On Wed., June 26 at 9 am, you are invited to attend a presentation by the Task Force “Care First, Jails Last” of recommendations to Alameda County Supervisors and Committees, at the County Administration building, 1221 Oak Street, Oakland. The goal of these recommendations is to reduce the number of people with mental illness and substance use disorders in our County Jail. Attending this meeting is a way for us as a congregation to support people with mental illness. The Care First Community Coalition played an important role in developing the recommendations of the Task Force, and will present their “People’s Plan for Healing and Safety in Alameda County” in a press conference after the meeting, around 11 am. Topics are: 1. Get and keep people housed, 2. Racial equity, 3. Provide an holistic continuum of mental health care, and 4. Maximize diversion from the carceral system. For more information, contact Willem VandeKamp, liaison of First Church to The Interfaith Coalition for Justice in Jails (ICJJ).
