Washington

JS Blog Post February 6, 2020

Parental Sentencing Alternatives - Washington State Factsheet

The Washington State Department of Corrections has released an updated Parenting Alternative Factsheet - Improving Public Safety by Positively Changing Lives.

Allowing individuals to avoid incarceration to parent their children

The Parenting Sentencing Alternative, Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 6639 was enacted in June 2010. This law allows some incarcerated individuals who are parents of minor children the opportunity to avoid prison or transfer from incarceration in order to parent their children. The law has two components:
Family and Offender Sentencing Alternative (FOSA) – Judicial Sentencing Option: Provides judges the option to waive a sentence within the standard sentence range and impose 12 months of community custody along with conditions for treatment and programming for eligible individuals facing a prison sentence.
 

JS Blog Post October 30, 2019

New California Bill to Create Pretrial Parental Diversion Courts

R.B.H.

 

In recognizing the impact of parental incarceration on children in the United States, legislators are listening to those directly impacted by incarceration in order to find solutions to prevent the separation of children from their parents. SB 394, the Primary Caregiver Pretrial Diversion Act, is a new bill signed into law on October 8, 2019 by Governor Gavin Newson and sponsored by Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. The new law will give counties the option to establish a pretrial diversion program for parents and caregivers charged with a misdemeanor or a nonserious, nonviolent felony who:  Read more »

JS Blog Post September 14, 2019

A "Vision for Justice 2020 and Beyond: A New Paradigm for Public Safety" Released

R.B.H.

“It is time for bold ideas. It is time to achieve the change we desperately need: a fundamental transformation and reorientation of the criminal-legal system” –The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

This September, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Civil Rights Corps. Put out a new platform paper “Vision for Justice 2020 and Beyond: A New Paradigm for Public Safety.” The platform calls upon us to address the root causes leading to our high rates of incarceration and the denial of equal rights to millions. By recognizing that the history of our criminal justice system is rooted in racial and economic oppression from slavery, the black codes, convict leasing, Jim Crow laws to the war on drugs, the platform lays out a vision for public safety that is grounded in human rights and upholds the humanity and dignity of all people. The platform is divided into three parts with 14 “planks” calling for change: Read more »

JS Blog Post July 31, 2019

Join Justice Strategies August 6th, 2019 at the National Association of Sentencing Commissions’ Conference

R.B.H.

Join Justice Strategies at the National Association of Sentencing Commissions (NASC) on August 6th, 2019 in Virginia to discuss alternatives to sentencing programs for parents and the efficacy of Family Responsibility Statements.

JS Blog Post February 9, 2019

Voices of Children of the Incarcerated: Legislative Testimony SB 5291

D.G. and Patricia Allard

Hello my name is D.G. I am 10 yars old, I am a child experiencing a father in prison. My dad won't be able to expeience me growing up. There are times when I get really sad and want to call him but I can't. I've only got to see him 2 time in the last 4 years. thats because he's so far away. There are times when Ihave special events (for example: my first kick boxing match) when I won and I was sooo happy and at the same time I felt a little sad. I spent most my life without my dad. But also I spent most of my life with a sstep dad. Special holidays are hard for me (for example: Christmas, fathers day, my birth-day) because he's not there. When my Dad calls me at my aunt's house I get super excited. [And I want to say for the other kids out there your not alone iether its your dad mom or other family members or other people that you care about theres other people going thrue this. Even tho my dad cant come home early I woul dhope that other kids parents could come home faster there would be lots of benifit for each child. Please support this bill. Thank you Read more »

JS Blog Post February 4, 2019

Washington state calls to Expand Alternatives to Incarceration Again in 2019

R.B.H.

 

Photo: T.Q. testifying in front of Senate Committee on video conferenced in from prison.

Success is not possible without opportunity.” 

-T.Q. Incarcerated Mother, Washington Corrections Center for Women Read more »

JS Blog Post January 3, 2019

Stories Beyond Bars: A Daughter's Experience with a Father in Prison

Riley Hewko, Esq.

Two years ago, Patricia Allard and I wrote a Huffington Post blog highlighting a video of 8-year-old D.G's wish for her father’s transfer from a federal prison in Texas to one in Oregon. It seemed like it would take a miracle, but with the help of her community he was transferred last year. D.G. still can’t even think of the ultimate miracle— having her dad come home. 

This year I had the opportunity to chat with D.G. now 10-years-old about her thoughts on her dad’s incarceration, her most recent visit, and some advice for young people in her situation. You can listen to the interview here.

JS Blog Post October 29, 2018

Oregon State Continues to Lead in Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents

Riley Hewko, Esq.

Oregon continues to lead in providing support for children of incarcerated parents. A recent training “Incarcerated Parents: Don’t Forget About Me” given earlier this month by Oregon Department of Corrections’ (DOC) Administrator of Programs & Social Support Services and the Department of Human Services (DHS) reflects a tone of changing attitudes often possessed by child welfare and prison staff. Specifically, the second and third slides of the presentation with their beliefs include: Read more »

JS Blog Post October 27, 2018

The Family First Prevention Services Act Offers Support for Children of Incarcerated Parents

Riley Hewko, Esq.

Last spring, groundbreaking legislation, The Family First Prevention Services Act (“FFPSA”), was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act allowing states to use federal funding to help keep families together and avoid out of home foster care placement entirely. Specifically, the legislation changes the way that Title IV-E funds can be spent by states by allowing funds to be used for prevention services that help keep kids at home or with their relatives. Prevention services include for example, mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services, in-home skill-based parenting programs, foster care maintenance payments for children with parents in residential family-based substance abuse treatment facilities, and payments for kinship navigator programs.

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