The narrative on violence is shifting. Here at Common Justice and across the city, we’re asking how to build systems beyond punishment, how to better respond to harm, and what it means to create true safety and healing in our neighborhoods. We know that restorative justice and community-led solutions are the path forward. This summer (and every other day of the year), we invite you to join us in these conversations to reimagine public safety.  

Whether you’re on the subway, taking a walk, lying on the beach, or commuting to work, we have a podcast for you – conversations to understand restorative justice, learn about community-led solutions to violence, and reimagine safety beyond prisons and police. Here are some of our favorites: 

AFROPUNK Solution Sessions: “In a Box”

Contributors outline how the criminal-legal system in the US was built to criminalize and commit disproportionate violence against Black and Brown people. Given this harmful ongoing legacy, abolishing prisons and moving towards systems rooted in racial equity is the only path forward. 

V Interesting with V Spehar: “Creating Safety and Healing Without Prisons”

This conversation between Danielle Sered (founder and Executive Director of Common Justice), Cymone Fuller, and Vitus Spehar, unpacks the structural conditions which produce violence and the criminal-legal system’s failure to put survivors first. Together, the contributors reflect on how alternatives to incarceration offer a path to true justice.

Cellblocks to Mountaintops: “Restorative Justice”

Hear from Sterling Cunio, a system-impacted community member, on how he used restorative justice as a tool for healing amidst the violence of the carceral system. This inspiring dialogue offers an overview of restorative justice principles, and insight into how a personal journey of accountability can transform an entire community.  

Some of My Best Friends Are: “‘F*** Him, but F*** Jail’: The Power of Restorative Justice”

In this restorative justice deep dive, hear stories of people who have gone through the process and learn how alternatives to incarceration are ending cycles of punishment and harm. Hosts Khalil Gibran Muhammad and Ben Austen, along with Danielle Sered, explore how restorative justice is a more practical solution to violence, able to meet survivors’ needs in ways the criminal-legal system has failed to. 

Encounters with Dignity: “Redefining Accountability”

This episode breaks down the five pillars of just responses to violence, and our core principles here at Common Justice: survivor-centered, accountability-based, safety-driven, and racially equitable. Together, these principles lead us to a critical examination of how prisons have failed, and the urgent need to repair the criminal-legal system’s devastating impact by building new systems rooted in real justice.  

Voir Dire: “Violence and Restorative Justice”

Learn about police and prisons’ roles in perpetuating violence, the imperative to address violence as we seek to end mass incarceration, and how restorative justice approaches can create real safety. The episode explores what’s keeping those in the business of ending violence hopeful: progressive narratives pushing for an end to incarceration and investment in transformative solutions. 

Restorative Justice on the Rise: “Danielle Sered: Until We Reckon, Five Years In”

In conversation with host Molly Leach, Danielle Sered reflects on the movement to transform and displace the criminal-legal system: recent legislative wins on victim compensation, progressive prosecutors, and all the work that still needs to be done. They explain how restorative justice must be one arm of a broader ecosystem creating safety and justice beyond prisons and police.  

Happy summer listening! We hope you’ll join us in imagining and building a future beyond criminalization and punishment, and instead rooted in care, equity, and community. If you want to keep the conversation going, become a Common Justice member. We host membership meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month, in addition to other free events for everyone in our community looking to get involved in this transformative work. Hope to see you there! 

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Cecily B.