katal newsletter – september 20, 2018

In this issue…

Katal in Florida: The 2018 FICPFM National Gathering

Facing the Facts About Fentanyl

The Next Steps for Closing Rikers and Transforming NYC

katal in florida: the 2018 ficpfm national gathering

(L-R) Valdez Heron, Donna Hylton, and Jarred Williams at the FICPFM Conference in Orlando, FL.

This past weekend, a few members of the Katal team had the opportunity to be in attendance at The Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM) Conference. The Conference is a biennial event that provides a space for formerly incarcerated persons to network and strategize about the best path forward towards a more equitable justice system. Days are spent in spirited debate by people with shared lived experiences working towards a common goal. 

“What an incredible experience! I’ve attended a wide variety of conferences over the years, but have never experienced an atmosphere quite like the FICPFM Conference,” recalls OSF Fellow Jarred Williams. “This conference feels like a family reunion. At other conferences, when I meet attendees that haven’t had the misfortune of being personally impacted by the criminal justice system, I often feel that they view me strangely. This is not the case at the conference in Orlando. Now that it [the conference] has passed, I find myself yearning for the next one. Unfortunately, that won’t be for another two years. If I had one critique, it would be that this conference needs to occur every year. As formerly incarcerated people we need a family-like conference space; a space where we are not observed as an anomaly.”

To learn more about FICPFM, visit their website here.

facing the facts about fentanyl

As more and more stories are appearing in reference to the overdose crisis in Connecticut and New York, there are not nearly as many media stories attempting to address the misinformation being spread to the masses about fentanyl. But maybe this is changing — this week, the Albany Times Union published a story addresing the many false claims being made by law enforcement and emergency medical personnel about fentanyl. Katal was quoted in the story: “By causing fear and panic among such key partners in responding to the overdose crisis, we’re putting people’s lives at further risk,” said Keith Brown, our Director of Health and Harm Reduction. Special thanks to Bethany Bump for featuring us in her article about the truths regarding Fentanyl. 

Click here to read the full article.

the next steps for closing rikers and transforming nyc