From FORTE House to YOUR House Issue #8 |
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We celebrate recent victories as harbingers of change--and hard work--ahead. |
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Ron Pierce Thought He Had Safe, Secure Housing |
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Meet Ron Pierce, a speaker, writer, and the Democracy and Justice Fellow at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. In a recent conversation, Ron shared the challenges he went through in securing housing following his release. When his approved living situation met with a legal challenge, he had to devise a Plan B. Fortunately, help came from NJ-STEP leaders and the Rutgers-Newark Law School. Reflecting back on his situation that first year, he remarked, "If I hadn’t had stable housing, I might not have been able to stay out." Read Ron's story and his perspectives now on our blog. |
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What Changed in New Jersey in June, 2021? |
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In just the past 5 weeks... ...Governor Phil Murphy signed the Fair Chance in Housing Act into law. Now landlords generally can't ask about criminal backgrounds on rental applications. It's a start, but there's more to do! Read our Statement about creating real fair chances. ... Former DOC Commissioner Marcus Hicks resigned after Gov. Murphy announced the future closing of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility--the only women's facility in the state. Both decisions were driven by a damning report of continuing abuse there. All of Us or None- Northern NJ responded with an Opinion piece that appeared in InsiderNJ ...Both the State of New Jersey and the country as a whole celebrated Juneteenth as an official holiday. The New Jersey law was signed last September; the federal designation of June 19th as a holiday was signed into law on June 17th. |
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Tia Inspires New Jersey Youth at Teen Life Conference |
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What actions can we take toward greater restorative justice in NJ communities? In Tia Ryans' keynote speech at the virtual 2021 Teen Life Conference last month, sponsored the by Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan NJ, she suggested a simple beginning: "Ask questions." As Founding Executive Director of FORTE House, Tia practices restorative justice every day in her work at the intersection of education and housing for the formerly incarcerated. Her own story of overcoming devastating experiences to become a college graduate and leader inspires today's youth in developing hope, resilience and self-empowerment. As we wait for Tia's presentation to become available online, you can read about the event and her perspectives in this Patch article. |
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