ICARE Social Justice Network

The Interfaith Coalition for Action, Reconciliation, and Empowerment is a coalition of 24 churches, mosques, and synagogues that is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Jacksonville, Florida by powerfully addressing neighborhood and city-wide justice issues important to our members. Click here to visit ICARE online.

Corrective Reading Issue Committee Update

Problem: 30,000 students in our district cannot read proficiently.  

Solution: Provide them with an evidence-based reading curriculum called Corrective Reading.

Where we are: As of August 2011, a pilot program  is in place for 538 second and third graders.

Next Steps: Build alliances with non profits, corporations and the school board in order to build power to win this issue for all 30,000 students that need it.

• This month we are meeting with the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, the National Institute for Direct Instruction and the Duval County Instructional Coaches for Corrective Reading.
• Our next committee meeting is Jan. 9^th at 7:00pm at Riverside Baptist. Please talk to your Justice Ministry Team Leader if you are interested in attending.

Youth Crime Issue Committee Update

Problem: 6,000 youth arrests, $22,000 to incarcerate annually per youth, 50,000 out of school suspension throughout the county causes a pipeline to prison for our youth.

Solution: Establish sustainable evidence-based restorative justice program for youth in schools and in neighborhoods of high crime through student and community accountability boards.

Where we are: Student accountability boards in two schools, Southside Middle School and Englewood High School. Received a commitment from State Attorney to create community accountability boards in neighborhoods of high crime.

Next Steps: Build alliance with non profits and stakeholders to support and strengthen our power to expand the student accountability boards to more schools and create community accountability boards in areas of high crime.

• We want data on the effectiveness of the program in the two schools in Duval County.
• We want testimonies on the effectiveness of the program.
• We want to define a budget for the hire of a coordinator for the community accountability boards and training for volunteers for the community accountability boards.
• This month we are meeting with Lawrence Dennis the Chief Officer for the Secondary Cluster of Duval Public Schools.
• Our next meeting is Jan. 12 at 6:00pm at Riverside Baptist Church.  Please speak to your Justice Ministry Team Leader if you are interested in coming.

Homeless Day Center Issue Committee

Problem: On average, 3,910 people are homeless in Duval County, including a rising number of homeless families and children. Yet, on any given night, there are only 800 beds available in Duval County. Duval County in particular struggles with a high unemployment rate; a lack of affordable, supportive, and permanent housing; a lack of access to job training, mental health and substance abuse counseling; insufficient re-entry programs for people leaving jail; and wages not kept up with cost of living.

Solution:  There is presently no comprehensive homeless resource center/drop-in day center in Jacksonville where individuals can escape the elements, take a shower, receive mail/phone calls, safely store belongings, wash clothing, and connect with job services, sub­stance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, etc. Additionally, there is no homeless night-time shelter at the beaches.

Where we are: At the ICARE Community Problems Assembly in November, with nearly 500 people present, the homelessness committee  reported frustration and disappointment that the mayor had not yet followed through on the commitments he had made to ICARE, and that they had been unable to meet with him. Because of the people power in our numbers, and press coverage of the assembly, the committee was contacted by the mayor’s office the next day and a meeting was set. The committee met with Mayor Alvin Brown on November 18^th.

Next Steps: Ensure follow through and that the homeless day center becomes a reality.

• On December 15^th the co-chairs of the homeless committee are attending a meeting called by the mayor to bring together key stakeholders in the issue, and begin to formulate next steps for the creation and implementation of the day center. Our next steps will in part be determined by the outcome of this meeting.
• Our next committee meeting is Dec. 15^th at 6:00 pm at St. Philip’s Episcopal. Please talk to your Justice Ministry Team Leader if you are interested in attending.

Jobs Committee

The Jobs Committee had its first meeting during the November Research Kickoff.  Twenty-two people are currently on the committee.  Over the next few months the committee will be conducting meetings with 20-25 local leaders related to joblessness in Jacksonville to determine a clear definition of the problem and potential winnable solutions locally.  The committee had its first research meeting last week with a professor of economics at UNF and will be meeting with the Director for Small Business Development the first week in January.  Anyone interested in being a part of the committee are welcome to attend the next full committee meeting on January 3^rd at 6pm at South Jacksonville Presbyterian, 2137 Hendricks Ave.