Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research is pleased to offer a free virtual training on engaging community members and organizations in pretrial advancements to build trust, share information, and partner on policy and practice changes. The training will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 1 to 3 p.m. ET. The deadline to register is Thursday, August 15.
About the Training
Community engagement is an important process that builds relationships and partnerships among community members, local organizations, and government entities. Engaging communities broadly—including people affected by the pretrial system specifically—can help pretrial stakeholders and practitioners develop and implement effective policies and practices that deliver just, equitable outcomes.
Participants will explore what constitutes meaningful community engagement, gain an understanding of a range of engagement approaches, and learn how to assess local readiness for engaging the public. Attendees will also hear from practitioners and people with lived experience about overcoming challenges and identifying opportunities for effective engagement.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the training participants will:
- Learn how to use the spectrum of engagement to share information on pretrial advancements or gather feedback on the impact of your pretrial efforts
- Understand how to foster a community-oriented mindset in your organization
- Access in-depth resources on how to engage your community and people with lived experience to improve pretrial justice outcomes
- Hear how pretrial practitioners have worked with communities, including people who have lived experience, to improve pretrial justice
- Gain insight on how to identify and address community engagement barriers
- Be familiar with APPR resources and the APPR Community
Training Faculty
Orleny Rojas, senior manager for racial equity and justice, Center for Effective Public Policy
Before joining CEPP, where she supports the APPR initiative, Ms. Rojas managed implementing and operating New York City’s Supervised Release Program in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and on Staten Island as director of criminal court operations. She led a team of social service practitioners who partnered with community organizations to meet the needs of pretrial participants and improve pretrial outcomes. Ms. Rojas has more than 12 years of experience working with criminal justice and community stakeholders to center and address the needs of vulnerable populations.
Brandon Brown, consultant, APPR
Mr. Brown is a Ph.D. student at George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. He was the first person in Maine to earn a graduate degree while in custody. While incarcerated, Mr. Brown found positive ways to contribute to his community. He has worked on various projects focused on elevating the voices of people with lived experience in the criminal legal system to bring about positive change, improve outcomes, and center equity.
Application Process
If you are interested in participating in the webinar, please complete the registration application by Thursday, August 15.
APPR will make selection decisions immediately after the August 15 registration deadline. Confirmed participants will receive additional information about the training, including how to attend the sessions and access related resources.
Please direct any questions to Samuel Steed, operations assistant at the Center for Effective Public Policy, at ssteed@cepp.com.