Lehigh Valley - Events of interest for Criminal Justice Reform

• Current / Forthcoming Events
• Recently Recorded Events
• Past Events

Current / Forthcoming Events

June 1, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
June 7, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:00pm) Keystone Decarceration Bloc (meets by Zoom)
legislative strategy (including solitary confinement); regional outreach plans; media strategy.
For details, contact DBloc: keystonedbloc@gmail.com .
June 7, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:30pm) Lehigh County - Courts and Corrections Committee   Agenda is expected to include continuing discussion of data collection, ending solitary confinement in Lehigh County Jail, and eviction prevention. Look for Zoom information and meeting agenda at lehighcounty.org/departments/commissioners.
June 8, 2023 (Thursday, 3:30pm) 50 Years and a Wakeup: Capping Maximum Sentences
Webinar sponsored by te Sentencing Project and Vera Institute for Justice. Extreme sentences are cruel, often racially biased, and not necessary to protect public safety. See details and registration here.
June 10 (Saturday, 9am-1pm) - Lehigh County Public Defenders Community Outreach Day   Location: 7th & Walnut Parking Lot (43 S. 7th St. Allentown, PA 18101)
Please come and enjoy free hot dogs, pasta salad, and cake; free clothing in many sizes.
Clearing Criminal Records in PA: Sealings, Expungements and Pardons:
The Lehigh County Office of the Public Defender is partnering with the Pardon Project of PA to provide information and resources to individuals on sealing criminal records, expungements and pardons.
June 15, 2023 (Thursday, 7:30pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
June 20, 2023 (Tuesday, 6:00pm) Free Our People coalition meeting (3rd Tuesday, every month)
We'll debrief the legislative meetings we've attended over the past month and plan for the coming months! Join Straight Ahead and partners to end death by incarceration. Sign up at: bit.ly/FreeOurPeople23
July 5, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.

Recent Recorded Events

Think Twice Before Calling the Police
four-part webinar series by American Friends Service Committee

• Part 1: Grounding [video recording] [resource guide]
• Part 2: Alternatives in Action [video recording] [resource guide]
• Part 3: Mental Health Crisis Response Training [video recording] [resource guide]
• Part 4: De-escalation Training (May 25)
• Overview of "Think Twice" and more resources
Punished for Presence: Reforming Felony Murder (webinar: recorded April 6, 2023)
Sentencing Project webinar: "Felony murder" laws hold people liable for murder if they participated in a crime that resulted in someone's death. These laws impose murder sentences on people who did not kill or intend to kill. Thousands of Americans, mostly people of color, will remain behind bars their entire lives based on the extreme sentencing provisions associated with a felony murder conviction. Watch the recording here.
Life without Parole in the Era of Mass Incarceration - webinar organized by the Sentencing Project (recorded March 14, 2023). Watch the recording here.

Beyond Incarceration - four-part webinar series (February/March 2023)
"A hard look at dismantling the prison system and building healthy communities," organized by the Mennonite Central Committee. Learn about the ways faith communities are actively understanding and working against these complex systems of confinement. The webinars are being followed by learning tour opportunities in different parts of the U.S. in 2023. See details and watch webinars here.

• Part 1: Proclaim: How do we develop an historical/systemic understanding of mass incarceration and what is our Christian mandate to respond?
• Part 2: Intervene: How do we interrupt and intervene in systems of mass incarceration?
• Part 3: Create: How do we imagine and bring about alternative systems?
• Part 4: Practice: What does proclaiming, intervening and creating alternative systems to mass incarceration look like in practice?

50 Years and a Wake Up - new national campaign involving many organizations to end mass incarceration (beginning Feb. 8, 2023). Fifty years ago, the United States embarked on a path of mass incarceration that has led to a staggering increase in the prison population. Today, almost 2 million individuals -- disproportionately Black Americans -- are incarcerated in our nation's prisons and jails. The prison population has grown 500% since 1973, the year America began to sharply increase its prison population.

• Campaign Overview and Social Media Toolkit
• Challenging 50 Years of Mass Incarceration - webinar (recorded Jan. 25, 2023)

Fighting Jail Expansion (Prison Policy Initiative webinar, recorded Jan. 10, 2023)
Across the country, communities are fighting against efforts to expand the carceral system and build new jails. 'Fighting jail expansion' brings together activists who have pushed back against jail expansion, strategies employed to prevent new jails from being built, an overview of the tools and support that Prison Policy Initiative can provide to support these efforts, and provides time for participants to ask questions of panelists.   Watch the recording at youtu.be/bxS7EZJ8V1o.
Also here are Resources from the webinar.

Past Events

May 4, 11, 18, 25 (Thursdays, 8pm) Think Twice Before Calling the Police
Four-part webinar series. Many people recognize that police violence targets certain communities and want to avoid calling the police -- but don't know what to do in case of an emergency. This four-part series from American Friends Service Committee will help you develop concrete skills and strategies to avoid calling law enforcement unless it's absolutely necessary. That includes exploring community-based alternatives to ensure safety for all of our neighbors. Register here.
May 18, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
May 18, 2023 (Thursday, 6:00pm) Free Our People coalition meeting (3rd Tuesday, every month)
(May meeting postponed to Thursday to avoid primary election day) We'll debrief the legislative meetings we've attended over the past month and plan for the coming months! Join Straight Ahead and partners to end death by incarceration. Sign up at: bit.ly/FreeOurPeople23
May 4, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
May 3, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:00pm) Keystone Decarceration Bloc (meets by Zoom)
legislative strategy (including solitary confinement); regional outreach plans; media strategy.
For details, contact DBloc: keystonedbloc@gmail.com .
April 18, 2023 (Tuesday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
April 18, 2023 (Tuesday, 6:00pm) Free Our People coalition meeting (3rd Tuesday, every month)
We'll debrief the legislative meetings we've attended over the past month and plan for the coming months! Join Straight Ahead and partners to end death by incarceration. Sign up at: bit.ly/FreeOurPeople23
April 17, 2023 (Mon., 1-4pm) Reentry Simulation in Philadelphia
Location: National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
This Reentry Simulation co-hosted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the National Constitution Center. This event will celebrate National Reentry Month and the launch of the U.S. Attorney's Office's Reentry Simulation Initiative, for which we designed Simulation "Kits" to share with our community partners. To register, email: usapae.rsvp@usdoj.gov by April 10.
April 13, 2023 (Thursday, 12:30-1:50pm) in Philadelphia
The Path to Progressive Prosecution: Lessons from Stakeholder Interviews
Location: Gladfelter Hall,10th Floor, Temple University, Philadelphia.
See details here
April 6, 2023 (Thursday, 7:30pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
April 6, 2023 (Thursday, 2-3pm) Punished for Presence: Reforming Felony Murder
Sentencing Project webinar: "Felony murder" laws hold people liable for murder if they participated in a crime that resulted in someone's death. These laws impose murder sentences on people who did not kill or intend to kill. Thousands of Americans, mostly people of color, will remain behind bars their entire lives based on the extreme sentencing provisions associated with a felony murder conviction. See details and registration, here
April 5, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:30pm) Lehigh County - Courts and Corrections Committee   Agenda is expected to include continuing discussion of data collection, ending solitary confinement in Lehigh County Jail, and eviction prevention. Look for Zoom information and meeting agenda at lehighcounty.org/departments/commissioners.
April 5, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:00pm) Keystone Decarceration Bloc (meets by Zoom)
legislative strategy (including solitary confinement); regional outreach plans; media strategy.
For details, contact DBloc: keystonedbloc@gmail.com .
Beyond Incarceration webinar series (four Tuesdays at 7:30pm: February 7, 21; March 7, 21)
"A hard look at dismantling the prison system and building healthy communities," organized by the Mennonite Central Committee. Learn about the ways faith communities are actively understanding and working against these complex systems of confinement. The webinars will be followed by learning tour opportunities in different parts of the U.S. in 2023. Register once and participate in one or all of the webinars. See details and registration or watch past webinars here.
• February 7: (watch recorded webinar) Proclaim: How do we develop an historical/systemic understanding of mass incarceration and what is our Christian mandate to respond?
• February 21: (watch recorded webinar) Intervene: How do we interrupt and intervene in systems of mass incarceration?
• March 7: (watch recorded webinar) Create: How do we imagine and bring about alternative systems?
• March 21 at 7:30pm: Practice: What does proclaiming, intervening and creating alternative systems to mass incarceration look like in practice?
March 21, 2023 (Tuesday, 6:00pm) Free Our People coalition meeting (3rd Tuesday, every month)
We'll debrief the legislative meetings we've attended over the past month and plan for the coming months! Join Straight Ahead and partners to end death by incarceration. Sign up at: bit.ly/FreeOurPeople23
March 16, 2023 (Thursday, 7:30pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
March 16, 2023 (Thursday, 6:00pm) Probation & Parole reform in Pennsylvania "Town Hall" - On-line meeting organized by the Reform Alliance. See details and registration here
March 14, 2023 (Tuesday, 1:30-5:00pm) Roadblocks to Reentry at NCC, Bethlehem Campus
this interactive reentry simulation,conducted by Franklin Together, gives a better understanding of barriers ex-offenders face upon release. Location: Lipkin Theater, Northampton Community College (sponsored by Lehigh Valley Justice Institute)
Register at https://form.jotform.com/230234523895154. For more info. contact LVJI by email: info@lvji.org.
March 14, 2023 (Tuesday, 2:00pm) Life without Parole in the Era of Mass Incarceration webinar organized by the Sentencing Project. See details and registration here
March 7, 2023 - (Tuesday, 6-8pm) Support group for family members of the incarcerated community. SELF! LV is hosting monthly meetings (first Tuesday of every month), Facilitated by Prison Survivors. Location: 40 S. 5th Street, Allentown, PA. Email: Selflv@yahoo.com
Web: self-reentry.org . All prison survivors are welcome.
March 2, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
March 1, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:00pm) Keystone Decarceration Bloc (meets by Zoom)
legislative strategy (including solitary confinement); regional outreach plans; media strategy.
For details, contact DBloc: keystonedbloc@gmail.com .
February 20, 2023 (Monday, 6:00pm) The Importance of Public Defenders in Advancing Decarceration Policies Conversation with former Philadelphia Chief Defender Keir Bradford-Grey about the role of public defenders in ending mass incarceration. This general legal educational forum touches not only on the traditional role of attorneys in criminal proceedings, but also their role in shaping public policy and the public conversation about making communities safer through decarceration. See webinar details and registration here. Sponsored by The Abolitionist Law Center and Amistad Law Project.
February 16, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
February 14, 2023 (Tuesday,2:00-2:45pm) Pretrial Justice Institute webinar series (Part 8).
What if We Prioritized Community Supports in Pretrial Justice?   Many people fail to appear in court because they've forgotten (or never knew) the date, have a work conflict, or lack transportation or childcare--not because they are actively fleeing. Yet FTAs can result in deeper involvement in the system: warrants for arrest, bail-jumping charges and jail time.
Register for this Zoom event here; watch live or/and review the recording and resources later.   [Also see the written report (PDF) at pji.pub/whatif]
February 7, 2022 - (Tuesday, 6-8pm) Support group for family members of the incarcerated community. SELF! LV is hosting monthly meetings (first Tuesday of every month), Facilitated by Prison Survivors. Location: 40 S. 5th Street, Allentown, PA. Email: Selflv@yahoo.com
Web: self-reentry.org . All prison survivors are welcome.
February 2, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
February 1, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:30pm) Lehigh County - Courts and Corrections Committee   Agenda is expected to include continuing discussion of data collection, ending solitary confinement in Lehigh County Jail, and eviction prevention. Look for Zoom information and meeting agenda at lehighcounty.org/departments/commissioners.
February 1, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:00pm) Keystone Decarceration Bloc (meets by Zoom)
legislative strategy (including solitary confinement); regional outreach plans; media strategy.
For details, contact DBloc: keystonedbloc@gmail.com .
January 25, 2023 (Wed., 2:00pm) Challenging 50 Years of Mass Incarceration
(Sentencing Project webinar). See details and registration here.
January 19, 2023 (Thursday, 7:00pm)   POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration.
Zoom meeting - participate by internet or phone. Registered participants will be notified of details.
January 12, 2023 (Thursday, 6:30pm) Winning in Harrisburg in 2023: Ending Mass Incarceration   Join Amistad Movement Power, Straight Ahead and Free The Ballot as we discuss how to build the power we need to win. See details here. Register for this Zoom meeting at http://bit.ly/POWER2023.
January 10, 2023 (Tuesday, 12:00n) Fighting Jail Expansion - Prison Policy Initiative Webinar   Across the country, communities are fighting against efforts to expand the carceral system and build new jails. 'Fighting jail expansion' will bring together activists who have pushed back against jail expansion, discuss strategies employed to prevent new jails from being built, give an overview of the tools and support that Prison Policy Initiative can provide to support these efforts, and provide time for participants to ask questions of our panelists. Register for the webinar here
January 4, 2023 (Wednesday, 6:30pm) Lehigh County - Courts and Corrections Committee   Agenda is expected to include continuing discussion of ending solitary confinement in Lehigh County Jail. Look for Zoom information and meeting agenda at lehighcounty.org/departments/commissioners.

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