State Land Bank Authority’s Post

The non-profit that I, Kato 'Gato' Cooks, GCM, RE, CCM, co-founded with Jacqueline Pruitt and Eddie Torres, Construction Contractors Alliance Inc., has four primary charitable interests aligned with our commitment to the underutilized construction contractor community: those exiting foster care, those requiring assistance in interrupting the cycle of addiction, the unhoused, and the justice involved (also called Second Chances or returning citizens). Our fundraisers benefit the four. This article is about the latter: https://lnkd.in/gZfvj4nN

https://lnkd.in/giu2P7CH A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible souls who joined us for The Heinrich Team's second annual fundraiser with Twisted Roots Winery, benefiting VTC (Veterans Transition Center). Your presence and generosity made a significant impact, helping us raise over $2,000 in support of our veterans. 🇺🇸🍷   The VTC seeks to end Veteran homelessness in Monterey County, working towards "Functional Zero" - where no Veteran is forced to be homeless. Since 1996, this 501(c)(3) non-profit has operated on historic Fort Ord land to provide meals, clothing, and housing to Veterans who are homeless or have been incarcerated. We are one of very few programs in the Nation that welcomes Veterans and their families, as well as pets.   Each Veteran is paired with a dedicated VTC Case Manager who designs and supervises their recovery program while addressing medical, psychological, occupational, financial, educational, and social issues. We offer several housing programs, including emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing. Additional resources available to Veterans are essentials such as: ·     Food ·     Clothing ·     Furniture ·     Transportation ·     Benefits assistance ·     Mental health counseling ·     Substance abuse recovery ·     Employment resources ·     Community enrichment VTC has been instrumental in creating the nation's first dedicated prison yard for Veterans at California Training Facility (CTF) Soledad, marking an historic moment in the pursuit of rehabilitation and reintegration for our incarcerated Veterans. We bring in enrichment programs into the Veterans Hub, including Narration Therapy, Wiley's Wish, Anger Management, Domestic Violence Prevention, Crochet Comer, Road to Freedom, Milliati Islami, Narcotics Anonymous, and Breathwork. By creating a dedicated space within the prison system, we envision a future where Veterans can access resources, positive programming, guidance, and camaraderie. To date, we have helped over 60 formerly incarcerated Veterans with their transition back into society, and into our Transformative Re-entry program, also known as LTORR. Compared with California's recidivism rate of 62% - where a person released from prison commits another crime - our program participants have a 0% recidivism rate.  On average, Veterans stay with VTC for seven months while they pursue self-sufficiency; a successful transition entails a Veteran securing reliable housing and sufficient income to support their needs. We receive federal and state funding to support these efforts, but we rely on donations from the public to ensure all VTC's residents needs are met through our wraparound services.     Veterans Transition Center of California is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, EIN #77-0431413   Donations can be made online or via mail to: 220 Twelfth Street Marina, CA 93933   Phone: (831) 883-8387 Fax: (831) 883-3024

Free books! Teachers of incarcerated students: check out this list of titles if you are in need of textbooks for your students.

Realistic training is a must. "Train like your playing, play like your training" (Sporting context) Ive been involved in numerous cell extractions, as an operator, a leader and have now been training our Officers and Correctional Emergency Response Team for a number of years. The training outcome is simple... #SafetyFirst. Safely relocating an aggressive possibly armed and violent individual (or two) with minimal equipment other than PPE, and ensuring no injuries to the team, can only be achieved by repeatable realistic training and continually reviewed for improvements.... Preparing our teams for the worst case scenario reflecting on previous incidents and thoroughly knowing our limitations and training, Im thankful to not have had a team mate injured during these violent altercations. #Proud #Corrections #Unsungservice #CellExtraction #CERT #prisons #SmartTraining #training #realism #security #operations #IncidentResponse #Leadership

CAPACITY CRISIS NOT SOLVED BY NEW HMP FOSSE WAY - update from Corbett Network member, the Prison Reform Trust The latest edition of 'Prison: The Facts'—published the same day as the official opening of HMP Fosse Way—reveals that the prison service is teetering on the edge of a capacity crisis. The briefing of the latest facts and figures shows that a rapidly rising prison population and slow progress in delivering on its commitment to build 20,000 prison places are creating a significant challenge for the prison service. The prison population has risen by nearly 4,300 since the start of the year, with around 86,500 people currently incarcerated. Latest figures show just 5,202 new places have been constructed—including HMP Fosse Way. The challenge is further compounded by the closure of nearly 10,700 prison places since 2010; many of these prisons were outdated and dilapidated following years of under-investment in maintenance and upkeep. Around 11,000 new places have been created since 2010, a net increase of just 300. Learn more about the Prison Reform Trust here: https://lnkd.in/e2xgWK4D

Home is more than a roof over your head; it's about community. This #SecondChanceMonth, we're teaming up with Impact Justice to provide fresh, home cooked meals to people returning from prison as part of their work to support safe, successful reentry through The Homecoming Project. #SecondChanceMonth recognizes the importance of supportive reentry for people returning home after incarceration. Every year, 30,000 people are released from jails and prisons in California; Impact Justice's Homecoming Project matches people returning from prison with host families to support their transition home. If you're in the Bay Area, help us welcome formerly incarcerated folks back into our community by donating a meal to a Homecoming Project participant! 1. Select your delivery date + dishes on Shef! 2. At checkout, select “Donate a meal to the Homecoming Project." 3. Choose the quantity of meals you’d like to donate! 4. Enjoy your meal! A Homecoming Project participant is also enjoying a meal that you made possible.

In terms of government appointments, this is quite a move. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed James Timpson as the minister for prisons. We all know the Timpson Group as a business that cuts keys, repairs shoes, and offers dry cleaning and phone repair services. But their reputation goes much further than that. It’s reported that James Thompson has been visiting prisons for over 20 years and recruiting prison leavers. In fact, around 10% of the Timpson Group workforce are former prisoners. Reading the article, it seems there are a number of things the Timpson Group continue to do in order to help our society, including: 👉 Cleaning interview outfits for free if someone is unemployed. 👉 Free holiday homes for foster families. 👉 Doing small jobs for free (adding extra belt holes for example) and asking for a donation, raising £4 million for charity. When you consider the close link between homelessness and those who are either serving a sentence or have been released from prison, it’s easy to see why this appointment has been widely welcomed. What are your thoughts? #PrisonReform #Homelessness #Charity

As we advocate for reforms to the criminal justice system that address issues like recidivism and collateral harm, we can take immediate action to support those affected in the meantime. The Alleviate Justice-Involved Persons Re-entry Organisation, in partnership with Diamond Pharmacy Masvingo, is spearheading a Winter Prison Donation Drive to provide essential items to incarcerated individuals and those transitioning back into the community. During this critical period, we are collecting donations of blankets, socks, red and white wool, white material, and orange material to help alleviate the hardships faced by those in the prison system. These basic necessities can make a significant difference in the lives of justice-involved persons, particularly as they navigate the challenges of re-entry and work to break the cycle of recidivism. By supporting this donation drive, you can contribute to the well-being of those affected by the shortcomings of the current criminal justice system. Your generosity can help foster a more humane and rehabilitative approach, laying the groundwork for a future where prevention and reintegration are prioritized over punitive measures.

One year ago today, Channel 8 ABC News, Nebraska, highlighted my ministry work in USA prisons. I invite you to listen to the short 30-45-second clip. If you want to read more about my nonprofit, For Dignity, check out my latest book, Fierce & Free. The link is below in the comment section. #throwbackthursday #prisonministry

📖 Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin... There once was a charity called The Children's Book Project, who needed to collect thousands of books for thousands of children who had no children's books in their homes. Knowing the importance of reading and having a book to call your very own, the charity asked Serco if it could help. And so teams across the land started book drives to collect books for children: in leisure centres, offices and canteens. 📚Then the charity needed help to sort and transport the books... And so people in faraway places like 'Solihull' started to sort the books (by age and condition - only the best for our Book Project children they said). 🚛Then a colleague at Serco had a very bright idea: Why didn't they donate and decorate a van, to transport the books to schools? Soon after, Betsy the book van arrived. And you'll never guess what happened next...The Children's Book Project donated thousands of books to children of parents in prisons, and prisoners started to make book huts for schools. 💖And that was how Share a Story was born. All through the land, children are now reading their own books, and entering into a world of imagination - a magical gift.   Read how Share a Story was successfully piloted in Serco prisons on our social value page, helping prisoners and their families connect through reading https://lnkd.in/ejCjFVsH   Thanks Children's Book Project and everyone at Serco Leisure and Serco who helped this amazing project become a reality.   #Books #Literacy #ShareAStory #SocialValue