weekly update – january 31, 2019

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In this issue…

Join us in Welcoming Jarred Williams, Katal’s New Director of Research

Katal at the NYS Capitol

Monthly Connecticut Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call

Join us in Welcoming Jarred Williams, Katal’s New Director of Research

Jarred came to Katal in 2018 as an Open Society Foundations Justice Fellow. Additionally, he has successfully contracted with and consulted for a wide range of diverse stakeholders, including: state, local and federal government entities, departments of correction, non-profit organizations, universities, and foundations.

Jarred’s passion derives from his personal relationship with the criminal justice system: at 19-years-old, he was incarcerated and served a prison sentence. This experience taught him the devastating consequences associated with mass incarceration, and he has since dedicated his life to bringing about an equitable criminal justice system.

For the past 10 years, Jarred has been a national researcher and advocate. He has produced some of the country’s most cutting edge research — collaborating with local state advocates and community organizers to close adult and youth jails and prison facilities across the nation, and revolutionize ongoing campaigns.

We are excited to have Jarred joining the Katal team as a staff member. He seeks to use his position at Katal to champion research that allows all community members, particularly directly impacted people, to have a voice in the future of justice.

To learn more about Katal’s Research Department, check out this factsheet. To see some of his recent work, read the report he authored about Wisconsin community corrections here. Please join us in welcoming Jarred, and be sure to check back often for updates about his work!


Katal at the NYS Capitol

Tuesday, January 29th, members of our team were in Albany on the New York State Capitol for the joint public protection hearing to support our Less Is More Act, the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, bail and speedy trial reform, and more.

During this hearing, Senator Brian Benjamin questioned the NYS Commissioner of Corrections about the ongoing issue of reincarcerations for technical violations of parole with. Our team at Katal thanks the Senator for pushing this issue and sponsoring the Less Is More: Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act.

Learn more about how #LessIsMoreNY plans to advance solutions to the problem of reincarceration for technical violations of parole here.

To join our effort to pass the Less Is More Act and for more information, please contact our Director of the Women & Girl’s Project, Donna Hylton, at dhylton@katalcenter.org or 424.272.1724 (Brooklyn); or our Community Organizer, Cedric Fulton at cfulton@katalcenter.org or 518.250.6266 (Albany).


Monthly Connecticut Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call

Today Katal held our first Connecticut Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call of 2019. The goals of the monthly calls are to:

  • Highlight issues, campaigns, and projects that groups are working on to advance statewide reform;
  • Identify ways to align, coordinate, and support each other in the work to end mass incarceration in Connecticut;
  • Strengthen community organizing and advocacy organizations to build movement in Connecticut.

The Connecticut Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call will be held the fourth Thursday of each month, and the next call will be Thursday, February 28th, 2019 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Register for the call here, or contact Kenyatta M. Thompson at kthompson@katalcenter.org, or at (860) 937-6094.

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