes deep, compounding harm to families and the broader community.

Instead of expanding a facility and dismantling effective booking restrictions, the PPI report urges the county to build the smallest jail possible and fully invest in the 14 other areas of needed reform outlined in the Justice Implementation Plan. In this episode, we explore how this data provides an opening for true, generational change. We discuss the importance of shifting our focus from punishment to prevention, demanding government accountability, and utilizing public comment platforms and community events to ensure the public's voice shapes our future. We are building the future, one Connection at a time.

It takes a village…join ours.

https://www.whatcomracialequity.org/jail-and-behavioral-care-center

https://www.whatcomracialequity.org/s/PPI_Whatcom_County_Jail_Expansion_Memo.pdf

https://www.whatcomracialequity.org/contact

Ready for a real talk on what it actually takes to heal our community and build systems we can believe in?

In Episode of the iChange Justice Podcast, the team dives into the third and final part of our series on trust! This week, we are moving past the critiques and focusing on the solutions. We’re sharing incredible, real-world examples of what happens when leaders swallow their pride, listen to grassroots voices, and align resources to meet the public's actual needs.

From the streets of LA to local initiatives right here in Whatcom County, discover how we can break the cycle of incarceration and build a community table where everyone is heard.

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, July 29th

🕓 Time: 4:00 PM PST

🎙️ Featuring: Atul Deshmane, Karen Ball, Lucy Kesterson, Irene Morgan, Miriam Karamoko, and Rae Rodriguez

🔗 Tune in and get involved:

Visit TheRestorativeCommunity.org/Contact to share your thoughts, send an email directly to Irene, or grab advocacy templates to contact your local representatives!

Follow real-time justice updates with our partners at WhatcomRacialEquity.org.

Let's stop building bigger walls and start building better connections. See you there! 🕊️🎒

In the second of our three-part series, the iChange Justice Podcast digs deep into our local legal landscape. Join board members of the Restorative Community Coalition as we move past the rhetoric to answer the hard question: How do we establish trust after a systemic breach of confidence?

From identifying the "impediments" we need to let go of to the "essentials" we must add, we’re mapping out a path to a more humane community.

🗓️ Airing June 24th (the last Wednesday of the month). Join us for this essential conversation. ✨