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October 25, 2008
VA: R.I.H.D: Advocacy conference promotes rehabilitation, not warehousing
Advocacy conference promotes rehabilitation, not warehousing
By Lillie (Ms. K) Branch-Kennedy
More than 150 people came to Richmond from across the country to attend a conference that had a simple but profound message: prisoners and inmates are people too, and deserve to be treated as such. And doing so will benefit not only the incarcerated, but society as a whole.
The non-profit, all-volunteer organization Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged (R.I.H.D.) held its 2nd annual "Reducing Crime and Recidivism Awareness Conference" and "Prisoner Art Show Fund Raiser" Oct. 11 at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Richmond’s East End. Participants came from as far away as California.
The days event’s began on the church’s steps, as the Wesley Memorial’s Rev. Rodney Hunter offered a prayer for those assembled. Then Blacks, Hispanics, whites, adults, youth and children in strollers set off and walked through the community, past the City Jail and the Oliver Hill Courts Building, chanting in English and Spanish: "Stop the war on the poor!" and "Education, not warehousing!"
The conference itself offered a forum for the professional exchange of knowledge and the interaction between the Virginia criminal justice system, the state’s legislative branch, faith-based community organizations and concerned members of the community.
It also called on Virginia state politicians to pass proposed restoration of voting rights legislation that would affect more than 377,000 presently disenfranchised Virginia citizens.
R.I.H.D.’s goal was to raise awareness of how concerned people can mobilize in their respective areas and be proactive in the legislative process. The organization states that communities must ensure that our elected officials are working towards keeping our communities safer through new and innovative approaches to reducing crime and recidivism.
R.I.H.D. contends that incarceration should not merely punish, but should also foster rehabilitation through education and "earned" second-chance re-entry programs. Additionally, programs that deter criminal behavior before a crime is ever committed should be expanded. The safety of the public and adequate rehabilitation for the offender can co-exist by passing "Fair & Smart" laws.
Conference panelists included: former Richmond City Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin, speaking on "Reform Advocacy;" Rev. J.E. Gash, from the Active Hand Ministry; Rev. Claude Gunn, form Virginia Re-entry in Lynchburg ; Carroll Malik, from Re-entry Housing for Men; Delegate Joe Morrissey, speaking on "Restoration of Rights;" Harold (Universal) Richardson, a former Virginia prisoner; Janet (Queen Nzinga) Taylor, from Prisoners and Families for Equal Rights & Justice; Larry Valentine, a former Virginia Supermax prisoner; Richmond Defender Editor Phil Wilayto, speaking on "Prisons as a Continuation of the Slave Labor System;" Jeff Winder, from People United, speaking on "Immigration;" and Cathy Woodson, from the Virginia Organizing Project.
Congressman Robert "Bobby" Scott was unable to attend the conference, but was interviewed about the issues later that evening by California TV reporter Lisa Lake. The entire conference and the Scott interview was filmed for future national broadcast. A DVD is expected to be released sometime in November.
For more information, including times and channels for the TV broadcast and DVD availability, visit www.rihd.org.
Lillie (Ms. K) Branch-Kennedy is Executive Director of R.I.H.D.
http://www.defendersfje.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/RD4-5.pdf
Posted by lois at October 25, 2008 03:32 PM