The Chicago Torture Justice Center (CTJC) was born from decades of organizing led by directly impacted people to bring about the City’s historic Reparations Ordinance for survivors of police torture. The first and only center in the U.S. dedicated to survivors of domestic torture, CTJC opened in 2017 to holistically address the trauma of racialized state violence and oppression at individual, community, and systemic levels. The Center’s survivor-centered approach emphasizes healing in community through a broad scope of trauma-informed services and concurrent organizing work.

As a site of supportive connection for those directly impacted by police violence and incarceration, CTJC’s programs are trauma-informed and responsive to the needs of participants. Through individual and group counseling, case management, court support, political education, and healing programs, the Center engages survivors of police torture returning home from prison, families separated from incarcerated loved ones, and parents who have lost their children to police violence. The Center recognizes that healing from trauma must be comprehensive, and is only possible when people have access to the safety and resources they need.