-
Sunday, February 09, 2020 at 03:00 PM · 4 rsvps
Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Silver Spring, MDForum on Solitary Confinement in Silver Spring
Forum on Solitary Confinement in Maryland
Sponsored by the Interfaith Circle of Silver Spring and Interfaith Action for Human Rights
When: Sunday, February 9, 2020 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Where: Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 633 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Questions? Contact Rev. Terri Murphy 301-587-3272 or Rabbi Feinberg at 202-669-7700
Light refreshments will be served.
Panelists
Tyrone Walker was a juvenile lifer who was released in December 2018, after serving nearly 25 years of imprisonment. Tyrone works at the Justice Policy Institute as an Associate (JPI) where they work on prison reform through groundbreaking research, communication strategies, and organizing efforts. JPI is a nationally recognized organization who does work in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Kimberly Haven’s journey as an advocate began when she sought to regain her own voting rights after release from a Maryland prison in 2001. As a result of Kimberly’s hard work and the support and guidance of organizations and affected individuals, the Maryland House and Senate in March 2007 approved the Voting Rights Protection Act, which re- enfranchised 50,000 residents who had completed their sentences. Since that time, Kimberly Haven has served as the executive director of Justice Maryland, the Maryland Justice Project, and project director for the Maryland Public Defender's Pre-Trial and Bail Reform Campaign. Currently, Kimberly is serving as IAHR’s Legislative Liaison to end the abuse of long-term isolation in Maryland state prisons.
Munib Lohrasbi first developed a passion helping people with disabilities while volunteering with Best Buddies, a nonprofit that works to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in high school, Upon graduation from the University of Maryland Law School, he wanted to combine his passion for disability rights advocacy with his criminal justice and legal background. In the OSI-Baltimore Community Fellowship, Lohrasbi works with Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) to improve conditions for people with disabilities in prison around the state.
Charles M. Feinberg was a congregational rabbi for 42 years. He served and led congregations in Wisconsin, New York, British Columbia, and Washington, DC. He served as a rabbi at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC from 2006 to 2015. During his career, Rabbi Feinberg has been an advocate for Central American Refugees, the poor and the homeless, for interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and for respecting the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis. Rabbi Feinberg received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Rabbi Feinberg is beginning his fourth year as Executive Director of IAHR.
-
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 09:00 AM · 7 rsvps
House Office Building in Annapolis, MDAdvocacy Day in Annapolis
If you are new to advocacy, here is a description of an Advocacy Day for Interfaith Action for Human Rights…Advocacy Day offers you a chance to join with like minds to advocate for legislation you feel is important. The face to face meetings with legislators, or sometimes with a Chief of Staff, offers legislators a real time connection to the citizens of their state - even better if the citizens are constituents. It is empowering for advocates to have the direct contact with government representatives. At the state level, you can join with other voices to make yourselves heard and legislators do listen. Where there is disagreement, both advocates and legislators can share their perspectives. Advocacy Day appointments are generally pretty short - 15 - 20 minutes.
Sometimes advocates are concerned that they may not know every nuance of the legislation. While IAHR will offer a briefing on the bills and talking points for advocates in advance of the meetings, IT IS OK NOT TO KNOW EVERYTHING! Advocates can take questions back to IAHR staff to follow up later with legislators who have questions where advocates do not have the answer. In fact, that can be most useful - to learn of questions that we have not anticipated.
Agenda:
9 am: Advocacy Day Volunteers arrive for registration. Continental breakfast will be served.
10 am: Briefing on legislation and advocacy training; assignments to small groups for visits.
11 am - 1 pm: Advocacy visits to House Judiciary and Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee members.
1 pm: Debriefing - Volunteers share their impressions, information and insight from visits
2 pm: Conclusion of the day (with many thanks!)
Register to volunteer for Advocacy Day by clicking here.
(In the "Comments" box, please indicate your your district's senator and delegate.)
Parking: Gotts Court Garage (best entrance is 25 Calvert Street, next door to a cash only garage) is the closest. There are also other options that we will send closer to the date.
Please do join us! If you cannot be free on the designated day but can make phone calls of support to legislators, please contact CKalambary@interfaithactionhr.org, CC Kimberly Haven at kimberlyhaven@gmail.com and we will be back in touch as the hearings are scheduled.
Welcome to IAHR Citizen Advocacy! Your voice is valuable.
If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to contact Kimberly Haven via text or voice at 443-987-3959 or email kimberlyhaven@gmail.com or call Rabbi Feinberg at 202-669-7700