Mend Collaborative

At Mend we can support survivors and people responsible for harm through victim offender dialogue in cases of resentencing. We cannot fix either the miscarriage of justice from prosecutorial misconduct or the grief and loss survivors experience. But we can provide a safe container for questions to be asked and answered and stories to be shared.

?? Announcement: Unlikely Collaborators has awarded a grant to Mend Collaborative to support their incredible work in Los Angeles! Mend Collaborative facilitates restorative dialogues between survivors of violence and those who have caused harm. This can include direct Victim Offender Dialogues (VODs) or Surrogate Restorative Dialogues, offering powerful pathways to healing and transformation for everyone involved. What makes this even more impactful is that Mend Collaborative is staffed entirely by survivors, demonstrating the power of turning lived experience into a force for positive change. #restorativejustice #PerceptionBox #socialimpact

Today The Mend Collaborative facilitated a Surrogate Restorative Dialogue with “Leave the Keys” a peer-led DUI prevention program at California State Prison Los Angeles County. Hung Nguyen whose mother was killed by a 19 year old drunk driver shared his powerful story with the group. His moms death came 5 years into his incarceration with a sentence of life without parole. Hung shared about his process of dealing with his anger, grieving, healing and the forgiveness he found so that he could move forward with his own life. And the deep gratitude he has for the family of his victim, who have shared their forgiveness with him. There were six men with LWOP sentences among the group, and Hung was an inspiration on so many levels. Hung was greeted with warmth by many officers who remembered him from his time there. And also by the men who were his support and community, who are still incarcerated. We are so grateful for survivors who take their time to share about their experiences, to our amazing facilitator Denise, and also to the men inside working on their own healing and accountability.

At Mend Collaborative the impact of the Racial Justice Act (and other laws creating relief in resentencing) has been a significant increase of Victim Offender Dialogues. These dialogues have been referred to our organization by district attorneys, victim advocates, public defenders and other agencies that seek to support victims/survivors as they engage with the criminal justice system. What the VOD can provide but is not limited to is victims/survivors being able to share the impact of the harm, understand directly from the person responsible why it happened, hear about their accountability, what rehabilitation the person has been involved in during their incarceration, and what they plan to do should they earn resentencing and an opportunity to parole. If you’re a district attorney, victim advocate, public defender, or in a resentencing unit and wish to support victims/survivors through the Victim Offender Dialogue we provide free online and in person trainings about our services and how to refer our organization. All of our services to survivors are free.

The Patchwork Collective was pivotal in our founding as an organization. We appreciate this consistent and supportive partnership that has invested in our mission and vision to bring healing and justice to individuals and families across our state.

The Day of Healing (DOH) is a program of the Mend Collaborative. We host and coordinate the DOH at California prisons—a day-long trauma-informed program that bring survivors from the community together with incarcerated survivors to share and process their experiences of grief, loss, harm, and resilience. We partner with organizations to co-host these events or to facilitate sessions that bring different healing modalities. One such amazing partner has been Healing and Justice Center where facilitator Azucena Ortiz facilitates a one hour Dancing from the Heart session adapted from her work in healing trauma held in our bodies. This has been a liberating exercise and experience for all of our participants. We thank all of the participants both free and incarcerated that joined us for our recent Day of Healing at Central California Womens Facility CCWF. We look forward to many more!

Thank you to the Office of the State Public Defender - California for inviting our Co-Director Miguel Quezada to MC the “Meeting the Need: The State of Public Defense in California” its first convening of public defenders offices, legislators, advocates, and stakeholders from across the state and nationally with a focus on building the capacity of offices of the public defender across all counties.

Rebecca Weiker remembers her sister as a committed advocate for justice and healing. Even though she lost her sister to youth violence, Rebecca believes that it dishonors her sister’s memory every time a young person is sentenced to die in prison. Rebecca’s sister, Wendy, was a talented therapist who was tragically killed by one of her young clients. For over 20 years, Rebecca has not shed the heartache and deep sadness that comes from not having her big sister in the world. In processing her grief with others, Rebecca was struck by how her experience of profound loss is shared by the family members of young people who cause harm and are given extreme sentences. She also understands that so many young people who cause harm were victims of harm themselves and that these experiences are the impetus for a cycle of violence. “I can't bring my sister back,” Rebecca says. “But when I imagine stopping those ever-widening circles from flowing outward, I can feel her presence.” Instrumental in passing a law in California that gave more than 300 young people serving life without parole a chance for review, she chooses to respond to harm in ways that can mend, restore, and transform. As the Co-Director of the Mend Collaborative, an organization that facilitates restorative justice dialogues, Rebecca is doing exactly that. She founded the Mend Collaborative with Miguel Quezada, who was formerly incarcerated for the violence he committed in his youth. Together, they are dedicated to providing survivors the opportunity to share their experiences with harm and incarcerated people the opportunity to express their accountability and remorse while gaining insight into the harm they caused. In her view, without addressing harm together, how are we to prevent it?? Learn more about Rebecca’s leadership in restorative justice and transformative healing here. In her view, without addressing harm together, how are we to prevent it?? Read Rebecca’s 'Restorative Story' in our new and growing storybank, featuring testimonies of those impacted by youth violence and the extreme sentencing of youth who have found healing through restorative justice: https://lnkd.in/e7QidxCg

Our appreciation to Assemblymember McKinnor (D-Inglewood) for inviting Mend Collaborative Co-Director Rebecca Weiker and Facilitator Trino Jimenez to the Assembly Select Committee on Restorative Justice and for being Chair of the Hearing on the Positive Impacts of Restorative Justice in California. You can also view the full recording of the hearing at https://lnkd.in/gcZ4HM4J and press release https://lnkd.in/gPgKKNx9

We are honored to hear the impact?of the services we provide through the stories of survivors. The Victim Offender Dialogue and Surrogate Restorative Dialogue programs offer opportunities in a safe and supportive space for both accountability and healing to happen. We are honored that Lupe is now one of our many facilitators supporting other individuals and families through our programs.