Advocates and lawmakers gather in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem on Oct. 18, 2023, issuing proclamations to honor the crime reduction efforts of formerly incarcerated community leaders and families of the incarcerated, as part of the “Breaking Cycles of Harm and Violence” event series across New York State, ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session.
Photo courtesy of Release Aging People in Prison
In anticipation of the 2024 New York State Legislative Session, a group of state lawmakers, violence interrupters and advocates converged to honor the crime reduction endeavors of previously incarcerated individuals and families of those still in prison.
The ceremony unfolded as part of the “Breaking Cycles of Harm and Violence” event in Manhattan on Wednesday, marking the inception of a statewide campaign with ensuing events slated across Long Island, Westchester, Troy, Syracuse, Rochester, Poughkeepsie and Buffalo.
“Today we at the People’s Campaign for Parole Justice are coming together to celebrate the crime reduction successes of formerly incarcerated New Yorkers and families of people in prison,” said Theresa Grady, Harlem community leader with the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign. “We’re also here to call for passage of parole reform legislation to bring home more leaders to break cycles of harm and violence.
“We know that people harmed by incarceration and those harmed by crime are often the same people,” Grady continued. “The same families. The same communities. My family. My community. And while some may try to divide us — to make us out to be either all good, or all bad — they will fail because we as directly impacted people are getting organized and we are speaking out.”
The ceremony spotlighted the substantial contributions of individuals who, despite past convictions, have emerged as community catalysts in combating violence and aiding the incarcerated. The accolades were shared…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply