Emergent Justice ‘s mission is empowering communities to unapologetically fight to dismantle all systems of injustice throughout Michigan. We do this through our Campaigns for Change – our focused efforts to tear down parts of the system causing injustice to the people of Michigan and offer alternatives or solutions. We identify the focus of our Campaigns by talking with the community and listening to the concerns and stories of the people in our Participatory Defense HUB.
Justice for Mario
Mario Willis is an innocent man serving time in a Michigan prison since 2010 for the tragic death of a firefighter. Mario and his family have been fighting to prove the fire was accidental — not an “arson for hire” resulting in a death.
Like far too many wrongfully convicted people, Reid Interrogation played a role in Mario’s conviction.
Our Participatory Defense HUB has joined the fight. We’ll be working for his freedom, the freedom of the other wrongfully convicted in our HUB and supporting parents fighting to keep their children out of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Michigan Student Network for Pipeline Prevention
Instead of relying only on adults, the Michigan Student Network for Pipeline Prevention (MSNPP) is building a network where young people support each other-helping classmates stay in school, stay out of trouble, and on track for success.
Across ten Michigan counties, we’re launching a Peer-to-Peer Support Network pilot to address the roadblocks students face to staying in school and on track for future success. Students will get real support from their peers—mentorship, guidance, and a sense of belonging—so fewer young people end up in trouble and more stay on track in school and life. This is about real students helping real students, using what they know and what they’ve lived.
Protect Our Youth
Coercive and deceptive interrogation tactics are threatening the safety and freedom of our youth in both the criminal legal system and our schools. These methods, commonly referred to as Reid Interrogation, have been around since the late 50s and are the technique in which most US law enforcement have been trained. While Reid Interrogation has contributed to false confessions by adults, the psychological and cognitive differences between juveniles and adults make youth especially vulnerable. There have been 438 exonerations since 1989 that involved a false confession. Of these 438 cases, 54% were 21 years or younger at the time of the crime and the vast majority were youth of color.
And Reid Interrogation isn’t only being used by law enforcement. More than a decade ago, Reid & Associates started offering “Are You Sure They’re Telling the Truth? Developing Investigative Interviewing Skills for School Administrators”, a 1-day training for school administrators that covers many of the same topics and tactics as the course for law enforcement.