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Announcement
After 18 years, JusticeWorks Community will dissolve its corporate entity and close its doors, effective March 31, 2010.
The economic downturn has made it difficult for many non-profits to survive and/or grow, especially small organizations like JusticeWorks. While this was an extremely difficult decision, we nonetheless celebrate our many accomplishments in the short span of less than two decades.
JusticeWorks Community helped pioneer a social movement that demanded change in criminal justice policy in our nation, particularly for women prisoners, formerly incarcerated women and their families.
- Organizations across this country participated in our Mothers in Prison, Children in Crisis grassroots organizing campaign. They were the beneficiaries of our leadership, our training and on-going support as they replicated JWC's model of organizing.
- Many formerly incarcerated women have continued in the field of criminal justice, creating new organizations and developing into passionate activists because of their experience with JusticeWorks.
- Countless individuals have changed the way they think about those in prison and have learned to challenge the injustices in their own communities.
- The Mother's Day Public Awareness event has raised the consciousness of thousands of persons about the plight of nonviolent incarcerated mothers and the children they leave behind.
Since 1992 our mission to educate, organize and mobilize citizens and community residents has helped create a more enlightened attitude toward criminal justice issues.
- Our Mothers in Prison, Children in Crisis Campaign was the first national organizing model for incarcerated women and their children in the country.
- JWC promoted the change of language from "offenders" to prisoners.
- Formerly incarcerated women in recovery engaged in the public debate about issues affecting their lives, educated the public about the concept of addiction as a disease and became real agents of change
- JWC educated and mobilized community residents and young people to lead the struggle for repeal of harsh and inhumane Rockefeller Drug Laws.
We trust that all these individuals will continue the quest for just and humane criminal justice policies in New York State and throughout the country.
Our gratitude is deep.
- We thank all of our foundation funders for their support.
- We thank the many individuals whose on-going financial gifts made the hard work of advocacy and policy change possible. We are especially indebted to you.
- We thank our phenomenally dedicated staff who put their hearts and souls into education and advocacy on behalf of greater social justice
- We thank our current and our former board members and committee members whose hard work cannot be overstated.
- We thank all our coalition partners who brought strength and passion to the causes we collectively espoused, especially in the movement to repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws.
- We thank all the individuals who showed up on court steps or at busy New York venues to rally for justice---your voices mattered and your message was heard.
- We thank all the volunteers, interns, men and women in rehab centers, and all who have walked this journey with us. Each contribution of time and talent helped make it possible for JWC to fulfill its mission and carry on its work.
On March 16th please join us in celebrating JusticeWorks' quest for justice at our presentation of Interrupted Life: Incarcerated Mothers in the U.S. at NYU's Kimmel Center. With the conferring of the Rev. Dr. Constance M. Baugh Achievement Award, we will honor a formerly incarcerated woman who has distinguished herself by advocating on behalf of women involved in the criminal justice system.
Susan Baxt
President |
Mary-Elizabeth Fitzgerald
Executive Director |
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