March 2020 Newsletter
Editor's Note
March is Women’s History Month so I looked at the data for justice-involved women and here's what I found:

  • “The number of incarcerated women increased by more than 750%, from 26,378 in 1980 to 225,060 in 2017,” according to the Sentencing Project.
  • As of 2019, there are “231,000 women and girls incarcerated in the United States,” per the Prison Policy Initiative.
  • Since 1980 the growth rate for female imprisonment has been twice that of men. 

Not only are incarceration rates rising, women are experiencing more severe punishment. A recent report, Women in Prison: Seeking Justice Behind Bars , from the US Commission on Civil Rights , says women in prison, when compared with incarcerated men, often receive disproportionately harsh punishments for minor violations of prison rules. 

The ability to afford bail may be contributing to the increase as 60% of women in jail have not been convicted and are awaiting trial, usually because they are unable to pay bail. When 80% of incarcerated women are our mothers and the primary caretakers of children, it's critical that we include women in the work to reform the justice system.
Leola Abraham, Associate Director of Communications, JPO 
Celebrating Public Defenders
March 18 marks the 57th Anniversary of the landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainwright in which the US Supreme Court unanimously declared the "obvious truth" that "lawyers in criminal court are necessities, not luxuries,” and that the state must provide a lawyer to anyone whose liberty is at stake and who cannot afford one. As such, this March to honor this right and those who protect it, the Right to Counsel National Campaign (R2C) and JPO are celebrating public defenders and the courageous work they do all month long as part of R2C’s #TriviaTuesday .  
 
Follow along on Twitter @righttocounsel and join JPO and other organizations across the US to commemorate the anniversary and the right to counsel by celebrating #PublicDefenseDay #PublicDefenderDay #GideonAnniversary .
Building Relationships to Serve Human Trafficking Survivors Webinar 
Our Maximizing OVC’s Survivor Assistance in Court Settings ( MOSAICS ) team will host Criminal Courts and Service Providers: Building Relationships to Serve Survivors of Human Trafficking , a webinar for court professionals and service providers who work with survivors of human trafficking, Monday, March 30 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT. Register Today .  
 
When survivors of human trafficking face criminal charges, their status as victims and their resulting needs often go unidentified. Often, the criminal legal system lacks the capacity to respond to survivors’ needs with crucial social, legal, and health services.  
 
Join Mónica Arenas, Marissa MacTurk, and Judge John J. Romero, Jr as they discuss:  
  • assessing the needs of survivors facing criminal charges, 
  • identifying resources in your community, 
  • building working relationships with practical advice,  
  • navigating the tensions inherent to the service provider/ criminal court relationship, and 
  • special considerations when providing services to trafficking survivors in the criminal court context. 
 
Learn how strong working relationships and cross-educational partnerships between criminal courts and service providers can help survivors facing criminal charges access the critical assistance they need and potentially reduce the negative consequences of court involvement. Register Here .
Save the Date: Upcoming Event
On Wednesday, May 20 , American University will host Moral Wounds of War and PTSD: A Live Panel Discussion highlighting the efforts in the criminal justice system to meet the needs of justice-involved veterans.  
 
Event moderator Jonathan Elias, of WJLA-TV in Washington, will be joined by keynote speaker Dr. Nancy Sherman, author of Afterwar, and distinguished University Professor at Georgetown University. An expert panel of criminal justice professionals will discuss: the importance of criminal justice practitioners gaining a deeper understanding and awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder, the moral injuries of war, and how jail and prison programming dedicated to incarcerated veterans will improve outcomes both for institutions and their incarcerated veteran population.  
 
Since 9/11, an estimated 2.8 million service members have deployed to combat zones, often with multiple deployments. For far too many of them, the realities of war have meant returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other mental health issues. These veterans find it challenging to reintegrate into civilian life, feeling more connection through the close bonds they formed with their units who can relate to their battlefield experiences. Without this network, they feel isolated, lonely, or misunderstood. Some may self-medicate or act out to ease their pain, leading to their involvement in the criminal justice system.  
 
Moral Wounds of War and PTSD: A Live Panel Discussion is made possible through the partnership of American University’s Justice Programs Office and the National Institute of Corrections, an agency of the US Department of Justice ( info.nicic.gov/jiv). For more information, go to www.american.edu/justice.
Just Research Newsletter 
The Justice in Government Project and the NLADA launched a co-authored monthly newsletter, Just Research , in August 2019.

Just Research presents studies on how legal aid improves outcomes for people and communities and provides useful data sources, legislative updates, and sources of federal funding that can support legal aid. Learn more here .
Friday News Roundup
For the latest in criminal justice news, check out JPOs Friday News Roundup. Read more here .