Prisoner Re-Entry Reform Rally – December 7th, 2009 resulted in thousands of people rallying in front of the Statehouse to support prison reform.  It was in support of a package of legislation that would allow former inmates to receive financial help from state welfare programs and encourage the corrections system to place prisoners in facilities close to their families and seek ways to maintain bonds between incarcerated parents and their children.  These barriers are faced everyday and this is a very smart approach to saving the taxpayers dollars and helping those released from our prisons a better chance at success.  As a result of the march and many many meeting and smaller rallies prior to going to the statehouse the bills were passed and we are closer than ever to achieving our goals of a stronger reentry system in the state of New Jersey.

The Solidarity March was coordinated by community leaders after a recent string of violent shootings in the city of Newark.  The mission of the march is for everyone to come together with answers and solutions rather than complaints about what is not being done.  The march was one of the many manifestations of people in our city showing a commitment to a spirit of unity, of purpose, of civic engagement, of forward movement and of healing.  Hundreds of people attended the rally despite heavy rain. 

The Reentry Symposium was a discussion between llegislators, activists and community supports of reentry, it was held at Rutgers in Newark on June 20, 2008 and was a discussion and followup to recommendations made at the first reentry round table in 2003.  Topics discussed (and debated) were allowing former inmates the opportunity to receive TANF and General Assistance.  To allow Judges increased flexibility with drivers licenses suspensions and fines.  Enact a conditional drivers license statute and arrears child support issued were talked about.  Most importantly were bills to pursue in support of the reentry movement for the state.