Coming Home: Faith Communities Supporting Successful Reentry
We invite you to join us for New York City’s principal concourse for interfaith dialogue on local social justice issues – the 31st Rabbi Marshall Meyer Retreat scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Drive in New York City.
Held bi-annually since 1998, the conference is a professional development and capacity building opportunity for religious leaders, allowing faith leaders to learn about social issues, create networks for mutual support, and meet civic leaders and service providers. The conference is named after Rabbi Marshall Meyer, who was a religious leader actively engaged in social justice projects and building partnerships with other faith communities.
This year’s conference will address the challenges men and women face upon their release from prison and will offer a space for faith, government and community leaders to learn more about new and innovative programs to support formerly incarcerated individuals on their journey to reentry.
This year’s conference presenters will include Marta Nelson, Executive Director of the Governor’s Re-Entry Task Force, Commissioner Joseph Ponte, NYC Department of Correction, Jeffrey Smith, Professor and Author of “Mr. Smith Goes to Prison,” Debbie Boar and Chris Watler of the Harlem Community Justice Center, Sister Tesa from Hour Children, Mika’il DeVeaux, Professor & Doctoral Candidate, Willard Shelton, Network in the Community, Rabbi Helene Ferris, part-time Chaplain at the Taconic Correctional Facility, Barbara Barron from CASES, Margaret diZerega from the Vera Institute of Justice, and Russelle Miller-Hill “Rusti” and Jeffery Rivera, recent graduates of Raising My Voice: a leadership program to help individuals returning to the community share their stories. Special thanks to Dr. Rev. Alfonso Wyatt, this year’s conference moderator.
The retreat program is available here.
Each year, some 2,200 men and women return to East Harlem after an extended prison sentence. These men and women face tremendous challenges as they attempt to reintegrate into society.
Fewer than half of recently released individuals in Harlem report current school enrollment or employment; of those who had managed to find employment, the average annual income was less than $12,500 and only 14% received health insurance. It is not the least bit surprising, then, that over half of formerly incarcerated individuals sent home to Harlem are rearrested within 18 months of their release, and that 37% are reconvicted.
We hope you will join us for this important dialogue.
For more information about this year’s conference, please email info@inspiregroupllc.com.
A flyer for this event is available here.
The Twitter hashtag for this event is #MMR31.
