Monday, April 29 on Fair Housing

 

Fair Housing: What We All Need to Know
co-hosted by NYS Division of Human Rights, NYS Office of the Attorney General, 
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley & Hudson Valley Justice Center

 

Monday, April 29, 6pm-8pm
Beulah Baptist Church, 92 Catherine St. Poughkeepsie, 12601

What is Fair Housing? What are the trends?

What impact has it made and what are the challenges?

What resources are available to help?

Register: DutchessNY.gov/FairHousingForum

Trans Prisoners' Rights Coalition

The Trans Prisoners' Rights Coalition will be hosting a Day of Action in Albany on Tuesday April 9th to urge New York State legislators to pass the GIRDS (Gender Identity Respect Dignity and Safety) Act (S2860 / A709).  This bill is focused on ensuring the basic human and civil rights of trans prisoners in New York State. As an active member of the coalition, ENJAN is co-sponsoring the event. We encourage members to attend. If you are available on April 9th to go  up to Albany, you can register by clicking this RSVP link. A flyer for the event is attached. Thank you.

The ENJAN Curators

 

Criminal Justice Policy and Policymaking in Dutchess County

ENJAN members,

Next Wednesday, April 3rd, from 6:30-8:30pm at the Trolley Barn (489 Main St. Poughkeepsie) there will be a community information and listening session regarding criminal justice policy in Dutchess County. Catered food and childcare (under 10) will be provided. The event will include a presentation from the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office followed by group listening, discussion, and policy brainstorming sessions. The event is hosted by students and instructors from the Vassar College community-engaged intensive course POLI 281: Criminal Justice Policy and Policymaking in Dutchess County.

Your voice is essential for effective local criminal justice policy development and implementation! We especially hope to hear from those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Future events and opportunities for participation in these critical processes are planned and will be discussed at the event.

Please see the attached flyer and use this link to register. Feel free to share this event with friends, family, and community members.

Thanks, and see you next Wednesday!

Brian Robinson

 

Plans for a new Dutchess County homeless shelter

ENJAN Members,

Laura Forman, who has been helping us stay up to date with the continually changing plans for a new Dutchess County homeless shelter, wanted to share the following announcement of a Community Forum that will be held on March 28th at the Dutchess County Legislature Chambers on 22 Market Street in Poughkeepsie. Please feel free to share this information with interested residents. Thank you. 

The ENJAN Curators

Sunday in Beacon and Poughkeepsie

Sunday, March 17th at Harriet Tubman Park, 72 Market Street in Poughkeepsie from noon to 3 pm. The protest is calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza. There will be a caravan for the Poughkeepsie event that leaves Beacon (from Polhill Park) at 11:15 am on Sunday. To learn more about this event, click the following link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4iG1LEgqt6

You may ask what this has to do with the mission of ENJAN. Here is the answer from Michelle Alexander:

"I find that people often ask me, as I speak about issues related to climate change and the war in Gaza and the threats related to the rise in technology: What does any of this have to do with mass incarceration or police violence, the issues and causes that have been most pressing and most important to me for much of my life? And what I always say is that these issues have everything to do with mass incarceration. These are existential crises that we face because we have persisted in treating people and all of creation as exploitable and disposable, unworthy of our care and concern. We are lost in the delusion that we can solve problems or do justice or achieve peace and security simply by locking people up, throwing away the key, destroying their lives and families, getting rid of them, declaring wars on them, wars on drugs, wars on crime, wars on Gaza."                      - Michelle Alexander

Thank you Mark for highlighting this quote.

The ENJAN Curators

Hudson Valley Parole Justice Advocacy Day

RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison) will be hosting a Parole Justice Advocacy Day this coming Wednesday, March 13th at the Capitol Building in Albany. This event will be focused on promoting the parole justice bills to legislators who represent the Mid Hudson Valley (Dutchess County, Orange County, and Ulster County).

The event is open to anyone who wants to attend. Participants will meet on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building at 10:00 am. There will be a press conference at 11:00 am, followed by meetings with legislators and staff members. The day will end between 3:30 and 4:00 Food will be provided to anyone who attends. More details will be emailed to you after you RSVP.

We encourage ENJAN members to attend. If you would like to attend, you must RSVP by clicking this link: HV Parole Justice Advocacy Day RSVP link. Anyone who wishes to attend and needs a ride, please email Kevin Carswell at kgcarswell@gmail.com.

Thank you.

The ENJAN Curators

 

Speakers who have had their lives changed

This past week, Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals hosted the annual State of the Judiciary Hearing in Albany. This year's event highlighted a shift in focus from courts that are solely concerned with determining guilt or innocence to courts that are actually trying to solve problems and help people. Instead of filling the session with speeches and political rhetoric, Chief Judge Wilson chose to invite a variety of speakers who have had their lives changed through various types of problem solving and treatment courts. Each speaker was truly moving, and the session provides some encouraging evidence that the New York court system is actually progressing in a positive direction.

You can view the hearing here: 

https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/news/SOJ_2024.html

The session runs 90 minutes, but is well worth watching. It is unfortunate that Governor Hochul did not stay to hear all the personal success stories.

The ENJAN Curators