Event Information
“We saw legislators propose to solve a really scary public health crisis with that same old tool that's been proven time and again not to work: the criminal legal system.” — JENNIFER DILLON
Many people come into contact with the criminal legal system due to substance use, homelessness or poverty. Jurisdictions can promote long-term safety and wellness by choosing alternative responses to people’s struggles to stay healthy or care for themselves and their families.
In this conversation, we explored what could happen if we moved away from oppression as the response to basic human needs.
Speakers
Working with Bring Our Neighbors Home, a coalition dedicated to ending mass incarceration in Colorado, Jessie brings her experience as a Digital Creative Director and expertise in user experience design to make local and state-level political processes transparent, and political advocacy accessible and empowering for community members who too often feel disempowered and voiceless.
At Bring Our Neighbors Home, Jennifer takes on the digital organizing work of establishing, maintaining and amplifying an online presence to bring people together an inspire them to take effective action. She believes coalition building is ultimately about cultivating trusting relationships offline.
Meghan is driven by a passion for building community wellness and dismantling structures of oppression. Over the past 17 years, she has worked on a broad range of national, state and local training and technical assistance initiatives that critically examine and improve the way public systems function—most recently helping local coalitions and jurisdictions develop antiracist solutions for pretrial policies and practices.
Shavonte Keatonhas dedicated her 15-year career to advocacy and direct service for vulnerable communities. She has worked as both a peer and professional advocate for foster youth, served as a case manager for homeless youth and families, and provided legal services to marginalized communities. Her work has consistently centered on partnering with those most impacted to develop solutions to the unique challenges and barriers faced by system-impacted individuals and their families. Guided by her experiences as a former foster youth and the child of a formerly incarcerated parent, Shavonte brings both lived experience and legal education to her deep commitment to advocacy and systemic change. She strives to create processes that bridge the gap between systems and impacted communities, fostering safer and healthier outcomes for all. Guided by her experiences as a former foster youth and the child of a formerly incarcerated parent, Shavonte brings both lived experience and legal education to her deep commitment to advocacy and systemic change. She strives to create processes that bridge the gap between systems and impacted communities, fostering safer and healthier outcomes for all.
Resources
What If: 10 Questions for Sparking Local Pretrial Change
These ten questions — along with a discussion guide and valuable tools and resources — examine the issue by reframing safety and community wellness.