Reply To: Key Takeaways

[Andreya she/hers]

Session #4 – Key Takeaways

The Demand is Still #DefundThePolice

This was an absolute distinguished read for me personally, being so close to the #DefundThePolice movement on the ground, and in policy.

* One of the terms that has really stuck with me profoundly throughout this process and movement, has also been a “major key” – as DJ Khaled would say.

•Lack of Imagination – In retrospect, being creative, thinking outside the box, imagining possibilities such as “what if”, are exactly what is needed when thinking about what the future, Criminal Justice reforms, policy changes, and most of all… what could abolition look like in an improved world?? This is where more imagination is needed. It’s going to take an army of freethinkers to dismantle the system, and PIC. Defunding police, and #NoNewJails is a start!

What really captivated my attention
most in this read, was how Seattle CHOSE to cutback on police, and reduce the amount of police, and are still reducing in 2021. This is what we call #DefundThePolice cutting down the inflating police budgets!

•MEASURE J – This was really special to see in this read, being part of the Measure J family. My colleague wrote the majority of this initiative. We were told we could never do something like reduce police budgets, and take those funds and redistribute them to the community. We are in our 1st year of implementation, where community based organizations will soon start receiving funds. Measure J writes this grandfathered process into the future. We look forward to how much money we will invest in community, alternatives to policing/incarceration next round in 2022.

Reinfrachising Voters – Here in California, in 2020 we passed Prop 17 which was an amendment to the constitution to reinfranchise disenfranchised people. The idea for this bill was started behind prison walls in San Quentin by co-member Rahsaan Thomas who completed a survey for people in prison which asked for ideas of what ways people could feel that they were part of their communities, as they were returning home. We much later into the bill process, looked at the Yes on 2 Campaign. Reinfranchising people should be automatic, nationwide.