AJC and UT team up for public safety listening session

The Austin Justice Coalition and the University of Texas Initiative for Law Societies and Justice will host a listening session this Friday for community members who have been impacted by “policing, DPS, CPS, incarceration or other parts of the criminal legal system.” The meeting will be a chance for people to share their experiences and perspectives on what should change. “With the return of ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric and policies, including the recent deployment of state troopers to Austin, we know that many in the community face even more distress, injustice and harm from the criminal legal system,” says Chris Harris, directory of policy at AJC, in a statement about the event. “We want to ensure that we’re hearing directly from folks impacted to understand the full extent of those harms and that we’re bringing resources and action to bear to try and remedy those harms.” The community listening session will take place Friday, April 28, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Cherrywood Center. Anyone requiring interpretation, child care or other accommodations is asked to please email denise.miller@austin.utexas.edu.