There is a buzz in our office. It is the excitement from publicly launching our new name, Safe & Just Michigan. As a Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending supporter – aka CAPPS, you likely have received our communications, such as our e-newsletter, discussing the reasons for the change. We would like to provide [...]
On September 11, health and law enforcement professionals testified before the House C.A.R.E.S. (Community, Access, Resources, Education, and Safety) Task Force at the Team Wellness Center in Detroit. The Team Wellness Center provides an array of comprehensive behavioral and physical health services in an environment that promotes quality of life, continuous improvement, and social awareness. [...]
November 2 was a powerful and moving evening! The 2017 CAPPS Annual Membership Meeting and dinner attracted over 200 people from across the state, including representatives from across the political spectrum, including business and community leaders, formerly incarcerated people and their families, crime survivors, and faith communities. The event featured author Dr. Heather Ann Thompson [...]
The August 29 C.A.R.E.S. Task Force hearing was in Auburn Hills at the Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN). OCHN professionals, Oakland County Law enforcement, local leaders, and public health representatives from the private and public sector offered solutions for improved mental health services. National and local crime survivor advocates shared personal stories and urged enactment [...]
Troy Rienstra, CAPPS outreach director (second from the right in the photograph), helped convene an August 21 training for organizations working to assist underserved crime survivors in the Detroit area. Aqeela Sherrills, national training director for the Alliance for Safety and Justice (far left in the photograph), provided an in-depth explanation of how crime survivors are [...]
Troy Rienstra, CAPPS organizer, helped convene a July 1, 2017, training for organizations working to assist underserved crime survivors in the Grand Rapids area. Aqeela Sherrills, national training director for the Alliance for Safety and Justice, provided an in-depth explanation of how crime survivors are working to pursue policies that promote safer communities and help crime [...]
On May 30, Rep. Klint Kesto (R-District 39), House of Representatives Law and Justice Committee chair, took testimony from crime survivors calling for investments in systems that help crime survivors heal and create safe communities. Aswad Thomas provided powerful testimony about his experience as a crime survivor. He grew up playing basketball in Detroit. In [...]
On April 25, Rep. Klint Kesto (R-District 39), House of Representatives Law and Justice Committee chair, took testimony from national leaders calling for continued criminal justice reforms and investment in services that prevent crime and help crime survivors heal. Mark Holden, senior vice president and general counsel of Koch Industries, called on Michigan to continue [...]
Survivors of violent crime, especially those who live in high crime areas often do not have adequate access to trauma-informed mental health and other support services to help them heal. Crime survivors prefer criminal justice approaches that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment and strongly prefer investments in crime prevention and treatment to more spending on prisons [...]