Amber Smock
Vice President of Advocacy
Vision:
The Access Living Disability Safety and Justice Challenge Working Group will work together to foster cross-sector collaboration between government agencies and service providers to ensure that diversion and reentry programs meaningfully support impacted people with disabilities.
Purpose:
The purpose of Access Living’ Disability Safety and Justice Challenge Working Group is to constructively bring together stakeholders connected to the criminal system to advance knowledge, resources, and discussion that can create a fairer and just experience for impacted people with disabilities.
Goals:
- Identify and explore specific solutions to support the process of diverting people with disabilities away from the criminal system and support them in the process of returning to the community.
- Increase awareness and capacity to address issues facing people with disabilities impacted by the criminal system.
- Foster discussion and collaboration that directly impacts people with disabilities who have come or are disproportionately likely to interact with the criminal system.
- Increase dialogue between disabled and non-disabled people working to improve the criminal system or provide services during the diversion and reentry process.
Meetings:
The working group meets virtually on the 3rd Monday of each month from 2:00pm – 3:00pm CT.
Notable Organizational Participants, Past & Present:
- Office of the Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court
- Cook County Sherriff’s Office
- Chicago Police Department
- Chicago Community Bond Fund
- Illinois Justice Project
- Cook County Sherriff’s Office
- Cook County State’s Attorney Office
- Equip For Equality
- Justice System Partners
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health
- Vera Institute of Justice
Get Involved:
Get involved by contacting the staff member below.