• Need-to-Know News: Feb. 3, 2012

    February 03, 2012

    Updates from Us

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  • LAC Testifying in Albany on Criminal Justice Budget Today

    January 30, 2012

    LAC State Policy Director Tracie M. Gardner is in Albany today, testifying before the Joint Public Hearing on Public Protection. As a leader in the NY ATI/Reentry Coalition, LAC is presenting the coalition's recommendations on the criminal justice portion of Governor Cuomo's budget proposal.

    See live video of the hearing here.

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  • Need-to-Know News: Jan. 27, 2012

    January 27, 2012

    Updates from Us

    • Finalized its recommendations to fully include mental health and substance use disorder services within the Essential Health Benefits framework of the Affordable Care Act. If your organization would like to sign on to the recommendations, please contact Sherie Boyd at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
    • Drafted comments on the Essential Health Benefits Bulletin released by the Department of Health and Human Services last month. To sign on to the comments, please contact Sherie Boyd at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) before the Jan. 31 deadline; we also encourage you to use our comments as a template to submit your own.
    • Submitted a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius — on behalf of more than 75 national, state and local groups in the SUD and MH communities — asking for the data HHS used to develop the Essential Health Benefit Bulletin, and for more time for organizations to provide comment.

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  • Analyzing Governor’s Budget, LAC Finds Much to Praise

    January 18, 2012
    NEW YORK, January 18, 2012 -- The Legal Action Center is pleased to support Governor Andrew Cuomo's budget plan for 2012-2013, which provides a sensible path for New York State to meet the needs of people with HIV, people with addiction and mental health issues, and people involved in the criminal justice system.

    After an analysis of the budget proposal, released yesterday, LAC is pleased to report that the governor has closed an estimated $3.5 billion deficit without significant reductions or cuts in criminal justice, addiction or HIV services.

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  • Need-to-Know News: Dec. 16, 2011

    December 16, 2011

    Updates from Us

    • Roberta Meyers-Peeples, the Director of LAC's National H.I.R.E. Network, discussed the challenges confronting individuals with criminal records in finding employment in an article discussing the possibility that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) might include a "ban the box" provision< limiting employers' ability to ask about criminal records as part of the job application process, in its upcoming opinion about the use of criminal records in hiring.
    • Elizabeth Farid, the Deputy Director of LAC's National H.I.R.E. Network, testified on Thursday at a New York City Council hearing on the New York City Probation's 2011 Strategic Plan. In her testimony, Ms. Farid emphasized Probation's willingness to support probationers in their efforts to obtain employment and to work with the ATI and Reentry community.

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  • Need-to-Know News: Dec. 9, 2011

    December 09, 2011

    Updates from Us

    • The Legal Action Center has released a report, Legality of Denying Access to Medication Assisted Treatment in the Criminal Justice System, that explains why criminal justice agencies violate Federal anti-discrimination laws and the United States Constitution when they deny access to medications, such as methadone and burprenorphine, to treat opiate addiction. The report was written at the request of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD.), who, along with the Center, has a longstanding interest in expanding the use of these medications in criminal justice settings.

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  • Need-to-Know News: Dec. 2, 2011

    December 02, 2011

    Updates from Us

    • This week, City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, Council Member Liz Crowley and a number of other Council Members presented a proclamation on behalf of the City Council to the Legal Action Center and our partners in the ATI/Reentry Coalition.
    • The National H.I.R.E. Network, in collaboration with the National Employment Law Project and The Sentencing Project, recently released a roundup of nationwide legislative achievements in the reentry field over the last two years. The report, called "State Reforms Promoting Employment of People With Criminal Records: 2010-11 Legislative Round-Up", provides a centralized list of recent legislation, as well as evidence of national legislative trends. This document, which will be updated annually, will be a useful resource to policy makers and advocates in creating and promoting new legislation in the upcoming session and beyond. Contact HIRE Deputy Director Liz Farid for more information.
    • On November 21, the New York City Department of Probation announced the opening of its first Resource Hub in the Manhattan Adult Operations office at 346 Broadway. The Hub, which features a number of resources, including personal computers, a TV showing content about local events and resources, and a specialized staff member, is intended to allow clients to make the most of the time they spend waiting to meet with their Probation Officer. We are especially excited to announce that the new Resource Hub features two videos created by the Legal Action Center, "Voting Rights of People in New York with Criminal Records" and "Your Rights, Your Future: Preparing for Reentry".

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