MACG Prison & Community Action Team - IMPORTANT MEETING!
Karen Meurer
MACG Prison & Community Action Team Meeting
Tuesday, October 8th
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Reentry Transition Center
1818 NE Martin Luther King Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
2013 Win!
If you haven’t heard by now, MACG’s Prison & Community Action Team had a big success during the 2013 legislative session this past spring. PCAT played a key role in the passage of HB 3194 that overhauled the sentencing structure in Oregon while keeping communities safe. Volunteers from several MACG institutions and nursing students from OHSU visited 30 Portland metro area legislators in Salem during MACG’s May 9th Lobby Day. The bill was designed to foster safe communities using sentencing options that have been proven more effective when served in the community rather than prison. This bill was projected to reduce the prison population and the costs of incarceration. These funds will be directed to other public safety uses such as transition services, victim services, addiction and mental health treatment and more. The original bill, which we supported, would have revised sentences for three mandatory minimum Measure 11 crimes. The legislature removed this piece from the final bill, but even the pared down version makes significant change that we count this as a win. So thanks to those of you who planned and/or participated in Lobby Day and to those of you who testified at hearings. Your dedication and hard work paid off!
So what’s next? JOBS – We need to hear your stories!
This year, PCAT plans to tackle issues of jobs – before, during and after prison. The October 8th meeting will be an opportunity for you to share your stories. We need representatives from your institution to make this a truly broad-based effort. I have attached a draft agenda. Please come . . . we need your input!
Karen
P.S. – My apologies if you get this message twice.
Karen K. Meurer
Co-Chair
MACG Prison & Community Action Team