End Slavery Act in California Passes the Assembly!

On Wednesday, September 13th, LSPC/AOUON and other organizations watched the California Assembly pass ACA 8, with 68 aye votes and 4 noes. Now, California is one step closer to abolishing the vestiges of slavery in the state's constitution. It was a tremendous and historical moment, representing the years of formerly incarcerated, incarcerated, and system-impacted peoples' struggle and advocacy, as well as the path forward. While we wait for it to arrive on the Senate floor, LSPC/AOUON and others will continue our advocacy to end involuntary servitude!
 
East Bay Family Defenders Merger

We are proud to announce the merger of East Bay Family Defenders (EBFD) with LSPC. Our shared mission and values around ending family separation, restoring human and civil rights, and undoing the harm of the war on drugs have brought us together to deepen the community impact of our work. EBFD's successful and unique strategies have proven to make a dramatic difference in families' lives. We are so excited to have them!

Read the Press Release here.
 
Welcome to LSPC!
Arielle Reisman

Family Defense Social Worker

Arielle is a licensed clinical social worker who is deeply committed to family defense. She received her master’s degree in social work from New York University and spent six years working with individuals and families directly impacted by the criminal legal system and mass incarceration.

Meredith Wallis

Family Defense Attorney

Before EBFD, Meredith was an academic teaching law and literature at Stanford. She is committed to family defense because she believes the actual harm caused by the systematic dismantling of families by incarceration and child removal is a far greater threat to vulnerable children than anything those systems claim to remedy.
Eliza Patten

Board Member

Eliza has been serving families for over 20 years in the legal realm. Her passion culminated in co-founding EBFD in 2017, expressing her core belief that systems can never replace families, nor would she want them to. She is now an LSPC board member and we're so grateful to have her!

Carene Green-Johnson
Social Work Intern
 
Carene was proudly born and raised in the Bay Area and is a first-year MSW student at UC Berkeley. Her past experience includes working as a patient advocate and navigator for the largest public health system in Denver, CO, and as a hospice intake and referral specialist in Northern California.
Supporting the Babu Case

Members of LSPC gathered at the San Francisco Federal Courthouse to support our Staff Attorney Eric Sapp. Sapp is a lead advocate for the class action lawsuit Babu v Ahern. LSPC is fighting on behalf of the incarcerated adults at Santa Rita Jail for sufficient mental health care.

Learn More
AOUON Collaborates for Impactful Mural

Last month, All of Us or None Georgia collaborated with the national campaign End The Exception to create an incredible mural in Atlanta, Georgia. Painted by formerly incarcerated community members, the final painting as a man peering at the viewer, with a poem writing, “Ye are those whom upbraideth us from society. They took my hair from me. Illumed by my history, eye broke the chains of hell. Now I want you to see that I am free.”

Read The Article
 
Hamdiya Honored for Community Leadership

While retired, Hamdiya Cooks-Abdullah's leadership has not gone unnoticed. The San Francisco Foundation honored Hamdiya as the 2023 Community Leadership Award winner. Congratulations Hamdiya!

Read Here
In Memory of Aijai Anderson

We are saddened to write that our beloved community member Aijai "AJ" Anderson passed away last month. AJ was an integral AOUON member and worked in the Alameda County area as the Executive Director of Transforming Young Minds for Future Solutions (TYMFS). TYMFS provided holistic therapy for survivors of the War on Drugs. AJ also sang the powerful AOUON Anthem with AOUON Senior Organizer Henry Ortiz. We send our love and thoughts to her family as they grieve. 

12/20/68 - 9/21/23

Watch Their Performance  
 
Policy Fellow Applications Are Open!

The Elder Freeman Policy Fellowship applications have opened for the 2023-2024 year. If you are formerly incarcerated and interested in becoming a policy advocate, apply by December 16th! This is a paid, full time position!

Right: 2022-23 Policy Fellows holding their Underground Scholars Policy Certification.

Apply Here
 
Community Outreach

Want to get involved in AOUON organizing and advocating for our community? Contact AOUON Outreach Coordinator John Cannon: john@prisonerswithchildren.org
415.625.7045 

AOUON Inside

Have a family member inside? 
Let them know they can contact us for any self-help legal information, sign up to receive the All of Us or None monthly newspaper, or become an AOUON Inside Member by contacting In-Custody Program Coordinator Jesse Burleson at jesse@prisonerswithchildren.org We also have participatory defense: contact our National Organizer Oscar Flores at oscar@prisonerswithchildren.org

Or write to: 
AOUON Inside Membership 
4400 Market Street 
Oakland, CA 94608 
 
Job Opportunity! Development Director

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) is a legal services support center that advocates for the civil and human rights of incarcerated parents, family members, former prisoners, and communities most affected by incarceration. We are seeking an experienced Development Director who brings an understanding for our work and a passion for social justice to our team of 27 staff members.

Click here for the full job description and requirements.
 
AOUON National Newspaper!

The AOUON Newspaper is a print publication sent to our members who are currently incarcerated. Digital versions of all the issues are available on our website here! 
 
The AOUON Newspaper, which comes out monthly, is a platform to amplify the voices and stories of our members.

If you’re interested in sharing a personal story—be it of triumph or hardship—please get in touch with the newspaper editor TaSin Sabir at tasin@prisonerswithchildren.org. 
 
AOUON National Chapters

Want to get involved in other communities across the country? Contact one of the many AOUON chapters:
 
Don’t see an AOUON chapter near you? Contact AOUON National Organizer Oscar Flores to start one: oscar@prisonerswithchildren.org
415.625.7048 

AOUON National Chapters
Know Your Rights Training: Housing

When: Tuesday, 10/24 at 2pm

Where: On Zoom

RSVP at bit.ly/KYRHousing23

What Happened to Our CJ Bills?

When: Wednesday, 10/18 at 12pm

Where: On Zoom

Watch at bit.ly/WhatHappenedToOurCJBills or on the Coalition for Family Unity Facebook.
 
AOUON General Meeting

(Online & In-Person)
 
When:
3rd Thursday of every month, 6:30 P.M.

Where:
Online on Zoom: Link here
In-Person: The Freedom & Movement Center
4400 Market St., Oakland, CA 94608

All people and family members directly impacted by the criminal justice system are invited to join All of Us or None at our monthly meeting the 3rd Thursday of each month online or in Oakland, CA. We discuss local and state legislation, plan community events, and strategize how to advocate for our community in our own voices.  
 
For more information contact John Cannon: john@prisonerswithchildren.org / 415.625.7045
 
Happy Anniversary LSPC and AOUON!
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