katal newsletter – january 10, 2019

Share This Post

In this issue…

Renewing partnerships to strengthen movements in New York

Organizing for Justice in Hartford

renewing partnerships to strengthen movements in new york

JLUSA & Katal staff, community members, and advocates rally at New York City Hall in Spring 2017.

On Tuesday January 8th, 2019, we alongside our colleagues at JustLeadershipUSA held a teleconference for our philanthropic supporters and our partners in New York to share the news about our renewed collaboration. The call was co-chaired by JLUSA Board Chair Vivian Nixon, and Katal Board Chair Mariana Ruiz Firmat, and included comments by DeAnna Hoskins, President/CEO of JLUSA, and Lorenzo Jones and gabriel sayegh, Co-Executive Directors of Katal.

Read the notes from the call here.

We are excited to renew our partnership with JLUSA and to build the movement together here in New York City, New York State, and beyond. We’re going to work together to close Rikers, win bail, parole and other reforms in Albany, and work toward a stronger, more energized movement.

The stability and health of the criminal justice reform field across NY is essential for community organizing and policy reform to work. The reestablishment of this relationship will bring capacity to and provide direction for real reform across New York State.


organizing for justice in hartford

Katal members discussing organizing tactics for the Greater Hartford area.

On Wednesday, January 9th, Katal held its first monthly member meeting of the year in Hartford led by our Community Organizer, Kenyatta Thompson. During the meeting, members discussed the lack of adequate housing options for formerly incarcerated people, as well as the lack of available suicide prevention and mental health resources for currently and formerly incarcerated people. After hearing from another member about the treatment her son faced at a halfway house in a nearby city, organizing strategies were discussed to bring the injustice he faced to light.

During the next few weeks, Katal staff and members will outreach in the Greater Hartford area to meet other impacted community members and work on shedding light on the impact of incarceration in Connecticut.

To join us at our next member meeting, Wednesday, February 6th, 2019contact Kenyatta M. Thompson at (860) 937-6094, or at kthompson@katalcenter.org.

More To Explore

#ShutRikers Phone Zap

Event Date: Wednesday, October 2th from 12:00pm-1:00pm Location: Virtual via Zoom RSVP here to attend! We will be calling city council members to ask them

Read More »