Uplifting the Directly Impacted in our Democracy - August State Updates

August 28, 2023

As summer draws to a close and autumn begins- focusing our minds on kids going back to school, pumpkin spice, and early Halloween decorations, this month symbolizes a period of change—whether we are ready or not.

At Dream.Org we celebrated a new beginning with the first in person meeting of our 2023 Dream.Org Justice Cohort. It was rejuvenating to be in community with up-and-coming leaders from all around the country. I was proud to be one of the trainers at the weekend long convening along with many of my other directly impacted colleagues. We were able to provide sessions on policy, grassroots lobbying, campaign planning, coalition building, and self care (just to name a few.) The participation and knowledge of our cohort members really gives me hope for the future of our work and reinforced the possibility of building a better future.

The 2023 Empathy Network Cohort with Dream.Org staff in St. Louis.

With new beginnings there are always endings and deep reflection. On August 31st, National Overdose Awareness Day, Dream.Org educated community members about substance use disorder and uplifted the voices of those personally impacted. Many of our Justice staff shared their personal stories, participated in community events, and worked to support our members that may have suffered from a loss due to an overdose. We also used this day to make a call to action. We launched the Public Health is Public Safety Coalition in Kentucky and pushed for more compassionate and evidence based treatment for those with substance use disorder. We cannot continue to default to the status quo of incarceration and must provide different options for individuals who need help. Unfortunately, we see a trend of increasing penalties for drug related crimes around the nation and Dream.Org continues to fight these harsh laws. We do this not only to divert people from the carceral system- but to save lives as well.

Our dream is to end harsh drug laws that hurt individuals, families, and communities. All of this work is part of our continued fight for a more equitable, compassionate, and just America - and we couldn’t do it without your support.

Arizona:

The Arizona team is hard at work planning for the 2024 legislative session. They are currently planning and initiating stakeholder meetings in Arizona to build consensus around their upcoming priority bills. In addition, they are in active conversations to build broad coalitions with local organizations. The team is currently identifying and approaching potential bill sponsors, for the Early Release bill and an Independent Oversight bill, that they will prioritize in 2024. We expect this upcoming legislative session to be the best one yet!

Arkansas:

Our staff member Ruby Welch and Empathy Leader Kwami Abdul-Bey held an event, “A Little Breathing Room Upon Release,” in Little Rock, sponsored by Dream.Org. We gathered probation and parole officers, Americans for Prosperity Arkansas allies, judges, community members, and directly impacted individuals to inform the community and discuss implementation of the new 120 day grace period for those who owe fines and fees after incarceration. The event had a great turnout and the panelists talked about their vision for criminal justice reform and the ways that we can come together to achieve public safety, stronger families, and better communities.

Kentucky:

Our Campaign Coordinator, John Bowman, officially launched the “Public Health is Public Safety'' coalition on August 31st, National Overdose Awareness Day. The coalition launch coincided with National Overdose Awareness Day given that the primary focus of the coalition is to reduce the number of overdoses in the state of Kentucky and provide alternatives to incarceration. You can read more about the diverse coalition and John’s efforts HERE.

Mississippi:

In Mississippi, Empathy Leader Cynetra Freeman continues work on proper implementation of SB 2082, which will reduce financial burdens on incarcerated Mississippians. Cynetra and team are also preparing for their annual Rethinking Reentry Conference in October. Dream.Org’s Organizing Director, Sean Wilson, will be one of the speakers at the event. Dream.Org is always in support of Cynetra’s amazing nonprofit, Mississippi Center for Re-Entry, and we are excited for this year’s important event.

Missouri:

In Missouri, our Empathy Leader ML Smith is hard at work preparing for the 2024 legislative session. He is currently planning events around the state that will take place at the end of 2023. These events will educate and galvanize individuals throughout Missouri to become more involved in criminal justice advocacy. There will be more to come on the great organizing in Missouri over the coming months.

Oregon:

Empathy Leaders and allies in Oregon continue to celebrate passage of HB 2535, which provides Doulas to pregnant incarcerated women. In addition, the team is seeing tangible results from their hard fought 2022 legislative battle. During the 2022 legislative session, Dream.Org supported advocates who were instrumental in the passage of HB 4146. This bill provided funding to conduct an extensive Gender Informed Practices Assessment of Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF), Oregon's only women's prison. From this assessment there has been an extensive report released that details the findings. The Empathy Leaders and allies are already looking into the report and will use it to better conditions for women and families that are caught in the carceral system.

Pennsylvania:

In August, the Pennsylvania team continued to advocate for HB 900, the Pennsylvania Dignity bill. In September the Senate will reconvene in Pennsylvania and all efforts will be on getting this important legislation over the finish line. We are working to get a Senate Judiciary hearing in the next couple of months. We want this year to be the year that Pennsylvania women finally receive more dignity while incarcerated, and bring the number of states where we have enacted these transformative reforms to 16.

Washington:

During the legislative interim period, our Empathy Leaders continue to educate the community and legislators in the state of Washington. The work never stops and our leaders are building and strategizing for the 2024 session - focusing on making the recently passed HB 1324 retroactive, increasing the bill’s impact in minimizing the legacy of unfair juvenile sentencing.

Wisconsin:

Dream.Org’s Wisconsin team continues to support SB 38 and AB 37 in the legislative session. These bills would expand expungement and ultimately provide more opportunities for people who have past experience with the criminal legal system.

The Dream.Org Justice team and our incredible Empathy Leaders continue to fight to positively transform the criminal justice system in our country. None of this work would be possible without your partnership. I look forward to sharing additional updates with you in October.