Lena had the chance to participate in a local event with MAP and UWM that was live-streamed on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (see it here at:
It was a great event on a topic that is near and dear to our heart as criminal justice is so tied to inequality.
Lena was actually seated with Representatives David Bowen (D, District 10) and Rob Sutton (R, District 13). She had the opportunity to share her view as someone who is independent of both parties.
Lena pushed for things that we believe God cares about:
- Expungement of records for all non-violent, victim-less crimes
- Release of all imprisoned for victim-less crimes
- Don’t Check The Box reforms
- Preventing discrimination against ex-cons from being able to get jobs or find places to live
- Ability to vote after serving jail sentences
- Productive work at a fair wage (in a work environment that respects all labor laws) for all able-bodied folks in prison.
- Greater partnership across non-profits, government and business on restorative justice
- Humane treatment of prisoners
- Ending of solitary confinement
- Ending of “Tough on Crime,” “Truth in Sentencing” type laws that deny a judge the ability exercise their best discretion to the sentencing appropriate for each individual case.
- Teaching of family and community values at a younger age
- Mentors for at-risk youth and criminals
- Research that demonstrates to Republicans that the people in their district do NOT, as a whole, want to lock people up forever for victim-less, non-violent crimes
- and educational programs for those that do as it is a huge waste of public money
- No need for building more jails – let’s temper the prison-industrial complex
- and much, much more!
She was very glad that both Representative David Bowen and Representative Rob Sutton listened to her but was troubled to hear that, on the Assembly floor, many of the Republican representatives say they want to help fix these things above but that their constituents don’t want them to and that’s what prevents them from working with folks like Representative Bowen who fights for this.
Anyways, we need to keep up the fight. Again, it is so tied to inequality and does not emphasize the restorative justice (e.g. bringing the offender back in as a productive member of the community) which Jesus so advocated!