Trauma, Grief, and Loss - How to Help Your Family

Ms. Sharletta C Evans, Aurora residence since 1976,  Restorative Justice Advocate and Practitioner CACII, Certified Addictions Counselor Level ll from Odyssey Training Center. Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Colorado Crime Survivors Network, Inc. Flagship services include Victim and Offender Mitigation Initiative, Put Your Gun Down Initiative, and 5280 Survivors. 

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After the tragic loss of her three-year-old son, Sharletta became the Executive Director of Redcross Blueshield Gang Prevention, Inc. She first began her grassroots efforts towards gang prevention in backyards, leading her to form the Re-Creation Center, an anti-gang nonprofit in 2003-2011 with a staff of 32 adults, young adults, and teens. 

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Sharletta was Trained in 2009 by the Colorado Department of Corrections High Risk Dialogue, VOD, Restorative Justice Circles by the Conflict Center in Colorado. Restorative Justice Community, Restorative Justice Middle and High School by Pikes Peaks Restorative Justice Counsel. Trained and Certified Statewide Victim Coordinator and Advocate in 2013 from Coloradans Alternatives to the Death Penalty. 

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Because of the attention of her immediate public declaration of forgiveness towards her son’s shooters, Sharletta turned the spotlight both personally and politically towards fairness for juvenile offenders. 2012 Sharletta’s testimony was shared at the US Supreme Court case of Miller vs. Alabama, in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for juveniles to receive life without parole sentences. The 2016 Miller vs. The Alabama case was ruled retroactive, where Sharletta heavily campaigned for both rulings in Washington DC. In 2012, she campaigned and testified for HB 1271, limiting direct file cases Colorado prosecutors can call against juveniles. HB 11-1032, a Colorado bill that expands restorative justice for adults, was also signed into law in 2011, and Sharletta was instrumental in sharing her testimony while working with Representative Pete Lee (D-Colorado). 

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In 2013 Sharletta became a national advocate, trained, and volunteer lobbyist for the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth in Washington DC. Honored in November 2016 with The Hope and Healing Award by the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. 

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Sharletta is currently enrolled at Community College of Aurora, majoring in Psychology.