Community Spring Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO DISMANTLE STRUCTURAL POVERTY AND SPUR ECONOMIC MOBILITY AT A GRASSROOTS LEVEL.

COMMUNITY SPRING HIRES PEOPLE IMPACTED BY POVERTY FOR NINE MONTH FELLOWSHIPS TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A CAMPAIGN THAT ADDRESSES STRUCTURAL POVERTY. EVERY YEAR THE CAMPAIGN ISSUE AREA WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHO MAKES UP THE FELLOWSHIP CLASS. THE FOCUS AREA IS DETERMINED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FELLOWSHIP CLASS THROUGH A CONSENSUS-BASED PROCESS. THIS INVOLVES SEVERAL DAYS OF FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS AND STORYTELLING EXERCISES THAT PROVIDE SPACE FOR FELLOWS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SEE HOW THEIR EXPERIENCES OVERLAP, AND CONSIDER SOLUTIONS TO THOSE PROBLEMS. THEN THEY DESIGN THE GOALS AND ACTIVITIES. CAMPAIGNS ARE GENERALLY ORGANIZED AROUND THREE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES: 1) COMMUNITY-LED SERVICE OR ENGAGEMENT, 2) NARRATIVE SHIFTING COMMUNICATIONS, AND 3) ADVOCACY FOR INSTITUTIONAL OR POLICY CHANGE. THE CAMPAIGN LED BY THE 2022-2023 FELLOWSHIP CLASS, LINKS NOT LOCKS, SOUGHT TO REDUCE INCARCERATION THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. THEY RAISED AWARENESS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT 35% OF PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY JAIL HAVE A DIAGNOSED MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. LINKS NOT LOCKS DESIGNED AN ALTERNATIVE FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM, WITH TEAMS OF MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS AND MEDICS THAT CAN BE DISPATCHED VIA 911, 988 AND A NON-EMERGENCY LINE FOR LOW-RISK, NON-EMERGENCY CALLS. THIS PROGRAM WOULD DIVERT PEOPLE FROM JAIL AND CONNECT THEM TO THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.

JUST INCOME IS A GUARANTEED INCOME PROJECT IN ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, PROVIDING TEMPORARY, UNCONDITIONAL MONTHLY PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM - NO STRINGS ATTACHED. THIS TRAILBLAZING PROJECT WAS DESIGNED BY AND IS ADMINISTERED BY FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE. IN THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, 115 JUSTICE-IMPACTED PEOPLE WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM OUR APPLICANT POOL TO RECEIVE $1,000 IN THE FIRST MONTH, FOLLOWED BY $600 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT ELEVEN MONTHS. JUST INCOME IS BEING INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED BY THE CENTER FOR GUARANTEED INCOME RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND DR. LUCIUS COULOUTE, PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY. THEIR MIXED-METHOD APPROACH AIMS TO DETERMINE IF RECEIPT OF A GUARANTEED INCOME CAN MITIGATE KNOWN BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL REENTRY, AS WELL AS UNLOCK THE INHERENT POTENTIAL OF RETURNING CITIZENS. THE LAST DISBURSEMENT OF THIS GUARANTEED INCOME WAS MADE IN MARCH 2023 AND RESULTS WILL BE AVAILABLE BY MARCH 2024.