The Durham Safety and Wellness Task Force was convened with the mission to develop proposals to increase the safety and wellness of all of Durham’s residents. Emancipate’s Toia Potts is a member of the Task Force, appointed by the Durham County Commission. Over the course of many months, a Task Force working group has been developing proposals related to the (mal)functioning of Durham DSS and the Durham abuse/neglect/dependency courtroom.
At the Task Force meeting last week, Toia presented a set of recommended reforms, seeking approval by the broader task force. The proposal passed the “first read,” and is expected to be approved after a “second reading” in July.
In her own words:
“These reforms are for our community, especially our Black, brown, minority families who are normally hyper- and overly-surveilled by a system who hasn’t shown us support in allowing our people to have a rejuvenating, revitalizing, and nurturing experience. In Durham, 64% of children investigated by CPS [Child Protective Services] are Black. This proposal is to ensure that DSS and the entire child welfare system respects family integrity, stops unnecessary family separation, and to start providing a more effective, resourceful, and shortened time frame when it comes to family involvement.”
The Family Policing system, like mass incarceration and racist police forces, is a system that must be abolished. While we build the consciousness to get there, these proposals — prioritizing Family First, improving communication, augmenting visitation possibilities, peer mentorship, curtailing court continuances, and more — will keep this vital conversation going in Durham County and keep families together!
Watch Toia’s intro and full presentation on the proposal here →
Read the full proposal* she presented here →
*In last week’s meeting, task force members suggested additional language about drug testing for the final proposal that is not included in this version.