|
This just in,
John:
California Senate Bill 394,
introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner, was officially signed
into law by Governor Gavin Newsom today!
This is a major
victory for the thousands of children and families at risk of being
torn apart by parental incarceration. And we must give credit to the
hard work of directly impacted advocates like Ashleigh Carter and her
daughter Asia, Heide De Leon, and Akilah Sands who traveled to the
California State Capitol, shared their stories, and helped build
critical support at every step of the legislative process. Their hard
work paid off!
 Directly impacted advocates Heidi De Leon and
Akilah Sands
SB 394 will create
a new collaborative court system in California dedicated to serving
parents and primary caregivers at risk of incarceration – a group that
requires special consideration because when a parent is incarcerated,
their children suffer traumatic and life-long consequences.
Thanks to SB 394,
eligible parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to access
the support and treatment they need, without being separated from the
kids who depend on them. In this new primary caregiver pretrial
diversion court, judges will have the option to send people to
rehabilitative programs, counseling, financial literacy courses, and
other life altering services as an alternative to
incarceration.
Formerly incarcerated parents across California have been
advocating for this change to the system after experiencing the
devastation of being taken away from their children by the criminal
justice system. They traveled to California’s State Capitol to share
their stories with lawmakers, often with their children in tow.
One fearless advocate was only 13 years old when she
moved politicians to tears sharing her story. But as a child who was bullied throughout
elementary school for having two parents in prison, she knew the only
way to prevent other young girls from feeling her pain was by changing
the system.
 Ashleigh Carter and her two daughters, Asia Thomas (left)
and Amara (bottom right)
Today, Asia Thomas
is reunited with her formerly incarcerated mother, Ashleigh Carter –
both of whom have been fierce advocates for this monumental
legislative change. After the bill was signed, Ashleigh
said:
"Knowing that SB 394 is signed into law, I'm
confident that no parent will ever have to endure the pain and trauma
that my family endured. Leaving my daughter to self-surrender to
federal prison was the hardest moment of my life but since I've been
home, we cherish every moment together. There is nothing more
important in my life than being a mother and I have hope knowing that
parents and primary caregivers will be more than their worst mistake.
I applaud a bipartisan coalition in the California legislature for
working together to invest in parents, not prison, and thank Governor
Newsom for his commitment to smart policies that give people a
chance."
You
can celebrate this major win with Ashleigh, her daughter Asia, and 10+
million children across America who have been impacted by parental
incarceration by sharing the news of this incredible
victory.
With
strength and resiliency,
The #cut50 team
PS: Not on Twitter?
You can also spread the word on Facebook:
drm.to/SB394FB.
|
