It Takes a Village: Solidarity and Successes

media release: This session focuses on what the wider community is doing around the issues of reentry and those impacted by the criminal justice system. We are welcoming guests working around the state that we want to highlight and support collaboration.

Join us to hear what different organizations and initiatives are doing stand in solidarity with those impacted by the criminal justice system. Our panel of friends will share successes and provide fresh perspectives on the issues.

Guest Panelists:

- Annette Miller, CEO and Founder of EQT by Design

- Shannon Ross, Founder and Executive Director of The Community

- Jonathan Schaffer, Director of the Restorative Justice Project at the UW Law School

- Hosted by Anthony Cooper

Register for Zoom Webinar or watch the live stream on the Justified Anger YouTube Channel.

More on the panelists:

Annette Miller: My journey has culminated in creating what I call a "for the people engineer + consultant on equity, engagement, policy, planning, community and wellbeing!"

My passion is ensuring inclusion and engagement is front and center in the work. I bring strong insight and experience in policy, business, organizational and community infrastructure. Along with analytical skills, a wide network of community, government and business relationships including networks and relationships across and within Madison and Dane County's diverse populations.

These strengths as a connector between community, business, and nonprofits; I believe in results that implement strategies which are inclusive and resilient and produces a strong community backbone. At EQT the focus is on developing diverse, inclusive, sustainable strategies in public engagement, equitable community development projects, and organizational cultural change management.

Every day we seek to practice, model and provide concrete action steps to increase economic and community impact and decision making for Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Shannon Ross is the founder and executive director of The Community, which employs deep in-reach and outreach to help bring society and the system-impacted community exactly where they need each other to be. Since his release in 2020, after 17 years in prison, Shannon is also a Founding Partner of a Multidimensional Justice Solutions firm called Paradigm Shyft, an Ed Trust fellow, a fellow/consultant at Marquette University, a graduate of the Masters in Sustainable Peacebuilding program at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, and a first time father.  

Jonathan Scharrer is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He has extensive experience as a facilitator of restorative justice dialogues in sensitive and violent crimes and as a trainer in a variety of restorative justice practices. Jonathan is active in examining criminal justice policy and has helped design and implement multiple restorative justice diversion programs and restorative responses to crime. Additionally, Jonathan serves as a member of the advisory council for the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice.