Re-entry Initiatives

This sure looks interesting on Re-entry initiatives.

You'll want to check out my earlier post here, in conjunction.

Check out this site and find out what the federal government is doing.

There is also a little something happening here, on the Maryland DPS site.

Also, these look pretty interesting:

http://www.drugpolicy.org/statebystate/maryland/

http://justicepolicy.org/projects/maryland/maryland.htm

Innocence Week at Washington College of Law

Check out all the goings on at American University's WCL this week (click here for the calendar and follow the link(s) to the flyer.pdf). Especially the Innocence Week luncheon programs from 11:30 - 1:00 (M-Th) and the Alumni Reception and Play Friday evening, March 30.

Maryland and Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

Here is a must read (pdf) for Maryland and anti-Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentencing law enthusiasts.

New Ex-Offender Re-Entry Initiative

In case anybody has been wondering what "the Major" has been doing recently here's to ease your curiosity. He has been out for the big $$$ in order to feed certain projects, maintain and sustain the ongoing Z The Legal Monthly (newsletter) because these things do not grow without time, effort, and of course $$$.

Also, a new Maryland Re-Entry aka CBAC (see below) initiative is in the works in partnership with certain yet unnamed heavy-hitting foundations and government agencies. Alas, for now, the bulk of his efforts at this time must be in fundraising. Let it not be said that he is not doing his part in helping the economy, as well as the ex-offender and the communities to which they will return.

Substantial technical assistance is on the way. Remember that old sling? "HELP IS ON THE WAY!" Just ask and you shall receive. Somebody famous said that, too, I just can't remember whom at the moment. It does work. In reverse it goes like this: If you don't ask you don't even have a prayer of receiving. The other old saw I like is this: "You can lead a horse to water, but ..."

So now you have it. All the wisdom fit to print.

The CBAC initiative:

The Community Business Action Cooperative (CBAC) vision is a prisoner re-entry program that matches up ex-offenders with services as they strive to rejoin their communities. CBAC will help ex-offenders as follows:

a) accessing basic life services in partnership with community agencies,

b) providing ongoing support in the form of job placements, employment, housing, education and family reunification opportunities,

c) providing assistance and a forum for self-empowerment of ex-offenders to pursue grievances appropriately, leading to greater success in mounting legal challenges and other obstacles preventing reintegration into their communities.

CBAC programs will include outreach efforts to help educate businesses, family members and the larger community about ex-offenders, provide ways to support reintegration, reduce the social and economic costs of incarceration, make a contribution to the corps of activists dedicated to the expansion of equal justice, fair opportunity and devoted public service, as well as to making improvements in the quality of life in the community.

March Newsletter

The March issue of Z The Legal Monthly is now available here.

Crow's Nest

Some interesting updates in Maryland dp developments: (Washington Post)

Some death penalty opponents say they probably have the votes to pass a full repeal in the House this session. Even if they are short in the Senate, some say, it would be a mistake to compromise.

A court ruling in December halted executions until the state issues new regulations on lethal injection. Jane Henderson, executive director of Maryland Citizens Against State Executions, said she thinks it is unlikely that executions will resume before next year's legislative session, when odds of a repeal would be no worse.

"I think a year from now, we'll still have an effective moratorium," Henderson said. She also said that it makes no sense to reserve the death penalty for narrow classes of offenders. "My view is, this is about whether we should have the death penalty or not."

Richard J. Dowling, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, said that a bill that stops short of a full repeal could be expanded. "A door that is ajar only slightly can be pushed wide open," he said.