The House for Good coalition is planning a foyer day on the State Capitol on April 29 to rally help for HB 3162, sponsored by Rep. Maurice West, and SB 2403, sponsored by Senator Willie Preston, in an effort to increase public consciousness of the necessity for reasonably priced housing for these being launched from jail.
Since retiring from a profession in state authorities I’ve loved freelance writing about an eclectic vary of subjects, usually centered on museums and cultural organizations, pure sources and the setting, well being and health, group organizations, fascinating folks and native occasions. It has grow to be my persevering with training and has additionally impressed me to need to study extra about points outdoors my typical wheelhouse.
By my husband Randy Witter’s volunteer work on behalf of the Illinois Innocence Undertaking, I’ve heard many tragic tales about folks wrongfully convicted and the circumstances that led to their incarceration. And, from a mentor I labored with on Governor Jim Thompson’s employees, I’ve grow to be far more conscious of the necessity for legal justice reform to lower jail recidivism and make the authorized system extra equitable. In right now’s world, as we witness folks whose lives are impacted by authorities insurance policies in some ways, it’s incumbent on all of us to be higher knowledgeable residents about points that have an effect on our communities.
Yearly 20,000 individuals are launched from Illinois state prisons, returning to their communities. Forty-five % are unemployed for at the very least three years, and almost 40% return to jail inside three years. Analysis has demonstrated that steady housing reduces the probability of returning to jail and is way cheaper than reincarcerating an individual. However, folks with arrest and conviction data face many limitations to accessing steady housing.
The House for Good coalition contains dozens of statewide housing, reentry and group violence intervention organizations working to deal with this challenge. House for Good acknowledges that housing availability, particularly for these with legal data, is the literal basis wanted to stabilize each people and communities. They’re asking the legislature to supply important funding by way of the Illinois Housing Growth Authority and Illinois Felony Justice Info Authority to extend availability of reasonably priced housing, present sponsored housing, join folks with providers and supply coaching and technical help. Though it is a large ask at a time of intense competitors for state funds, it might be a constructive return on funding by way of decreases in recidivism.
The House for Good coalition is planning a foyer day on the State Capitol on April 29 to rally help for HB 3162, sponsored by Rep. Maurice West, and SB 2403, sponsored by Senator Willie Preston. Step one is to boost public consciousness.
Now greater than ever, we every have to step out of our consolation zone and take time to study extra about our historical past and the difficult points we proceed to face in our society. Museums assist us try this. Lately I visited the Legacy Websites in Montgomery, Alabama created by the Equal Justice Initiative, which was based by Bryan Stevenson. The museum, memorial and sculpture park are extraordinary, and highly effective locations that inform the story of slavery in America and its legacy – from the slave commerce, to the period of Jim Crow and racial terror lynchings, to our present mass incarceration disaster. By providing these distinctive areas for folks to assemble, study and mirror on our historical past and its legacy, the Equal Justice Initiative hopes to foster a brand new period of reality and justice in America. This current expertise in Montgomery helped me to see that the House for Good initiative can contribute to that purpose. For extra data, go to https://homeforgoodillinois.com/.
Karen Ackerman Witter retired from a 35-year profession in state authorities. She is a former affiliate director of the Illinois State Museum and was a pure sources coverage advisor to Governor James R. Thompson. By freelance writing and volunteer service her purpose is to attach folks, organizations and concepts to realize larger outcomes.
