New Connections

Upcoming LFO Clinic hosted by Tacoma Pro Bono! LFO Clinics provide an opportunity for low income individuals who owe court fines and fees out of Pierce County Superior and District Courts and/or Tacoma Municipal Court to potentially find relief for those debts. September 28, 9am - noon. Apply online at www.tacomaprobono.org Appointment is required, space is limited

Where people in prison come from: The geography of mass incarceration in Washington

Worth a look: map of incarceration in Washington State
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/origin/wa/2020/report.html

Where people in prison come from: The geography of mass incarceration in Washington New data shows that incarcerated people come from all over Washington.

The Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and the Washington State Coalition for Language Access (WASCLA) would like to invite to a workshop:
Language Justice: From Margin to Center
Who should attend?
Anyone who:
Works in the public sector or provide services to the public
Provides community services
Works in the legal system
Works as an interpreter or translator
Or just wants to learn more about providing better language access and justice
When and Where
August 26, 2022
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Via Zoom
American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation will be available.
Feel free to pass on this invitation to others who may be interested. A flyer is attached to this email and is available online (https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/publicUpload/Interpreters/Flyer%20-%20Language%20Justice.pdf)
Registration: https://wacourts.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ucO6rqDoqHteYqCQ3sJTlC21nutz7wd3eCiting a line from bell hooks, this workshop calls on the those in the public sector,
judiciary, or providing community services to shift language justice from the margins
of our work to the center, prioritizing the voices of people who are directly impacted by oppression based on language.
We will explore:
Weaving language justice into our organizations.
Making language rights a priority in our advocacy.
Building multilingual collaborations toward a shared vision of justice.

New Connections' mission is to interrupt the poverty-to-prison pipeline and promote community reintegration after incarceration. One of the ways we can interrupt that pipeline is to catch people upstream and empower people and their families before incarceration occurs.

Participatory Defense is a community organizing model for people facing charges, their families, and communities to impact the outcomes of cases and transform the landscape of p ower in the court system. New Connections in partnership with Families Shoulder to Shoulder, will provide an overview of what Participatory Defense is, where it started and how it became a national movement. We will also share our personal experience doing this work in our community, and what our vision is for the future - building a Participatory Defense hub in Pierce County by leveraging our existing community partnerships and calling families to action, reciprocating the knowledge and skills gained to assist the next person in need.

Be sure to like and follow Families Shoulder to Shoulder on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Families-Shoulder-to-Shoulder/100057539315584/

Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls in 2022

New Connections' community partner Families Shoulder to Shoulder is a Mobilizing Partner with the Washington Poor Peoples Campaign. On June 17-19 representatives from New Connections and Families Shoulder to Shoulder will fly to Washington DC for a historic and generationally transformative mass assembly and march https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june18/ Forward Together! Not One Step Back! ✊

Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls in 2022 June 18, 2022 - 9am Gather - 10am Start Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the polls RSVPWhy We MarchOrganizing ManualSocial Media ToolkitBecome a Mobilizing CaptainUpcoming ActionsArts & Culture Register Your Organization as a

Online Intake

Sharing from our partners at Tacoma Probono:

We have a number of open spots we are hoping to fill in our LFO Reconsideration Clinic on Wednesday, 5/25. The event starts at 9 am and will be at our office (621 Tacoma Ave. S., Suite 303).
If you know of anyone who may be interested, please have them complete the intake below. Make sure to use the code “FINES” so we can quickly schedule them.
Please also feel free to share this invitation far and wide – thank you!

https://tpvlsoi.legalserver.org/modules/matter/extern_intake.php?pid=129&h=daa817&

Online Intake

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Weekly System Impacted Group Meetings are an opportunity for system-impacted people to build community, support each other, learn more about resources in the community, and how to impact system change through legislative advocacy.

Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81803402766?pwd=TG5NMUNBaktKSGx3WUg2TDAxczI0Zz09

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

www.law.umich.edu

EXONERATIONS. The National Registry of Exonerations recorded 161 exonerations in 2021.

YEARS LOST TO WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT. In 2021, exonerees lost an average of 11.5 years to wrongful imprisonment for crimes they did not commit — 1,849 years in total for 161 exonerations.

AS LONG AS income/wealth remains the primary factor in legal outcomes and UNTIL we remove all prosecutors who care more about convictions than justice, the poor will continue to pay the price.
https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Documents/NRE%20Annual%20Report%202021.pdf

www.law.umich.edu

Tacomaprobono Community Lawyers – Free Civil Legal Aid

Hello Reentry friends! Great news - The amazing team of community lawyers at Tacoma Probono has reopened the Legal Financial Obligation (LFO) clinic. If you know anyone struggling with or unable to pay the costly debt of court fines and fees out of Pierce County Municipal, District, and Superior courts Tacoma Probono may be able to help.

Please refer any interested clients to us by having them complete our online intake, linked below. In the intake, it is important that the clients use the referral code LFO – this will help us locate the clients quickly and get them scheduled.

https://tpvlsoi.legalserver.org/modules/matter/extern_intake.php?pid=129&h=daa817&

https://tacomaprobono.org/

Tacomaprobono Community Lawyers – Free Civil Legal Aid Addressing the root causes of homelessness through eviction defense and prevention. If you are facing eviction click here to connect with our Housing Justice staff and attorneys.

Washington State Legislature

HB 1412: Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs)
Please read the text of House Bill 1412 and comment "pro" if you believe (as I do) that fines levied against indigent people are not useful and actually reduce the possibilities for successful reentry after incarceration. No need to write anything else; a simple "pro" will help your representatives support the bill.
This is a good (though complex) bill. LFOs are a real obstacle to reintegration. When levied against poor people, LFOs almost never yield funds for victims or the system but almost always impede progress and even survival for people with LFOs who do not have resources.
The Bill: https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1412-S4.pdf?q=20220204172554
Comment here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1412&Year=2021&Initiative=False#billhistorytitle

Washington State Legislature

System Impacted Advocacy Day

Our thanks to all who can step up to speak from experience. Policy makers need to hear what you have to say: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMQ-PTVJOY9O9jIiPairp5p4lVb-rsVf-ZZnzZXE3yubJKng/viewform

System Impacted Advocacy Day This event is our 3nd annual System Impacted Advocacy day! Sign up to meet and talk with your elected officials about Legislative bills that affect you and your family. Even if you cannot attend the whole day, you can pop in and participate during times that you're available because it is all happen...

Take Action — Washington State Housing Justice Coalition

The Housing Justice legislation, HB 2017, has a hearing Tuesday, January 25th At 8:00am in the House Human Services and Veterans Committee.
Take Action: Go to https://www.justhousingwa.org/take-action and sign in pro, sign up to testify at the hearing and send a letter to members of the committee.

Take Action — Washington State Housing Justice Coalition How Can I Get Involved?The Housing Justice Act (HB 2017) is a landmark step in the battle for housing justice in Washington state. It would ban landlords from implementing policies that automatically exclude a person with an arrest or conviction record from rental housing. Passing the Housing Justic...

Denied rental housing due to your arrest or conviction history?
Join the Washington State Housing Justice Coalition on January 8th to learn more about how you can share your experience to drive change! Register here: https://bit.ly/349zAXz

Please join the Northwest Community Bail Fund for the screening of Since I Been Down, directed by Dr. Gilda Sheppard, December 6-13th. Post screening discussion to follow. More information can be found below with the link to register.

Join us! December 6-13 for our screening of Since I Been Down, directed by Dr. Gilda Sheppard (NCBF Board Member).

NCBF will host a post-screening discussion on Monday, December 13 at 6 pm, with Dr. Gilda Sheppard and Kimonti Carter.

Register to attend the screening and discussion: https://bit.ly/32QO9yB

Visit sibd.us to see the full trailer and learn how to get more involved! gets to the root of issues in our communities like mass incarceration and provides tools to combat them. Stay updated --> .

#NorthwestCommunityBailFund
. .

Image Description

Text on a white background to promote the film screening of the documentary, Since I Been Down, which says “Film Screening, December 6-13. Also included is the URL for the film, www.SinceIBeenDown.com. At the top of the image is black text that says, “Since I Been Down. Directed by Gilda Sheppard. A film and campaign built on transforming our vision of justice.” The background image is a photo of two people with dark skin and dark hair. They are wearing khaki pants and white short-sleeve t-shirts. They are on their hands and knees on asphalt pavement, drawing a chalk outline of a body. At the upper left corner is the logo for the Northwest Community Bail Fund. At the bottom are icons for Facebook and Instagram and for Twitter

Feasibility Study for Eastside and Hilltop Library Services

🌇📚🏦🏡Do you have ideas about library services in Tacoma’s Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods?

A survey to gather input from Tacoma residents is open now until November 28, 2021. Please complete the survey and share this post!

The survey is available in the following languages:
• English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Eng
• Español/Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Esp
• Tagalog: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Tag
• Русский/Russian: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Rus
• Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Viet
• 한국인/korean: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Kor
• ខ្មែរ/khmer: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TPL-Khm

Español ¿Tiene ideas sobre los servicios de la biblioteca en los barrios Eastside y Hilltop de Tacoma?
La Biblioteca Pública de Tacoma (Tacoma Public Library) está trabajando con BERK Consulting para recopilar la opinión de la comunidad como parte de un estudio de viabilidad para conocer cuáles son las opciones para restaurar los servicios de la biblioteca. Contribuya con sus ideas y comparta esta oportunidad con sus redes.
Gracias por ayudar a dar forma al futuro de los servicios bibliotecarios en Tacoma, y especialmente en la restauración de estos servicios a los barrios de Eastside y Hilltop. El estudio de viabilidad presentará sus conclusiones en junio de 2022.

Tagalog. Mayroon ka bang mga ideya tungkol sa mga serbisyo ng aklatan sa mga kapitbahayan ng Hilltop at Eastside sa Tacoma?
Nakikipagtulungan ang Pampublikong Aklatan ng Tacoma (Tacoma Public Library) sa BERK Consulting para tipunin ang mungkahi ng komunidad bilang bahagi ng Pag-aaral ng Posibilidad para malaman ang mga opsyon para sa pagbabalik ng mga serbisyo ng aklatan. Pakibigay ang iyong mga ideya at ibahagi ang oportunidad na ito sa iyong mga kakilala.
Salamat sa pagtulong na mahubog ang kinabukasan ng mga serbisyo ng aklatan sa Tacoma, at lalo na sa pagbabalik ng mga serbisyong ito sa mga kapitbahayan ng Hilltop at Eastside. Iuulat ang mga resulta ng Pag-aaral ng Posibilidad sa Hunyo ng 2022.

русский. Можете ли вы поделиться мыслями о библиотечном обслуживании в районах г. Tacoma Hilltop и Eastside?
Публичная библиотека г. Tacoma (Tacoma Public Library) совместно с компанией BERK Consulting проводит опрос населения в рамках предпроектной проработки вариантов возобновления библиотечного обслуживания. Просим вас поделиться своими мыслями и рассказать об этой возможности вашим знакомым.
Благодарим вас за помощь в организации будущего библиотечного обслуживания в г. Tacoma и особенно - за его возобновление в районах Hilltop и Eastside. Результаты предпроектной проработки будут опубликованы в июне 2022 года.

Tiếng Việt Quý vị có ý tưởng gì về dịch vụ thư viện tại các khu dân cư Hilltop và Eastside của Tacoma không?
Thư Viện Công Cộng Tacoma (Tacoma Public Library) đang phối hợp với công ty Tư Vấn BERK (BERK Consulting) để thu thập ý kiến cộng đồng, là một phần trong Nghiên Cứu Tính Khả Thi để tìm hiểu các phương án cụ thể nhằm khôi phục dịch vụ thư viện. Xin vui lòng đóng góp những ý tưởng của quý vị và chia sẻ cơ hội này với những người mà quý vị quen biết.
Xin cảm ơn quý vị vì đã giúp định hình nên tương lai của dịch vụ thư viện ở Tacoma, và đặc biệt là trong việc khôi phục các dịch vụ này cho khu dân cư Hilltop và Eastside. Kết quả tìm hiểu của Nghiên Cứu Tính Khả Thi này sẽ được trình bày vào tháng 6 năm 2022.

한국인. Tacoma의 Hilltop과 Eastside 지역의 도서관 서비스에 대한 어떤 생각을 가지고 계십니까?
Tacoma 공공 도서관(Tacoma Public Library)은 BERK Consulting 과의 협력을 통해 도서관 서비스 복원을 위한 선택지가 어떤 것이 있는지 알아보기 위한 타당성 조사의 일환으로 지역사회의 의견을 수렴하고 있습니다. 의견을 제시하고 본 기회를 활용하여 다른 사람들과 공유하십시오.
Tacoma에서 도서관 서비스의 미래를 구축하고 특히 Hilltop 및 Eastside 지역에 해당 서비스의 복원에 도움을 주셔서 감사합니다. 타당성 조사의 결과는 2022년 6월에 발표될 예정입니다.

ខ្មែរ.តើអ្នកមានគំនិតយោបល់អំពីសេវាកម្មបណ្ណាល័យនៅសង្កាត់ Hilltop និង Eastside នៅទីក្រុង Tacoma ឬទេ?
បណ្ណាល័យសាធារណៈទីក្រុងតាកុមារ ( Tacoma Public Library) កំពុងធ្វើការដោយមានការប្រឹក្សាយោបល់ BERK ដើម្បីប្រមូលតម្រូវការសហគមន៍ជាផ្នែកមួយនៃការសិក្សាលទ្ធភាព ដើម្បីស្វែងយល់ពីជម្រើសអ្វីសម្រាប់ការស្ដារសេវាកម្មបណ្ណាល័យឡើងវិញ។ សូមចែករំលែកគំនិតយោបល់របស់អ្នក និងចែករំលែកឱកាសនេះជាមួយបណ្តាញរបស់អ្នក។
សូមអរគុណលោកអ្នកចំពោះការជួយរៀបចំអនាគតនៃសេវាកម្មបណ្ណាល័យនៅទីក្រុង Tacoma ហើយជាពិសេសក្នុងការស្ដារសេវាកម្មទាំងនេះឡើងវិញចំពោះសង្កាត់ Hilltop និង Eastside។ ការសិក្សាលទ្ធភាពនឹងបង្ហាញពីលទ្ធផលរកឃើញរបស់ខ្លួននៅក្នុងខែមិថុនា ឆ្នាំ 2022។

Thank you, Tacoma! Please share this post on your wall to help us reach as many neighbors as possible.

Feasibility Study for Eastside and Hilltop Library Services Do you have ideas about library services in Tacoma’s Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods? Tacoma Public Library is working with BERK…

Black residents experience 5 times more force from sheriff's department, says new Pierce County report

Pierce County Sheriff's Department Use of Force: Published November 8, 2021

https://www.knkx.org/law/2021-11-09/black-residents-experience-5-times-more-force-from-sheriffs-department-says-new-pierce-county-report

Black residents experience 5 times more force from sheriff's department, says new Pierce County report It's the first such report. The study looked at use of force incidents between 2016-2020 in unincorporated Pierce County, University Place and Edgewood.

Here’s What Happens When Residents Buy Their Neighborhood

Finding affordable housing is one of the most difficult steps toward stability after incarceration. We need to create more housing for low-income people AND hang on to the affordable housing stock we already have. Here's one way to do that:
https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/entry/heres-what-happens-when-residents-buy-their-neighborhood

Here’s What Happens When Residents Buy Their Neighborhood A New Hampshire CDFI is helping mobile park communities become resident-owned co-ops.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Racism Evolution: History to Hope Forum #5 - New Immigrants. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

League of Women Voters of Tacoma/Pierce County Hope Series
Forum #5: New Immigrants Experience. Racism Evolution: History to Hope series #5 - New Immigrants
Speakers: Sandra Sych, Dara Bardelas and Marcos Antonio Orellana Pineda

Register for this forum at https://bit.ly/3juyNEu.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Racism Evolution: History to Hope Forum #5 - New Immigrants. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. This is the fifth in the Racism Evolution: History to Hope series and features new immigrants. Speakers include Sandra Sych, Dara Bardelas and Marcos Antonio Orellana Pineda.

The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons - The Sentencing Project

From the social justice front:
NEW REPORT: Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly 5X the rate of whites. Reducing these staggering racial and ethnic disparities must be central to any reform effort to scale back mass incarceration. https://bit.ly/3mNF0Np

The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons - The Sentencing Project When former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck in 2020, the world witnessed... Read More »

Homeless Prevention Project – Multicultural Child And Family Hope Center

Homeless Outreach Resource Event and Vaccine Clinic
Tuesday, Sept 28th
5:00pm-7:00pm
Tacoma Recovery Center
813 MLK Jr Way Tacoma 98405
https://mcfhc.org/homeless-prevention-project

Homeless Prevention Project – Multicultural Child And Family Hope Center Homeless Prevention Project The Homeless Prevention Project is a community partnership to serve families of color to prevent homelessness and increase housing stability through personal goal setting and peer navigation. Homelessness prevention activities that use a navigation and creative conversati...

Meeting Details - Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness

Project Homeless Connect
Friday, 9/17/2021
11:00 AM - 3 PM
Peoples Park, Tacoma
https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/place/peoples-park/

A resource fair for people experiencing homelessness. Services include:
Coordinated Entry and benefits enrollment
Medical check-ups and vaccinations
Dental services
Haircuts
Free lunch and giveaways
and much more
More details and a printable flyer
https://www.pchomeless.org/vMeetings/Details?id=261

Meeting Details - Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness

What It’s Like to Live Under Electronic Monitoring

E-carceration: yet another bad idea on the rise
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/electronic-monitoring-chicago-reform

What It’s Like to Live Under Electronic Monitoring It isn’t really an alternative to incarceration; it’s an alternate route to it.

New Connections is welcoming a mom and her two children into Annie's Cottage today. Welcoming Baskets are a wonderful touch and delightful surprise for new guests. If you would like to help or volunteer please go to our website: www.nctacoma.org
Thank you! 😊

Information - Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness

We're back at it with another Deconstructing Myths 📣📣

This week's myth 🤔
It is impossible to end street homelessness in Pierce County by November 1st.

Street homelessness is the situation when someone lives on the streets, with nowhere to sleep at night.

We can absolutely set up enough urban campgrounds and safe parking lots to ensure that everyone in Pierce County has a place to pitch a tent or park their vehicle before winter hits.

Emergency response teams quickly create safe havens for entire communities when disaster strikes. Then, why can't we use those strategies to deal with making sure everyone in our community has a place to lay their head as the lifethreatening cold & wet season approach?

We can do this. Yes, we can end street homelessness!

Interested in joining our effort? Check out our website for upcoming Safe Sites for All committee meetings and more information about our work 👉https://www.pchomeless.org/

Information - Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness The Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness is a loose network of individuals, non-profit agencies, government agencies, and community businesses working together to serve people experiencing homelessness. Our end goal is to help folks establish safe housing as quickly as possible and hel...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Belly of the Beast: Reproductive Injustice in Prisons - A Social Justice Film Event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Learn about prisoner rights, reproductive justice, and the fight to hold the California Department of Corrections accountable for a pattern of abuse.
Use link below to register to view the free film Sep 12, 2021 06:00 PM
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__noLURuPToSsxWWR-MjtPQ?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=4155c344-0224-4542-8c0a-b217dc765098

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Belly of the Beast: Reproductive Injustice in Prisons - A Social Justice Film Event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Learn about prisoner rights, reproductive justice, and the fight to hold the California Department of Corrections accountable for a pattern of abuse. Join the Social Justice Film Institute, Fix Democracy First, the Meaningful Movies Project, Meaningful Movies Tacoma and Meaningful Movies Spokane wit...

🙌

Chance for Change: Career Planning with a Criminal Background
from WorkSource Pierce Center
July 21, 2021, Noon-1:30pm
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkceiuqj4pHNJCA-OfYq-LwS93hm13sgi0

It’s Time to Call Out Connecticut for Prison Phone Costs

Speaking of Mother's Day - or speaking ON Mother's Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f20e__BoehM

It’s Time to Call Out Connecticut for Prison Phone Costs If you hate the Detroit Pistons or the insane cost incarcerated individuals must shoulder just to make a phone call, have we got the piece for you! Sam sat d...

Supreme Court Conservatives Just Made It Easier to Sentence Kids to Life in Prison

In March of 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that young adults convicted of murder committed when they were (18, 19 or 20 years old) can still be sentenced to life without parole, but not before their trial judges first consider whether that’s fair, given their youthfulness at the time of the killing.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/04/30/supreme-court-conservatives-just-made-it-easier-to-sentence-kids-to-life-in-prison?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=opening-statement&utm_term=newsletter-20210430-2463

Supreme Court Conservatives Just Made It Easier to Sentence Kids to Life in Prison The new ruling could worsen existing racial disparities in states that condemn teens to die in prison.

As Second Chance month winds down, Civil Survival is offering this opportunity to learn more about Legal Financial Obligations (court-imposed fines and fees) and options that are now available for impacted people to seek relief from LFO debt. https://mailchi.mp/23ee14c346e5/2nd-chance-month-lfo-event?e=6f6ea8e54b

Gallucci | Gallucci Learning Garden

Check out the Gallucci Learning Garden Plant Sale. They are great neighbors and friends of New Connections! A simple way to support community gardens and greenspace.
2021 plant sale is: April 24-25, April 28, May 1-2, May 5th, and May 8th. Check the website for hours.

https://www.galluccilearninggarden.org/

Gallucci | Gallucci Learning Garden Our mission at the Gallucci Learning Garden is to provide opportunities for the local community to learn to grow and cook fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables in their own yards or at a community garden, meet and connect with others in the gardening community, and share this joy with others.

Housemates Welcome: Washington Strikes Down Household Size Caps - Sightline Institute

This zoning change is a good first step toward increasing affordable housing. Now we need to buy - or rent - space that can be used as SROs (Single Room Occupancy) units specifically for reentry housing.
https://www.sightline.org/2021/04/16/housemates-welcome-washington-strikes-down-household-size-caps/?utm_source=Sightline+Newsletters+II&utm_campaign=f2bade84a2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_22_09_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e1b0f73ac-f2bade84a2-296438653

Housemates Welcome: Washington Strikes Down Household Size Caps - Sightline Institute Unrelated occupancy limits may not be the worst problem in Cascadian housing policy. But they're bad.

Data Show the Shift from Policing to Harm Reduction Saves Lives - Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/data-show-the-shift-from-policing-to-harm-reduction-saves-lives
Tacoma and Pierce County are in a great place to fund and strengthen harm reduction services. If you support social service responses to nonviolent crisis calls, let your representatives know that this approach saves lives.

Pierce County: www.piercecountywa.gov/3301/Council-Contact-Information
Tacoma: https://www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_council

Data Show the Shift from Policing to Harm Reduction Saves Lives - Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly In many cities, shifting first responders from police to mental health specialists is saving both money and lives.

Bombshell decision by Washington state Supreme Court offers opportunity to address failed war on drugs

Blake Decision: Personal possession convictions may be vacated, other convictions resentenced and potentially millions in fines and fees reimbursed.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/recent-bombshell-state-supreme-court-decision-an-opportunity-to-address-failed-war-on-drugs/

Bombshell decision by Washington state Supreme Court offers opportunity to address failed war on drugs With the state Supreme Court's Blake decision, which is widely believed to mean, in part, that past possession convictions will be vacated, there is an opportunity to reshape how we address the failed criminalization of drugs, writes columnist Naomi Ishisaka.

Halfway Home

Recommended Reading
Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration
by Reuben Jonathan Miller
https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/reuben-jonathan-miller/halfway-home/9780316451499/

Halfway Home A “persuasive and essential” (Matthew Desmond) work that will forever change how we look at life after prison in America through Miller’s &...