Restorative Justice Revival in Pueblo- A committed gathering of education leaders met at Pueblo's CSU campus to discuss implementing restorative justice as an intervention for marijuana cases in schools. An initiative of the Institute for Cannabis Research, Colo. State University-Pueblo and local Restorative Justice advocates Ron Wiley, Jenny Piazza, Pam Richmond and Margie Massey convened the community meeting which included attendees from the Pueblo PD, Sheriff and local schools. It is an honor to work with such a dedicated team.

Restorative Justice on the Rise- Lynn and I just spent four days in Oakland, CA with1300+ practitioners and advocates gathered for the 6th annual National Restorative Justice (NACRJ) Conference. With double the attendance from the Fort Lauderdale event two years ago, the momentum of the movement is growing. The call to end the school to prison pipeline and to promote accountability, healing and reconciliation in the criminal justice system are driving the growth. In 2019 the conference will be In Denver!

Busy days- I joined hundreds of local leaders and enthusiasts for the long awaited groundbreaking for the Olympic Museum in southwest downtown. It could be the kickoff for a downtown renaissance. Earlier last week, I spent three days with the National Council of State Legislatures in California as part of a juvenile justice working group. Being out of state, I missed Citizens Project's Creating Community breakfast; Lynn hosted my guests along with 600 supporters of this organization that is dedicated to diversity, equality, citizen engagement and separation of church and state. On Saturday, I joined Rep. Tony Exum for a Town Hall to discuss the Justice Reinvestment Crime Prevention initiative which will bring over $2 million to southeast Colorado Springs to create jobs and support education. Sunday morning I hiked to St. Mary's Falls. Its great to be home.

A big thank you to Governor Hickenlooper for signing both my Department of Youth Corrections Reform bill and my Justice Reinvestment Crime Prevention Initiative this week. I am optimistic that these laws are going to help move both our Youth Corrections and the broader justice system in Colorado to be more equitable and reduce rates of recidivism and crime in our communities.

Inspiration at Community Prep- You could not help but be touched by the remarkable stories of persistence and resilience of the four dozen scholars who accepted their diplomas from the teachers, advocates and staff on Saturday They all deserve our commendations and congratulations as they begin the next stage of their journeys.

The Women's Lobby of Colorado recently released their annual scorecard and I am proud to say I was once again given a 100% rating. Check out their full report to learn more:
http://www.womenslobbyofcolorado.org/legislation/scorecards/