Podcasts about community alternatives

May 12, 2025 - Katie Schaefer, director of advocacy and organizing, at the Center for Community Alternatives, makes the case for eliminating fees in the criminal justice system, which she argues are predatory.

All of Us founders Shawn Young and Jamaica Miles are joined by Tammar Cancer, Center for Community Alternatives to discuss the striking prison guards throughout New York State in the context of the indictment of 10 correction officers in the beating death of Robert Brooks.

On December 14, 2023, at the NY State Capital, the Center for Community Alternatives organized a rally with lawmakers and advocates calling for prison sentencing reform. With the approach of the 2024 legislative session, New Yorkers are calling for The Second Look Act, The Eliminate Mandatory Minimums Act, and The Earned Time Act as top priority. Groups argue that mass incarceration is ineffective and costly and suggest that the billions of dollars spent on incarceration could go to education, housing, healthcare, community-based anti-violence and restorative justice programs. Find more info: communityalternatives.org Hudson Mohawk Magazines Andrea Cunliffe reported from this event

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine: We begin with Andrea Cunliffe's interview for a look into The Center for Community Alternatives, Inc., a leader in community-based alternatives to incarceration. Then, for this week's labor bucket, Willie Terry interviews labor leader Sean Collins, President of Troy Area Labor Council. Later on, H Bosh Jr interviews Miki Conn, former executive director of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center in Schenectady. After that, Moses Nagel gets the scoop on the refurbished skate park up in Saratoga Springs. Finally, we interview Dr. Emilly Obuya who is giving two more Be5 STEM-Xperience Workshops for young people at NATURE Lab

The Center for Community Alternatives, Inc. (CCA) is a leader in community-based alternatives to incarceration and policy advocacy to reduce reliance on incarceration. Heather Crimmins, Upstate Director of Program Development & Supervising Attorney in Reentry Advocacy at CCA, spoke with Hudson Mohawk Magazines producer Andrea Cunliffe about the organization. CCA offices in Syracuse and now cover Troy and the Capital Region Learn more at www.communityalternatives.org

June 15, 2023 - After years of debate in the Capitol, Democratic lawmakers have signed off on "Clean Slate" legislation, so we consider what the criminal justice measure would actually do, with the help of Katie Schaffer, director of advocacy and organizing at Center for Community Alternatives.

We get the latest on the battle to stop Gov. Hochul's Hector LaSalle nomination to NY Court of Appeals from Peter Martin of the Center for Community Alternatives. We also speak with Nicholas Powers about his radical Nuyorican mother and an article he wrote about her in the current issue of The Indypendent.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has until December 23 to select a new chief judge for New York's highest court. Noah Rosenblum, assistant professor of law at NYU School of Law, and Peter F. Martin, director of Judicial Accountability at the Center for Community Alternatives and the coordinator of 'The Court New York Deserves' campaign, discuss the politics and implications surrounding the effort to replace Chief Judge DiFiore, who stepped down this summer amid controversy.

All eyes are on the New York Court of Appeals and the search for a new Chief Judge. Governor Kathy Hochul has until December 23rd to nominate one of seven possible candidates for the top job on state's highest court. Former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore abruptly stepped down earlier this year. Many progressives blame her for the court's drift to the right, including blocking congressional districts drawn by the legislature, a move that cost New York Democrats four house seats this cycle. In turn, progressive activists and advocacy groups have their own ideas about who should take DiFiore's place. To talk about the vacancy, Shannon is joined by Peter Martin, Director of Judicial Accountability for The Center for Community Alternatives and a leader of the Court New York Deserves Coalition of which Indivisible Westchester is a member.

"The Court New York Deserves" rally and press conference with All Of Us, Center for Community Alternatives, Poor People's Campaign, VOCAL and others to demand a new Chief Judge who will protect the rights of New Yorkers, and our democracy. The Chief Judge is the head of both the Court of Appeals—New York's highest court—and the entire state court system. Andrea Cunliffe reports for the Hudson Mohawk Magazine with excerpts from that event The Commission on Judicial Nomination is currently reviewing applications and interviewing selected candidates for or the appointed position and It will release a shortlist of seven candidates by November 25.

iChange Justice host Joy Gilfilen discusses "Community Alternatives & Justice" with Karen Ball, from the Grassroots Compassionate San Antonio project in Texas. Karen is bringing her boots-on-the-ground knowledge in doing prevention and intervention at the community level, together with her institutional knowledge of civic engagement and the criminal justice field. Karen clearly shows how the divergent parts of policing, courts, and corrections can be humanized and reknit through community activism to yield far better results for people torn apart by civic stress. She gives examples of how she has worked at the intersections of professional, mentoring, educational, and inside families to inspire change. Episode #40

On this week's edition of New York NOW: With less than a week until New York's $216+ billion budget is due, what's the latest? We'll tell you. A crime plan from Gov. Kathy Hochul isn't getting a warm reception from the Legislature. Darrell Camp reports. Karen DeWitt from New York State Public Radio and Zach Williams from City & State NY join us to break down that and more news from the week. The Clean Slate Act would allow New Yorkers with older convictions to have their records sealed. We discuss with bill sponsor Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn, and Garrett Smith from the Center for Community Alternatives. And a new On The Bill, our new segment about bills in Albany you might not hear about otherwise. Learn More: nynow.org

The is a re-release of Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom, Season 2, Episode 9. New episodes drop every Tuesday on the Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom feed. Please search and subscribe to be the first to hear them. Katie Schaffer teams up with Jason to discuss penal education programs, bail reform, and making our carceral system more humane. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.communityalternatives.org/ https://envisionfreedom.org/ https://justiceandopportunity.org/ https://lavaforgood.com/righteous-convictions Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom is a production of Lava For Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Schaffer teams up with Jason to discuss educating prisoners, bail reform and making our penal system more humane. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://www.communityalternatives.org/ https://envisionfreedom.org/ https://justiceandopportunity.org/ https://lavaforgood.com/righteous-convictions Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom is a production of Lava For Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co No1.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the face of fights at Madison schools, it seems white parents are calling for cops in schools. But another district, which at the surface level seems to have had a worse fighting problem, solved this through community and community alternatives. Affluent white parents should do the same, or at least commit the resources to do so. What are they scared of? And then to wrap up, a couple of high profile examples of police lying, again, and one of them is within Madison.

The Justice Roadmap is a bold legislative agenda that can help deliver community safety for New York State and restore freedom and dignity for New Yorkers who are unjustly terrorized and targeted by the criminal legal and immigration systems. Katie Schaffer, the director of advocacy and organizing at Center for Community Alternatives, and BCBF's Carl Hamad-Lipscombe discuss how to get policymakers on board with vital policies that decriminalize and decarcerate. Get the latest updates about the Justice Roadmap at www.justiceroadmapny.org Learn more about Center for Community Alternatives at www.communityalternatives.org

Dec. 22, 2020 - What are criminal justice reform advocates hoping to accomplish in the 2021 legislative session? We found out when Katie Schaffer, Director of Organizing and Advocacy at the Center for Community Alternatives, joined the show. (originally aired 12/4/20)

Dec. 4, 2020 - What are criminal justice reform advocates hoping to accomplish in the 2021 legislative session? We found out when Katie Schaffer, Director of Organizing and Advocacy at the Center for Community Alternatives, joins the show.

Ce mardi 10 novembre 2020, plus de huit ans après les faits, la Cour de justice de la Cédéao a condamné l’Etat Guinéen à payer plus de 460 000 dollars en réparation aux victimes. Le drame se déroule dans la nuit du 3 au 4 août 2012 dans le plus grand gisement de fer inexploité du monde : la chaîne du Simandou dont l’exploitation vient alors d’être attribuée à BSG-R, une société dirigée par Beny Steinmetz, associée au géant brésilien du fer Vale. Les habitants du village riverain de Zogota reprochent à la joint-venture de ne pas employer suffisamment de travailleurs locaux, d’avoir pollué le site et « détruit » des lieux sacrés. Les villageois manifestent et endommagent les installations de la société. Une délégation ministérielle arrive sur place et les forces de l’ordre interviennent en pleine nuit, tuant 6 villageois. Il y a aussi plusieurs blessés, des cases incendiées et des habitants soumis à des actes de torture. Et c'est donc ce mardi 10 novembre que dans son arrêt, la Cour de justice de la Cédéao déclare la Guinée coupable de violation du droit à la vie, du droit de ne pas être soumis à la torture et du droit à un recours effectif notamment. Un soulagement pour Maître Foromo Frédéric Loua, avocat des victimes. « La justice guinéenne est forte quand elle peut s’attaquer aux plus faibles, c’est-à-dire aux citoyens, mais elle est faible, voire inexistante, lorsque ce sont des forces de défense et de sécurité qui commettent de graves violations des droits de l’homme et nous sommes à chaque fois obligés de nous adresser aux juridictions internationales, pour que justice soit faite. Cette décision marque vraiment un pas important dans le droit des communautés impactées par les activités minières. » C’est une « surprise » en revanche pour l’avocat de l’Etat guinéen, Maître Lanciné Sylla. « Aucun élément du dossier n’était de nature à justifier une telle condamnation. La même décision a occulté les cas d’agressions physiques et de destruction d’engins roulants dont les forces de sécurité ont été victimes. Il est important de préciser qu’une procédure était déjà en cours devant les juridictions nationales, pour pouvoir situer toutes les responsabilités. » Deux jours après le drame, la « présidence » avait promis que les coupables seraient « punis ». Une enquête a été ouverte, « 6 hauts responsables » des forces de défense visés, mais aucun n’a jamais comparu. L’arrêt pourrait changer les relations entre les communautés, l’Etat et les compagnies minières actives dans la région, selon Jonathan Kaufman, directeur de l’ONG Advocates for Community Alternatives, qui accompagne les victimes. « Les gens de Zogota ont notifié au gouvernement qu’ils n’acceptent pas l’extraction minière sans la justice. Le gouvernement guinéen a annoncé l’année dernière qu’il voudrait octroyer la concession de Zogota à une société qui s’appelle Niron Metals, qui est liée à Beny Steinmetz, qui était l’un des propriétaires de la joint-venture. Nous avons vu des indicateurs que la joint-venture a joué un rôle lors du massacre. Si c’est prouvé, c’est possible que la population n’accepte pas qu’une société liée [à ce passé douloureux, NDLR] relance les activités minières. » Un rapport du Haut commissariat aux droits de l’homme confirme en grande partie ces allégations et une plainte a été déposée contre la société. En attendant, l’Etat Guinéen dispose de 6 mois pour dédommager les victimes de Zogota.

Hello Capital Region! This is the Hudson Mohawk Magazine broadcasting from the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, NY. Tonight, a new report from the Center for Community Alternatives and Citizen Action analyzes the role of Police Unions, Campaign Contributions and the Political Fight to Rollback Bail Reform on incarceration. Next, we hear from TripleE's host, H. Bosh Jr. speaking with Lana Ortiz, a professional photographer about getting started in photography, creating surrealistic images, and digital photo technology. Then, Bettina Love, a panelist at the "Abolitionist Teaching and the Future of Schools" Haymarket Books zoom conference, speaks about abolition and social justice. Up next, we continue our discussion with Capital Area Labor Federation’s Mark Emanation on next week’s drive-thru food pantry and community need For our final segment, we preview a march against gun violence organized by local mothers, happening this Sunday. But first, some headlines:

Moderated by Yusuf Abdul-Qadir (New York Civil Liberties Union), panelists Scott Roberts (Senior Director of Criminal Justice Campaigns, Color Of Change), Nicole Triplett (New York Civil Liberties Union) Rev. Eric Jackson (Plymouth Church), Kelly Gonzalez (Center for Community Alternatives) and Monica Smith (Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights) sat down for a community town hall in Syracuse, NY, […]

If data doesn't make you think of a new world order, it should. AI is enabling wholesale surveillance, and changing the landscape in countries like China, where cameras monitor citizens to decide their social credit score. But how is this already playing out in the US? We speak with experts on both sides of the Pacific, and visit the NYPD to learn how they use AI. Plus, we see where else predictive technology is being used in the American criminal justice system.  In this episode: Ian Bremmer of Eurasia Group, Kai Fu Lee of Sinovation Ventures, Mary Haskett and Alex Kilpatrick of Blink Identity, Lisa Talia Moretti of Methods, Glenn Rodriguez of the Center for Community Alternatives, Ben Singleton of the NYPD, and Jason Tashea of Justice Codes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

The fourth episode of Reentry Radio comes from the PRI's February 2015 Occasional Series on Research in Reentry, Criminal Justice Debt. The event, cosponsored by the Center for Community Alternatives, features Mitali Nagrecha, author of . She is joined by Patricia Warth, David Silva, and Ann Cammett.

Kwame Johnson is the Executive Director of PowerMyLearning’s Greater Atlanta Region. Prior to joining PowerMyLearning, Kwame was the Director of Corporate Relations for the national non-profit Communities In Schools. Kwame also served as the Director of Donor Advised Services for the Charities Aid Foundation of America and as the National Director of Programs for the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise. Kwame was awarded the Social Entrepreneur Program of the Year Award from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research when he was 25 and he received the 40 Under 40 Most Influential People in DC Award Recipient from the Envest Foundation. Kwame has been an active member of the non-profit sector for many years and currently serves as the Board Chair for Center for Community Alternatives. Kwame holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Kwame cares deeply about helping our youth reach their full potential. http://powermylearning.org https://www.facebook.com/PowerMyLearning https://twitter.com/PowerMyLearning

This is the last of a series of four shows where I'll showcase the talent of the local field of pharmacists. This show I interviewed two local health system pharmacists, including one from the Cardinal Glennon Medical Center and another from the Community Alternatives both in St. Louis Missouri. They share their experiences for us all to enjoy. We also have a special interview from the Dean of the SIUE School of Pharmacy to give closing remarks on the importance of American Pharmacists Month.