Reale Justice Network

Support

• Policy & Advocacy

  Reale Justice Network (RJN) advances advocacy grounded in reproductive justice, community care, and self-determination. We center the leadership and lived experiences of Black mothers, survivors, and caregivers to shape policy and transform systems that criminalize and separate families. Our advocacy spans the local to national level, combining legislative education, public testimony, and direct action. Each year, we organize Reproductive Justice Days at the Missouri Capitol, engage lawmakers, and mobilize our community to demand change, from ending cash bail and family policing to protecting bodily autonomy and parental rights and youth right.

• Mutual Aid

  At RJN, mutual aid looks like paying bail for caregivers through our Black Mama’s BailOut/KeepOut initiative, providing emergency housing and food support, and distributing self-care supplies through our Bag Lady/Hope in a Handbag project. It also includes our Participatory Defense work, where families and community members gather to defend each other against criminalization and family separation — transforming the courtroom into a site of solidarity rather than isolation.

• Community Defense

  Our participatory defense approach combines legal advocacy, court support, and community organizing to support individuals and families who are navigating the criminal legal and family policing systems. We attend hearings, write character letters, gather documentation, and organize court watch teams to ensure accountability and visibility in systems that often operate in secrecy. We help families understand their rights, connect with public defenders, and prepare social biographies that humanize defendants and show the broader context of their lives. RJN also extends participatory defense beyond the criminal courtroom. We apply its principles to family policing (CPS) cases, housing code violations, and other forms of state surveillance and punishment that disproportionately target Black families. Through this work, we challenge unjust prosecutions, family separations, and evictions — and advocate for policies that prioritize care and restoration over punishment. Sign-Up for Participatory Defense Support on our website.

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• Healing & Wellness

  Through our Healing & Empowerment Fellowship and Social Justice Doula Training, survivors, caregivers, and Community Health Workers (CHWs) learn how to provide peer-led healing, advocacy, and support. Participants are trained in trauma-informed care, reproductive justice, and holistic wellness, including the NADA 5-Point Auricular Acupressure Protocol — a community-based healing method that supports stress reduction, emotional balance, and recovery from trauma. RJN’s wellness offerings include healing circles, breathwork, somatic practices, art and creative expression, and collective rituals for restoration and reflection. Our trained CHWs and Social Justice Doulas provide one-on-one peer support, accompany survivors to court or medical appointments, and help families create personalized wellness and safety plans.

• Technical Assistance

  RJN offers hands-on guidance in curriculum and toolkit creation, evaluation design, and civil and family mediation centered on care and restoration. We facilitate workshops, retreats, and webinars focused on leadership development, political education on reproductive justice, narrative strategy, participatory defense, and advocacy campaign planning. Our team supports partners with policy analysis, legislative education, and power mapping, helping translate lived experience into effective organizing and systemic change. We also provide coaching, strategic planning, and storytelling support to help communities shape and share their narratives with purpose and power.