#202 iChange Justice Podcast - The Forgotten Safety Net—and How We Can Rebuild It

Was it 25 or 30 years ago when Whatcom County and counties across the U.S. still had a strong network of prevention and recovery programs?

Back then, a small army of outreach workers, counselors, and interventionists worked daily to keep people out of jail and on the path to healing. There were treatment centers, youth programs, crisis shelters, and community services that not only supported individuals but created an entire culture of care.

That infrastructure is gone. The jobs in the helping culture have been replaced by our current after arrest culture compared to the small army of helpers that existed in the 70s, 80s, and into the mid 90s it began to change. The centers closed, and the safety nets disappeared. What remains is a justice system designed around punishment. Today, when someone stumbles whether from addiction, poverty, or a bad decisionthey face stacked charges, impossible bail, and lifelong consequences. Instead of treatment, they get trauma. Instead of recovery, they get a record.

We’ve witnessed the results: generations of families torn apart, homelessness exploding, and taxpayers funding more jails instead of more solutions. The loss is not just in dollars, but in human potential.

That’s why the iChange Justice Podcast, hosted by Joy Gilfilen, keeps asking the hard questions: “What is justice, anyway?” She is joined often by Irene Morgan, founder of the Restorative Community Coalition, who has spent decades advocating for community-based solutions, and by one of our producers, Ava Sakowski, who helps bring these stories to life. Together, they shine a light on what has been lost and what can be rebuilt.

We know justice can mean something different—restoration, healing, and giving people the tools to grow. The proof is there. With just $1,500, one pilot program helped a woman pay rent, repair her car, and get back on her feet. That small investment changed her trajectory completely.

The truth is, communities thrive when we invest in people, not prisons. What we need is not more punishment, but a revival of prevention, treatment, and human-centered care.