Treatment Not Jail Coalition

 

The email below was forwarded to us by the Treatment Not Jail Coalition. The email was sent to ENJAN to ask for our support for a proposed New York State bill (S7111A) which limits stops of drivers, bicyclists, and/or pedestrians for "low-level, non-safety traffic stops." 

Historical data clearly shows that people of color are stopped for these low level offenses much more frequently than whites. The bill also requires police officers to inform individuals stopped that they have a right to refuse a search unless there is a warrant signed by a judge, and requires more transparent reporting of all stops. A draft of the bill is attached, along with a bill summary, a list of similar bills passed across the US, and a report by the Thurgood Marshall Institute, titled "Safe Roads."

If you are interested in learning more about this bill, please consider attending the Zoom Meeting described in the email, which will be held from 4:00 to 5:00 pm on Wednesday, December 18th. to register, please send an email to Jill Paperno from Empire Justice at jpaperno@empirejustice.org.

Thank you.

The ENJAN Curators

Saturday, October 19th

 Hello ENJAN members,

Attached is the official flyer for the 2024 ENJAN gathering! 

On Saturday, October 19th, we'll be meeting at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Library (43 Gill Street, Kingston). We'll also be live-streaming the gathering through Zoom. The program starts at noon and goes until 5pm, and ENJAN-Kingston will be providing lunch. 

There's a QR code on the flyer to register, but you can also do so through this link:

https://forms.gle/w8dMPBvPTcfTms9z5

This year's theme is Decriminalizing Mental Illness, so we'll have speakers on:

• Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program
• Natural Helpers Peer-to-Peer program
• Treatment Not Jail and Daniel's Law legislation
• Panel Discussion providing inside perspectives on Mental Illness and Incarceration

There will also be musical entertainment provided by Callie Jayne Mackenzie and Stephen R Johnson.

We hope you join us!

Democracy During Detention Act

 

We want to spread the word about another important New York State Bill that ENJAN is supporting. The bill is called the "Democracy During Detention Act" (Senate bill S6875 / Assembly bill A9612). The bill is also known as the "Voting in Jails Bill". The proposed new law is written to ensure that incarcerated individuals who have a right to vote have a clear path to register to vote and to vote in elections. Any incarcerated individual, who is not incarcerated for a felony conviction, has the right to vote. The law makes it explicit that local Boards of Elections are to be tasked with ensuring the people who are eligible to vote, but who are detained in jails, can register and vote.

If you are interested in learning more about this bill and how you can help get the bill passed, you can watch this advocacy training video: Let New York Vote Training Session

We have also attached two other documents that may be of interest:

1) A Summary of the Voting in Jails (Democracy During Detention) Bill

2) Election Protection Partner Document

We encourage everyone to reach out to your local legislators to tell them that you support passage of this bill. Thank you.

The ENJAN Curators

"The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Why It Matters Today."

ENJAN Members,

We wanted to make everyone aware of an upcoming event at Dutchess County Community College. Pulitzer Prize winning author Dr. Heather A. Thompson will be giving a talk on "The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Why It Matters Today." The event will take place at the James & Betty Hall Theatre in Dutchess Hall on Thursday, October 3, 2024 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. You can read more about the event here:

https://www.sunydutchess.edu/about/facts/calendar.html#event-details/a29f758b-f54c-431f-a0e2-38605839d295

Thank you.

The ENJAN Curators

Black history discussions Oct 5 and Oct. 10

 

Black Americans, Civil Rights, And The Roosevelts, 1932-1962 Saturday, October 5, 4 pm FDR Presidential Library Registration required.   The Library's annual Paul M. Sparrow Lecture, featuring Basil Smikle, PhD, will focus on the Roosevelt-era foundations of the Civil Rights Movement. Smikle, a political strategist and policy analyst, is a Library Trustee, and Columbia University School of Professional Studies Professor of Practice. In addition to the in-person discussion, this program will also be streamed live to the official FDR Library YouTube and Facebook accounts. Registered attendees can visit the Library's special exhibition, Black Americans, Civil Rights, and the Roosevelts, free of charge before the program, from 2-4 pm.

Register here Redlining in Poughkeepsie Thursday, October 10, 6:30 pm Sadie Peterson Delaney Library Registration required.   Dr. Jen Brown, Esq. leads a discussion on the local history of redlining, the discriminatory practice of denying services like mortgages and loans based on race or ethnicity, in Poughkeepsie.   Register here

Kingston, NY at Vanburen Park

 

2024 Fight for Freedom Fund Luncheon

Brian Robinson asked that we pass on the following information about the 2024 Fight for Freedom Fund Luncheon hosted by the Northern Dutchess NAACP on September 14th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Here is an excerpt from an email sent out by the NAACP about this event:

"The Freedom Fund Luncheon committee has been keeping busy planning the event on 9/14. Please see the below flyer for more details on this premier event, and contact freedomfund@ndnaacp.org if you have any questions or comments. If you are able, consider attending the event, for which tickets are still available." "And if you own a business or know someone who does, and are looking for ways to promote that business in the community, journal ads are available (see the attached document for more details)."

 

We have attached the flyer for this event, along with a PDF file with information on business sponsorships. To obtain tickets, you can contact Brian by emailing: brian.robinson@equitablefuture.org. There is also an option to purchase tickets that can be gifted to others who would like to attend, but cannot afford to purchase a ticket. Thank you.

 

The ENJAN Curators