Accessible Public Safety Advisory Council

Mission:

The mission of the Accessible Public Safety Advisory Council is to empower people with disabilities impacted by the criminal system and their family members to advance disability-centered community-based support.

Vision:

The vision of the Accessible Public Safety Advisory Council is to provide a space for council members and volunteers to work together to advocate for systemic improvements and advancements inside and outside the criminal system. Through direct engagement with Accessible Public Safety based community integration, and public education through application of their lived experience with the criminal system, the Council will work to build a better support system for impacted people with disabilities.

Purpose:

The Access Living Accessible Public Safety Advisory Council’s purpose is to help harness the experience, knowledge, and expertise of impacted people with disabilities and their families to assist with and inform Access Living’s Diversion and Reentry-centered criminal justice efforts.

Goals:

Help build the capacity of impacted people with disabilities, their families, and supporters to inform local, state, and national policies and programs related to diversion and reentry efforts in the criminal system.
Provide formal space for input and feedback on ways to achieve established policy priorities and related issue engagement efforts.
Support engagement of key decision makers, stakeholders, and community members impacted by the criminal system or interested in advancing community-based support for impacted people with disabilities.

Membership:

Th Accessible Public Safety Advisory Council Members consists of a maximum of 5 core team members who are selected through Access Living’s application and interview process. Each of the members is required to be an impacted person with a disability and/or be a caregiver/close family member to an impacted person with disability. Furthermore, all members are required to attend each of the four quarterly meetings to share input and feedback on Access Living’s Diversion and Reentry advocacy efforts.

In addition, Council members work to advance Accessible Public Safety Policy Priorities by conducting community and organizational outreach as well as research on established policy priorities. As a result, council members are divided into three core areas of engagement: Access, Rehabilitation, and Restoration. The Council will seek to develop a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to shifting the context of public safety from investment in law enforcement, courts, and institutions towards investments in individuals, families, and communities, that can better provide disability support pre- and post-contact with the criminal system. Recruitment in these three areas made up the formation of the Total Access Campaign that works to advance the success of Accessible Public Safety efforts.

Meetings:

The Accessible Public Safety Advisory Council Members meet a minimum of 4 times per year to gather to learn more about key issues related to Accessible Public Safety and advise on systemic improvement efforts. Each quarterly meeting is approximately 3 hours long and is broken down into two parts. In addition, have the option to participate in monthly meetings in between each quarterly to provide additional insight and space to explore connection with potential coalition members.

Total Access Campaign

Areas of Engagement–

Access: Providing connection point for individuals, organizations, and agencies interested in participating in conscious reflection, experiencing positive exposure, and intentional learning about various disabilities, issues, and experiences of impacted people with disabilities
Empowerment: Providing connection to individuals, organizations, agencies who can or currently provide support services during the diversion, incarceration, or reentry process in the criminal system.
Restoration: Providing connection point to individuals, organizations, and agencies interested in helping address the harm experienced by impacted people with disabilities and offering a space to center their voices within their network.