Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice

Warm Greetings!

Throughout Minneapolis and beyond, communities are reckoning with an over-reliance on policing and are yearning to create life-giving, equitable, and compassionate ways to respond to harm and crime. As people turn away from accountability through policing, they are turning towards programs like Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice. 

We frequently hear,

“I don’t think calling the police will get me the result I want. What other options are there?”

Unfortunately, society has yet to fully realize new models of community care and safety which has left an “accountability gap” and no simple way to respond. Replacing the current system of policing, built over more than 150 years, requires committing to the long view and the deep work of creating new ways of living together and of defining accountability.

 Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice is engaged in deep, long-term transformation:Rahma and Michele
Longfellow Community Council annual meeting

To expand restorative justice options across the state of Minnesota for youth who break the law, SLRJ contributed two years of committee participation and legislative advocacy, culminating in the creation of the statewide Office of Restorative Practices.

At the request of a surviving family member, SLRJ facilitated a restorative process with a driver responsible for a pedestrian death in downtown Minneapolis. The 18-month process exceeded everyone’s expectations, and the Minneapolis City Attorney’s office is working with SLRJ to finalize a restorative justice option for those harmed by crime.

In response to inquiries from survivors of gender-based violence, SLRJ is working across Minnesota to increase the options available for survivors who request RJ, through convening a monthly working group and presenting at educational events.

To meet the increasing demands on our small organization, SLRJ doubled its staff! In September Rahma Hudle joined the team as Program Director.

 With your continued support of SLRJ, together we can build a confident response to the question, “What other options are there?”

With Gratitude,

Michele and Rahma

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SLRJ was founded in 2004 when neighborhood residents came together to build a safer and stronger community by responding to harm through direct and meaningful conversations.

Thank you for believing that we can transform Minneapolis into a City grounded in restorative justice!

 2023 Annual budget: $93,000

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