Kavana, as part of the Multifaith Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (MCJRC), is working to build support for a change in prison culture, away from punitive abuse and towards personal transformation in preparation for reentry into society. There are a number of ways you can get involved:
1) Join us for Lobby Day on January 25th! Attendees are invited to attend the plenary session (9:30-10am), a meeting with their district's representative (happening throughout the day), and the closing session (3:30-4pm). Click through the registration link (left hand side of this webpage) to RSVP and receive information from MFCJRC.
2) Write your State Senator! Together, we are working in support of 6 bills that, if passed into law, will dramatically improve the criminal legal system in Washington State.
Sample Letter:
Dear Senator, I am writing to you to urge you to support criminal justice reform now. There are 6 bills that I need your active support for––HB5036 (expanding clemency), HB1413 (juvenile points), HB1169 (de-stacking sentence enhancements , HB1132 (limit solitary confinement), HB1412 (reducing debt) , Housing Justice Bill modeled after SB6490. The current criminal legal system has failed. Please help to push these bills forward in any ways you have available. Sincerely, [Name]
3) Write to a Judge! Kimonti Carter (who was featured in the film Since I Been Down and also in Rabbi Rachel's Yom Kippur sermon) has been granted a hearing before Division II of the Washington State Court of Appeals on March 22. This is not a guarantee of release, but it is his first opportunity to make his case before the Court that he should be given an opportunity to re-enter society. We can help Kimonti's chances by writing letters of support! Click here to view a sample letter, and please feel free to customize yours. To help with this, Kimonti has shared these links describing his accomplishments between 2005-2015 and from 2016-present. Additional letter-writing tips can be found here. Please mail letters by February 14 to: The Honorable Judge Johnson, Pierce County Superior Court, 930 Tacoma Ave S, Dept #10, Tacoma, WA 98402 and email a copy to Kimonti's attorney. These letters have the potential to have a great impact -- please write!
4) Join our Facebook Group at Multifath Criminal Justice Reform Team.
Please email Stacy Lawson with any general questions about this coalition.