Stigma and Exclusion: How Can We Overcome It?
Year
2011 - Los Angeles, CA
Speakers
Karen Shain, Policy Director, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, San Francisco, CA
Michelle Natividad Rodriguez, Staff Attorney, National Employment Law Project, Oakland, CA
Nicole D. Porter, State Advocacy Coordinator, The Sentencing Project, Washington, DC
JoAnne Page, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Fortune Society, New York, NY
Becky Dennison, Co-Director, Los Angeles Community Action Network, Los Angeles, CA
Facilitator: Grant Smith, Federal Policy Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, DC
Susan Burton, Founder and Executive Director, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, and Co-Founder, All of Us or None, Los Angeles, CA
People who use drugs or have a criminal record for a drug law violation are often stripped of their humanity and face extensive hurdles to leading stable and productive lives. These hurdles can exclude people from public assistance for basic needs like food and housing, deny students financial aid for college, and even lead to loss of child custody. What are some strategies to fight back? Speakers will share their stories.