Interfaith Partners for Justice (IPJ), a cooperative effort of members of ten Northern Virginia faith communities, invites returning citizens (ex-offenders), people of faith and justice advocates to come together for a come-when-you-can afternoon of opportunities for voter registration and photo IDs, as well as a series of workshops, advocacy tables and conversations on the needs of returning citizens (often less hopefully and permanently called “ex-offenders”) on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, 2 to 5 p.m. at Lake Anne Community Center, 1609 A Washington Plaza in Reston.
Learn about volunteer opportunities and take action in numerous ways to stop unnecessary mass incarceration: learn how to advocate for raising our state’s felony threshold (lowest in the country), fair sentencing reforms, human reforms in prisons like curtailing shackling and solitary confinement and, to reduce recidivism, “Ban the Box” efforts to ensure more employment opportunities for returnees.
Workshop partners include leading returning citizens and civil rights groups in the state: OAR of Fairfax; the Mobile Justice Tour of RIHD,org; VA CURE; Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration; and Bridging the Gap in Virginia.org. NAACP-State Political Action Committee; Social Action Leading Together (SALT). Local elected officials have also been invited to inspire more action for the common good.
For more information: see Interfaith Partners for Justice on Facebook, call 703-860-1203
or email to interfaithpartnersforjustice@gmail.com