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Hope to see lots of you there tomorrow morning.<br><br>
All of Us or None Peace and Justice Community Summit<br>
Saturday, July 31, 10am-3pm<br>
First Unitarian Church, 685 14th St., Oakland<br>
Childcare and community lunch provided<br><br>
Check out today's op-ed in the Oakland Tribune:<br><br>
<a href="http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%7E1761%7E2304307,00.html" eudora="autourl">http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%257E1761%257E2304307,00.html<br><br>
</a>7/30/2004<br><br>
Arecord 6.9 million people are currently under control of the
criminal<br>
justice system nationwide, and a new civil rights movement is organizing
to<br>
fight for their rights.<br>
More than 30 million adults bear the burden of felony convictions in
the<br>
United States. Thirteen million adults have been locked up at some time
in<br>
their lives, along with hundreds of thousands of juveniles.<br><br>
Most of us are black or Latino -- nearly all of us are poor. Most of us
are<br>
also parents, and 80 percent of women in prison are single mothers who
will<br>
lose custody of their children because of a felony conviction.<br><br>
What does it mean to walk around with a felony conviction, even after
you've<br>
been released from prison? It means you continue to be punished for the
rest<br>
of your life.<br><br>
A drug felony conviction means your whole family may be evicted from
public<br>
housing if you try to go home after prison, and you'll be subjected to
a<br>
lifetime ban on collecting welfare or food stamps.<br><br>
You'll lose custody of your children forever if you've been in prison
over<br>
15 months.<br><br>
You're automatically excluded from most jobs as soon as you check that
box<br>
on the application that asks, "Have you ever been
arrested?"<br><br>
In California, you won't be able to vote until you're off parole, and
in<br>
some states you'll never vote.<br><br>
These restrictions undermine the political power of black and
Latino<br>
communities.<br><br>
Gaining access to basic survival needs is nearly impossible for
former<br>
prisoners, which dramatically impacts the quality of life for our
families<br>
and communities. The medical and mental health problems of people
returning<br>
from prison pose a public health crisis.<br><br>
Our children suffer lifelong scars when their parents are imprisoned --
up<br>
to 60 percent of incarcerated youths have a parent in prison. Many of
our<br>
children end up in an often-abusive foster care system. Restrictions
on<br>
prison visits are eroding the connection to family that is so crucial
for<br>
re-entry into the community.<br><br>
It's time to stop this devastating discrimination.<br><br>
On Saturday at the First Unitarian Church in Oakland, join former
prisoners<br>
and their families to speak with elected officials and community leaders
at<br>
a groundbreaking Peace & Justice Community Summit organized by All of
Us or<br>
None and sponsored by Keith Carson, District 5 representative on the
Alameda<br>
County Board of Supervisors.<br><br>
The summit will focus on how sending so many people to prison has
impacted<br>
families and our communities. We will demand specific changes to end
the<br>
life sentence of discrimination that formerly incarcerated people
face.<br><br>
We say: Enough is enough. When our prison sentences are over, we should
be<br>
accepted back into our communities and given equal opportunities and
support<br>
for our re-entry. Please join us in this fight.<br><br>
Yvonne Cooks, Linda Evans, and Dorsey Nunn are members of All of Us or
None,<br>
a national organizing initiative started by people who have been in
prison<br>
to fight against the discrimination they face every day. The Peace &
Justice<br>
Community Summit is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the First
Unitarian<br>
Church, 685 14th St. in Oakland. Child care and lunch provided. Call
(415)<br>
255-7036, ext. 337.<br><br>
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<br><br>
Over 2 million people are currently in prison, and thousands are
being<br>
released every day back into the community. This mass incarceration
has<br>
directly targeted Black and Latino people, and communities of
color.<br><br>
Over 13 million people in the U.S. have felony convictions and are<br>
discriminated against in housing, jobs, education, and public assistance.
On<br>
Saturday, July 31 an East Bay Peace and Justice Summit will be held at
the<br>
First Unitarian Church in Oakland. The Summit is sponsored by All of Us
or<br>
None, (an organization of people who have been in prison and our
families),<br>
and other community organizations.<br><br>
This Peace and Justice Summit will be the first time that<br>
formerly-incarcerated people and our families have testified about
the<br>
discrimination we face when we are released from prison. We will be<br>
discussing our concerns with a panel of elected officials and other<br>
community leaders. The Summit will focus on how the discrimination we
face<br>
because of felony convictions has impacted our families and our
communities,<br>
and we will make specific recommendations for changes in
policy.<br><br>
PLEASE JOIN US.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.allofusornone.org/" eudora="autourl">www.allofusornone.org<br><br>
</a>For more information: Yvonne Cooks 510-410-1099, Linda Evans
510-219-0297,<br>
or Dorsey Nunn 415-516-9599, or Legal Services for Prisoners with
Children<br>
415-255-7036 x377. Please distribute this message widely.<br><br>
<br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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