#Thread I didn’t know how I should process what happened to me two days ago. I was sexually harassed just a few steps away from my home. And what made him walk away was that he didn’t see fear in my eyes, tone of voice, or body language.

But I couldn’t help to think about the next woman or girl that could be preyed on, and how do we begin to address the systems that create harm in our communities, and in our homes?

This is the 2nd act of violence that my son and I endured during this pandemic. And I fully understand that our current justice system is based on punishment and is not designed to provide humane treatment or healing to repair harm or address the root causes of violence.

We need to continue to work towards decarceration, overhauling our criminal legal system, and reimagining what public safety truly means in our communities.

We cannot overlook the work that is necessary to combat systemic oppression, violence, and trauma in our own homes/communities that has exasperated through failed policies and community disinvestment.

And be honest that its going to take time for us to reach a place where health and wellness is the response to all forms of violence.

If abolition is the end goal, we need concrete steps to get there. And if we are being honest that abolition won't come today tomorrow or a year from now or even longer, what does that mean for our community members stuck in these punitive systems?

What solutions do we have for the man who sexually harassed me while I was with my son, that address the root reasons for that violence without police or jails, and how do we make sure our community members are still safe?

We can't allow our communities to experience unchecked harm while we work towards addressing systemic inequality.

While we are working towards decarceration and investing in our communities, we will need justice centers dedicated to repairing the harm people cause, keeping our community members safe, and getting people the services and help they need to prevent future harm.

Jails and prisons don't do that, so Rikers isn't the solution to our problems, but neither is the Mayor's borough based jail plan as it stands.

The ULURP decision to close Rikers is an entrypoint to create the kind of justice centers we need and we need to take this opportunity to hold the City accountable.

And push them towards creating actual justice centers with wrap around services, without DOC, without the cycle of punishment and violence that incarcerated people have experienced for decades in this city. #reimaginingpublicsafety #publichealth #anotherworldispossible