We All Have a Role in the Fight for Racial Justice

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a massive rise in global demand for racial justice and equality.  There have been protests in all 50 states and in 18 countries around the world making this the largest civil rights movement in history.  

Free to Thrive stands in solidarity with this global movement to eradicate racism and injustice in our society.  Every day we see the impact individual and systemic racism have on our clients and on the criminal justice system as a whole.  We have heard our clients’ stories of police brutality and sexual violence.  That being said, we have also heard stories of compassionate police officers who had a positive impact on our clients’ lives.  My heart aches for all of the lives that have been taken unnecessarily and it is warmed by all of the dedicated public servants who risk their lives every day to help our clients and so many other victims of crime.

We have already seen meaningful changes happening in San Diego and around the country as a direct result of these protests.  We are hopeful that this movement will result in lasting change in our society.  

Solidarity, however, is just the starting point.  It is not enough to say “we stand with you,” we all must do our part to improve the broken systems that perpetuate racism and discrimination in our society.  As I reflected with our staff and board about what Free to Thrive’s role is in this movement, a few things became very clear.  

First, we must redouble our efforts to foster a more trauma-informed justice system by increasing our training for law enforcement, prosecutors, public defenders, private attorneys and judges.  When advocating for our clients, we often encounter a system that does not understand the trauma our clients have experienced and how that trauma impacts their actions.  We have already trained hundreds of our criminal justice partners and we are already seeing the fruits of these efforts in a more trauma-informed justice system in San Diego, but we must do more.  Through increased training we will foster a more humane criminal justice system that sees every individual as someone whose life has value, regardless of the color of their skin.  

Second, we must continue to work with other organizations and lawmakers to improve our support systems for those in need.  We must cultivate a society that understands that the best way to prevent crimes is to lift people up, not lock them up.  Too often, we meet clients in jail who are struggling with mental health issues, drug addiction or homelessness and instead of getting connected to social services, they end up in jail.  I have also spoken with law enforcement who struggle with the lack of resources available for those they encounter.  We need our lawmakers at every level of government to devote more resources to social services to ensure the criminal justice system is not the default. 

Finally, we need to nurture a society where past offenders are not shut out from society after serving their time. If you cannot get a job because you have a criminal record, it makes it nearly impossible to move forward.  Our clients often struggle to rebuild their lives after society labels them a “criminal.” We see this firsthand with our clients and help them clean up their records through criminal vacatur so they can move forward.  We need to create more ways to reintegrate past offenders into our society, clean up their records and to help them get jobs even if they have a record.  The best way to keep anyone from re-offending is to give them opportunities to rebuild their lives.

What each of us can do to effectuate change is deeply personal and varied depending on where we sit.  Personally, I am having vulnerable conversations with family and loved ones about these issues.  I am ensuring that as the leader of Free to Thrive we continue to build a diverse and inclusive workplace and continue our work on behalf of survivors.  I have also been protesting alongside thousands of other San Diegans to amplify my voice and the voices of everyone in this global movement for racial equality.  

We all have a role to play in the fight for racial equality.  I invite you to continue your own introspection on how you can fulfill your own obligation to cultivate meaningful and lasting change in our society.

As we move forward, Free to Thrive will continue to do our part in the fight for racial justice and to improve our criminal justice system. If you want to join Free to Thrive in this work, sign up to become a pro bono attorney or volunteer here, watch a past training or register for an upcoming training here.  You can also request a training for your agency or organization here. 

In solidarity,

Jamie Beck

President & Managing Attorney 
Free to Thrive
Cell: (619) 684-0025
Fax: (619) 924-3971
Jamie@FreetoThrive.org

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers