naacp engaged since inceptionnaacpms.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/final-state...ripple effects...
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} NAACP Engaged Since Inception ◦ Pink Franklin Case 1910 ◦ Mostly By State & Local Chapters and
Washington Bureau/Legislative ◦ National Program 2009 � Set National Priorities � Proactive vs. Reactive
} Law Enforcement Accountability/Racial Profiling ◦ End Racial Profiling, Increase Accountability
} Successful Reentry ◦ Removing Employment Barriers for Formerly
Incarcerated } Mass Incarceration/Sentencing Reform ◦ Misplaced Priorities Report
} Death Penalty ◦ Ending the Death Penalty by 2025
� A Constant Issue � No New Data ¡ DOJ 2002 – 26,000 excessive force incidents
reported ¡ Many incidents not reported; not all PD’s participate ¡ 4.4% African Americans, 2.3% Hispanics, 1.2%
Whites Report Use of Force � No Effective Racial Profiling Laws; No National
Ban Against Racial Profiling � No National Use of Force Standards � No National Policing Standards � Yet Our Communities Suffer
} Renewed Campaign to End Racial Profiling ◦ Use Trayvon Case and Awareness on Issue to
Rebuild Movement: � Create Dialogue – In Media, In Communities, In Schools � Legislative – End Racial Profiling, Enact Best Practices
for Community Watch Groups, Repeal Stand Your Ground, Create Civilian Review Boards, Demand Disaggregated Data on Homicides from Police Departments
� Create National Movement – State By State, Started In NY on Father’s Day
� Ripple Effects Throughout Country - SF
� 700,000 return home from prisons and jails every year
� They face: ¡ Loss of public housing benefits ¡ Employment barriers ¡ Cannot sit on juries ¡ In many states, voting rights ¡ Parental rights à The New Jim Crow
� Employed individuals are 1/3 less likely to return to prison or jail
� Corporate & Government Employers Should ¡ Ban the Box
÷ Ask after conditional offer, for relevant positions ÷ New EEOC Guidance
¡ Strengthen Anti-Discrimination Policy ÷ Illegal to exclude based solely on arrest/conviction
history ¡ Eliminate Blanket Bans ¡ Limit Use of Criminal Background Checks
÷ Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964: EEOC requires all employers adopt fair standards related to decisions on criminal background checks.
÷ Must be job related
} Misplaced Priorities ◦ 2.4 Million People Behind Bars � 2/3 People of Color � 40% African American ◦ US 5% Pop vs. 25% World Prisoners ◦ 1987 – 2007: Corrections funding grew 6X Education ◦ $70 Billion Spent Annually ◦ Increasing allocations of funds on prison system vs.
education ◦ Finding: Excessive spending on prisons undermines state
spending on education ◦ Overlap b/w low performing schools & high incarceration
areas
} Recommendations: ◦ Range from creating commissions, to parole reform, violence
reduction strategies, reentry, earned time, etc.
} Support State Reform Strategies ◦ Will support state campaigns by leveraging national and local
partners and coalitions. Examples: TX, GA
} NAACP Commitment ◦ Several Resolutions (2001, 2004)
} Racial Disparities ◦ African Americans 43% of death row inmates ◦ Receiving death penalty linked to victim’s race � 75% on death row murdered a white person
} Flawed System ◦ Since 1973, 140 exonerated from 26 states based
on innocence } Troy Davis Pledge
� Support at all time low ¡ 35% Oppose
� Strategy: ¡ 17 states & DC have no death penalty ¡ Increase number to 26+ (majority of states) ¡ Take to Supreme Court: evolving standards of
decency; cruel and unusual � Support for State Repeal Movements ¡ Partner with ally organizations, religious leaders, &
stakeholders + strong political/legislative strategies ¡ Elevate high profile cases
} Committees are expected to act as the Criminal Justice arm of their unit or state conference.
} Be contact with National Criminal Justice Program
} Key function: advance the Smart and Safe initiative in their communities à Support Criminal Justice Reform
} SMART and SAFE policies that serve to create public safety and reduce crime - counter the tough on crime policies of the last several decades.
} Strengthen families and communities
} Advocate for criminal justice reform polices (reentry, reform, prison closures, diversion programs, ending drug war, violence reduction programs, fight private prisons, etc.)
} Advancing employment rights and reentry for formerly incarcerated
} Downscale prisons & shift dollars/resources from prisons to schools & other social institutions
} Some overlap and collaboration in the work of the Criminal Justice Committees, Legal Redress Committees, Political Action Committees
} CJ Committees may work together on similar issues. Anything related to a legal case is for Legal Redress Committee
} CJ committees advocate, educate, build coalitions and work for reform
} Youth and College Chapter
} Advocate on the same issues within the youth age group – can focus on issues that impact youth
} Should work with State and Local Criminal Justice Chairs
Toolkits, Fact Sheets, Other Resources available now Model Legislations – Coming in 2013 Toolkits to Come: } Misplaced Priorities Toolkit
} Updated Reentry Toolkit
} Death Penalty Toolkit
} www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-resources
} Unit Presidents fill out information on your Criminal Justice Chairperson
} If no chair selected: Presidents can serve interim until CJ Chair selected
} Please RETURN form BEFORE you leave
} Our National Criminal Justice Team:
Dr. Niaz Kasravi, Director [email protected]
John P. Comer, MPA - Program Specialist
India Dockins, Admin Coordinator [email protected]
ALL of our issues are impacted by who is in office – national, local, & state level
} Your Vote, Your Voice, Your Power } www.ThisIsMyVote.org } Register online or call: 1-866-MyVote1
} Mississippi 2nd in per capita incarceration (after Louisiana)
} 31,788 total incarceration population } 26,793 on probation } Racial Disparity – black to white ratio: 3.5 to 1;
Hispanic to white 1.2 to 1 } $357 Million Total Expenditures } 182,814 people can’t vote; 107,758 of them
African Americans } State Leadership Priority in 2013: change
sentencing guidelines } Mississippi: 76 executed since 1976; 53 people on
death row today; 3 innocent people freed