Week 8: Wrapping Things Up

This week signals the end of a lot of things for me. My birthday is this Saturday, which means the end of being a teenager. It’s also the second to last week here at DCERP, which has definitely been a little bittersweet. I have grown so much throughout the past couple of months here in Detroit and it will definitely be a little sad to return to normal life after having such a great experience.

Yesterday, I was tasked with taking intake notes at the SWDCJC’s Community Court Program, which partners with the 36th precinct to combat the root inequities of incarceration. Those who opt in to the program have received a low level misdemeanor and wish to waive fines and jail time in return for community service focusing on the beautification of the community. As someone who wants to go into the legal field, having the opportunity to observe this kind of courtroom setting was incredibly valuable. It’s amazing to see how much work goes into making this program run and how much support is offered to those who opt in. I am so lucky to have been placed at the SWDCJC because their work perfectly aligns with the change I want to be a part of in the criminal justice system. As my role has primarily been centered on research for grant writing, it’s been very interesting to see how, as a non-profit, we have to find seemingly unrelated grants in order to fund programs like Community Court. The grants that are streamlined enough to encompass programs like ours are few and far between, so it’s a lot of finding grants that fit the mission and the desired impact and tailoring them to fit the work we do.

I’ve been really fortunate to have made some really great friends through this program and to still have some time left to spend with them and at SWDCJC, so it’s not goodbye yet, but a commitment to making the most out of the rest of my time here.