Resources
Learn, engage, and go deeper.
These are the books, films, guides, and organizations CJC recommends most often for education and information. Skim any section, follow what draws you in, and sign up for our email list to keep learning with us.
Start Here
- Prison Policy InitiativeOrgA think tank that “uses research, advocacy, and organizing to show how over-criminalization harms individuals, our communities, and the national well-being.”
- “How Do I Talk to My Kids about Gun Violence?”ArticleWritten by CJC’s executive director Sam Heath, this article gives a framework for seeing the punishment-laden criminal legal system and turning toward something else.
- Discussion guideGuide
Restorative Practices
- Restorative justice mapMapFrom the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) — organizations across the US that offer restorative justice services.
- A Diversion Toolkit for CommunitiesToolkitShows communities how to create a pre-charge restorative justice diversion program that specifically works to engage and help youth.
- In the household
- Excessive ForceFilmA short documentary showing the overlap of policing and punishment-based parenting—and another way.
Racial Equity
- Seeing WhitePodcastA 14-episode podcast season on the history of white people, whiteness, and white culture.
- Race and Place in Charlottesville — Love Thy NeighborFilmLed by UVA Professor of Architectural History Louis Nelson, the film addresses the role racism has played in shaping our city over the last 200 years through a guided tour across UVA Grounds and Charlottesville.
- 22 short episodesSeriesInterviews with local experts, historians, and residents on the impact of racism in America.
Death Penalty
Religious Resources
- The Church & Justice: A Tool for ChurchesGuideA guide for churches to engage and learn how to see and meet the justice needs in your community.
Polarization and Unity
- The Danger of a Single StoryTalkA TED Talk by novelist Chimamanda Adichie, where she stresses the importance of knowing and hearing each other’s overlapping stories.
- The One America MovementA “national nonprofit confronting toxic polarization in our society,” with two resources for faith communities:
- Divisions Assessment for Leaders: A Facilitator’s GuideGuideHelps identify the specific areas of toxic polarization in your faith community.
- How to Talk to Your NeighborGuideGround rules and guidelines for meaningful, effective conversation on divisive topics within communities.
Looking for organizations to plug into? See our Central Virginia, statewide, and national justice partners.
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