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Question 1: What is your name, title, and organization/How long have you been a member of the team?
Chanda Daniels, Director of Communications, Common Justice, and 2 and half-ish years
Question 2: Can you describe what your organization does in a nutshell?
At Common Justice, we work to create the true safety we know is possible for all communities. Our mission is to develop and advance solutions to violence that transform the lives of those harmed and foster racial equity without relying on incarceration.
In New York City, we operate the first alternative-to-incarceration and victim-service program in the United States focused on violent felonies in adult courts. When violence occurs, our direct service work creates pathways for healing and repair for all parties involved, prioritizing accountability and safety over punishment. Locally and nationally, we use lessons learned from our fifteen years of experience to provide training, support, and capacity-building to partners across the country working to divert cases of serious violence from the criminal legal system.
You can learn more about our work, explore resources, and get involved on our website.
Question 3: Can you share one thing from the last year, from your work, that you are really proud of?
One thing I’m particularly proud of from the last year is the progress we’ve made in shifting the narrative around violence and safety. This year, we launched a series of workshops, which take a radically different approach to messaging. Instead of relying on traditional talking points, we’ve focused on asking transformative questions that invite deeper reflection and dialogue about the root causes of violence and how we can prevent it. What’s been so rewarding is seeing how this work has resonated with both survivors and community members, sparking conversations that center healing, accountability, and justice outside the punitive system. We’ve also worked closely with artists and journalists to reshape how media portrays violence, and I’m excited about how these collaborations will continue to change public perception over time. It’s a huge step toward a cultural shift in how we think about safety, and I’m proud of the impact we’re seeing on the ground.
We’ve also been able to build and strengthen collaborations with local organizations across the country, like the Freedom Community Center in St. Louis, MO, and the People’s Advocacy Institute in Jackson, MS, to help them launch and expand diversion programs for serious violence. These partnerships are key to scaling our vision of restorative justice and creating sustainable change on the ground. What’s especially meaningful is seeing these local leaders take our shared values and create tailored solutions that work for their specific communities. We’ve learned so much from them in return—how to adapt our models to different contexts, how to center community wisdom, and how to navigate complex, real-world challenges. We’ve also launched our Practitioner’s Lab and NYC Collaborative to continue to build this ecosystem of support. These partnerships are proof that when we work together, we can create real, lasting alternatives to punitive justice systems. I'm incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made and excited to see how these partnerships continue to grow and shape the future of justice in their communities.
Question 4: What does public safety mean to you?
To me, public safety means creating environments where people are free from harm—not just physical, but emotional, psychological, and systemic harm. Safety means we can address the root causes of violence—poverty, trauma, systemic inequality—and ensure that all people, especially survivors, have access to the tools they need to heal and rebuild their lives. True safety is built on community and accountability—not punishment or fear. It involves communities being empowered to respond to harm in ways that foster healing and accountability, rather than perpetuating cycles of violence through incarceration or policing. For me, public safety is about creating a just world, one where every person’s well-being is prioritized, and everyone has access to healing.
Question 5: The You’ve Got Options Campaign is all about exposing communities to the “options” that exist for community-led safety solutions. Why does it matter that YOUR community have options?
We know that the Black and brown community is targeted and incarcerated at higher rates than any other group. Being a Black woman, I feel the impact of this system daily in small and large ways. I feel it directly with my family members who aren’t home with us. I feel it when I am walking in a New York subway filled with police and I feel it when something goes wrong but the last person I would ever call are the cops. In a system built on racialized harm, it’s imperative that we have an ecosystem built where our community needs are being met and centered.
It’s crucial for our community to have options because when people know they have alternatives to the traditional punitive system, they can make more informed decisions about what kind of safety they want to create. Too often, we’re told that the only way to address harm is through police or prisons, but those solutions often don’t provide real healing or long-term safety. By giving our community access to alternatives like restorative justice or community-based violence intervention, we can create safer environments without relying on systems that can harm marginalized communities even more. Having options means that people can choose methods that are rooted in care and accountability, rather than punishment. It allows survivors to have a voice in their own healing process and creates space for communities to build their own strategies for preventing harm. It also shifts the focus from retribution to restoration, which ultimately creates stronger, more resilient communities where everyone can thrive. It’s not just about reducing violence—it’s about creating a culture of collective care.
