Action Alert # 3 - Save Crossroads Adult Transition Center - Please Act Now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Public Policy and External Relations March 30, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Urgent SAFER FOUNDATION: ACTION ALERT #3   __________________ SAVE CROSSROADS ADULT TRANSITION CENTER    March 30, 2012   Crossroads ATC helps rebuild lives, families, and communities     We need your help! Contact your state legislators today to voice opposition to Governor Quinn's proposal to cut FY 2013 funding for the vitally important reentry program at Crossroads Adult Transition Center.   Consider this:   When a person with a criminal record is able to rebuild his life through employment and education, the impact goes well beyond the individual.  The family becomes stronger and healthier when the individual is a productive member, and the community is stronger and safer when there are more contributing members of society.   Crossroads ATC, which has served Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood since 1983, provides 750 men each year with access to cost-effective services, such as substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, basic skills, GED preparation, job preparedness training, parenting skills, and family reunification. Crossroads works, and it makes a difference in lives, families and communities!   Watch this short video to see how Crossroads clients are making a real difference in their communities.  How Safer Foundation Helps   Without reentry programs, like those provided by Crossroads, there are real risks: Unsuccessful transition from prison (the revolving syndrome) Communities and human services organizations being forced to bear the financial and social burden of managing unemployed persons with criminal records Public safety put in jeopardy.   We need your help to save Crossroads!   Take Action Today:   Call your state lawmakers today to express your disagreement with Governor Quinn's proposal to cut funding to Crossroads. CLICK HERE, to use the attached phone script. Find your legislator here: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109435319415&s=0&e=001k1DwNk1g59X6IecujTCNr1YHJUEuSXBe2R0mvRRapiKkbqv2Fn90_CaUt1B-0JHCNS9tNG59sMTHUuePuxvqQMefMH_omIUH    Mail a letter to ask your legislator to work to reverse the Governor's decision and to convince his/her colleagues to do the same. CLICK HERE, to use the attached letter. Find your legislator here: http://www.ilga.gov/    Sign an online petition encouraging Illinois legislators to restore funding to Crossroads. http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109435319415&s=0&e=001k1DwNk1g59X6IecujTCNr1YHJUEuSXBe2R0mvRRapiKkbqv2Fn90_CaUt1B-0JHCrfEdHcmQ64ANWiRFaJwkJKSgU3_SwKfp    Encourage your family and friends through conversation, and your Facebook and Twitter followers, to join you in this stand to save Crossroads.              The Message: Below are several points to make when calling or writing your legislator.   The decision to close Crossroads Adult Transition Center will have a severely negative impact on the public safety and fiscal health of our State. We understand that the current economic situation is difficult, but cutting funding to programs that actually save taxpayers money and protect our communities is not the way to fix it. Closing Crossroads would:     Hurt our State's long-term economic health. Put thousands of families in our communities at risk of increased criminal activity. Hinder hundreds of former offenders from becoming productive members of society. Be an irresponsible use of taxpayers' dollars.   Please ask lawmakers to reverse Governor Quinn's decision and help protect the people and the financial future of Illinois.   If you have any questions, please call Jon Kaplan or Veronica Cunningham at Safer Foundation, (312) 922-2200.   Follow Us on Twitter! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow @SaferFoundation on Twitter for more updates on criminal justice news and more information about the organization. We appreciate your support!  Public Policy and External Relations Contacts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ B. Diane Williams, President / CEO Veronica Cunningham, Vice President, Public Policy and External Relations Jon Kaplan, Director, Marketing ans Communication Anthony Lowery, Director, Policy and Advocacy phone: 312-922-2200 www.saferfoundation.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Many articles refer to people with criminal records as "ex-offenders" or "offenders". While we appreciate all the positive press these issues receive, we are working to use other terms to describe our clients that do not carry such negative connotations. These terms include "people with criminal records" or "people reentering society".