Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) held a hearing last week to educate legislators and state agencies on the community-level work restorative justice being done.
The April 29 meeting at the Michael Bilandic building, 160 N. LaSalle St., discussed fairness in the justice system and how the Illinois General Assembly can address that.
“As chair of the House Restorative Justice committee, it is my goal to use this committee as a vehicle to build upon and further the efforts of restorative justice principles, mending wounds and returning peace back to our neighborhoods,” Ford said in a press release.
In late March, Ford held another restorative justice meeting that focused on equal access to education, jobs, health care and fairness in the justice system.
Individuals at the April 29 meeting focused on introducing legislators to the grassroots-style organizations in various districts.
“This is a great start,” said Cheryl Graves, executive director of the Community Justice for Youth Institute at the meeting. “The first step is education.”