We Dream

Part Two: Leading with Empathy

For part two of our special series on Dream.Org’s Empathy Network, Janos invites two advocates who have been instrumental in passing legislation in their respective states. Sean Wilson, Dream.Org’s Senior Director of Organizing and Partnerships and architect of our Dream Justice Cohort, discusses his journey from incarceration to inspiring new leaders, the challenges of passing criminal justice reform in Wisconsin, and the victory of AB 604. Then, Selena Coomer, our Kentucky Empathy Network Leader talks about the unexpected success of bipartisan reform in Kentucky, including the Family Preservation Act and her continued work on the Clean Slate Act.  ________ Sign up to join Dream.Org’s Serious About Safety Campaign [https://act.dream.org/sign/no-crime-bill-sign-on-letter/] (formerly named the Crime Bill Campaign) today! Follow our guests on their socials:  Sean Wilson: Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-wilson-6963aa164] Selena Coomer: Webpage [https://lane13consulting.com/] Facebook  [https://www.facebook.com/Lane13Consulting/]

Part One: Leading with Empathy

To start us off, Janos announces the rebranding of the “crime bill” campaign to the Serious About Safety Campaign. Then he’s joined by Yusuf Dahl and Matthew Petit for part one of a special series focused on Dream.Org [http://dream.org]’s Empathy Network Leaders. Yusuf was denied housing in Pennsylvania for past drug convictions and now advocates for the local and national versions of the bipartisan Fair Future Act. While Matthew is using his lived experience to change the narrative around what’s happening in the New Mexico criminal justice system. They talk about their personal journeys to advocacy and the barriers and misconceptions surrounding incarceration.  —---- Sign up to join Dream.Org’s Serious About Safety Campaign [https://act.dream.org/sign/no-crime-bill-sign-on-letter/] (formerly named the Crime Bill Campaign) today!

Trump’s 108 Minute Missed Opportunity

This week, Kandia Milton, Dream.Org’s Government Affairs Director, returns with Janos to breakdown the missed opportunities of Trump’s State of the Union speech, the draconian Republican legislation introduced to withhold federal funds for state correctional systems, and how the Iranian strikes are being used as leverage to advance the President’s DHS policies and eroding our constitutional and democratic processes.   – - - -  Check out Dream.Org’s “Crime Bill” Briefing [https://youtu.be/QJlev8otKDY] for more information on Trump’s recently introduced bill. Follow Kandia Milton on LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/kandia-milton-73580211].

Rewriting the Narrative on Public Safety

In the last episode before our midseason break, Janos brings on Insha Rahman, Vice President of Advocacy and Partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice. They discuss her work with the Bronx Defenders, the goal of the New York’s Close Ryker’s campaign to shift public perception on incarceration and jail systems, the challenges posed by political rhetoric, and how the fight for justice is directly connected to democracy. They also dive into how a Trump “crime bill” will not address the public safety and crime concerns of everyday Americans but rather is a tool for authoritarianism.  —-- Follow the Vera Institute on socials:  Instagram: @verainstitute [https://www.instagram.com/verainstitute/]AND @veraaction [https://www.instagram.com/veraaction/] Facebook: @verainstitute [https://www.facebook.com/verainstitute] AND @veraaction [https://www.facebook.com/veraaction] X: @verainstitute [https://x.com/verainstitute]

Crime Policy and Minneapolis Through the Libertarian Lense

Janos gives some updates on projections for the potential  “crime bill” and its connections to immigration. Then, this week’s guest Jason Pye from the Due Process Institute talks about his involvement in the First Step Act and gives a libertarian perspective on criminal justice that transcends party lines and explains why fear-based policymaking and expanded federal immunity won’t make communities safer, and why so many Americans — across the spectrum — are beginning to reject that premise.  —---- Check out Jason’s subtack article: On the Death of Conservative-Libertarian Fusionism [https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/on-the-death-of-conservative-libertarian] Follow Jason and the Due Process Institute on X:  @pye @idueprocess