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You are receiving this newsletter because you are a member of the New York State Reentry Resource Center, a network of more than 2,000 advocates and direct service providers from all around the state. Each month, we bring you resource highlights, news, and policy updates from the online resource center.
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*NYSACDL's Post Conviction Sealing Hotline*
The New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is collecting stories from people who have been adversely affected by an old conviction in order to convince the government to allow people to apply for their records to be sealed after staying out of trouble for a period of time. Please call the hotline at 1-888-898-0700.
If you are uncomfortable using your real name, you may remain anonymous. The hotline will be staffed on Fridays, but you may leave a message at any time and someone will get back to you.
*Legislation Introduced to Eliminate Crack/Powder Cocaine Disparity*
Senator Durbin (D-IL) along with Seven Democrats are co-sponsoring the Fair Sentencing Act of 2009, which would eliminate the 100:1 sentencing disparity between federal crack and powder cocaine cases. The bill also ends mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack cocaine while increasing penalties for large scale drug trafficking and violent offenses. Click here to read the press release.
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*Resource Highlights*
Challenging the Role of the District Attorney: Many prosecutors' offices devote special attention to pursuing evictions under the Bawdy House law. Their involvement can include sending demand letters forcing landlords to bring eviction proceedings; providing evidence to landlords and coordinating access to police witnesses; attempts to exercise veto power over negotiations; appearing at oral argument, hearings, and trial as co-counsel to the landlords; and attempting to intervene as necessary parties. This folder contains decisions, papers and other resources collected by Reentry Net to challenge an ADA or prosecutor's attempts to overstep their significant, but limited, authority under the RPAPL. Click here to view folder.
Transitional Jobs for Ex-Prisoners Implementation - Two Year Impacts, and Costs of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Prisoner Reentry Program: Report by MDRC presents interim results from a rigorous evaluation of the New York City-based Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO). The report discusses the program's implementation and costs, its impact on employment and earnings, and effect on recidivism. Click to see the full report or executive summary.
From the Classroom to the Community - Exploring the Role of Education during Incarceration and Reentry: Comprehensive report by the Prisoner Reentry Institute and the Urban Institute addresses correctional education through the prisoner reentry lens. It includes recent statistics on the state of correctional education in the United States, a summary of research findings on the effects education has on the incarceration and reentry experience, and a discussion on the various challenges and opportunities associated with providing education to this population, during, and after incarceration. Click here to read the report.
National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement: Developed by National Institute of Corrections and the Women's Prison Association, this database provides a place where practitioners, policymakers, and community members can find information on programs and services for women in the criminal justice system. The database includes programs and services for women at all stages of criminal justice involvement, both in correctional facilities and in the community. Click here to see the website.
Remember to visit Past Resources of the Week for highlighted reports, toolkits, and training materials from the past year.
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*Upcoming Events*
New York Reentry Roundtable: Community Service Society's monthly Reentry Roundtable discussion will feature Dr. Divine Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions at Medgar Evers College of CUNY. This month's discussion will focus on the history of incarceration and will be held on October 21, 2009. To RSVP, please contact Gabriel Torres-Rivera at 212-614-5306 or grivera@cssny.org
It's Not Just a Summons!: The New York Lawyer's Association presents a panel to examine the New York City summons practice, from issuance to adjudication, and educate the public about the policies, procedures and collateral consequences of these summonses. The event is free and will be held on October 21, 2009 from 6PM-8PM. To RSVP, send an email to dlamb@nycla.org or call 212-267-664.
Occasional Series on Reentry Research: Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice presents preliminary findings from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). The SVORI evaluation is a five-year multi-site evaluation of SVORI sites to determine whether these programs have accomplished the overall goals of the initiative and to determine the relative costs and benefits of the programs. The event will be held on October 23, 2009 from 9AM-10:30AM. For more information, contact Amelia Thompson at amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu.
Third Annual Citizens' Awards: Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc. will host its Third Annual Awards Ceremony at the historic and prestigious The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, to publicly acknowledge the contributions that formerly incarcerated people have made since their release. The event will be held on October 30, 2009 from 6PM-9PM. For advance tickets, please contact info@citizensinc.org or 212-252-2235 or visit the website at http://www.citizensinc.org.
Making the Right Hire - Employer Responsibilities and Best Practices When Hiring People with Criminal Conviction Histories: This event sponsored by New York City Bar Association Corrections, and Labor & Employment Committees will address employers' state and federal law obligations - and best practices - when hiring people with criminal conviction histories. It will also include discussion of resources such as tax credits, bonding, and workforce development programs. The event will be held on November 9, 2009 from 6PM-9PM. This program is free of charge, but registration is required. To register, please send an e-mail to bjentsch@mfy.org by November 2, 2009, and indicate if you wish to receive CLE credits.
Criminal Justice Symposium: Join Medgar Evers College for a series of specially designed seminars to help professionals in various disciplines work more effectively with formerly incarcerated people and their families. Seminars will be taught by Dr. Divine Pryor and Mr. Eddie Ellis, M.P.S., nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field of criminal justice reform. The symposium will be held on November 18th to 20th between 9AM-5PM. For more information or to register, contact ace.info@mec.cuny.edu or 718-804-8850.
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* Employment Opportunities*
Director - National Prison and Over-Incarceration Project, ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is seeking a director for its National Prison and Over-Incarceration Project (previously known as the National Prison Project).
Public Policy Associate - College and Community Fellowship: College and Community Fellowship, which works to remove barriers to and enhance the quantity and quality of higher education programs for men and women during and post-incarceration is seeking a public policy associate to educate policymakers and other stakeholders, as well as advocate for the expansion of eligibility for public funding for students in prison and post-release.
Reentry Task Force Coordinator - Harlem Community Justice Center: Harlem Community Justice Center, a community-based court and resource center that works to solve neighborhood problems in East and Central Harlem is seeking qualified applicants for a Task Force Coordinator who will manage the Upper Manhattan Reentry Task Force project.
Remember to visit Reentry Net for full calendar listings and new job opportunities!
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