Thank you for Saying “YES!”

On October 18, our community came together to celebrate the different ways CCF, our students/alumnae, and partners in this work have said "YES" and the impact it has and continues to have on access to education and opportunity.

Thank you to our honorees Michele Gantt (Rising Star Award), Hilly Haber (Leadership in Service Award), Helen 'Skip' Skipper (Rising Star Award), and Jumaane Williams (Legacy Award) for helping push policy changes to the finish line, eliminating unnecessary challenges for individuals in their reentry process, and mentoring and supporting other women as they build higher education into their reentry plans.

The night was made unique by the mighty words and presence of Ms. Beverly Emers, Celeste K. Greatness, and Turquoise Juanita Martin, who performed pieces they worked on as part of CCF's Women of Change showcase.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the event - our work is only possible because of you! And a special thank you to CCF's Board of Directors and Say "YES" 2022 Gala Committee.

 

Join the CCF Board of Directors!

Are you interested in having a seat at the table and joining the decision-making body at CCF? The Board of Directors at CCF is looking to add new members from within its network, including CCF alumni and others interested in the organization. Potential Board members should be passionate about CCF’s mission and interested in helping to create positive opportunities in the lives of women with criminal justice involvement through voluntary board service.

There is no educational requirement, professional experience requirement, or set of qualifications necessary to become a board member. New board members will have the opportunity to increase their direct impact on the CCF community by joining one of the board’s committees (Finance, Development, and Governance ).

Want to learn more? Please get in touch with our Board Chair, Irene Branche, and she will be happy to connect you to one of our current board members to answer any questions (irene.f.branche@gmail.com).

  • Time Requirement: 4 meetings a year (once per quarter); meetings are two hours long and are scheduled during the week after regular business hours.

  • Donation/Fundraising requirement: there is no financial requirement! Each year, Board members are expected to make a personally meaningful donation and/or fundraise a personally meaningful contribution.

 

Student Debt Cancellation

Great news: The online application for the Biden Administration’s student debt cancellation is now officially open!  

The application is fast and easy–you don’t need to submit any documents or even log in to your StudentAid.gov account. It will probably take you 5 minutes or less to apply. 

You can apply now on your cell phone or on a computer. That means you can apply today to have $10,000 to $20,000 in eligible federal student loan debt canceled.   

Need support or have questions? Please get in touch with CCF partners at EDCAP via phone at 888-614-5004 or by email at edcap@cssny.org(please note that EDCAP is experiencing a high call volume). 

The College & Career team is undergoing its first Performance Management and Quality Improvement Plan. Targeted goals and specific objectives were defined, including activities to reach those goals with the overarching purpose of improving programs, student, and staff experiences to increase staff and participant retention and increase participant enrollment. The first Performance Measurement Report has just been completed, including progress made from August.

Academic Services

Uplift Mentor

Are you interested in pursuing a degree but would like guidance from a mentor and support from a community of justice-impacted women?

Do you have a college degree and want to give back to other justice-impacted women who would benefit from your mentorship?

Take the first steps in reaching your goals by completing the interest form below to learn more about CCF's Uplift Mentor Program.

Academic Support Program

CCF participants and their children are invited to celebrate the holiday season and the end of the fall semester at the upcoming Holiday Event this December. More details to come; stay tuned!

ASP is holding its final Community Meetings of the fall semester, including: 

  • Your Credit Score + Making Ends Meet on November 3 from 6-8:oo PM, presented by Chuck Crovitz, CCF Financial Coach from the Community Service Society. Click here to register. 

  • Family Reunification - What happens when the 'honeymoon period’ is over? on November 18 from 6-7:30 PM, presented by Judith Negron, CCF Mentor, a criminal justice reform advocate with a Master's in Mental Health Counseling. Click here to register. 

  • Parenting Post Incarceration - What about the children? On December 1 from 6-7:30 PM, presented by Judith Negron, CCF Mentor, a criminal justice reform advocate with a Master's in Mental Health Counseling. Click here to register. 

 

THRIVE

THRIVE just completed a training of 12 people from Rebel Rebound, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas program that aims to boost enrollment and graduation for justice-impacted students.

Additionally, THRIVE is working with The Institute for Justice and Opportunity at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. There are 46 trainees, including the general counsel, head of security, dean, various faculty and staff, plus all College Inititiative staff. This will run through November.

 

Women Influencing Systems & History (WISH)

Cohort 10 is up and running with 19 phenomenal women, including mothers, students, business owners, community organizers, and activists.

Now in week five, the women have built a strong sense of community and support. One participant shared that the sisterhood they have cultivated is the first she’s truly felt comfortable being herself and felt supported by others.

Applications for WISH Cohort 11 will open Monday, November 21, 2022. If you are interested in joining the next cohort, please tap the link below to complete the interest form.

Bronx Redefining Advocates for Civic Engagement (BRACE)

In September, CCF launched its first-ever place-based program in the Bronx - Bronx Redefining Advocates for Civic Engagement (BRACE)! Classes are taking place at Fordham University thanks to our gracious hosts from University’s Center for the Community Engaged!

The fierce cohort of 15 women are part of a larger cohort of the New York Civic Engagement Table, which has provided technical support around voter registration and recruitment efforts. In addition to tabling and hosting phone banks, each BRACE participant will develop an Advocacy Action Plan (problem identification, solution roadmap, and how they plan to mobilize allies). Advocacy Action Plans range from addressing food deserts and the shortage of healthy food and vegetables in the Bronx to the lack of school crossing guards.

BRACE yourself for this next group of Bronx-based leaders! Stay on the lookout for both ways to support these women’s issues and for the 2023 cohort.

Voting, Voting, Voting!

BRACE grew out of CCF's JusticeVotes NY project and legislative efforts to enforce and help facilitate voting in NY Jails. Everyone is eligible to vote unless they are currently serving a sentence for a felony. CCF also support the constitutional amendment to extend voting to ALL.

In the meantime, remember early voting is Oct. 29-Nov. 6, and the election is on Nov. 8. All New Yorker can vote absentee because of the risk of COVID. Tap the link below to request your absentee ballot.

Pell Implementation

CCF is on the frontline of ensuring Pell is implemented in a manner that is consistent with all of our values. Congress passes laws, but then it is on agencies to make the regulations or rules that govern. These can drastically change outcomes. In 2020, Congress passed the CARES act allowing all people to access PPP. However, the Small Business Administration ruled that formerly incarcerated business owners were disqualified.  

Throughout the Pell-rulemaking process - from negotiations to public comment periods - CCF has continuously maintained that the Department of Education and Prison Education Programs have an obligation to support their alumni in the re-entry process. One of the big reasons is that from now on, Prison Education Programs will not be able to operate unless State DOCs or BOP determine they are operating in the “best interest of the students.” These factors mostly include things that happen post-release, like whether students get job placements or continue their education. CCF submitted a public comment in August alongside three alumni: Tarshea Sanderson, Tawana Williams, and Anita Kennedy. 

As Anita Kennedy stated in her testimony:  

“Education alone is not the silver bullet it is made out to be in the regulations. You can not merely gain employment because you have a degree. While all deserve an education, I can say from my own experience that having a degree is not enough to undo the structural obstacles we face based on incarceration.” 

Stay tuned for a blog post that is a plain English primer on all of the above and our continued efforts to promote partnerships between community-based organizations and Prison Education Programs! 

CCF in Community!

Free Her Conference 2022

CCF's Advocacy Programs Manager, Senior Community Organizer, and three WISH alumna attended the 2022 Free Her Conference hosted by the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls in Detroit, Michigan. The panels and workshops focused on clemency, restitution, the significance of decarceration, women's health rights while incarcerated, and local, national, and international organizing tactics.

National Conference on Higher Education 2022

CCF presented “The Education Continuum: How do we Create Student-oriented Reentry Efforts in the Era of Pell Reinstatement?” at the 12th annual conference on Higher Education in Prison. In the presentation, we distributed a discharge planning document/assessment of needs with resources. The document is open to editing in the hopes that people around the US add reentry resources available to Prison Education Programs (PEPS) so that PEPs may ensure their alums get all needed services! This was co-resented with Second Chance Alliance, Inc. Alum Norman Gaines with a guest appearance by Dr. Stanley Andrisse of P2P.

 

Check out our newest video on YouTube highlighting Women of Change: A Transformation Exhibit and Showcase!