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SUPPORT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT and DIVERSION PROGRAMS
Non-violent drug offenders would be placed in appropriate treatment facilities, reducing the prison population and dramatically reducing state budget costs.

SUPPORT MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Medical marijuana has proven effectiveness in helping chronically and terminally ill patients. Improved legislation will allow doctors to qualify eligible patients to grow a small ammount at home, without any legal penalty to the physician. (Medical Marijuana FAQ)

SUPPORT METHADONE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS
Expand on a successful pilot program in Waterbury that allowed doctors to prescribe methadone in a medical office setting and dispense it through pharmacies to stabilized working patients.

 SUPPORT OVERDOSE PREVENTION
Allow trained professional to carry and administer Narcan. Narcan's only use is to immediately reverse the effects of a heroin overdose.

Drug Free School Zones
Connecticut’s drug-free zone laws disproportionately incarcerate urban residents for simple drug possession and ignore White residents who are dying from drug-induced overdose deaths. (Drug Free School Zone Comparison). More information on this is available from the Justice Policy Institute in their report; Disparity by Design.

CURRENT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES AT A BETTER WAY FOUNDATION:

Connecticut Alliance (CT Alliance)
In August 2007, the CT Alliance began meeting with legislators, media, residents (urban/rural), business, community health providers, churches, and law enforcement. The school zones bill was introduced and was voted out of committees. In the end, the school zone bill failed and the budget, bonding package, juvenile justice, and universal health Care won. In response to our previous efforts to get school zone legislation passed, a conversation took place in June 2007 where the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, Judiciary Chairman Michael Lawlor, and Lobbyist Betty Gallo laid out plans to expand the school zone strategy to include broader criminal justice reforms.

Clean Slate Committee (CSC)
In July 2007 A Better Way Foundation developed the resident led advocacy/organizing group Clean Slate Committee (CSC). CSC’s vision is to improve public safety through making resources and opportunities available to people in prison and when they get out of prison. The membership of CSC is designed to organize traditional and non-traditional allies for this vision and CSC has benefited from early successes. Currently Clean Slate Committee chapters are located in Harford, New Haven, and New Britain, with new chapters being organized in Glastonbury, Stamford, Newtown, Bridgeport, and Simsbury.

Navigating New Summer Institute (NNW)
In December 2007, A Better Way Foundation began a strategy for youth development to expand civic engagement, media, and advocacy training for young people through out Connecticut. In the past NNW was a summer program that worked with 200 young people through out the State. In 2008 A Better Way Foundation is looking to expand NNW. Ideally we will run NNW through the Sumer months and well into the Fall. This expansion will enable NNW to increase and collaborate with Back-To-School campaigns and help our youth get an early start on school preparedness.

Expansion of Staff and organizational goals
In July 2007, A Better Way Foundation and members agreed to restructure the organization to maximize potential resources for public policy reform and advocacy. Through multiyear support from the Public Welfare Foundation, in February 2008 A Better Way Foundation has been able to include public policy reform as a priority for ABWF. These resources will allow ABWF to do legislative education, community training, and campaign strategy development for local and state public policy reform.

Most recent events held by A Better Way Foundation and our allied groups on issues central to our agenda for reform:

Clean Slate Committee
February 2008–

  • Met with Department of Corrections Commissioner Theresa Lantz to develop the Corrections Advisory Community Commission
  • Held Press Conference on opening day of the Legislative Session with the Connecticut Pardons Team
  • Held 4 community meetings with residents to report on 3 strikes legislation and initiative to increase hiring of people with felony convictions
  • Produced a criminal justice report with Justice Strategies and distributed it to legislators, residents, and city officials

January 2008–

  • Attended the Special Session – defeated 3 strikes proposal
  • Attended, testified, and distributed fact sheets on criminal and juvenile justice reform at the Judiciary Committee Public Hearing
  • Successfully advocated for drug and mental health treatment beds and Half-way houses
  • Produced local and national research for residents on 3 strikes and treatment services
  • Held one Circle for Change (House Party) with 75 attendees to discuss social justice issues and criminal justice reform
  • Met with residents in New Haven, Stamford, New Britain, and Glastonbury to organize
  • Completed presentations to local and state elected officials and staff at Hartford City Hall
  • Scheduled meetings with city officials to develop the proposed ordinance
  • Met with Hartford City Council members to develop the proposal to hire convicted felons
  • Met with 30 local and statewide community based organizations working on labor, public health, law enforcement, healthcare, education, and immigration reform.
  • Met with faith based activists, law enforcement officials, services providers, youth development specialist, and senior citizen advocates through out the state.
  • Held advocacy and organizing trainings in New Britain, New Haven, and Hartford

Articles and newsprint –

  • Hartford Business Journal about defeating 3 strikes legislation
  • Weekly articles in the Northend Agent’s promoting CSC and posting fact sheets about criminal justice freeform
  • Article in The Hartford Advocate about opposition to three strikes
  • Daily Public Service Announcement on Hartford Public Access
  • Developed the Black Into the Future blog to encourage, discuss, and teach political analysis (http://strategyhouse.blogspot.com/)
  • Produced 16 informational internet articles on community organizing, race, gender, political education, and public safety at Black Into the future


 

For those interested in tracking any of these pieces of legislation you can sign up to use the free tracking system provided by the Connecticut General Assembly at http://cga.ct.gov/aspx/cgapublicbilltrack/cgapublicbilltrack.aspx.

 

War On Drugs Clock
War On Drugs Clock

 

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All Contents © 2005, A Better Way Foundation, New Haven, Connecticut, USA