Policy And Advocacy
The past year presented great opportunities and challenges for policy and advocacy efforts. Although we were still dealing with the pandemic and changes in the rules at the legislature, we were able to focus on growing RISE’s presence in the policy and advocacy space. Here’s highlights from our work in 2021:
Legislative Work
During the legislative session, we provided testimony, written position letters and online comments for twenty‑three legislative bills. These bills ranged from removing the prohibition on SNAP benefits for people with multiple felony and felony drug convictions to restoring individuals’ rights to vote upon release from incarceration.[1]
During the interim session we testified on two legislative resolutions that focused on removing barriers for professional licenses and certifications for people with felony convictions and the intersectionality of poverty and incarceration.
We also worked closely with Sen. J. Cavanaugh’s office on LB636 for the elimination of cash bail. Many of these bills did not make it out of committee and will have a chance to be advanced to general file in the 2022 legislative session.[2]
Day of Empathy
This was our 2nd year partnering with DreamCorp Justice (formerly known as #Cut50) to organize an event for Day of Empathy. This virtual event was a lobby day for participants to learn more about policy efforts that organizations in Nebraska have been working on towards alternatives to incarceration.
There were over 110 individuals and 14 senators logged on for the event. The attendance grew from the previous year and overall feedback was positive.
Incorporating breakout rooms for individuals to speak directly with senators created an opportunity that many appreciated. It allowed for direct interaction with legislators on matters of concern that ranged from concerns of building a new prison to cash bail.
Lunch & Learn
As RISE continues to grow and offer programs and services to people impacted by the criminal justice system, we want to ensure that we raise awareness with our elected officials about who we are and what we do.
In 2021, we hosted a virtual lunch and learn session for interested senators to hear more about our efforts and the impact that our organization has in the state. There were eight senators in attendance hearing updates on our programs, data collection, reentry services and advocacy efforts. The senators were appreciative of this session and look forward to hearing more in the upcoming year.
Nebraska Criminal Justice Reinvestment Roundtables
Another opportunity in 2021 that allowed RISE to focus on policy issues regarding the criminal justice system was the data and evaluation review with the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) for the Nebraska Criminal Justice Reinvestment Initiative. This process was a deep dive into the processes and data of the Nebraska criminal justice system to provide recommendations to address the overcrowding issues in the state’s correctional facilities.[3]
These roundtables allowed system‑impacted individuals and service providers to be a part of the discussion and present their perspective to the Working Group of this initiative. In‑person and virtual roundtables were conducted, where over 25 individuals participated to answer questions about what they see missing from the reentry process and barriers to completing conditions of parole/probation supervision.
This information was compiled in a summary of priorities and submitted to the Working Group — which included the governor, chief of justice, senators and directors of corrections, parole and probation — and considered when creating policy recommendations for the state legislature.
