The Community

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’d like to acknowledge the dedicated women we’ve had the honor to work along side of in the fight for justice. Some bring lived experience with incarceration, carrying the mission in their daily lives. Others have been deeply moved by the system’s impact and committed themselves to the work to change those systems. ??????????????? In some recent projects, collaborations, and events, the women below have made a tremendous impact, and for that we say THANK YOU. We look forward to more partnerships ahead! ?? Heather Canuel Cherita Rayford-Howard Cecelia Klingele dolores canales JenAnn Bauer Brittany Lee Laura Hawks Shanita Lawrence Christal Arroyo Roman Tamra Oman Gabi Hart Dr. LaTonya Baker Your work and commitment make a difference. ?????? #CriminalJusticeReform #WomenInJustice #RestorativeJustice #EndMassIncarceration #JusticeForAll #SystemImpactedVoices #CommunityChange #TransformJustice

The Community is one of over a dozen partner orgs supporting tomorrow’s Day of Empathy, which is the nation’s largest day of action for criminal justice reform. Join us for a legislative day at the Wisconsin State Capitol to uplift your voice alongside system impacted people, families, allies to discuss with legislators how supervision (probation, parole, and extended supervision) should be changed to transform our state towards public safety and thriving communities for all people. There will be a supervision simulation, lunch with legislators, and educational legislative visits. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gVhUCBtZ

?? Last chance to check out States of Incarceration ?? ?? Open until March 13,?8:30am-5pm ?? UWM Student Union – on campus in the Student Union across from the bookstore. Explore this interactive exhibit created by 800+ people across 18 states, diving into the roots of mass incarceration and sparking important conversations about justice. Don’t miss out on this powerful?experience! Special thanks to our sponsors: UWM School of Education University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Roberto Hernández Center UWM Sociocultural UWM Helen Bader School of Social Welfare Milwaukee Bucks Community Milwaukee Community Justice Council Humanities Action Lab UWM Center Student Experience and Talent and Institute for Systems Change & Peacebuilding. Register: https://lnkd.in/gjpbY2ee

?? Last chance to check out States of Incarceration ?? ?? Open until March 13,?8:30am-5pm ?? UWM Student Union – on campus in the Student Union across from the bookstore. Explore this interactive exhibit created by 800+ people across 18 states, diving into the roots of mass incarceration and sparking important conversations about justice. Don’t miss out on this powerful?experience! Special thanks to our sponsors: UWM School of Education University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Roberto Hernández Center UWM Sociocultural UWM Helen Bader School of Social Welfare Milwaukee Bucks Community Milwaukee Community Justice Council Humanities Action Lab UWM Center Student Experience and Talent and Institute for Systems Change & Peacebuilding. Register: https://lnkd.in/gjpbY2ee

Last night was powerful! ?? We hosted a screening of the Strike in partnership with various departments at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The film explores solitary confinement in general and for those who’ve spent decades in solitary. It also tells the story of how powerless people found power to create significant change in the system. Our all-woman panel was inspiring thanks to Cherita Rayford-Howard, dolores canales, and Cecelia Klingele. We were especially honored to have Dolores join us from California and have us take our first event selfie with those who stayed until the end—thank you! ?? A shout out to Talib Akbar from WISDOM for coming to provide materials about solitary confinement and to our amazing sponsors, the Milwaukee Community Justice Council, Represent Justice, and the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation. Don’t miss the free “States of Incarceration” Exhibit on campus in the Student Union across from the bookstore, open until March 14, 8:30-5. ???? #Strike #SolitaryConfinement #Freedom #UWM #MilwaukeeCommunityJusticeCouncil #BucksFoundation #StatesOfIncarcerationExhibit

?? Join us tonight at the UWM Cinema from 5:30 to 8:30 for a powerful screening of “The Strike”! ?? this film is so powerful PBS moved it up in its schedule to launch early last month and Represent Justice selected the film as its impact campaign of the year to promote across the country. Don’t miss the amazing insights of our panel, which includes Dolores Canales(pictured below), who is a key member of the story and the film in addition to being in the highly regarded film 13th by Ava Duverney, which outlined the harm and mass and effectiveness of the criminal legal system in America. Dolores will be joined by Cherita Rayford and Cecelia Klingele for an all women’s panel. Don’t miss this chance to experience the story and engage in meaningful discussions. Register in advance, for this FREE screening. Everyone is welcome! See you there! ??? #TheStrike #JusticeCampaign #WomenInFilm Register ?? https://lnkd.in/gjpbY2ee

?? Last night, we made waves at the UWM Lubar Entrepreneurship Center with two powerful criminal legal system simulations! ?? Participants found the experience eye-opening, highlighting the absurdity of reintegration challenges. Understanding these realities is crucial for transforming our criminal legal system. We’re excited to keep improving and expanding these simulations to reach more groups. Interested in bringing us in or hosting your own? Let us know! And don’t forget to check out our screening of The Strike at the UWM Cinema tomorrow evening AND the States of Incarceration Exhibit up on campus until the 14th. All free. Please register here: https://lnkd.in/gv4wenpM. A massive thank you ?? to our incredible volunteers, planning team, and sponsors: Dream.Org, UWM School of Continuing Education, UWM Roberto Hernández Center, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation, Milwaukee Community Justice Council, Humanities Action Lab, Center for Student Experience and Talent at UWM, and the Institute for Systems Change & Peacebuilding. #CriminalLegalSystem #Reintegration #UWM #CommunityImpact #SystemsChange

There’s a common saying that men’s prison visiting rooms stay full while women’s rooms remain empty. While not entirely true, it reflects the harsh reality that incarcerated women often face much less support from romantic partners. The reasons for this are many and complex, but they point to the broader issue of the significant disparity in support and opportunities for currently and formerly incarcerated women compared to men. Marianne and Eric’s story is a bright light amidst this unfortunate pattern. Eric stayed by Marianne’s side throughout her incarceration, offering unwavering support as she navigated the harsh realities of prison life. Even after her release, Eric has remained a pillar of strength as Marianne reintegrated?and builds a new life. Their story is one of resilience, love, and hope in the face of systemic challenges. In our 35-minute short film, we share their powerful journey, shining a spotlight on the love and support that transcends the walls of prison. Interested in screening our film? We’d love to share their story with your community. Reach out to us to learn more. ?? Watch the full video on our YouTube channel now: https://lnkd.in/gJwjVSTe

Explore the 'States of Incarceration' Exhibit, experience the interactive Stigmatized simulation, and join us for The Strike screening & discussion—all at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee! ??? States of Incarceration–Now on Display! Explore the roots of mass incarceration through a powerful installation created by over 800 people across 18 states. This must-see exhibit is open weekdays from 8:30 AM to 5 PM until March 14th – free to the public! Schedule Group Visits on Weekends by reaching out to UWM in advance. ?? Engage in impactful conversations on what needs to change with mass incarceration and dive deeper into the topic at these featured events: Mar 4th: Stigmatized - An interactive criminal justice system simulation (3 PM & 5:30 PM) Mar 6th: The Strike Movie Screening & Panel Discussion (6 PM) ?? Register Now for these events: https://lnkd.in/gGjzXqHR ?? Don’t miss this chance to engage, learn, and be part of a crucial conversation for change. Special thanks to our sponsors: UWM School of Continuing Education, UWM Roberto Hernández Center, UWM, Sociocultural UWM, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, MILWAUKEE BUCKS FOUNDATION INC, Milwaukee Community Justice Council, Humanities Action Lab, UWM Center Student Experience, and Talent and Institute for Systems Change & Peacebuilding.

??TONIGHT??There’s still a few tickets left to our Breaking Bread dinner. Join us for a powerful evening of storytelling, food, and community at Love Cafe! This unique event dives deep into the role of food within the criminal legal system as a source of creativity, resilience, and redemption. ??? Chef Cabreza of L’incontro will prepare a prison-inspired meal, sparking meaningful conversations around the intersections of food, justice, and personal transformation. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the system while connecting with others who care about these critical issues. Tonight’s guest story tellers are Roderick Harris (Onyx Black), Fernando Torres, and Cherita Rayford. We can’t wait to hear their stories! ?? ????????? https://lnkd.in/g7zcVb_J