The Family Preservation Project (FPP) helps connect incarcerated women with their children at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Oregon’s only women’s prison. On March 2, 2021, FPP joined with Dream Corps Justice to convene Oregon's inaugural Day of Empathy.
Oregon’s event focused on the roles of empathy and humanity in creating a more just and equitable response to repairing harm. Mothers, formerly incarcerated at CCCF, share the experiences that led them to incarceration and how they reunited with their children with the help and support of FPP.
The event features Nova Sweet, a FPP alumna, who was named Dignity Ambassador for Oregon’s Day of Empathy; and FPP’s founder Jessica Katz, MSW.
Other speakers include Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, filmmaker Brian Lindstrom, and Oregon legislators who discuss legislation introduced in this year’s Oregon session that impacts women who become involved with the criminal legal system and their children.
HB 3096 Directs Department of Corrections to study issues specific to women in custody of department and to provide results of study to Legislative Assembly no later than December 31, 2021.
SB 571 / HB 2366 Allows persons convicted of felony to register to vote, update voter registration and vote in elections while incarcerated.
SB 720 Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to establish, in collaboration with Department of Corrections, Family Preservation Project pilot program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
HB 2825 Requires sentencing court to consider as mitigation evidence defendant was subjected to domestic abuse that was significant factor in criminal behavior.
HB 3266 Directs Department of Corrections to ensure specified health services are provided to adults in custody during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum period.
2021 Oregon legislation: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/listbills/CurrentSessionBil...
https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPreservationProject/
https://www.ywcapdx.org/what-we-do/family-preservation-project/
Like A Shield: A Film by Brian Lindstrom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3PIQKTsrQU
- KBOO