Week Two Blog: Settling in at SWDCJC

Dear DCERP fellows,

Congratulations on completing your first week at your community organization. I hope your second week was smooth as well.

Initially, I was excited but slightly nervous about my placement with the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center because I have minimal experience regarding the justice system in the US. Fortunately, the work my supervisor has planned for me will allow me to work effectively while still introducing me to new fields of research and social justice. SWDCJC’s goal is to increase public trust in the justice system, reduce crime, and improve the quality of life for its community partners.

In light of the recent civil unrest across the city, country, and world, my first task for the SWDCJC is to create a statement/message/stance/list of resources as SWDCJC’s response to recent events regarding recent events. After we finalize and publicize our statement, I will move on to mainly applying for grants. Of the grants my supervisor is considering, some are directly related to us while others go in a slightly different direction than SWDCJC’s normal programs and resources. The latter type of grants would allow me to develop new forms of outreach, programs, resources, etc. for the SWDCJC that haven’t previously existed before.

When the DCERP program was moved online, I was grateful my internship was still a go, but I was particularly glad the fellow meetings were still going to happen even if I wasn’t going to have the same experience as before the pandemic. Getting to know the other fellows has been really refreshing during this time. I am fond of meeting new people which made it pretty difficult when you were not supposed to leave your house. DCERP has offered me a chance to make new friends this summer while we tackle similar internships. As my spring term class wraps up, I am looking forward to spending more time on my project, reading How to Kill a City, and DCERP in general.

I hope you’re having a lovely pride month,

Madison D