Information:  Judith Trustone, Director, SageWriters
610-328-6101 or info@SageWriters.org

More Information on the Justice Month

Introduction

The Problem: Why we developed this program

• The criminal justice system in the United States is broken.
• The United States has a higher percentage of it's citizens in prison then any other county in the world.
• There is a 70% recidivism rate. In what other area is a 70% failure rate permitted?
• The cost of running the criminal justice system is causing a strain on the economy - Prisons instead of Schools
• The privatization of the criminal justice system is creating a modern slave system that is intolerable in a democracy.
• The "war on drugs" has created a situation where 70% of the incarcerated are non-violent offenders.
• There is little to no preparation for the incarcerated to re-enter society, putting public safety at risk.
• The general public is ill informed about the condition of the criminal justice system. By it's nature the only people who come into contact with or have knowledge of the system are individuals who are charged with crimes or are incarcerated and their loved ones. The incarcerated are traumatized and demonized and the "problem" is locked away out of sight and out of mind.

The Goals: What we continue to do

• Increase public awareness of the problems in the criminal justice system.
• Increase public awareness of the alternatives to the criminal justice system.
• Created a resource manual that can help individuals navigate the criminal justice system in the tri-state area (available soon).
• Expanding the justice community of organizations working on criminal justice issues.
• Developing a speaker’s bureau that can present a program to schools, churches and community groups.
• Developing materials that can be used to educate individuals and groups about the issues.

Our Audience:

• Individuals and their families who are charged with crimes and are entering the criminal justice system.
• The incarcerated community
  • Incarcerated individuals
  • Families of the incarcerated
  • Those working in the criminal justice system who seek change
  • Victims
• The general public
  • Activists who see the need to network and want to inform people of what their organization does.
  • Individuals who see the problem and want more facts.
  • Faith based organizations who want to start a prison ministry.
  • Educational institutions that have civics' classes.
  • Community groups who want to protect their communities.
  • All of these groups have a vested interest in increasing the public safety. A step toward this is by improving awareness of alternatives to the current system that are both less costly and more humane.

Justice Community

• An informed public is the first step in solving public problems. This will be developed in cooperation with the participating organizations, each month spotlighting the work one of the organizations does.
• The creation of a regional criminal justice resource manual. This will serve to help individuals and families who are entering, in, or leaving the criminal justice system of the services available to them. While there are dozens of organizations working to help, there is no easy way to find what and where there are services available.
• While there are dozens of organizations involved with servicing people in the criminal justice system there is no coordination or networking currently taking place. In the process of putting together the resource manual and the conference we contacted 112 of these organizations and will began the work of creating the Justice Community, a network or alliance of criminal justice service organizations.
• We have developed a speaker's bureau for schools, and community organizations.
• The conference was video taped and and we are currently seeking funding to complete the DVD project.  This DVD will be used in our speakers bureau program
  

The Outcomes: What we are Accomplishing

• A public that is more knowledgeable of the criminal justice system, it’s failings and it’s alternatives.
• A Resource Manual that presents in a single volume information of what to do, and who to call, and where you can get help from the time you first have contact with the police, through the criminal justice system, incarceration and re-entry.
• Strengthening the Justice Community, a network of organizations working together to improve the way the criminal justice system works.
• Creating resources for schools, and the community for information and programs on the criminal justice system, including speakers, books, and audio visual materials.
  

To participate in the Justice Community, send us your information by clicking the link below, and we will get back to you soon.