• Healing Communities Training:
  There have been several Healing Communities training sessions scheduled this spring in eastern Pennsylvania specifically for people who want to be engaged in prison-related ministries. Next scheduled training is June 6 in Lancaster.
  (See ja.ppjr.org for details.)
• Bread for the World – job opening for Pennsylvania Field Organizer
  The job posting for Larry Hollar’s successor is now available and can be shared with anyone you may know who would be interested:
  Job Posting.
  The person would be based in the Philadelphia area but continue to work with people around the
  northeastern US. Applications received by Friday, May 29 get top priority.
• PICO / POWER NE (formerly CUNA) – changes in staffing and program focus in progress this spring, working closely with Campaign for Change, re: Allentown School District / structural racism issues.
• Campaign for Change events ( facebook.com/allentownc4c )
  • Public Testimony at Allentown School Board meetings (next: May 28, 7pm)
  • Steering Comm. is preparing summary report on ASD issues
• Sojourners: Elevating the Issues: Mass Incarceration
  “Elevating the Issues” is a study guide series designed as a complement to videos from The Summit 2014 and features articles from Sojourners magazine and blog. Elevating the Issues: Mass Incarceration
• “Homes within reach conference” – Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
  November 16-18, 2015, at the Harrisburg Hilton
• Immigration: June 9-July 12, 2015:
  See “34 days to end the 34,000 immigrant detention quota” (endthequota.org)

MASS INCARCERATION

• ACLU resources on Mass Incarceration: aclu.org/massincarceration.
• Pennsylvania ACLU has a report on incarceration policy that includes three specific recommendations on reducing prison population in Pennsylvania:
  1. Reduce sentences for small amounts of drugs and increase diversion options so small-time user/sellers are not treated like major sellers, and eliminate mandatory minimums for low-quantity drug trafficking.
  2. Increase the theft thresholds to reflect inflation and relative seriousness of the crime. (Dollar amounts have not been changed in many years.)
  3. Restructure burglary sentencing so home burglary when no person is present is a 2nd degree felony (instead of a 1st degree felony, as it is now.)

  The report is Pennsylvania: Getting Smart on Incarceration Policy (2012).

• Prison Justice: Model Legislation from Andrea James (Massachusetts): Mass. HB1382
• After Prison, Landing a Job Is Tricky (Wall Street Journal, 5/18/2015)

FOOD SECURITY IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY

• Renew Lehigh Valley (RenewLV.org)
• Buy Fresh, Buy Local (buyfreshbuylocal.org)
• The Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council is moving from ideas to actions in implementing the various ideas from the Assessment Report: Lehigh Valley Local Food Economy.
• On Friday, May 29, 2015 (noon to 2 p.m.), RenewLV will be meeting for a lunch/discussion at the Fowler Center on Bethlehem’s Southside at 511 East Third Street, Bethlehem to continue the conversation on growing the local food economy: Pre-registration is required: Register Here.

HOMELESS SHELTERS

• Homeless programs to build on progress made during winter, John E. Felch, Jr. (Morning Call, 5/6/2015)
• Lessons learned from operating a homeless shelter, Rev. Bob Stevens and Rochell Figueroa (Morning Call, 5/14/2015)
• Allentown Rescue Misssion gets a new leader: Jim Byrnes (Morning Call, 5/15/2015)

Posted: Thursday, May 21st, 2015     Tags: resources.