Tag: Advocacy

  • Incarceration Prevention and Public Safety Learning Community

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    Jen Szenay

    The Incarceration Prevention and Public Safety Learning Community is a statewide network of advocates, organizers, service providers, researchers, practitioners, and community leaders working to reduce reliance on incarceration and advance community-based approaches to public safety. Meeting quarterly, the Learning Community provides a space for those actively engaged in public safety, diversion, restorative justice, violence prevention,…

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  • Prison Programming Providers Table

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    Jen Szenay

    Join us for our next MI-CEMI Prison Programming Providers Table September 1st, 2026 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET At MI-CEMI, we know that robust peer-led and volunteer programming inside Michigan prisons is essential for meaningful rehabilitation and successful community reentry. To continue strengthening and expanding these critical programs, we’re bringing together providers, advocates, and individuals…

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  • The Crisis at WHV Is Bigger Than One Prison

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    Jen Szenay

    Media coverage of recent deaths at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility (WHV) have intensified concerns about systemic problems across Michigan prisons. MI-CEMI and coalition partners are identifying short-, medium-, and long-term actions to improve safety, transparency, healthcare access, and accountability across the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). No single action can address the confluence of…

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  • MI-CEMI Communications Convening to Explore Documentary Storytelling & Narrative Change

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    Jen Szenay

    Join MI-CEMI on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 12:00–1:30 PM ET for our next Communications Convening, “Documentary Storytelling: Using Film to Advance Advocacy & Narrative Change.” This virtual conversation will explore how documentary filmmaking can support advocacy efforts, shift public narratives, elevate lived experience, and contribute to systems change. Attendees will hear from filmmakers, storytellers,…

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  • Citizen’s for Prison Reform’s 15th Annual Legislative Education Day

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    Jen Szenay

    CPR’s 15th Annual Legislative Education Day Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM Capitol Lawn | 100 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing, MI 48933 Join Citizens for Prison Reform for its 15th Annual Legislative Education Day, “Building Bridges to a Safer Michigan: Advancing Justice, Supporting Families, and Strengthening Communities.” This annual advocacy event brings together…

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  • MI-CEMI Opposes New Prison, Jail, and Detention Center Construction in Michigan

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    Jen Szenay

    The Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration (MI-CEMI) opposes construction of new prisons, jails, or immigration detention facilities in the state of Michigan and the reopening of shuttered prison facilities for incarceration or immigration detention. MI-CEMI supports efforts to improve conditions of confinement at prisons and detention facilities and prioritizes efforts to reduce the number…

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  • Back Inside, But Not the Same

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    Jen Szenay

    Earlier this month, MI-CEMI’s Program Coordinator, Michael Taylor, returned to prison for the first time since coming home, joining the Reentry United event at Carson City Correctional Facility. What began as a surreal experience quickly became a powerful reminder of the importance of hope, connection, and the fight to bring people home. Reuniting with men…

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  • Investing in a Safer Michigan: FY2027 Budget Recommendations

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    Jen Szenay

    Budget Negotiation Call To Action The governor, House, and Senate have finalized their proposals for the 2026-2027 budget year. While there are parts to celebrate (maintained funding for reentry community services, no cuts to prison food, etc.), there are significant cuts that cause concern. As lawmakers negotiate the final budget, we call on them to:…

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  • Mass Convening: Dreaming Forward & Organizing Power

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    Jen Szenay

    Join abolitionist practitioners, organizers, and community members from across Michigan for a full-day Mass Convening focused on dreaming forward and organizing power. This gathering will build on the launch of Reimagining Safety Michigan by bringing together those committed to advancing a culture of care, community accountability, and systems transformation. Together, we will deepen relationships, explore…

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  • Reimagining Safety: Kick-off & Training

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    Jen Szenay

    Join us as we publicly launch Reimagining Safety Michigan, a statewide effort building a bold vision for a Michigan rooted in care, collective governance, and community accountability — not policing and prisons. This Kick-off & Training will introduce a powerful set of tools and resources developed over the past year and a half by nine…

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