Reimagining Safety And justice cohort
The Reimagining Safety and Justice Cohorts (RSJC) are transformative, community-rooted organizing program designed for anti-violence workers ready to break away from carceral systems and co-create abolitionist alternatives to address power-based violence.
RSJC builds on years of organizing through the Anti-Violence Solidarity Circles and the We Deserve Better Project—a collaboration with The Soar Collective. Through that project, we surveyed 265 anti-violence workers across 33 states and found deep, widespread challenges: toxic leadership, ineffective traditional interventions, compassion fatigue, and secondary burnout.
RSJC is our response to that call for change.Are you a Chicago-based anti-violence worker?
What is the RSJC?
RSJC is a 6-session cohort experience that supports anti-violence workers (AV-workers) in navigating the tensions between meeting survivors’ immediate needs and rejecting punitive, carceral solutions. Through political education, peer collaboration, and hands-on practice, participants will gain the tools and support needed to develop, refine, and implement non-carceral interventions rooted in abolitionist principles.
Our first RSJC is starting June 2025 for Chicago area anti-violence workers.
We invite you to bring one or more ideas for community interventions—whether fully developed or just a spark—and an openness to collaborate with others who can help shape, strengthen, and bring your project to life.
RSJC structure:
Part 1: Learning to Action
In this first phase, we build a shared foundation through interactive sessions rooted in popular education. Together, we explore the basics of restorative justice, transformative justice, and community-based alternatives to carceral systems. Through case studies and collaborative learning, av-workers will connect theory to practice—gaining tools, asking questions, and sharpening their ideas in community.
Part 2: Practicum & Application
Through collective learning, experimentation, and action, you will refine your ideas—whether emerging or fully formed—and build concrete strategies to put alternative approaches to safety and justice into practice
Core Themes and Focus Areas
RSJC supports participants in addressing community violence, criminalized survival, and transformative justice. Key themes include:
Risk assessment and harm reduction.
Liberatory approaches to safety and mutual aid.
Community-based case studies and abolitionist principles.
RSJC Outcomes
By the end of the cohort, we hope anti-violence workers will:
- Feel supported and connected to a vibrant community of practitioners grounded in abolitionist values.
- Leave with an actionable plan to bring their ideas to life and integrate abolitionist frameworks into their daily practices
- Develop and implement a project, sharing learnings, challenges, and impact with the group.
- Feel equipped with the resources to sustain their work and continue building alongside this community beyond the cohort.
Our hope is that cohort members will contribute to, learn from, and lean on the RSJC Learning Lab—a living repository of practical strategies, lessons learned, and resources for bringing their visions to life. Through this collaborative space, we aim to build collective knowledge, strengthen our practices, and inspire transformative change well beyond the cohort.
Who should join.
RSJC is for anti-violence workers committed to:
- Challenging the harm of carceral systems
- Building abolitionist strategies that center survivor support
- Reimagining safety and justice in creative, community-rooted ways
- Bringing community interventions—whether fully developed or just a spark—and a willingness to collaborate with others who can help shape, strengthen, and bring your project to life. We especially encourage engagement from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, Muslim, and system-impacted anti-violence workers.
FAQs
The Reimagining Safety and Justice Cohort is a learning and action program for Chicago-area anti-violence workers committed to creating community-based alternatives to carceral systems. Learn from seasoned practitioners and one another through political education, collaboration, and hands-on practice as you refine your ideas and develop practical strategies for transformative interventions.
Learning to Action - Explore liberatory approaches to safety, mutual aid, restorative justice, and transformative justice. Connect theory to practice through case studies, collaboration, and experimentation.
Practicum - Develop and apply your ideas—whether emerging or fully formed—into actionable strategies for safety and justice. Our hope is that you will leave with concrete strategies and a supportive network of co-conspirators to turn your ideas into real-world change.
RSJC is designed for anti-violence workers (AV-workers) who are ready to break away from carceral systems and co-create abolitionist alternatives to address power-based violence. Av-workers should be ready to explore, build, and implement new strategies grounded in abolitionist principles.
This cohort will include 8-10 anti-violence workers.
RSJC is a 6-session cohort experience providing a structured yet flexible environment where AV-workers can navigate the tensions between meeting survivors’ immediate and long-term needs while rejecting punitive, carceral solutions. There are also monthly virtual 90 min check-in calls to support cohort members. Through political education, peer collaboration, and hands-on practice, participants will gain the tools and support needed to develop, refine, and implement non-carceral interventions.
- Active Participation: Attend all sessions as engaged learners and contributors, sharing ideas and learning from peers.
- Ideation & Implementation: Share your visions for practicing abolitionism within the anti-violence field and actively refine them through feedback.
- Collective Learning: Engage in discussions that enhance and refine your ideas, contributing to the cohort’s shared learning process.
- Implementation: Implement your project ideas into your anti-violence work and share your learnings.
- Contribution to RSJC Learning Lab: Document and share resources, projects, and outcomes. Impact will be measured through contributions and future initiatives.
- Presentation & Development: Continuously present and develop ideas for abolitionist practices within the anti-violence field.
Engagement
- Collaborative Participation: Join discussions, provide constructive feedback, and collaborate with peers.
- Flexible Learning: Engage with occasional group readings or reflections—no formal “homework” required.
- Peer Partnership: Option to partner with a peer within the group outside of sessions to further develop projects or ideas.
Bring your ideas to life:
- Come Prepared: Bring your ideas, whether fully formed or in early stages, for integrating abolitionist frameworks that reimagine safety and justice.
- Open-Mindedness: Be open to robust conversations, creative problem-solving, and learning from both facilitators and peers.
Absolutely! RSJC is designed to help you refine your ideas through peer feedback, guidance from experienced facilitators, and hands-on practice. Whether you have a concrete project or just a seed of an idea, we encourage you to apply.
Yes! Absolutely. Collaborations are welcome. If you and a colleague or friend are co-developing a project, you can apply together as a team. We recognize the importance of collective visioning and shared leadership.
We understand that life happens. If you miss a session, you will be provided with materials and resources to help you catch up. Additionally, facilitators and peers are available to support you in staying connected to the cohort’s progress.
We believe in experimentation, shared learning, and starting where you are. Success doesn’t need to look polished or “complete”—we’re more interested in what’s possible when we move together, test ideas, and support one another. Throughout the cohort, we’ll co-create measures of impact and contribute our learnings to the RSJC Learning Lab (see below for more info). Your project can be fully formed or just a spark—here are some examples of what participants might work on:
- Neighborhood/Survivor Pods: Building small, trust-based support groups in your neighborhood or community to respond to harm and offer care outside of systems.
- Solidarity Circles: Starting peer-led spaces with clients or community members to share resources, build connections, and organize around shared needs.
- Co-Developing Accountability Systems: Creating survivor-informed rules and processes within domestic violence shelters or other institutions.
- Organizing Plans for Workplace Change: Developing a campaign to shift harmful policies or culture within your organization.
- Peer Counseling & Mentorship: Training survivors to support one another through trauma-informed listening, validation, and resource-sharing.
- Trauma-Informed Crisis Response: Piloting alternatives to police or punitive responses, like mobile support teams or healing care kits.
- Healing Justice Practices: Incorporating body-based practices like somatics, art, or community-led healing circles into your work with survivors.
Yes! RSJC is open to individuals, grassroots organizers, and members of established organizations alike. If you’re committed to building survivor-led, community-based interventions to address power-based violence, we encourage you to apply.
The standard tuition is $100, which helps cover meeting space, childcare, food, and facilitator time. If you're seeking CEU counseling credits, the tuition is $200. A sliding scale is available for those who would like financial support—no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
The RSJC Learning Lab is a collective effort to document and learn from the experiences of anti-violence workers who are building community-based alternatives to carceral systems. We believe success can't always be measured by traditional benchmarks—so we're reimagining what growth, impact, and transformation look like. As an RSJC cohort member, we hope you will contribute to a shared narrative repository that captures lessons learned, strategies tested, and moments of breakthrough. This resource will serve as a guide and inspiration for others committed to rethinking safety and justice.
We will be providing cohort members with a comprehensive and supportive experience that includes:
- The Reimagining Justice and Safety Organizing Workbook: A dynamic resource with curriculum materials, self-paced activities, journal prompts, articles, and guided reflections designed to deepen your learning and strengthen your organizing work.
- Connection and Collaboration Tools: A secure, encrypted platform (such as Signal) for cohort members to engage, share insights, and build community outside of formal sessions.
- Monthly Virtual Sessions: 90-minute sessions held once a month, offering interactive learning, discussion, and skill-building opportunities.
- Personalized Coaching: Optional coaching available during sessions for those seeking tailored support, feedback, or guidance.
- In-Person Saturday Gatherings: Enjoy ethically prepared, delicious food, childcare support, and a welcoming environment designed to meet participants’ needs.
Our intention is to create a nourishing and accessible space where anti-violence workers can connect, share, and build powerful, transformative strategies.
Please apply here
Join Us
Applications are open! Together, we’ll reimagine what safety and justice can look like for survivors and communities.
