a reflective journal about social action from JustDane
Dear Friends,
Rev William Sloane Coffin once said “Charity yes, always, but never as a substitute for justice ” This sentiment is woven through our work at JustDane Working with individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, we often find ourselves side by side with them, supporting their journey home and advocating for them Just Bakery is our way of creating opportunities for employment and career training We also work with employers in the community, advocating for more opportunities for people who are justice involved.
Our Reentry Simulations™ raise community awareness on issues related to reentry and the systemic injustices in the criminal legal system For a contract with Employ Milwaukee, we conduct Reentry Simulations in Milwaukee for targeted audiences of law makers, employers and community members and also facilitate Just Workplace trainings for employers to examine their own policies and barriers to opportunities
As a fiscal agent or incubator for new ideas and projects, we offer capacity building support for grass roots initiatives Over 30 organizations and projects have been incubated, each in
response to a community need Among the organizations incubated and spun off by JustDane: WI Faith Voices for Justice, Centro Hispano, Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice (now Worker Justice WI), the Allied Wellness Center, and more Currently we are the fiscal agent for Allied Partners, the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association, Moms on a Mission, Bleed Shamelessly, Urban Dippers, Madison Performance Collective, and Legaci Housing Stability Evaluation Program
Our advocacy work also focuses on public policy, public budgets, equity, inclusion and justice with the community. Historically our process was to form a Task Force to study and issue and then work to address those issues.
1977: Task Force on Education successfully blocked the closing of schools located in central Madison 1982: Organized community churches to support labor unions when worker rights were under attack
1990: Facilitated the creation of a Housing Coalition to focus on fair and affordable housing and homelessness
1992: Organized area non-profits and congregations to demand the restoration of human services funding that had been cut in the County budget
1997: Justice Issues Task Force resulted in local and statewide advocacy for justice system reform and the creation and support for reentry services in our community.
2007: Chance to Work, Chance to Succeed initiative with the Worker Rights Center educated legal system
impacted individuals on their rights as employees and worked with employers to open employment opportunities
2007: After working alongside County Supervisors, Dane County became the first county in Wisconsin to eliminate kickbacks to the county for phone, commissary and laundry services in the Dane County jail This reduced the cost to people held in the jail
2008: MUM became a voice nationally against the villainization and criminalization of homelessness
2011: Successfully opposed SB 206, which would have allowed employers to fire or refuse to hire anyone with an unpardoned felony conviction.
2012: Created a Task Force to study the de facto encampment created by unhoused folks on the old car lot on East Washington Ave Our findings and recommendations to the county board lead to the creation of a day shelter (now the Beacon) and medical respite shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness (Healing House for families)
2020-2021: As a member of the Dane County Board Public Protection & Judiciary Fines and Fees
Subcommittee, we worked to address and reduce the negative impact fines and fees assessed in the civil, human services, and criminal justice systems have on individuals and families.
In 2023 we served on the Dane County Board Community Court AdHoc Committee, working to create a community court in Dane County.
As we enter into City and County budget hearings you’ll see us there, opposing cuts to human services, to the safety net You’ll see us at hearings focused on
housing, on proposed ordinances that negatively impact people who are historically and intentionally marginalized We recognize that, as vitally important as our direct service initiatives are for the individuals engaged in those services (reentry support, employment training, peer support, medical recuperative shelter), they are charity. Justice is an end to employment discrimination and jobs that do not pay a living wage Justice is an end to rental company and landlord practices that price gouge and ignore needed repairs
Justice is truly affordable housing Justice is access to quality education for all students Justice is criminal legal system reform that ends the systemic racism that permeates the system
It has been and continues to be a part of our mission to call on our community to face the things that need to be changed, the injustices, the inequities. We may not be able to change everything, but we will never stop advocating for justice within our systems and community
JustDane has many volunteer opportunities in our Mentoring Connections Program, Reentry Simulations, Circles of Support, Healing House, Just Bakery Tutoring, and Just Bakery Farmer’s Market Sales.
If you are interested in other ways to help JustDane make positive change in our community, please check out our Give page on our website: justdane.org
Scan the QR code to sign up to volunteer today! Or go to: https://justdane.org/volunteer/
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Spotlight on Success: Cle Gray and Prodigal Building Systems & Academy
JustDane would like to recognize Cle Gray for his personal growth over 13 years working with our agency, his work towards creating equality in the construction trade field, and for assisting JustDane participants in finding work and careers through Prodigal Building Systems- 3 in June of 2024 alone!
In 2011, Cle Gray came to JustDane for help transitioning back to the community after spending 7.5 years incarcerated. Pushed forward by a desire to support his family, Cle was determined to find a career that not only made a liveable wage, but was something he truly loved to do With many years of construction trade work experience under his belt, Cle, along with his business partner, started their own business specifically to provide other justice-system impacted individuals with a track towards employment in the construction trades Prodigal Academy is an on-the-job training program for “mature people of color” who are reentering society from an institution and want to enter the construction trades Prodigal Building Systems has offices in Milwaukee and Madison and has worked on several projects you may recognize, including Madison’s Black Business Hub and the True Hotel
Thank you, Cle, for helping us change our community for the better!
Support JustDane’s Mission with a Bequest!
In honor of JustDane’s 50th anniversary, we ' re aiming to raise 50 bequests to support our mission for the next 50 years and beyond! By creating your will, you can gain peace of mind for the future, protect your family, and make a lasting impact on the transformation of individual lives and social systems to create a just and equitable community
Did you know nearly 67% of American adults don't have a will? We're offering a free, online will-writing tool from FreeWill so that 100% of our JustDane community can protect the people and causes they love.
What’s Baking at Just Bakery?!
