JUSTPEACE MEMPHIS COMMUNITY FORUM-Weds, May 20th

WHAT-JUSTPEACE MEMPHIS COMMUNITY FORUM
WHEN-WEDS, MAY 20th
TIME-6:30pm-8:30pm
WHERE- First Congo Church, 1000 South Cooper

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS-Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell,
County Commissioner James Harvey
County Commissioner Mike Carpenter
Stephen Bush-Public Defender's office-Jericho Project.

***Other members of the County Commission are expected to confirm attendance soon.
UPDATE JUDGE TIM DWYER-GENERAL SESSIONS DRUG COURT, will also be in attendance.


You are invited to attend a community forum hosted by the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center's JUSTPEACE MEMPHIS campaign for local Criminal Justice reform. For the past three months the JUSTPEACE MEMPHIS campaign has been working to lobby members of our local County Commission to support and provide adequate funding for four programs of vital need within our community. The passage of these four initiatives will improve funding for treatment alternatives for those in the criminal justice system who posses untreated mental illness, as well as provide greater access to drug rehabilitation and educational opportunities for Nonviolent drug offenders. These reforms also seek to promote greater efficiency within our criminal justice system, by expanding the overworked and overwhelmed pre-trial diversion services, and by allowing the same Assistant District Attorney's to follow the same case from start to finish. these reforms seek to shorten the time from arrest to disposition down to six months, where as now, this process can take as long as nine to eleven months.

We will also host a brief viewing of two short documentaries each dealing with one of the programs supported by our campaign. One focuses in on the work of the men and women of the General Sessions Drug Court
We will also host a screening of the mini documentary Voices of Jericho , winner of the BEST DOCUMENTARY award at the Indie Memphis Film Festival. This short film focuses on the work of the Jericho Project a ground breaking local program that works with the courts to provide an individualized treatment program for those with Mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse issues.

Please direct any questions to Brad Watkins, Organizing Coordinator for the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center. 901-725-4990-office, 901-495-0818-cell

We hope to see you there!