Alameda County Reentry Network

This bill will go a long way toward ending predatory collection practices against consumers. Much more detail about the bill and the junk debt industry can be found here (http://stopdebtbuyerabuse.tumblr.com/), including a fact sheet from the California Attorney General, an EBCLC op-ed in yesterday’s L.A. Daily Journal (attached), and a report released in 2011 by EBCLC and Consumers Union.

We need your help getting the word out about the bill, which will be voted on in the California Senate NEXT TUESDAY.

We’ve pasted below the names of key Senators, who need to hear from their constituents right away. In addition to individual calls to Senators, institutional letters of support should be emailed as soon as possible to Senator Leno’s office (he’s carrying the bill): Barry.Steinhart@sen.ca.gov.

Finally, please forward the website link (http://stopdebtbuyerabuse.tumblr.com/) to your lists and social media contacts – this is one of the most important consumer protection bills in years, and it would make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Californians annually subjected to unscrupulous debt buyer practices.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

 

Warm regards,

Tirien and Jeff

 

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TOP 10 KEY SENATORS (though registering your support with Senators not on this list would also help):

 

Sen. Ron S. Calderon

(Montebello)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4030

District Ofc.: (323) 890-2790

 

Sen. Ed Hernandez

(West Covina)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4024

District Ofc.: (626) 430-2499

 

Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod

(Montclair)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4032

District Ofc.: (909) 621-2783

 

Sen. Lou Correa

(Santa Ana)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4034

District Ofc.: (714) 558-4400

 

Sen. Alex Padilla

(Van Nuys)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4020

District Ofc.: (818) 901-5588

 

Sen. Roderick D. Wright

(Inglewood)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4025

District Ofc.: (310) 412-0393

 

Sen. Curren Price

(Los Angeles)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4026

District Ofc.: (213) 745-6656

 

Sen. Ted Lieu

(Redondo Beach)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4028

District Ofc.: (310) 318-6994

 

Sen. Michael J. Rubio

(Fresno)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4016

District Ofc.: (559) 264-3070

 

Sen. Juan Vargas

(El Centro)

Capitol Ofc.: (916) 651-4040

District Ofc.: (760) 335-3442

For the 725,000 men and women being released from prison each year, accessing safe, affordable housing can present a challenge. Individuals face barriers to reuniting with their families in public housing and private landlords exercise their personal discretion to bar access to people with criminal histories. Meanwhile, service organizations looking to build housing developments face community resistance. This type of “Not in My Back Yard” (or NIMBY) opposition can result in significant barriers for returning individuals, as well as for the programs that serve them.

Webinar presenters include:

• Ann Jacobs, Director, Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (moderator)
• Bob Dougherty, Executive Director, St. Leonard’s Ministries
• Alvin Entzminger, resident, Castle Gardens and former resident of The Castle
• JoAnne Page, President and CEO, The Fortune Society

 

Webinar Date: January 17, 2012

Webinar Time: 2p – 3:30p ET

To register for webinar or read more click HERE

Practitioners who work with people returning from prison and jail are often confused by the various federal policies that affect their clients’ access to benefits, job opportunities, housing, financial obligations, and more. Join us for this unprecedented opportunity to hear federal officials dispel myths and explain the facts about federal policies pertaining to the reentry population.

The webinar is sponsored by the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, a partnership among 19 federal agencies that is chaired by Attorney General Eric Holder. Staff from Reentry Council agencies will discuss the “Reentry MythBusters,” one-page fact sheets designed to bring clarity and transparency to federal reentry policies. The 22 MythBusters describe federal policies related to housing, access to benefits, veterans issues, employment, and juvenile issues, among others.

To read more and register click HERE

 

Voting Status under Realignment of Offenders Convicted of Low-Level Felonies

To determine its impact on voting eligibility, the Secretary of State’s office has reviewed the criminal justice realignment legislation (AB 109 and AB 117) passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Brown earlier this year.

Under AB 109 and AB 117 (collectively, the Criminal Justice Realignment Act, CJRA or Act) and effective October 1, 2011, there are four scenarios under which a person convicted of a felony can be incarcerated.  Under three of the scenarios, the person is ineligible to vote while incarcerated.  Under one of the scenarios, the person retains the right to vote while incarcerated.

To view the entirety of this memorandum and four scenarios click

Part1

Part2

Part3

Part4

Part5

Probation and parole are vital components of any efficient criminal justice system, although they have not always been seen as such. Now, more than ever, jurisdictions are committing more resources towards probation and parole in order to increase the effectiveness of community supervision with the intent to reduce recidivism and costs while protecting public safety. With funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and in partnership with the National Reentry Resource Center, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) has developed a two-part webinar series on Evidence-Based Practices of Community Supervision. The series will highlight common approaches to community supervision implemented by both probation and parole agencies, as well as what distinguishes them from one another.

For more information on how to register click HERE