Community Justice Accelerator
The Community Justice Accelerator is designed to build the capacity of small, grassroots organizations working in the Safety & Justice space.
The program aims to provide organizations with the necessary skills and resources to help them scale their programming and plan for long-term sustainability. Healthy and growing nonprofits are a key resource for influencing local policies and systems change to ensure equitable criminal-legal responses.
The program combines:
- training designed to help participating organizations bolster internal operations;
- individualized consulting support to evaluate core capacity needs and develop a plan of action;
- flexible capital;
- mentorship and network-building opportunities; and
- LISC staff advisement who provide additional supports to participating organizations and guide them through the program.
Six organizations make up the initial Community Justice Accelerator cohort. Although the organizations have noticeable differences in their history and work, all are small- or medium-sized nonprofits, BIPOC-led, and engage in significant efforts to promote safe and equitable neighborhoods.
Participating Organizations
Charles Village Benefits District (CVBD) - Baltimore, MD
Represented by Kristina Williams, Executive Director
CVBD’s safety-focused work includes street ambassadors focusing on safe neighborhoods, neighborhood-centered Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) efforts, problem lot remediation and promoting police-community relationship building.
Partnership for a Safer Cleveland (PSC) - Cleveland, OH
Represented by Michael Walker, Executive Director
PSC acts as a local intermediary between local government, CBO’s, neighborhood representative and institutional organizations (e.g. universities, local foundations) to support effective, equitable and just crime reduction initiatives in the greater Cleveland area. PSC manages and supports a wide range of projects with a focus on improving safety, reducing criminal-legal system involvement, and criminal-legal system reform.
New Town Success Zone (NTSZ) - Jacksonville, FL
Represented by Mia Hobdy, Executive Director
Founded and sponsored by Edward Waters University (EWU), Florida’s oldest HBCU, NTSZ focuses on community development and meeting the needs of Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood which borders EWU. Because of the high exposure to the criminal-legal system and violence in New Town, a large focus of NTSZ’s work is on issue related to safety & justice including violence reduction, criminal-legal system avoidance, expungement and support for returning citizens.
Go Forward Pine Bluff (GFPB) -Pine Bluff AR
Represented by Dr. Ryan Watley, CEO
GFPB is part of a public-private partnership with the City of Pine Bluff focused on holistic development through partnership. Safety and justice related work includes participation in the GRIP (Gang Reduction Initiative in Pine Bluff) partnership, workforce development for returning citizens, and problem lot/vacant home remediation.
RVA League for Safer Streets (VA League) -Richmond, VA
Represented by Paul Taylor and Robert Morris, co-founders and Directors.
The VA League was co-founded with the late Jawad Abdu as a project conceived while the founders were incarcerated by the VA Department of Corrections. Originally comprised of a basketball league for young men in Virginia's communities of opportunity – life lessons with a side of basketball – the VA League has grown to offer a full range of services. These include re-entry support, the continuation of the league, community violence intervention and a community garden program.
Alliance of Concerned Men (ACM) - Washington, DC
Represented by Terrance Staley, Executive Director
Founded in 1991 as an intensely grassroots organization with a mission to reduce violence in Washington, DC, ACM provides outreach-based community violence intervention, supporting Safe Passages to schools, primary prevention and re-entry support for low-income, at risk youth and families and support for nascent nonprofits.