What is Build Programs Not Jails (BPNJ)?
Their website explains their history, what they do, and involvement with the county board, the Racial Justice Task Force and their meetings and actions: https://programsnotjails.com/
I also made a quick cheat sheet page here: http://cheatsheetcc.blogspot.com/p/build-programs-not-jails.html
While not a part of County Government, BPNJ is an invaluable resource for many liberals and progressives who may already be interested in criminal and social justice issues as it relates to county government which oversees jails, mental health programs, and many other issues directly related to criminal and social justice.
From their resources, blog, and other information you can quickly see that they already have a solid ear to the ground on a lot of county issues from the nursing home, to the jail planning, and mental health programs. This was my first meeting to check out who they are and what they do.
Meeting Notes:
Introductions! It's a very friendly atmosphere and you might feel like you're in a college group right off the bat as they go around the circle and everyone introduces themselves. Caught me off guard being the kind of person that uses self-checkout in spite of my fears of Skynet and artificial intelligence singularities starting with tracking my grocery purchases. Just kidding (mostly... computer engineering major, leave me alone!)
Afterwards there was probably one of the more valuable parts for people trying to understand what the heck the County Board is doing at its various meetings. Here members who attended report on what happened at the meetings and who they talked to about this issue or that. I saw at least one person from my first "Committee of the Whole" meeting who had spoke to the board about questionnaires for feedback during public participation.
She did get some responses talking to members, McGuire, Patsy Petrie, Summers, and Stephanie Fortado who was apparently very responsive on finance issues and recommendations for promoting issues to the board.
Example: Understanding Budget Making (how the sausage is made):
Outside of major expenditures, most of the County Budget is generated by staff and experts within the constraints of their departments. A lot of the budget issues are hammered out before the board makes more general changes and fixes as opposed to the minutia. Like large complicated bills in the U.S. congress, staff does the bulk of the nitty gritty work while the members vote on the whole shebang.
Announcements:
BPNJ will have members at the Expungement Summit coming up this Saturday. More info on that at the facebook event site here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1819949354887672/
Full-service assistance with application, preparation, and filing for adult and juvenile criminal record expungement, sealing, and alternative forms of relief.
Hosted by the Champaign County Circuit Clerk's Offfice, with legislative sponsors Rep. Carol Ammons and Sen. Scott Bennett.
Register online here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Champaign_Expungement_Sealing_Summit_2
Questions? Call 217-384-3725.
ACLU Listening Tour in Champaign November 7th
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/360865144359187/
Website Info: https://www.aclu-il.org/en/events/aclu-listening-tour-champaign
There was also a Peoples Response Committee event with community defense training? I was unable to find information on this. I think I may have written it down wrong and will correct when I verify. It sounded like it required an invitation and had limited spots for an October 28th event. Apologies in advance for assuming I'd google search and fill in the blanks.
And the IMC staff mentioned that Monday night there will by a Hot Topics YWCA event with speakers from Chicago that have expertise in legal aid: http://www.ywcauofi.org/hot-topics
Oct. 23, 7-9 pm, WRC | The Abuse to Prison Pipeline
Join us during Domestic Violence Awareness Month for a dialogue about the sexual abuse to prison pipeline, which disproportionately affects women of color in the United States.
Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/129534097677986/
Final Thoughts:
BPNJ appears to be an invaluable and underutilized resource for local progressives and liberals who care about criminal justice and social justice reform and a multitude of related programs in the area that get overlooked in politics because local politics can be overwhelming.
They were looking to reach out to allied groups who could help bring attention to County Board votes and agendas that affect these issues and for a small investment of time, people to join and participate in local government.
They're friendly, the atmosphere at the UI-IMC is, if you're unfamiliar with it, extremely casual. While this meeting was going on, they were setting up for a music show. It's an interesting place with a lot of spaces for community events and organizations and even if you only know it from the left-wing blog or newspaper, the IMC is a local gem beyond that.
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