Justice in Action
We believe in the power of people to change our community!
Justice in Action is happening in Lincoln
On May 4, 2023, 1,105 People of Faith Gathered to Address Public Officials for Improvements in Mental Health and Criminal Justice in Lancaster County and Lincoln
Where we’ve Been
Listening and Research
We began with listening sessions. Over 600 people from 20 congregations participated, sharing what concerns them most for their families and their community. From there, we narrowed those issues down to two: Mental Healthcare and Criminal Justice Reform.
Teams of people researched these issues, discussing the underlying problem with local experts and officials, and learning about possible solutions from a variety of communities across the globe.
We met with local city and county officials to present our proposed solutions, and in May, 2023, we gathered more than 1,000 people to encourage these officials to take action.
What We’re Doing Now
Holding Officials Accountable
This summer, we are working to follow up on the requests made to our local city and county officials.
Mental Healthcare
We are working with the City Council and County Commission to design a ‘front door’ in order to access local mental healthcare with one call. This method is designed after cancer care treatment centers in New York and mental healthcare centers in Montreal, Canada.
Criminal Justice Reform
Recently, we were made aware that the Lancaster County Corrections Department is requesting over $1,000,000 in their upcoming 23-24 budget for "boarding contracts". Boarding contracts are contracts with other county jails to house people from Lancaster County because the Lancaster County Jail is almost at capacity. Justice in Action requested around $600,000 to eliminate diversion fees and increase staff at Community Corrections so that more people in our jail could be offered diversion programs—thus alleviating the overflow of inmates in the county jail.
We intend to meet with County Attorney Pat Condon and attend the county board meeting in July to address this.
We are also taking this time to build corporate financial support from our local businesses
What Comes Next
Another Cycle
This fall, we will begin another cycle of listening sessions, research, and solution-building. Next spring, we will hold another county-wide gathering with our city/county officials, challenging them to serve justice and seek solutions to the problems that keep us up at night.
