Happy New Year to all PEACE Network members, and all interested in UUFBR’s work with PEACE!!!
As we begin to prepare for our PEACE Nehemiah Action this March, we will want to tell others of the justice work that is being done in our active committees this year. Those of you who are actively involved in committee work can take a leadership role in informing the congregation of the latest news. For those who would like to follow the active committee work via email, this update has been supplied by Associate PEACE Organizer, Virginia Donal.
Criminal Justice: Our Criminal Justice Committee is working in collaboration with the other 9 DART organizations in Florida to conduct research into what we might do together as a statewide group. Statewide, the DART organizations have agreed to focus research efforts on: keeping youth and adults out of the criminal justice system, and helping those coming out of the system reenter society, which involves access to jobs and housing. Here are some of the statistics our committee is working with:
- In 2010 there were 4,000 youth in FL residential facilities – 71% were non-violent, and probably didn’t need to be in residential care.
- Currently 80% of the services of the Department of Juvenile Justice are run by private companies, who get over 180 million dollars from the state.
At the local level, our Criminal Justice Committee is looking at re-entry and racial profiling issues.
In research related to re-entry, PEACE has learned about promising re-entry programs and a “ban-the-box” campaign. Sago Palms, a good “re-entry portal,” is a place where people who are leaving prison come for the last approximately 2 years of their sentence. Many programs are offered at Sago Palms, including family reunification, vocational training, and job training. The overall recidivism rate in PBC is somewhere between 30-40%. Sago Palm has a 6% recidivism rate.
The “ban-the-box” campaign addresses another obstacle for re-entry: jobs for ex-felons. “Ban-the-box” campaigns in other cities and states call for removing the question and check box, “Have you been convicted by a court?” from applications for employment. The City of West Palm Beach just started “banning the box,” and our committee is waiting to receive data from the city to see if the program might be something worth expanding.
Other federal programs being researched are the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and the federal bonding program. These programs have not been taken advantage of by employers in Palm Beach County.
Education: The PEACE Education Committee met with Superintendent Gent and District Staff to get a mid-year report on the district’s progress in reducing out-of-school suspensions. The committee was pleased to hear the following update: overall, out-of-school suspensions (OSS) are down by 30% from this time last year. The district has further implemented best practices at schools with high rates of OSS – expanding Positive Behavior Support System Training, and expanding a restorative justice “circle” program that was successful in 16 schools last year in reducing OSS. In-school arrests have decreased; and they have expanded mentoring of teachers and administrators dealing with discipline problems.
Jobs & Unemployment in the Glades: Our Jobs and Unemployment Campaign is moving quickly! Belle Glade’s Mayor Wilson is putting together a committee of concerned parties to draft a First Source Ordinance for Belle Glade. We expect a First Reading of the Ordinance in January. Following that, the Mayors of South Bay and Pahokee will present it to their City Councils for a First Reading. At the County Level, PEACE is working with the Commissioners to draft a First Source Ordinance that would apply to all county contracts for projects in the Glades. 3 of 7 Commissioners committed to support this Ordinance, so PEACE is working to both draft the ordinance and to ensure majority support it.