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Welcome
We want to welcome you to our new action alert system. Our former system crashed and so we have chosen to work with "Constant Contact," a company that serves many non-profit organizations. We hope this approach will improve our communications with you. The look and layout will evolve and will vary depending on whether it is an action alert, event notice or general newsletter.
In the process of migrating our database from the old system to the new, your email may have been imported to a list by mistake. You may change your action alert subscriptions or even remove yourself entirely from our emails by clicking on the link at the bottom of this email. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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Children - How They are Affected by the Criminal Justice System
A Restorative Justice Event
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Registration 9am
Program 9:30am until 2:30pm
Lunch included
Sacred Heart Parish Hall
337 S. Ottawa St.
Joliet, IL 60436
The program will feature a panel of speakers and break out sessions.
PANEL FROM Family Services of McHenry County
Cheryl Niemo, whose son was incarcerated, is a Family Resource Developer who provides parent support to youth and their families including those who experienced the incarceration of a loved one. Teri, her co-worker assists youth whose fathers were in jail.
Cathy Smith, a community therapist who developed a pilot group for youth 6-15 years old. The group focuses on dealing with family identity, getting in touch with and coping with difficult emotions, reducing isolation and providing support family to family, teaching healthy techniques for asking for what you need, providing a safe place to have fun, and healing.
"What Happens to Children in the Criminal Justice System."
Joanne Perkins, former Deputy Director Juvenile Division Department Of Corrections worked in corrections for 26 years and in mental health for 10-all with juveniles. She was the Superintendent of IL Youth Corrections-Warrenville, a juvenile facility served by deacons and parishioners from our diocese, for 10 years. Her husband was a chaplain in a juvenile prison for many years. Joanne's experiences have provided her with an understanding of the problems juveniles face before, during and after their involvement with the criminal justice system.
Art Leamy, C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children) volunteer
will explain program, share from his experience regarding circumstances and problems of children, and how to become an advocate. Each year approximately 780,000 US children are unable to live safely at home and so end up in the courts and in the welfare system. C.A.S.A. volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for neglected and abused children. They are often the only constant in these children's lives; they serve as overseers for individual children's welfare and safety. Last year 240,000 children at risk were served by more than 68,000 volunteers. Since the program started in 1977 over two million abused children were assisted.
Pat Riley, currently a job coach with Trinity Services, Inc. in Joliet, also taught Special Education to 7th graders for 7 years, and along with wife Lois and son Ben, lived and served for 6 months in the L'ARCHE Community of Trosley-Breuil, France, founded by Jean Vanier in 1979 for the handicapped. Mr. Riley will speak about the need for a Mental Health Court in Will County, share his family's personal experience, relate the current status of such a court in Will County, and describe models of other types of mental health courts.
Dr. Christie Billups, currently teaching "Faith Behind Bars" at Lewis University, ministered to incarcerated youth at Cook County Jail for 16 years with a team from Kolbe House Jail Ministry of Chicago. She has a call to walk with youth on the margins. She believes restorative justice is the most effective way to heal communities in the midst of violence and division and to move forward to a more peaceful and hopeful future. Together, we also need to address the circumstances and systems that entice children and youth to become involved in violence and destructive activities while we support the communities from which they come in building possibilities for positivity and success.
Suggested donation $15 for adults. $10 for students.
All teachers, catechists, youth ministers, those working with prisoners, advocates for restorative justice, family members of people incarcerated, persons formerly incarcerated, and those interested in learning more, are most welcome.
RSVP deadline: March 18, 2010
Register by phone: 815-834-4028, e-mail: jenruh@dioceseofjoliet.org
or mail to: Peace & Social Justice Ministry, Diocese of Joliet
402 S. Independence Blvd., Romeoville, IL 60446-2264.
(Please include with your registrations, your name, phone number, e-mail address, parish/organization and special diet restrictions)
download flier
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Prison Reform: Church of the Second Chance
Six Session Study Group
The JustMatter module, Prison Reform: Church of the Second Chance, consists of six sessions, although groups are encouraged to add an immersion experience as a seventh session. Each session is 2
½ hours in length. The title comes from the book, The Church of the Second Chance, by the module developer, Jens Soering. Soering is an inmate who has written three other books while in prison, including the award winning The Convict Christ.
This module was designed and written by someone on the "inside" and does not try to soften the gritty truth of prison reality. Soering introduces the "radical" Christian principle of restorative justice, points
out the critical need for comprehensive prison reform, and provides a strong criticism of the U. S. prison system. At the same time, Soering focuses throughout the module on the power of centering prayer and
the Christian messages of reconciliation and redemption.
The module, while focusing on the factual background for prison reform, is grounded in a deep spirituality and sense of humanity. It highlights interviews with long-term inmates and ministers from the "outside." Using the tools of reading, dialogue, active listening, videos, short research projects, and the possibility of guest speakers or an immersion experience, participants will:
· Engage the issue of prison reform from many angles,
· Learn what people of faith have to say about punishment and justice,
· Identify common myths and misconceptions about prisons and the corrections system and why these
myths and misconceptions have come to be so well accepted,
· Explore the concepts of rehabilitation and restoration as well as prison "profiteering",
· Discuss the systematic denial of the humanity of prison inmates, most obvious inexcessive sentences and prison conditions, as an essential problem in prison reform.
The Joliet Diocese Restorative Justice Committee is sponsoring an offering of the JustMatters' Prison Reform module from JustFaith.
Committee members will facilitate the 6 sessions to be held on
Thursdays April 8, 15, 22 and May 6, 13, and 20 from 6:30pm until 9pm at St. Charles Pastoral Center, located at Airport Rd and Route 53, adjacent to the north side of Lewis University.
Registration fee is $10 per person. Book and materials and materials cost will be approximately $25 per person. Contact
Joyce Ruhaak 815-834-4028 or joyceru@dioceseofjoliet.org
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Law and Justice Summit
University of St. Francis
Friday March 19, Saturday March 20
The University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois is offering state of the art reentry and restorative justice training.
Get out and Stay out: Overcoming Self-Imposed Limitations and the Circle of Courage are nationally recognized adult reentry and youth violence prevention programs, respectively.
With the purchase of one (1) registration for a practitioner or professional with your organization, the Criminal and Social Justice Program at the University of St. Francis is offering your organization three (3) full scholarships for the Get Out and Stay Out training to be used for the attendance and participation of formerly incarcerated persons and/or youthful delinquents. Each scholarship is worth one hundred and seventy-four dollars ($174).
The Law and Justice Summit is taking place in Joliet, Illinois at the University of St. Francis.
Recently released following nearly 20 years of incarceration, America's most infamous returning prisoner, Ricky Ross (formerly known as "Freeway Ricky Ross") will be participating in Get out and Stay out: Overcoming Self-Imposed Limitations; thus, the Summit's reach is extensive and is receiving national attention.
Reentry and restorative justice are collaborative efforts at reforming the American criminal justice process. There are many trainings occurring across the nation with respect to these pressing social issues. Our approach at the University of St. Francis Criminal and Social Justice Program is that NO training is complete without the representation of those who know the challenges of reentry and restorative justice best; those who have been subject to the contemporary criminal justice process.
Participants for the event are numerous community organizations, government agencies, state and local dignitaries and most importantly, two Joliet Township High School programs that have committed to participating in the Circle of Courage program. These programs are the YESS (Youth Experiencing Success in School) and the GAIN (Gang Avoidance Initiative Now) programs.
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The Joliet Diocese Legislative Advocacy Network is an outreach of the Peace and Social Justice Ministry.
Thomas Garlitz, Director
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The Fast And Easy Way to Email Your Elected Official
Find your Senator/Representative and Email them online!
To locate Federal and State lawmakers simply click this link. Next type in your zip code and click "go". A listing of Federal contacts will be provided: the President, your Senators and Representative. There are also links to your State and Local officials. Simply click the person you desire to contact. This will bring up his/her contact sheet. Click his/her email address and fill out the form. More and more legislators are only accepting email sent to them through the online form. Bookmark your elected official's page for even quicker access the next time you need to write them!
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