JOIN THE WORK AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE
You can contribute in a number of ways to this work of reimagining public safety and making it available to everyone.
CJC is a Project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Your donation is tax deductible.
If you are donating by credit card, please note that Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, or a variation of SEE, will show up on your credit card statement.
To donate using PayPal, debit, or credit cards, click here.
To donate using a donor-advised fund, wire transfer, check, or other method, please reach out to us at info@commonwealthjustice.net.
Start Your Own Local Justice Coalition
Want to start your own local Justice Coalition? Read more below!
Follow Us or Reach Out
Follow us on our Facebook page to hear about events, alerts, and resources.
Come speak at a virtual meeting to share your event or expertise!
Need help connecting with justice groups in Virginia?
Reach out to us at info@commonwealthjustice.net
Start Your Own Justice Coalition
The Commonwealth Justice Coalition (CJC) is a statewide nonprofit that reimagines public safety in the Commonwealth of Virginia and puts it into practice. The CJC focuses on the Charlottesville area, with special attention on gun violence & community safety, reentry, and restorative practices. Statewide, the CJC works with local communities to begin their own Justice Coalitions to meet the unique needs of their community.
Read below or hear here to see how you can begin or grow this work in your space.
Our Process
The Valley Justice Coalition began in 2014 and was the first inspiration for our own work in Charlottesville when we began in 2023. The CJC produced this one-pager to give local communities ideas for how to form a similar Justice Coalition. It takes all of us!
The CJC began in early summer when we announced that our first virtual gathering would happen that fall. Over those months leading up to the first meeting, we worked to grow an email list of several hundred people we thought might be interested in local work related to the criminal legal system. Then we launched and maintained a rhythm of meeting virtually twice-monthly and in-person for Summits quarterly.
Justice Coalitions do not need to look like the CJC or Valley Justice Coalition. A Justice Coalition can be adapted to meet the needs local advocates identify. For us in Charlottesville, we initially saw that our dozens and dozens of justice-oriented groups needed a space to convene regularly to share flyers, events, updates, and advocacy opportunities. The Valley Justice Coalition began with the goal of halting a new jail construction.
Initiatives to Consider
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Regular gatherings (either in-person, virtually, or both)
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Hosting speakers (inviting relevant speakers to meetings to share their expertise)
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Newsletter (some kind of regular communication gathering local justice-related events)
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Summits (topic-specific in-person gatherings)
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Advocacy moments (readiness for rapid-response local organizing needs)
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Presence at local civic spaces (City Council, school board, jail board, etc)
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General Assembly engagement (awareness and advocacy for justice-related bills)
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Connector (be a bridge between justice-minded individuals and orgs and groups)