Restorative Community Coalition

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Bellingham, WA
Restorative Community Coalition

Formerly the Whatcom County ReEntry Coalition.

We are an action-oriented coalition providing direct services to families affected by the justice system and are advocating for restorative, economic, systematic, and social change. The Coalition is clear that restorative solutions starting with early childhood education, prevention, trauma therapy and behavior modification therapy are most valuable. Current diversion and intervention programs lik

e teen, drug, veterans, mental health, and homeless courts have shown a very high return on investment for all of our citizens. And Restorative Justice is a special method of solving problems at their core, for it has been shown that it can help take people out of the expensive jail system, which is simply cycling them through.

06/13/2026

Establishing Trust: A discussion about impediments and essentials. ⚖️

In the second of our three-part series, the iChange Justice Podcast digs deep into our local legal landscape. Join board members of the Restorative Community Coalition as we move past the rhetoric to answer the hard question: How do we establish trust after a systemic breach of confidence?

From identifying the "impediments" we need to let go of to the "essentials" we must add, we’re mapping out a path to a more humane community.

🗓️ Airing June 24th (the last Wednesday of the month). Join us for this essential conversation. ✨

06/08/2026

#235 - iChange Justice Podcast: Restorative Community Coalition Presents: Broken Promises or Real Restorative Action? 🎙️

The wait is over! We are officially launching an all-new monthly broadcast format! 📻 For this milestone episode, our entire board steps up to the microphone to co-host a critical conversation on a heavy reality: the systemic breach of trust in our local justice system.
Facilitated by board member Atul Deshmane, our panel brings together coalition founder Irene Morgan, board members Karen Ball and Lucy Kesterson, alongside Ray Rodriguez and Miriam Karamoko from the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission.
We are diving deep into the hard truths the community needs to hear:
👉 The 90/10 Reality Check: Voters were promised a 50/50 split to fund crucial behavioral health and re-entry services during the 2023 jail levy. Instead, current plans allocate roughly 90% of the funds strictly to jail cells. 📉
👉 The Missing Needs Assessment: Why did local executives scrap the promised community needs assessment within two weeks of taking office? 📋
👉 Silenced Voices: We need to see how we pacify citizens while maintaining the unsustainable incarceration loop active. 🔄
We believe it’s time to design a system that actually heals. Restorative Justice is the Focus, and it begins by demanding transparency and building true Connection within our community. 🕊️🌾

05/06/2026

Happy May! 🌸 #235 New Episode: Restorative Justice CommUnity Conversation 🎙️✨Comming Soon!

Since tomorrow was our old time slot for over five years, we wanted to share this to make sure you don't miss a beat. We are shifting our energy and moving forward with a new time slot, new frequency, and a new focus on creating CommUnity. We invite you to Join the Conversation with Thought Leaders, Community Advocates, and Architects of a Restorative Future! 🏗️🕊️

This episode is hosted by Community Leaders and joined by CommUnity Members to discuss the vision and practical application of Restorative Justice. We are bringing together voices from all walks of life to talk about how we can build a future that restores and heals. 🗣️⚖️

📅Mark your calendars for our next episode airing May 27th. This will be our official move to the new monthly schedule!
New Time: Wednesday at 4:00 PM
New Frequency: Once a month
New Focus: Creating CommUnity
Where: KOYS-LPFM 94.1 Bellingham or find us everywhere you get your podcasts 📻🎧

04/30/2026

#235 New Episode: Restorative Justice CommUnity Conversation 🎙️✨

Join the Conversation with Thought Leaders, Community Advocates, and Architects of a Restorative Future! 🏗️🕊️

This episode is hosted by Community Leaders and joined by CommUnity Members to discuss the vision and practical application of Restorative Justice. We are bringing together voices from all walks of life to talk about how we can build a future that restores and heals. 🗣️⚖️

This is our first new time slot! Join us airing every month on Wednesday at 4:00 PM on KOYS-LPFM 94.1 Bellingham or find us everywhere you get your podcasts. 📻🎧

04/26/2026

#234-iChange Justice Podcast – From Prison to Homeless, to Certified Peer Counselors (Encore)
In this encore episode, Host Joy Gilfilen introduces John and Wes, two men rebuilding their lives after incarceration and now helping others find their way forward.

They share what it was like reentering society in Cowlitz County, Washington, after felony convictions left them navigating life after prison, homelessness, and the challenges of starting over. Through perseverance and support, both men found work and became certified peer counselors, first living at and later working with the Community House on Broadway as peer mentors and housing specialists.

Today, their lived experience helps others facing similar challenges reconnect with housing, stability, and opportunity.

We are closing out our encore series and will be introducing our next community discussion... Stay Tuned.

Find the iChange Justice Podcast everywhere you get your podcasts, and thank you to KOYS-LPFM 94.1 for airing our show every Thursday at Noon.

04/20/2026

#233 iChange Justice Podcast – Paranoia, Heartbreak & Rehabilitation (Encore)
Joy Gilfilen, the host of iChange Justice, interviews Jerome Gold, the author of Paranoia and Heartbreak, about his 15 years as a rehabilitation counselor at Echo Glen, the Washington State Juvenile Prison.

The conversation dives deep into the effectiveness of prevention, intervention, and diverse therapies in reducing recidivism and increasing the probability of people staying out of prison. They explore how tools like conflict resolution, de-escalation, and aggression reduction therapies serve as critical supports for building healthier relationships both inside and outside the system.

Jerome Gold offers a vital reminder for lawmakers and community leaders: virtually everyone who goes into prison eventually comes out. When we make decisions about crime and community building, the real question we must face is: "Are we helping or harming people?" Remembering that everyone is human is the most powerful starting point for discussing real solutions for justice.

Every Thursday at Noon on KOYS-LPFM 94.1 Bellingham
And everywhere you get your podcasts.

04/16/2026

Today 📻 at Noon on KOYS-LPFM 94.1 Bellingham
🎧 And everywhere you get your podcasts.

#232 iChange Justice Podcast – Jails, Bonds & Bond Markets (Encore #141)

Most people have no idea that incarceration is tied to financial markets — and that prison-related bonds can ultimately be traded on the stock exchange, sometimes even owned by political leaders and investment funds.

In this episode, Host Joy Gilfilen speaks with a Wall Street bond trader to explore how a case can move from a 911 call, to an arrest, to bail, and eventually into financial packages connected to the broader bond market.

These are the kinds of questions we explore on the iChange Justice Podcast — looking beyond the surface to understand how systems of justice, economics, and public policy intersect in ways many people never see.

04/11/2026

#232 iChange Justice Podcast – Jails, Bonds & Bond Markets (Encore #141)

Most people have no idea that incarceration is tied to financial markets — and that prison-related bonds can ultimately be traded on the stock exchange, sometimes even owned by political leaders and investment funds.

In this episode, Host Joy Gilfilen speaks with a Wall Street bond trader to explore how a case can move from a 911 call, to an arrest, to bail, and eventually into financial packages connected to the broader bond market.

These are the kinds of questions we explore on the iChange Justice Podcast — looking beyond the surface to understand how systems of justice, economics, and public policy intersect in ways many people never see.

📻 Every Thursday at Noon on KOYS-LPFM 94.1 Bellingham
🎧 And everywhere you get your podcasts.

04/04/2026

#231 - #01 iChange Justice Podcast: "What is justice anyway?" Hosted by The Restorative Community Coalition

"What is justice anyway? It depends on the eye of the beholder." 🎙️⚖️

This Thursday, we present a special Encore of Episode #01 of the iChange Justice Podcast. Join the Conversation with Thought Leaders, Community Advocates, and Architects of a Restorative Future.

We are dropping the veil on a system that hasn’t budged in 800 years. Why does the US lead the world in incarceration? Why does the "revolving door" spin 10, 20, or even 30 times for a single person? It’s time to ask the heavy questions: Are we just repeating what our ancestors taught us because "they said it is so"?

Host Joy Gilfilen is joined by Irene Morgan, Debbie David and Chene Keltz to share lived experiences, beliefs, and hope for the future.

Listen to the whole series!

Encore this Thursday.

📻 Tune In: KOYS-LPFM 94.1 (Thursday at Noon)
🎧 Find us wherever you get your podcasts!

🕊️⚖️✨🎙️llingham

Address

Bellingham, WA
98228

Telephone

+13603543653

Website

http://therestorativecommunity.org/

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