Community reviews 62 recommendations by the South Bend Reparatory Justice Commission

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The South Bend Reparatory Justice Commission is sharing its final report with the public, highlighting 62 recommendations aimed at addressing historical harms across the community.

Tonight, community members gathered at the St. Joseph County main library to review the South Bend Reparatory Justice Commission's final report. The report outlines 62 recommendations focused on education, health care, housing, policing, and economic opportunity.

The report takes aim at addressing harms across several areas of the community, including Lasalle Park, where the Beck's Lake site was an industrial dumping ground that impacted residents due to toxic soil, which remains harmful to residents to this day.

Organizers say Monday's meeting gives residents the opportunity to learn more about the report, ask questions, and discuss its findings.

South Bend Reparatory Justice Commission member James Jay Lewis says there’s a whole menu of different remedies that are available and we’re asking the community to study those and to lobby for the Common Council to adopt them. 

Downtown resident Tiana Batiste-Waddell tells me while she doesn't live in Lasalle Park, she says the commission's recommendations should go even further.

"Yes, the recommendations that were listed in all of the committees definitely need to happen. I do believe that additional things can happen. For example, being that racism was the issue, I think racial bias/anti-bias training is needed as well. When it comes to the finances, the wealth gap, I think that they should be issuing checks to black residents as well," said Tiana Batiste-Waddell.

The commission hopes community feedback will help build support for its recommendations as they move to city leaders for consideration.