Next Steps

Teach-In 2 Action Items

Included below is:

  • A list of the most noted ‘action or next steps’ that came out of the Break-out panels on November 22, 2015. I hope you will find a project that calls out to you, and that you will find fulfilling work among the items listed;
  • An overview of the ‘next steps’ that CAMI has chosen to work on.

Welcome to this invaluable work,

Nancy Anderson, co-chair of the Teach-In2 Planning Committee

 

NEXT STEPS DEVELOPED FROM TEACH-IN 2 BREAK-OUT GROUP SUGGESTIONS

We identified 6 next steps/action steps that came up in two or more break-out panels:

MENTORING/SUPPORTING

  1. Join mentoring programs to re-establish social networks and provide emotional support

Become a mentor through Mentors Empowering Now to Overcome Recidivism.  Contact emily.Resnick@courts.phila.gov.

  1. Support existing organizations-financially, volunteering, following on Face Book

Incarcerated Nation       www.incarceratednation.org

Center for Returning Citizens    www.tcrcphilly.org

PA Prison Society       www.prisonsociety.org

Decarcerate PA      www.decarceratepa.info

I’m FREE       www.imFREEon-line.org

The Institute for Advanced Gate-Way to Re-Entry           www.ittai.org

Donate books for prisons through Books Through Bars    www.booksthroughbars.org

LEGISLATIVE/ADVOCACY/LOBBYING

  1. SB #166:  for more efficient expungement process; has passed the house but is waiting to be presented to senate.  Contact State Senator Stewart Greenleaf  215-657-7700 (Willow Grove office)
  2. Ban the Box    SB #431….was referred to senate Labor and Industry Committee 2/12/15. www.bantheboxcampaign.org
  3. Keep in contact with State Rep Madelaine Dean  215-517-6800  (Abington office);  State

Rep Stephen Kinsey    215-849-6592    (Germantown office)

  1. Daylin Leach  – support his bill of not being held in prison because the person is too poor to pay fines and fees.  610-768-4200
  2. Monitor Legislation in PA….go to http://legis.state.pa.us/.  Type in the number of the bill you wish to track and click search.  You can subscribe for updates by using PALegisNotifications.

 

CREATE DIRECTORY OF SERVICES/PRODUCTS CREATED BY RETURNING CITIZENS/COMPANIES THAT HIRE RETURNING CITIZENS

  1. Products/Services:

Ray Rios….Mikey Likes It Ice Cream    ray@breakingspaceny.org

  1. Companies Hiring Returning Citizens:

E.G.: Goodwill Industries, TCRC/Andrew Anderson – Aanderson@frpinc.org;  Baird Brown baird.Brown@dbr.com; Diane Sears for Judge DeLeon – insearchoffatherhood@gmail.com; SEPTA
EXPLORE UNION BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT

 

 NEXT STEPS CAMI SEES AS MOST IMPORTANT

  • Changing the language (from ‘ex-con’ and ‘ex-offender’ to ‘returning citizen’) at the state level
  • Establishing stable funds: to establish a credit union for returning citizens; for transition from prison expenses; for bail funds
  • Urging parole board changes (so that people from outside the prison system are included on these boards)
  • Working with the unions to establish apprenticeship systems for returning citizens