Little Book of Police-Youth Dialogue: Bridging Divides of Historical Harms

Dr. Micah E. Johnson is a sociologist trained in criminology and substance abuse epidemiology and currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida. He is also the founder of Johnson Forensic Services and serves in the state and federal court system as an expert witness in sociology and criminology. He has mentored police officers in communication and cultural competence and helped facilitate foundational Police Youth Dialogues with the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. Micah’s philanthropic and research interests are fueled by his personal experiences with childhood trauma, poverty, and racial inequalities. He lives in Tampa, Florida.

Jeffrey Weisberg is the Executive Director of the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. His work with youth includes: police/youth dialogues, student/educator dialogues, peer mediation, juvenile diversion programs, social/emotional learning, restorative justice, youth empowerment and coming of age programs. For the past 25 years, Jeffrey has served as a Florida Certified State Mediator and mediates cases involving juvenile offenders, family disputes and conflict within small business and organizations. In addition, he is using Restorative Practices to support the Department of Juvenile Justice, the court system, schools, prisons and communities to bolster alternatives to the punitive model. He is a founding member of The Peace Alliance. He lives in Gainesville, Florida.