Author Archives: AJS admin

No New Jails: Consider Alternatives to Incarcerating Children

King County Council members in Washington state are charging ahead with plans to build a new juvenile detention center to be known as the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC). The county’s existing youth facility in Seattle has 50 beds – and is not even filled to capacity. The new jail triples the number ofContinue reading “No New Jails: Consider Alternatives to Incarcerating Children”

Welcome to the Alliance’s “Power from the Roots Up” Conference

** Letter from the Executive Director ** Welcome to the Alliance’s annual conference, “Power from the Roots Up”! In this moment, we are witnessing intense gridlock in D.C. The once-promising dream of comprehensive immigration reform has turned into a political nightmare. Congress refuses to allow former students to refinance one of the great scourges ofContinue reading “Welcome to the Alliance’s “Power from the Roots Up” Conference”

Leaders, Businesses in Washington, Oregon and Idaho Calling for Immigration Reform Now

For Immediate Release, July 3, 2014 Leaders and organizations representing businesses and communities throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho are powerfully combining their voices, calling on elected officials in the U.S. Congress to take action now on immigration reform. While recognizing that passing immigration reform this year is challenging, they also understand the dire economic consequencesContinue reading “Leaders, Businesses in Washington, Oregon and Idaho Calling for Immigration Reform Now”

LeeAnn Hall: Three Reasons Why Harris v. Quinn Matters to All of Us

This article was originally published in Huffington Post. The Harris v. Quinn ruling on Monday was a huge step backward in the national effort to develop rights and protections for home care workers. It’s also a clear call to action for all of us not to become complacent or take for granted the rights andContinue reading “LeeAnn Hall: Three Reasons Why Harris v. Quinn Matters to All of Us”

New ‘Beyond Cellblocks’ Webinar: Ending Police-ICE Collaboration

Throughout the country, local police have been partnering with immigration services, resulting in unfair targeting and treatment of people of color. On Tuesday July 1, join us for an important video discussion about ending collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In addition to educating participants on the police-ICE collaborationContinue reading “New ‘Beyond Cellblocks’ Webinar: Ending Police-ICE Collaboration”

New Video: Case Study of Colorado’s Consent-To-Search Policing Policy

In October 2013, the Alliance for a Just Society partnered with the Union Theological Seminary for a symposium called Cell Blocks and Border Stops: Transformational Activism in the Age of Dehumanization. Since then, the Alliance has been working closely with our affiliate organizations to advance policies that deconstruct systemic structures of criminalization in their localContinue reading “New Video: Case Study of Colorado’s Consent-To-Search Policing Policy”

Poor, in Prison – and Pregnant

As poverty levels in the U.S. increase, safety nets are  slashed, and families are left with few options for survival. As a result, more people are forced into difficult economic decisions, including alternative street-based economies and crime from sheer economic desperation. Many of these people are women and mothers. Among women who are fortunate enoughContinue reading “Poor, in Prison – and Pregnant”

Grassroots Victory! $15 Minimum Wage Passes in Seattle

The Alliance for a Just Society congratulates Seattle on making history today by unanimously passing a path to a $15 minimum wage – the highest in the nation. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said he would quickly sign the legislation into law. More than 100,000 workers – disproportionately women and people of color – work minimumContinue reading “Grassroots Victory! $15 Minimum Wage Passes in Seattle”