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/

Civil Rights Icon in Colorado Springs-Lynn and I joined 600 enthusiastic activists to hear Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center at a Greenburg Center presentation. Famous for destroying a dozen KKK chapters via bankrupting law suits, Dees has been a leader fighting for civil rights and tolerance and against hate groups for half a century. After talking with him at a pre-presentation reception about Restorative Justice, he praised our Colorado restorative justice initiatives in his speech an hour latter.