Legal Action Center and Columbia University’s Center for Science and Society’s Research Cluster in Race, Inequity and Health is hosting a national No Health = No Justice convening to confront the issues of racism and inequality within both the health and criminal justice systems. The convening will provide an opportunity to spotlight innovative state and local models for reform and identify collective next steps that can be undertaken to de-carcerate our nation and foster health equity, particularly for individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders.
The No Health = No Justice campaign is a natural outgrowth of Legal Action Center’s nearly 50 year mission to eradicate discrimination against people in need of substance use treatment and/or who have criminal records. It is also borne out of our frustration and bewilderment that while many initiatives are now underway to reform the criminal justice system, they have not included a cross-sector approach that recognizes the relationship between systemic racism, mass incarceration and inadequate community health care systems.
Justice means making sure people are no longer criminalized for conditions related to their health.
The goal of the convening is to strategize with participants about how to build a movement that:
• Frames, through the voices of historians, activists, health and criminal justice professionals and researchers, the ways in which racism has distorted and defined our views of mental illness and substance use disorders, helping to fuel every public health crisis, including today’s opioid epidemic.
• Increases the number of philanthropic organizations committed to supporting this campaign and related issues within the states.
• Garners the support of national organizations with state affiliates to commit to promoting the tenets of the campaign in more states and local communities.
• Promotes models of state and local jurisdictions that prioritize health over punishment and share their successes and challenges.
Conference Sponsors:
