Latinos are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice and face a higher risk of wrongful conviction than their white counterparts. Increasingly, Latinos in the United States are skeptical of the death penalty, and community leaders and national organizations are calling for its end.
We are excited to publish a new resource with detailed information about Latinos and the death penalty. The resource is available in both English and Spanish and can be found on our learn pages. You can also download a formatted version (in Spanish too!) to hand out at your next death penalty discussion or while you’re tabling.
You can now find the information in our ‘Learn’ pages, where you can download a formatted version to hand out at your next death penalty discussion or while you’re tabiling.
The Public Welfare Foundation features EJUSA’s vision for a justice system that heals in its new publication, “From Heartbreak to Healing – the Journey of Crime Survivors.”
“We believe the justice system needs to serve all the constituencies impacted by crime: survivors, those who commit crimes, and communities. That means providing healing for survivors, accountability for those who commit crimes, and safety for communities….” – EJUSA Executive Director Shari Silberstein
In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice should have recused himself in the case of Terrance Williams. The judge in question, Justice Ronald Castille had been the District Attorney of Philadelphia and had participated in Williams’ original death penalty original death penalty trial.
The following is a press statement released by attorneys for Williams at the Philadelphia Capital Habeas Unit:
This weekend, CBS’s 60 Minutes aired a segment on prisons in Germany. The German approach emphasizes healing and rehabilitation. There’s no punishment for punishments’ sake. Loss of freedom is punishment enough, and the goal is to help those who commit harm to change their lives. Corrections officers are trained in psychology, communications, and de-escalation. Even Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Corrections was convinced after joining a tour of three German prisons.
To help ring in the holidays, EJUSA’s Associate Board gathered friends and colleagues to celebrate with EJUSA staff, board members, and local supporters. More than 50 people came to “Libations and Justice for All” at the offices of Thoughtworks in midtown Manhattan to learn more about EJUSA’s vision and how they can help achieve it. EJUSA Executive Director Shari Silberstein gave a presentation that included an overview of EJUSA’s impact in 2015 and a preview of our exciting 2016 agenda.
The Associate Board is an all-volunteer group of young local professionals whose purpose is to advance EJUSA’s mission by increasing our visibility in New York City and recruiting new supporters for our work.
This was the Associate Board’s second event and first fundraiser, and they exceeded their initial goal, raising over $2,000 at the event. Their fundraising continues until year-end through a special Fundly campaign.
Special thanks for the wonderful evening of food, wine, and mingling goes to the team at Thoughtworks, who provided a beautiful space and helped with set-up. Also to the host committee:
Christopher Taylor Edwards – co-chair
Maura Tracy – co-chair
Quinn Judson Caruthers – host
Jonathan Lesser – co-host
Erin Ellis
Joe Ferris
Ariel Merkel
Ilana Rothkopf
Interested in joining the NYC Associate Board? Contact Andrea at andreab@ejusa.org.
As part of our growing work to bring racial equity to victims’ services, EJUSA published a comprehensive toolkit to help groups apply for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding. The toolkit is geared towards organizations serving crime survivors – particularly in communities of color – that have not had access to federal funding in the past.
EJUSA Grassroots Capacity Building Specialist Latrina Kelly-James led a webinar to introduce the toolkit and help organizations understand the funding that is available. Over 45 organizational leaders participated, and many more have downloaded the toolkit or reached out for support in applying for funds. Continue reading