Justice in Action is Happening in Lincoln
1,105 People of Faith Gathered to Address Public Officials for Improvements in Mental Health and Criminal Justice in Lincoln and Lancaster County
The power of more than a thousand people was harnessed on Thursday night, May 4, 2023 at the Lancaster Event Center when well-researched solutions to weaknesses in access to Lincoln/Lancaster County mental health resources and barriers to participation in pre-trial diversion programs were addressed.
“Our philosophy is that there are two types of power in the public arena,” explained Justice in Action co-president Rev. Kirstie Engle of First United Methodist Church of Lincoln. “The first is money and the second is people. We believe in the power of organized people. Organized people have the power to build the collective will to transform our community. That is the core of Justice in Action.”
The proposals presented at the May 4th Nehemiah Action Assembly are improvements to two issues—the community’s mental health and criminal justice systems— that emerged from a multi-level process of determining priorities by members of the Justice in Action network. The selection of the issues was followed by several months of meeting with experts, searching for reports and research findings, and analyzing available information to form specific, measurable, and time-bound solutions.
Lancaster County Commissioner Christa Yoakum and Lincoln City Council members Sändra Washington and James Michael Bowers heard the solution proposed by Justice in Action representatives to develop a navigation program in Lincoln/Lancaster County to increase accessibility to existing mental health resources. The proposed navigation system—modeled on a successful program in Toronto, Canada—would conquer the maze that currently exists for those trying to find mental health support.
“A navigation program would provide a “front door” to available mental health resources, which hasn’t existed since the Community Mental Health Center closed in 2014,” said Rev. Kirstie. “Trained navigators serving as the first point of entry would assist Lincoln/Lancaster County residents in identifying available resources based on their specific situations.”
All three elected officials present on stage for the mental health portion of the Nehemiah Action Assembly agreed to meet with Justice in Action and representatives of the Toronto Navigation program during the first week in June, as their schedules permit. They also agreed to work with Justice in Action to identify a solution to the maze of mental health resources by early 2024. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird was also invited but unable to attend; she sent her soon-to-be chief of staff, T.J. McDowell Jr. as a representative.
Lancaster County Commissioner Rick Vest was on stage to hear the criminal justice proposal to increase participation in the County’s successful Community Corrections diversion programs. The request made to Commissioner Vest was three-fold:
Commit to increasing the Community Corrections budget by $500,000 in the upcoming budget to add staff to accommodate additional diversion participants.
Commit to adding $100,000 to the Community Corrections budget to eliminate any and all fees for diversion programs.
Commit to creating a real-time, online dashboard that publishes data on the people in jail as well as people in diversion programs, including demographic information, so the racial disparity in both jail population and participation in diversion programs can be monitored and corrected.
Commissioner Vest explained that he can’t make a commitment until a permanent Community Corrections director is in place but pledged to address the budget issues within 90-days of the new hire. He additionally advised the assembly that the development of a dashboard is underway, and he looks forward to hearing insights from Justice in Action based on the criminal justice reform research team’s findings.
“Diversion is a broad term referring to “exit ramps” that move people away from the criminal legal system, offering an alternative to arrest, prosecution, and a life behind bars. Recidivism for those serving time in the Lancaster County Jail is around 60% while recidivism for those successfully completing a Community Corrections diversion program is only 20%, which means these programs improve public safety,” said Rev. Kirstie.
Justice in Action invited County Attorney Pat Condon to attend the Nehemiah Action Assembly, as his office controls participation in diversion programs. County Attorney Condon was in Kearney at a meeting of the Nebraska County Attorneys Association so he was unable to attend; he did not send a representative. In two previous meetings with the county attorney and Justice in Action, Mr. Condon has expressed his interest in reviewing the criminal justice reform research team’s findings and working with the group on the issues of our community.
Other elected officials who attended the first annual Justice in Action Nehemiah Action Assembly as observers included Lancaster County Public Defender Kristi Egger and Lincoln City Councilman Bennie Shobe.
The Nehemiah Action Assembly is the beginning of conversation with public officials to achieve these improvements for all citizens of Lancaster County. Justice in Action will continue conversations with the appropriate elected officials, monitor their efforts, and report on the effect of the changes.
The cycle of listening sessions, issue selection and research, and a Nehemiah Action Assembly will be repeated annually by Justice in Action.
