Institute on Public Safety + social justice
Meeting public safety challenges with socially just solutions.
Holistic Community Well-Being + Public Safety
The Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice (IPSSJ) works to support holistic community well-being and public safety through trauma-informed solutions, collaboration, research, and training. Areas of focus include:
Addressing Trauma
Building public safety systems that heal and address trauma rather than recreate it.
Decriminalization of Communities
Supporting a cultural shift away from punishment toward real accountability
Building Community Capacity
Helping organizations and communities plan safety strategies that promote wellness.
Advancing Community Care + public safety
What is IPSSJ?
Since 2011, IPSSJ has partnered with systems and communities to shift practices from punishment to healing. Grounded in restorative practices, trauma-informed care, and a belief in collective solutions for lasting safety, IPSSJ seeks to strengthen community wellness and public safety by addressing the root causes of harm.
From reducing incarceration to expanding access to education, IPSSJ’s work takes many forms, each focused on addressing the root causes of harm.
IL-CHEP (opens in a new tab)
Restorative justice
Restorative justice offers a different way to respond to harm — one that centers healing, accountability, and community connection. IPSSJ brings this philosophy to life through community-driven initiatives grounded in collective care and systems change.
What is restorative justice? | YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Research + resources
IPSSJ offers publications, toolkits, and research that explore restorative justice, as well as trauma-informed and community-based approaches to safety. These resources reflect the lived experiences of partners and participants, as well as insights from the field.
The Power of Apology
Quintana Last Mile Scholarship
This scholarship supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in overcoming financial barriers to completing their education. Awarded annually, it prioritizes those who have begun their studies or are held back by prior debt.
IPSSJ in action
Applicants sought for the Quintana Last Mile Scholarship
First cohort of ‘peacemakers’ graduates from CHOICE, a trauma-informed initiative inside Illinois correctional facilities
New program provides weekly peer-led, evidence-based sessions that aim to end ‘cycle of criminal activity.’
From Belfast to Chicago, restorative justice principles offer ways to break ‘circle of violence’
Adler University hosted the quarterly City-Wide Restorative Justice Meeting.
Support systemic change + community care
Help IPSSJ expand trauma-informed, restorative approaches.