Reentry Net/NY
January 2008 Resource
Updates and Highlights
You
are receiving this newsletter because you are a member of the New York State Reentry Resource Center, a
network of more than 1,000 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.
Note: If your Internet browser blocks pop-ups, hold the Ctrl key while you
click on individual resources to download them directly.
*Birth
Certificate Legislation Passes New York City Council*
On
December 31, 2007 signed Intro. No. 574A, a bill granting free birth certificates to
all residents coming home from City jails (after serving 90 days) or New York
State prisons, into law. The intention and effect will be to rescind one more
barrier to people successfully reentering their communities and attempting to
rebuild their lives after incarceration. Birth certificates, along with other
vital identifying documents, are needed for many aspects of making a new life -
including employment, housing, applications to educational institutions,
healthcare, other benefits and social services. The law will take effect 90 days after it was signed. Click here to read the
full text of Intro. No. 574A from the New York City Council website, and here
to read Mayor Bloombergs remarks.
*New
York State Legislature Ends Use of Solitary Confinement for Mentally Ill Prisoners*
On
January 15, 2008 the New York State Senate and Assembly passed a bill that
mandates the removal of imprisoned people with serious psychiatric disabilities
from 24-hour solitary confinement.
Under the new law, these individuals will be moved into treatment-based
secure facilities. The law also
requires the state to conduct mental health assessments of everyone housed in
segregated or special housing units (known as SHUs). The Associated Press reports, New York has had more prisoners in
segregated units for disciplinary purposes than any state. Almost a quarter of
the prisoners in the segregated housing in New York had a history of mental
illness and advocates for the mentally ill said solitary confinement can lead
to more suicides and poorer mental health.
Click here for more information
from the Boot the SHU website.
*Prison
and Juvenile Detention Facility Closings*
The
New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) and the Office of Children
and Family Services (OCFS) have both announced upcoming facility closures. DOCS reports
that it will close Pharsalia and Gabriels correctional camps, the medium
security Hudson Correctional Facility and Camp McGregor, the minimum security
camp at Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility, in January 2009. New York State
Office of Children & Family Services Commissioner Gladys Carrión today
announced the closing of six underutilized residential facilities as part of an
ongoing restructuring to significantly improve services to troubled
children. The agency is closing five
facilities upstate and the Pyramid Reception Center in The Bronx.
*Resource
Highlights*
Social
Insecurity: How the Social Security Administrations Fugitive Felon Program
Harms Disabled, Retired, and Poor Americans Without Aiding Law Enforcement: This
new report by the Mental Health Project at the Urban Justice Center documents
the problems with the Social Security Administrations implementation of the
Fugitive Felon Program, and makes recommendations for what Congress can do to
protect vulnerable Americans who are caused undue suffering. Click here to
access the report from the Library.
Also, click
here to find out about the SSAs new program subjecting high risk
visitors to enhanced security.
New
York State Supreme Court Upholds Due Process for Job-Seekers With Criminal
Records: New York State Supreme Court Judge Hon. Marylin
G. Diamond partially denies Department of Education's motion to dismiss in a
case involving the application for certification of bus drivers/escorts who had
criminal convictions where the Judge holds that there could be due process
violations for those applying for certification, as well as those who already
have certification. Read the decision or
visit the folder on occupational
barriers in the education field for the original Article 78 Petition and
Department of Education regulations.
New
York State Commission on Sentencing Reform: Full transcripts of the Sentencing Commission hearings are
now available, along with background information and a copy of the Preliminary
Report, on the Commissions website.
Remember to visit Past
Resources of the Week for
highlighted reports, toolkits, and training materials from the past year.
*Upcoming Events & Opportunities*
Community
Leadership and Education After Re-Entry: The College and Community Fellowship (CCF) has
developed a research project named "Community Leadership and Education
After Re-Entry," or CLEAR. The aim of CLEAR is to engage formerly
incarcerated scholars in research related to race, class, gender, and mass
incarceration. CLEAR is open to CCF students, alumni, and to all
formerly incarcerated individuals who have a bachelor's degree and are
currently engaged in criminal justice/reentry reform. Seriously interested individuals should download and
complete the application, and submit a 500-word essay. Applications will not be considered without
the essay. Accepted applicants will
receive a small stipend. Due to limited
funding, we are only able to accept 10 participants in this program. The
deadline for all applications is January 31.
Upcoming Forum on Pre-Booking Jail Diversion: Come join people directly affected,
advocates, government officials, academics, and legal providers as they engage
in an open discussion about the current state of the criminal justice system
and how pre-booking jail diversion can be implemented to best service people
with psychiatric disabilities. This Open
Forum organized by Rights for Imprisoned People with Psychiatric
Disabilities (RIPPD) is scheduled for June 6, 2008. Visit www.rippd.org to register or contact Lisa Ortega
(lortega@rippd.org)
New Fees & Fines Listserv: The Brennan Center for Justice at
NYU School of Law has recently started and exciting new listserv about criminal
justice fees and fines and their implications for re-entry. From court-imposed surcharges to restitution
obligations to probation supervision fees, "legal financial
obligations" are imposed at every stage of the criminal justice
process. The new listserv offers a
forum to public defenders, civil legal aid attorneys, reentry advocates, and
others in which to discuss the growing practice of imposing financial obligations
on individuals in the criminal justice system.
If you would like to join the listserv, please send an e-mail to david.pedulla@nyu.edu at the Brennan Center for Justice.
Visit our homepage for job announcements
at The Bronx Defenders, Urban Justice Center, and the Correctional
Associations Women in Prison Project; the Grants Clearinghouse for
new private foundation and government funding opportunities; and the Calendar for full listings of events, updated weekly.
Want to post an event on Reentry Net? Click on "Add
an Event" in the upper right corner of the Calendar page
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