Thanks to all our funders, sponsors, donors & partners for supported our #GAReentryAwarenessMonth2024 events!
Our 8th Annual #GAReentryAwarenessMonth statewide recognition was a big hit because of your support! Because of you, we were able to engage with hundreds of Georgians to provide voter education, assistance with groceries, bus passes and gift cards, provide networking and dinner fellowship opportunities for those who are justice impacted, our families and allies in, addressed literacy, technology gaps, financial wellness and the challenges to reentry for special populations (elders, trans, mental illness/substance dependence and those impacted by the sex registry). THANK YOU!
See all July 2024 videos and recaps here.
NO UPCOMING EVENTS- (closed until 1/7/25)
Although our events are open to the public, they are aimed at providing public education not only to those we serve but to the community at large on issues that impact justice-involved individuals and our families such as the barriers to reentry, criminal justice reform legislative updates, employment and housing discrimination, voter disenfranchisement, expungements and much more! To see past events, visit our YouTube page.
Past Events
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
November 18, 2024. 7:30pm EST. Virtual.
Our Founder was Expert Panelist
Our founder, Waleisah Wilson-Menefee, was one of the expert panelists on Restorative Action Alliance's webinar "Reimagining Belonging: A Panel Discussion on Restorative Practices in the Faith Community" that delved into how the spiritual and faith communities respond to individuals affected by the criminal legal system, particularly those on sexual conviction registries.
The virtual discussion covered topics such as inclusivity, the varying treatments within congregations, and the barriers and reentry challenges faced by people returning home from incarceration with attending worship services (i.e. being asked to not attend or return, conducting background checks on visitors, denying people on the registry from attending a loved one's funeral or their own wedding if it is being held at a place of worship, etc.) with the goal of exploring how faith communities can respond thoughtfully and compassionately to individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, including those convicted of sex charges.
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED. No recording available.
November 14, 2024. 6pm EST. Virtual Screening & Discussion.
We welcomed Tabatha Trammell, a nonprofit founder, justice reform advocate, prison doula, filmmaker and one our board of directors, for "Best Practices to Achieve Post-Incarceration Success with a Mental Illness or Living with a Substance Use Disorder, a virtual screening & discussion where we screened her new short documentary, "Mama, I'm Different" (an intimate story about the effects of undiagnosed mental illness at the intersection of—and compounded by—addiction and criminalization) and listened as she discussed her challenges and success as a formerly incarcerated woman living with a mental illness and in long term recovery and best practices and tips on how to be successful after incarceration while living and thriving with a mental illness and/or substance use disorder.
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
November 2, 2024. Columbus, GA. Canvassing with Fair Count to Get Out the Vote for the Nov. 5th Election
In partnership with Fair Count, on 11/2/24 in Columbus, GA, our Board Director, Andrea, led our team of canvassers on another very productive GOTV door to door canvassing effort to make sure Muscogee County residents make it to the polls on Nov. 5th.
Special thanks to Fair Count for their partnership and for supporting our GOTV work through their mini grant funding.
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
October 26, 2024. Columbus, GA. Canvassing with Fair Count
In partnership with Fair Count, on 10/26/24 in Columbus, GA, our Board Director, Andrea, led our team of canvassers on another very productive GOTV door to door canvassing effort to make sure Muscogee County residents get their civic voices heard by reminding them to vote early or make it to the polls on Nov. 5th.
Special thanks to Fair Count for their partnership and for supporting our GOTV work through their mini grant funding. #hoape4ga
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
October 26, 2024. Atlanta, GA. Tabled at the Vote in My Honor Rally
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, board directors Shanequa and Sharon G and our canvassing team, tabled at the Vote in My Honor Rally to connect with citizens to get out the vote. The event was hosted by the Rights Restoration Coalition of Georgia and dedicated to discussing the restoration of voting rights for justice impacted individuals in our community and encouraging those that can vote to vote in their honor! #hoape4ga
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
October 19, 2024. Columbus, GA. Canvassing with Fair Count
In partnership with Fair Count, on 10/19/24 in Columbus, GA, our Board Director, Irma, led our team of canvassers on a very productive GOTV outreach effort where they knocked on over 125 doors and engaged with Muscogee County residents, encouraging them to make it to the polls to cast their vote by Nov. 5th.
Special thanks to Fair Count for their partnership and supporting our work through their mini grant funding. #hoape4ga
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
October 17, 2024. Hapeville, GA. 6pm-8pm. Mother's Healing & Restorative Justice Dinner. Invitation only.
In partnership with the Southern Center for Human Rights, Georgia Justice Project, Women on the Rise and Woman With a Plan, on October 17, 2024 from 6p-8pm, we hosted a "Mother's Circle" for formerly incarcerated (or pregnant) mothers and caregivers to introduce attendees to restorative justice, restorative justice circles and how they can beneficial in healing and restoring relationships between them and their children or nurture those that have been repaired.
The restorative dialogue was facilitated by Dr. Spencer Murray and discussion topics included shared challenges and traumas of being separated from their children, interventions of the foster care system, the challenges (and successes) of reunification, the journey of rebuilding the maternal bond after release and next steps.
Catering was provided by Down Home Southern Catering, LLC.
CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER. September 27, 2024. Columbus, GA. 6pm-8pm. Tabling at Recovery on the River Community Resource Fair.
We are proud to have been a sponsor or New Horizons Behavioral Health's Recovery on the River Community Resource Fair that was scheduled for 9/27/24 but unfortunately due to the weather from Hurricane Helene, the event has been cancelled. No rescheduled day has been set.
September 22, 2024. Atlanta, GA. 2pm-4pm. Our founder's film screening hosted by EMI Georgia. THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.
September 22, 2024. 2p-4p. Atlanta, GA. Screening & Discussion. Hosted by End Mass Incarceration GA Network. On Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 2p-4p, EMI GA Network hosted a FREE in-person screening and discussion of our founder, Waleisah's film "Working in Captivity: A Woman's Quest to End Slavery in Georgia" who is also the lead of the GA chapter of All of Us or None that is currently campaigning to demand that Georgia change its current law that legalizes slavery for people who are convicted of a crime via incarceration and/or probation.
- Join the GA chapter of All of Us or None at www.allofusornonega.org
- Sign their petition to #endSlaveryinGA at https://www.change.org/EndSlaveryInGA
This event has passed. Our founder moderated New Disabled South's panel about Disability, Reentry and Voter Disenfranchisement in the South.
On September 10, 2024, New Disabled South & New Disabled South Rising hosted "Criminalization of Disability: The Reality of Re-entry and Voter Disenfranchisement in the South". This 1 hour discussion feature info on the programs (or lack thereof) for formerly incarcerated disabled folks and the campaigns that work to return the right to vote to those who were formerly incarcerated.
Waleisah spoke about her personal challenges as a disabled voter, a black voter AND as a formerly incarcerated voter and will moderate the discussion with a panel of voter rights advocates, which included our HOAPE Coalition ally, Page Dukes.
In case you missed it, you can watch the Facebook live stream at https://www.facebook.com/NewDisabledSouth/videos/832661872378541
This event has passed. Our founder was a guest panel expert at NACDL's 23rd Annual State Criminal Justice Network Conference.
In her role as board chair of Restore Georgia, a Georgia nonprofit that serves as a collective voice to advocate for Georgians impacted by the state's sex registry, our founder, Waleisah Wilson-Menefee, spoke on the "Reframing the Discourse: Shifting Perspectives in Sex Offense Policy and Legislation" panel where they discussed the critical issues in criminal justice reform pertaining to sex offenses and delved into the complexities, controversies, and recent developments in this vital area of reform.
In case you missed it, you can watch her Facebook live stream here. We are always proud of our founder's bold leadership, her tell it like it is approach and he ALL inclusive advocacy style. Thank you Waleisah for your advocacy and willingness to stand up against injustice and oppression of ALL people!
Thanks to all who attended and supported our July 2024 #GAReentryAwareness Month events. You can see video recaps here.
July 20, 2024. Atlanta. Free Dinner & Fellowship for Justice-Impacted & Formerly Incarcerated People & Families. You can watch the video recap here.
Congrats to Sandra T. for winning 1st prize ($150) in the arts contest & to Porshia for winning $25 for best button!
The purpose of this annual event is to emphasize the importance of formerly incarcerated people being in community with others with shared, lived experiences who have been successful in their own reentry! Peer mentorship is critical inside of jails and prisons and one released and has many benefits that include:
1. Being a part of positive social networks prevent recidivism
2. Being a part of positive social networks puts one in close proximity of positive role models that can also offer support in many areas
Activities included:
- Cash giveaways
- Voter education
- Arts contest (voting and social justice related)
- Button making
- A tour of Cabbagetown mural projects
- Screening of "Until We All Count" by Page Dukes & "Working in Captivity: A Woman's Quest to End (prison) Slavery in Georgia" by our founder Waleisah Wilson-Menefee.
Catering was provided by Down Home Southern Catering, LLC. (a justice-impacted caterer)
This event was sponsored by the Cabbagetown Initiative, the Heising-Simons Foundation, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, Restore Georgia, Taking Charge Consulting, LLC., Pro Med Consulting, LLC, Beauty & Body by Egypt & Elysium Consulting, LLC. and was in partnership with the HOAPE Coalition and Page Dukes.
July 1, 2024. Ballots & Bites (Voter Education & Dinner). Columbus. 4pm-7pm. You can watch the video recap here.
Our #GAReentryAwarenessMonth2024 kickoff voter education event in Columbus, GA on July 1st was a success! Thanks to all who came out to hear about the great work we and our partners Fair Count & VoteRiders do to educate and keep citizens civically engaged, especially those with a felony who didn't know that they could vote (as long as they are not on paper). Special thanks to our board members Andrea & Kelton for attending, to KJB Designs for decorating the space, to our sponsors Heising-Simons Foundation, A New Way of Life and Pro Med Consulting, LLC. and to Down Home Southern Catering, LLC. for catering the event and to the HOAPE coalition for your partnership.
Just a reminder that the last day to register to vote in the General Election is October 7th, early voting runs from Tuesday, October 15th through Friday, November 1st and election Day is Tuesday, November 5th.
- To learn more about voting with a felony in GA, visit click here and www.nlscoinc.org/voting and register to attend our July 30th virtual event "Voting with a Felony in GA: Reclaim Your Vote" here.
- Visit www.vote-365.org to learn more about elections
- Visit www.faircount.org/events for ways to get involved
- If you need a voter ID, and ID, birth certificate, marriage or divorce decree to support you in your effort to vote, visit www.voteriders.org.
April, 10, 2024. 3pm. Columbus, GA
Goodwill Career Center
(Bldg. B, rooms 2 & 3)
2601 Cross Country Drive
We partnered with the Columbus Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Fair Count, Vote Riders and GA Equality;s TransAction GA to share info with attendees about redistricting, absentee and provisional ballots, new voter laws and procedures in Columbus and in the state, voting with a criminal conviction, early termination of probation, voting as a trans Georgian and more that equipped attendees with becoming a more informed voter.
July 30, 2024. Virtual. Reclaim Your Vote: Voting with a Felony in Georgia & Early Probation Termination . This event has passed. You can watch the recording here. Georgia Justice Project gave info on:
- who can and can’t vote in Georgia
- why you should vote
- how you may be able to vote in Georgia with a felony
- what to do if you are on probation
- what to do if you owe fines, fees and/or restitution
- how to vote if you are in jail
- hear about how you may be able to terminate your probation early
- how to get a pardon
- how to request a certificate of sentence completion
This event was in partnership with Georgia Justice Project and the HOAPE Coalition.
July 17, 2024. VIRTUAL. 4pm EST. Challenges of Reentry for Special Populations. You can watch the recording here.
This virtual panel discussion addressed the inequities in accessing resources for formerly incarcerated people who are:
- Older
- Trans
- Living with a Mental Illness or Substance Dependency
- Impacted by the Sex Off***er Registry
Guest presenters:
- Chanel Haley, Director of Education & Community Engagement at Georgia Equality's TransAction GA
- Shanequa Bonvillain, Street Medicine Case Manager at Mercy Care & a Child of Formerly Incarcerated Parent
- Denny Chan, Managing Director of Equity Advocacy at Justice in Aging
- Tabatha Trammell, Founder of a Woman With a Plan
- Pete Profiteer, Board Director of Restore Georgia & serial tech entrepreneur
This is event was sponsored by:
- Taking Charge Consulting, LLC.
- ProMed Consulting, LLC.
- Restore Georgia, Inc.
- Elysium Consulting, LLC.
NARSOL 2024 Conference speakers announced! Our founder is the Sunday (June 23rd) keynote!
Our founder and Board President, Waleisah Wilson, was one of the key note speakers at this year's NARSOL (Nat'l Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws) conference. Her speech "Where's the Mercy: Balancing Justice & Common Sense" engaged the thoughts of those in attendance of topics such as grace, mercy, forgiveness and common sense when engaging with, providing services to and integrating with men, women and children living on the sex off***er registry and addressing the barbaric, oppressive and counterproductive laws and policies that cause more harm to communities than keep us safe.
The conference was sold out! You can read the summary wrap up here.
Planning for next year’s conference is already underway. It will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 26-29, 2025. You can register with the Super Early Bird Registration price by clicking here.
April, 4, 2024. 9a-1pm. Columbus, GA
Day reporting Center
334 2nd Avenue
Board member Andez tabled at this event to share our services and educated attendees who were on & off probation of their possible right to vote in Georgia.
July 24, 2024. Decatur. 6pm. Reentry & Education.
To address the disparity of access to education for people impacted by the criminal legal system and/or returning home from incarceration & the role access to education plays to a successful reentry, NewLife-Second Chance Outreach, Inc. partnered with the DeKalb Co. Library for a focus group and discussion on:
- Education & literacy (reading ability)
- Digital Equity (computer & technology skills)
- Financial Literacy & Wellness (access to banking and budgeting tools)
- Voter Education
Dinner was provided and there were cash giveaways.
This event was sponsored by the Dekalb Co. Library System, the Heising-Simons Foundation, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, Restore Georgia, Taking Charge Consulting, LLC., Pro Med Consulting, LLC, Beauty & Body by Egypt & Elysium Consulting, LLC. and was in partnership with the HOAPE Coalition.
July 5, 2024- Grocery Giveaway, Douglasville, GA. 5pm-6pm. In partnership with Blessings Working Together for their First Friday Grocery Giveaway, we gave away groceries AND cash gift cards to 10 justice-involved or formerly incarcerated individuals or heads of households.
While waiting 1-2.5 hrs in line to start "shopping", NL-SCO, Inc. volunteers and board members informed them of their voter rights, informed them that Georgians with felonies can vote as long as the were not on probation and parole and gave them instructions and resources on how to check their voter status, their polling location and to register online. They engaged with over 150 people during that time.
Special thanks to our board members, Waleisah & Shanequa, and to our volunteers, Meeko & Mr. Coffee for your commitment to give freely on this day to travel over an hour to make our portion of the event happen for those we serve. From traveling to shopping and assembling bags to unloading, distributing bags and engaging with voters, you all are very appreciated.
This event was sponsored by Pro Med Consulting, LLC. & Kroger.
You can see a video recap of the event here.
June 15, 2024. 10a-2pm. Atlanta (Mechanicsville). Board members, Waleisah, Chay and Shanequa tabled at New Georgia Project's F.I.R.E. event on Saturday, June 15th, in Mechanicsville to provide voter education and voting restoration info to formerly incarcerated community members. In addition to voter education, they gave info on voter disenfranchisement, facts to clear up the myth that a felony or fines, fees or restitution keeps you from voting in GA and gave info on how to cancel a voter registration to those on parole or felony probation who had previously registered to vote. #VoterEducation #RestoreTheVote
April 1, 2024. 8pm EST.
In case you missed our founder's April 8th's Impostrix Podcast appearance (S2E10) "Building a Career After Incarceration" where she discussed how she navigated barriers to reentry (including imposter syndrome), her career journey, starting 2 businesses after her release from prison and her work as a criminal justice reform activist and agitator.
Click to listen to the podcast
Click to watch on YouTube
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