Unraveling harm, Cultivating safety
What do we need to create safer communities?
From 2022-2024, our Community Engagement committee of the MDRJN worked on creating and collecting survey data from Metro Detroiters, discussing harm, accountability, safety and how we heal. This book is the report of our findings from surveying 77 Metro Detroiters and conducting in-depth interviews with 5 Detroiters.
See DJC's Blog Post & Read the Digital Copy
On August 21st, 2025, we launched our Community Impact survey report, formatted into a book called "Unraveling Harm, Cultivating Safety: Learnings on Healing, Justice and Accountability from Metro Detroiters".
The book shares the stories of 5 Metro Detroiters who participated in interviews, so while it communicates data and trends, it also connects with readers through the stories we hear from subjects' lives and experiences.
MDRJN Founder Dr. Angel McKissic and lead researcher Lauren M Williams worked collaboratively with the community engagement committee to create this work. One of the most powerful parts of the book was learning about the ways in which people struggle to recognize and name harm -- and the normalization of harm and struggle. We know that our communities need to be more resourced to prevent harm, to better care for each other.
We hope that this book will draw readers in to ask themselves and their communities how they can support in the healing of fellow community members, and/or what policy or practical changes we can make to hold space for one another's healing. We ask, what systems can we build where we keep each other safe from harm, are accountable to community when conflict occurs, and respond to harm humanely?
Limited copies are available through contacting mdrjn@detroitjustice.org. A local distribution list partnering with small Detroit-based bookstores is coming in the Fall of 2025, as well as follow-up conversations about the book.
Support our work!
Your support and contributions will support our programming initiatives. The MDRJN is a project of and is financially supported by, the Detroit Justice Center, which is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations to the MDRJN will go through the Detroit Justice Center, and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.