Contents
- 1 Books to Prisoners / Library
- 2 General Prison Issues / Prisoners’ Rights
- 2.1 National Resources
- 2.2 State / Local Resources – East
- 2.3 State / Local Resources – South and Southwest
- 2.4 State / Local Resources – Midwest
- 2.5 State / Local Resources – West
- 2.6 Government
- 2.7 HIV / AIDS
- 2.8 Health Care
- 2.9 Juvenile / Youth
- 2.10 Legal
- 2.11 Political Prisoners
- 2.12 Race
- 2.13 Re-entry / Ex-offender Services
- 2.14 Religious / Spirituality
- 2.15 Research / Policy
- 2.16 Sentencing
- 2.17 Sexual Assault / Rape
- 2.18 Statistics
- 2.19 Veterans / Military
- 2.20 Visitation / Support
- 2.21 Volunteers
- 3 Women
- 3.1 National Resources
- 3.2 State / Local Resources – East
- 3.3 State / Local Resources – South / Southwest
- 3.4 State / Local Resources – Midwest
- 3.5 State / Local Resources – West
- 3.6 Writing / Pen Pal Programs
- 3.7 Municipal Court Reforms
- 3.8 Immigration Detainer Policies
- 3.9 Diversion Programs
- 3.10 Racial Impact Tool for all Criminal Justice Legislation
- 3.11 Bans on Bias Based Policing
- 3.12 Consent to Search
- 3.13 Community Oversight
- 3.14 Data Reporting
- 3.15 Body Cameras
- 3.16 Special or Independent Prosecutors
- 3.17 Inspectors General or Oversight Commissions
- 3.18 Demilitarize Local Police Forces
- 3.19 Use of Force
- 3.20 Improved Training
- 3.21 Organizing 101
- 3.22 Beyond Policy
Alternatives to Incarceration
- National Association of Pre-Trial Services Agencies, Washington, DC
- National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, Alexandria, VA
- National Institute for Sentencing Alternatives, Waltham, MA
- National Moratorium on Prison Construction, Washington, DC
- Pretrial Services Resource Center, Washington, DC
Decriminalization
- For text of the proposed New York State Fairness and Equity Act, see: http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/1.0/pdf/bill/S7927-2013
- For text of California’s Proposition 47, see: http://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2014/general/pdf/text-of-proposed-laws1.pdf#prop47
- For more information about the disproportionate impact of marijuana enforcement see ACLU’s “The War on Marijuana in Black and White”: https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/aclu-thewaronmarijuana-rel2.pdf
- For more information about over-criminalization: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ib_31.htm#.VTL4eSHBzGc
Books to Prisoners / Library
General
- Books for Prisoners, Colorado Springs, CO
- Books to Prisoners c/o Left Bank, Seattle, WA
- Books Through Bars, Philadelphia, PA
- Bound Together Books, Prisoner Literature Project, San Francisco, CA
- Claustrophobia, Baltimore, MD
- Inside Books Project, Austin, TX
- Prison Book Program, Jamaica Plain, MA
- Prison Book Project, Amherst, MA
- Prison Library Project, Claremont, CA
- Prison Outreach Program of the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Virginia Beach, VA
- RAZE the WALLS!, Athens, GA
- Serve the People, Ann Arbor, MI
- Women’s Prison Book Project, Minneapolis, MI
Religious
- American Bible Society (Bible and study guides), New York, NY
- Human Kindness Foundation (interfaith spiritual books and catalogues of “hard to find books”), Durham, NC
- Islamic Center (Koran and study guides), Washington, DC
- Jewish Prisoners International (Old Testament, study guides, and services on tape), Seattle, WA
- Rock of Ages Prison Ministry (King James bible), Cleveland, TN
Control Unit Prisons
- National Campaign to Stop Control Unit Prisons, c/o American Friends Service Committee, Newark, NJ or Philadelphia, PA
Death Penalty
- Abolition Road, Rohnert Park, CA
- Amnesty International, New York, NY
- Capital Punishment Project of the ACLU, New York, NY
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund, New York, NY
- National Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Philadelphia, PA
- National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Washington, DC
- Murder Victim’s Families for Reconciliation, Atlantic, VA
- Religious Organizing Against the Death Penalty Project, Philadelphia, PA
- Southern Center for Human Rights, Atlanta, GA
Disability
- Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Washington, DC
Drugs / Addiction
- Lindesmith Center of the Open Society Institute, New York, NY
- Alcoholics Anonymous, New York, NY
- Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet), Washington, DC
- Family Council on Drug Awareness, Los Angeles, CA
- National Council on Alcoholism, Washington, DC
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD
- November Coalition, Coleville, WA
- The Razor Wire Newspaper c/o The November Coalition, Coleville, WA
Gay / Lesbian / Bisexual / Transgender
- Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Boston, MA
- Gay and Lesbian Prisoner Project, Boston, MA
- Gay and Lesbian Rights Project of the ACLU, New York, NY
- Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, NY
- National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Washington, DC
- Out of Control Lesbian Committee, San Francisco, CA
General Prison Issues / Prisoners’ Rights
National Resources
- Anarchist Black Cross Federation, Patterson, NJ
- American Correctional Association, College Park, MD
- American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, PA
- Center on Crime, Communities and Culture, New York, NY
- Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE), Washington, DC
- CopWatch, Berkeley, CA
- Critical Resistance, Oakland, CA
- Human Rights Watch Prison Project, New York, NY
- Food Not Bombs, San Francisco, CA
- JusticeWorks Community, Brooklyn, NY
- National Institute of Corrections, Boulder, CO
- Prison Activist Resource Center, Berkeley, CA
- Prison Moratorium Project, New York, NY
- Refuse and Resist, New York, NY
State / Local Resources – East
- Family and Corrections Network, Richmond, VA
- Pennsylvania Prison Society, Philadelphia, PA
- This Just In, Pittsfield, MA
State / Local Resources – South and Southwest
- Coalition for Prisoners Rights, Santa Fe, NM
- RAZE the WALLS, Orlando, FL
- Southern Coalition on Jails and Prisons, Nashville, TN
State / Local Resources – Midwest
- CEGA Services, Inc., Lincoln, NE
- Prison Action Committee, Chicago, IL
- Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated (SADOI), Ann Arbor, MI
State / Local Resources – West
- California Prison Focus, San Francisco, CA
- Prison Radio, San Francisco, CA
- Visions for Prisons, Costa Mesa, CA
Government
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Washington, DC
HIV / AIDS
- AIDS Education Project, National Prison Project of the ACLU, Washington, DC
- AIDS in Prison Project of the Osborne Association, Bronx, NY
- Fortune Society, New York, NY
- HIV in Prison (HIP) Committee of California Prison Focus, San Francisco, CA
- National AIDS Clearinghouse, Rockville, MD
- National AIDS Hotline: 1-800-342-AIDS (English), 1-800-344-SIDA (Spanish), 1-800-243-7889 (TDD)
- Prison Project of the Latino Commission on AIDS, New York, NY
- Prisoners with AIDS Rights Advocacy Group (PWA RAG), Los Angeles, CA or Jonesboro, GA
- Women’s Positive Legal Action Network (Women’s PLAN), Oakland, CA
Health Care
- National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Chicago, IL
- Return to Health Project of the Prison Action Committee (women’s health care), Chicago, IL
Juvenile / Youth
- Alternatives for Girls, Detroit, MI
- Juvenile Rights Project, Portland, OR
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, San Francisco, CA
- National Juvenile Restitution Association, Reno, NV
- New Directions / National Female Advocacy Project, Tucson, AZ
- Project SEEK: Services to Enable and Empower Kids, Flint, MI
- Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated (SADOI), Ann Arbor, MI or Belleville, MI
- Youth Law Center, San Francisco, CA
Legal
- Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, NY
- D.C. Prisoners Legal Services, Washington, DC
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, San Francisco, CA
- National Clearinghouse for Legal Services, Chicago, IL
- National Legal Aid and Defender Association, Washington, DC
- National Legal Services, Atlanta, GA
- National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, Washington, DC
- National Senior Citizens Law Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Prison Law Project, National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco, CA
- Prison Legal News, Seattle, WA
- Prison Legal Services of Michigan, Jackson, MI
- Prison Reform Advocacy Center, Cincinnati, OH
Political Prisoners
- National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War, Chicago, IL
- Out of Control Lesbian Committee to Support Women Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War, San Francisco, CA
- Walking Steel / Can’t Jail the Spirit Newsletter, Chicago, IL
Race
- NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, NY
- National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, Washington, DC
Re-entry / Ex-offender Services
- Fortune Society, New York, NY
- Offender Preparation and Education Network (OPEN), Dallas, TX
Religious / Spirituality
- Aleph Institute, Surfside, FL
- Institute for World Spirituality, Chicago, IL
- International Coalition for Jewish Prisoner Services, Washington, DC
- International Prison Ministry, Dallas, TX
- Mennonite Central Committee, U.S. Office of Crime and Justice, Akron, PA
- National Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministers, Washington, DC
- Prison Fellowship International, Washington, DC
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Boston, MA
Research / Policy
- Sentencing Project, Washington, D.C.
- Justice Policy Institute, Washington, DC
- National Council on Crime and Delinquency, Washington, D.C.
- National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, Alexandria, VA
Sentencing
- Families Against Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, Washington, DC
- Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes, San Jose, CA
Sexual Assault / Rape
- Stop Prisoner Rape, Inc., New York, NY
- Women’s Rights Project of Human Rights Watch, New York, NY
Statistics
- Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Rockville, MD
- National Coalition for Jail Reform, Newark, NJ
Veterans / Military
- Members Opposed to Maltreatment of Service Members (MOMS), Frederick, MD
- National Veterans Legal Services Project, Washington, DC
- Veterans Education Project, Washington, DC
Visitation / Support
- Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS), Philadelphia, PA
Volunteers
- Association for Volunteer Administration, Boulder, CO
- Partner, Inc., Denver, CO
- National Association for Volunteers in Criminal Justice, University, AL
- Volunteers in Prevention, Prosecution, Probation, Prison and Parole, Royal Oak, MI
- Volunteer: The National Center for Citizen Improvement, Boulder, CO
Women
National Resources
- The Fire Inside Newsletter, San Francisco, CA
- JusticeWorks Community, Brooklyn, NY
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, San Francisco, CA
- National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, Philadelphia, PA
- National Clearinghouse for Legal Services, Chicago, IL
- National Network for Women in Prison c/o CLAIM, Chicago, IL
- National Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, NY
- National Roundtable for Women in Prison (annual conference) c/o CLAIM, Chicago, IL
- National Women’s Law Center, Washington, DC
- Reproductive Freedom Project of the ACLU, New York, NY
- Transformation Newsletter (quarterly), Little Rock , AR
- Women’s Human Rights Program, Amnesty International USA, New York, NY
- Women’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch, New York, NY
- Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU, New York, NY
State / Local Resources – East
- Aid to Incarcerated Mothers (AIM), Boston, MA
- Alderson Hospitality House, Alderson, WV
- Delaware Center for Justice, Wilmington, DE
- My Sisters’ Place, White Plains, NY
- Women’s Advocate Ministry in Courts and Jail, New York, NY
- Women’s Prisons Association and Home, New York, NY
State / Local Resources – South / Southwest
- Aid to Imprisoned Mothers, Atlanta, GA
- Battered Women’s Program, Baton Rouge, LA
- Women’s Advocacy Project, Austin, TX
- Women’s Project, Little Rock, AR
State / Local Resources – Midwest
- Assistance Center, Kalamazoo, MI
- Chicago Legal Aid to Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM), Chicago, IL
- Ecumenical Women’s Center, Chicago, IL
- Horizon House, Milwaukee, WI
- Institute of Women Today, Chicago, IL
- Latino Family Services, Ann Arbor, MI
- Light Center, Columbus, OH
- Project SEEK: Services to Enable and Empower Kids, Flint, MI
- Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated (SADOI), Ann Arbor, MI or Belleville, MI
- Women’s Project of the Prison Reform Advocacy Center, Cincinnati, OH
State / Local Resources – West
- California Coalition for Women Prisoners, San Francisco, CA
- Come into the Sun Coalition, San Francisco, CA
- Forever Free, Frontera, CA
Writing / Pen Pal Programs
- P.E.N. American Center, New York, NY
Municipal Court Reforms
- For more information about the Department of Justice findings on the St. Louis County Municipal Courts: http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf
- For more information on municipal reforms enacted in St. Louis: http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kwmu/files/MondaySept_8_2014_CCAnnouncement.pdf
- For more information on alternatives to monetary payment of fines including Timebanking, which is a network of people engaged in a reciprocal exchange of services, skills, and goods through a web in which the currency is an hour of time instead of money: http://timebanks.org/ and http://danecountytimebank.org/projects/dctb-youth-court-community-justice
- For more information about alternatives to pre-trial detention and strategies that increase rates of court appearances and compliance: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/aap.pdf
- For more information on “structured fines” or fines based on ability to pay: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/156242.pdf
Immigration Detainer Policies
- New York City, NY, Ordinance (Dept. of Corrections and Police Dept.)(2014):
http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1935438&GUID=0F5303CD-D849-4451-A082-6C9997FC782D&Options=ID|Text|&Search=detainer http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1935437&GUID=0A456911-54A6-41E5-8C5A-1D3B231D56AA&Options=ID|Text|&Search=detainer - Cook County, IL, Ordinance (2011):
http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/07_-_cook_county_ordinance.pdf - King County, WA, Ordinance (2014): http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/king_co_ice_detainers_ordinance_-_amended_9-2-14.pdf
- California Trust Act (2013): http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/04_-_california_trust_act_0.pdf
- For a map of current immigration detainer policies around the country and links to the text of individual policies: http://www.ilrc.org/enforcement
Diversion Programs
- For more on the various types of diversion programs see the Center for Health and Justice’s National Survey of Criminal Justice Diversion: http://www.napsa.org/diversion/library/No%20Entry-%20A%20National%20Survey%20of%20Criminal%20Justice%20Diversion%20Programs%20and%20Initiatives%20-%20CHJ%202014.pdf
- For more on the LEAD program in Seattle: http://leadkingcounty.org/
- For a copy of the MOU establishing the LEAD program in Seattle: http://www.scribd.com/doc/267032932/Seattle-Diversion-Program-MOU
- For more on Red Hook Community Justice Center: http://www.courtinnovation.org/project/red-hook-community-justice-center
- For other innovative programs see the Center for Court Innovation’s website: http://www.courtinnovation.org/
Racial Impact Tool for all Criminal Justice Legislation
- Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative’s Racial Equity Toolkit: http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/RSJI/RacialEquityToolkit_FINAL_August2012.pdf
- Race Forward’s Racial Equity Impact Assessments for Economic Policies and Budgets Toolkit: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/racial-equity-impact-assessments-economic-policies-and-budgets
- Race Forward’s Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/racial-equity-impact-assessment-toolkit
- For more information on how your jurisdiction can address racial inequity and implement Racial Impact Tools, please see the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity: http://racialequityalliance.org/
- For more information on how cities use Racial Impact Tools, Seattle’s Race and Justice Initiative program is a helpful example of how a city integrates racial equity into their operations and processes: http://www.seattle.gov/rsji/
Bans on Bias Based Policing
- New York City, Community Safety Act (2013): http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1444267&GUID=BCB20F20-50EF-4E9B-8919-C51E15182DBF&Options=ID|Text|&Search=1080
- For more information about the history of racial profiling, national statistics and model language see the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) report “Born Suspect”: http://action.naacp.org/page/-/Criminal%20Justice/Born_Suspect_Report_final_web.pdf
- For more information about the impact of bias profiling on communities see Vera Institute of Justice’s study, “Coming of Age with Stop and Frisk”: http://www.vera.org/project/stop-question-and-frisk-study
Consent to Search
- Rhode Island Ban on Consent to Search (2004): http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/PublicLaws/law04/law04356.htm
See Section 31-21.2-5 - Colorado Consent to Search Legislation (2010): http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2010A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/34BDAFC4BDBE212B872576A8002BC0D3?Open&file=1201_enr.pdf
- The proposed New York City “Right to Know Act”: http://changethenypd.org/right-know-act
- Cincinnati Police Department Consent to Search Procedure Manual: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/permits-auctions-references/police-department-procedure-manual/
- For more information on the history, problems and discriminatory impact of consent searches see the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois campaign to end consent searches in Illinois: http://www.aclu-il.org/racial-disparity-in-consent-searches-and-dog-sniff-searches/
Community Oversight
- San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints: http://nacole.org/wp-content/uploads/1-San-Francisco-City-Charter-Section-4.127.pdf
- Executive Order by Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, New Jersey for the establishment of a Civilian Oversight Board: http://www.ci.newark.nj.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ExecutiveOrder-CivilianComplaintReviewBoardwithRules_FINAL.pdf
- Los Angeles Charter and Administrative Code relating to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners: http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/California/laac/administrativecode?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:losangeles_ca_mc
See Article V, Section 573 - For information about effective models of community oversight and recommendations on best practices see “We The Protestors” Policy Brief on the topic: http://www.scribd.com/doc/254134795/Policy-Brief-2-Community-Oversight-of-Police
- For more information about scope and powers of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners see their website: http://www.lapdonline.org/police_commission/content_basic_view/900
- For background and information about the Seattle Community Police Commission see: http://www.seattle.gov/policecommission
- For a detailed description of oversight agencies across the country see: https://nacole.org/nacole-resources/detailed-oversight-agency-profiles/
Data Reporting
- Maryland State Law requiring the collection and sharing of data for all traffic stops: http://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2005/gtr/25-113.html
- Newark Police Department Order on Stop-and-Frisk Reporting:
https://www.aclu-nj.org/files/6513/7338/2486/2013_07_09_snf.pdf - For more information on Department of Justice recommendations and best practices around data collection see the DOJ’s “A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection and Systems”: http://justice.utah.gov/Documents/Research/Race/DOJResourceGuide.pdf
- For more information on the Stolen Lives Project: http://stolenlives.org/
Body Cameras
- California AB 65, Creating grant program for body cameras: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB65
- California AB 66, Regulating officer use of body cameras: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB66
- For examples of model state legislation see the Harvard’s Black Law Student’s Association report, Independent Lens: Toward Transparency, Accountability, and Effectiveness in Police Tactics Model State Legislation for Body Worn Cameras: http://www.charleshamiltonhouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Independent-Lens-Cvr-Guts.pdf
- For an analysis of body camera implementation, see the ACLU brief, Police Body-Mounted Cameras: With Right Policies in Place, a Win For All: https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/assets/police_body-mounted_cameras-v2.pdf
- For arguments against body camera implementation, see the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition brief, Body Cameras Have Not Helped Enforce Accountability Among Various Police Departments: http://stoplapdspying.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Body-Camera-Fact-Sheet-Jan-2015-1.pdf
- And LAPD Spying Coalition brief, Body-Worn Cameras: An Empty Reform to Expand the Surveillance State: http://stoplapdspying.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Stop-LAPD-Spying-Coalition-Report-on-Use-of-Body-Cameras-by-Law-Enforcement-April-2015.pdf
- For more information on CopWatch programs and how to establish one in your community, see Grassroots Thinking manual:
http://grassrootsthinking.com/2015/04/23/how-to-put-together-a-community-cop-watch-program/
Special or Independent Prosecutors
- HR 5830: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/5830.
- For more information about efforts to establish state-level special prosecutor policies, visit the National Conference of State Legislatures website: http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/law-enforcement.aspx
- For a fact sheet on establishing a permanent special prosecutor’s office, see WeTheProtestors’s policy brief: https://www.scribd.com/doc/254133568/Policy-Brief-1-Special-Prosecutor
- For more information about the Ohio Student Association’s work: http://www.ohiostudentassociation.org/
Inspectors General or Oversight Commissions
- New York City Inspectors General Legislation:
http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1444266&GUID=EAB137A1-CEDE-434A-AC63-FE91DF78C337&Options=ID|Text|&Search=1079 - Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, Policies and Authority relative to the Inspectors General:
http://www.oiglapd.org/documents/policies&authority.pdf - The Brennan Center for Justice has a number of resources on Inspectors General Offices, specifically around the need for an NYPD Inspectors General: http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/Justice/NYPDInspectorGeneral-web.pdf
- For more information about existing Inspectors General Offices, their scope of power and their past and present investigations see the following websites:
- The Seattle Community Police Commission: http://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission
- The Los Angeles Inspectors General: http://www.lapdonline.org/police_commission/content_basic_view/1076
- The Washington D.C. Office of Police Complaints: http://policecomplaints.dc.gov/
- The New York City Inspectors General: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/html/inspector/inspector-general.shtml
Demilitarize Local Police Forces
- Recently passed New Jersey State Legislation requires law enforcement agencies obtain the permission of local governments before obtaining equipment through the 1033 program:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S2364 - Proposed legislation in New Hampshire, while limiting the ability to obtain new military grade equipment does not call for restricting the use of previously purchased military grade equipment. Potential legislation may benefit from such a provision:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2014/HB1307.html - For more information on the nationwide phenomenon of militarization see the American Civil Liberties Union Report, “War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Police”: https://www.aclu.org/report/war-comes-home-excessive-militarization-american-police
Use of Force
- Seattle Police Department Manual, Title 8:
http://www.seattle.gov/police-manual/title-8 - For more information about promising practices to limit police use of force, see the PolicyLink and Advancement Project report, Limiting Use of Force: Promising Community-Centered Strategies: http://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/pl_police_use%20of%20force_111914_a.pdf
Improved Training
- Illinois Police Training Act:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=731&ChapterID=11 - New Jersey Police Training Act:
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/njptc/pdf/njsa52_17b-69-2.pdf - Connecticut SB 1089:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/TOB/s/pdf/2015SB-01089-R00-SB.pdf - For more information about police trainings, see the PolicyLink and Advancement Project series of briefs, Beyond Confrontation: Community-Centered Policing Tools: http://www.policylink.org/equity-tools/beyond-confrontation-community-centered-policing-tools
Organizing 101
- For a comprehensive review of the steps necessary to turn protest into policy, advocates should download the PolicyLink handbook, Organized for Change: The Activist’s Guide to Police Reform, available at http://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/ORGANIZEDFORCHANGE_FINAL.PDF
Beyond Policy
- Here is a template of a Mayoral Pledge to end police violence: http://www.policylink.org/equity-tools/policing-mayoral-pledge
- The peacemaking program at the Red Hook Community Justice Center uses traditional Native American practices to resolve disputes that originate in either the justice system (in the form of a court case) or in the community. Peacemaking sessions, which are facilitated by trained peacemakers from the community, are designed to enable those affected by the dispute to “talk it out” and reach a consensus agreement for restitution and repair: http://www.courtinnovation.org/project/peacemaking-program
- The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) works with licensees and affiliates around the world to make certain restorative practices are presented in a culturally appropriate manner and that programs are affordable and sustainable within the framework of local needs and resources: http://www.iirp.edu/
- The Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth Program works to mitigate the consequences of punitive school and juvenile justice policies by promoting institutional shifts toward restorative approaches that actively engage families, communities, and systems to repair harm and prevent re-offending: http://www.rjoyoakland.org
- Audre Lorde Project’s The Safe Neighborhood Campaign seeks to empower community members to be proactive in preventing anti-LGBTST violence, intervene when violent situations arise, and build stronger relationships between LGBTST people of color, our allies and the community as a whole: http://alp.org/community/sos
- CURE Violence is a state supported program which seeks to use community members to deter and deescalate violent situations in communities. Many organizations have noted that once programs are state-sponsored they may be co-opted or include undesirable punitive consequences: http://cureviolence.org/
- Rose City Cop Watch “Alternatives to Policing” https://rosecitycopwatch.wordpress.com/alternatives-to-police/
- Listing of local programs from across the country: http://www.derailthejail.org/site_derail/Alternatives.aspx