Dear John xxxxxx, 

Whether you’ve been watching online or marching on the front lines, there’s likely a moment when the news stops streaming, or you arrive home and take off your mask, and wonder “what’s next?” or “what else can I do?”

With years of work and a proud list of legislative victories and award-winning programs related to criminal justice reform and social equity, ARC is here to help. See below three actions you can take TODAY that will contribute to the healing and reimagining of our society into one that lifts up all voices and supports all people:

DONATE: Donate to ARC HERE and see exactly where your support goes. 

ACTIVATE: Your voice matters and has power. Contacting your state representative is a great way to use that power to change your community for the better.

• ARC is currently pushing to get Assembly Constitutional Amendment 6 (ACA 6) passed. ACA 6 will restore the right to vote to people on parole. Nearly 50,000 Californians on parole are working, going to school, paying taxes, and raising families, yet their voices are not being heard. ACA 6 must pass the Senate by June 25th to be placed on the November 2020 ballot. Call your Senator to voice support for ACA 6 and the end of taxation without representation for 50,000 Californians.

You can view past policy victories and the number of people that victory impacted, HERE. Follow ARC on social media to be updated on the outcome of ACA 6 and to hear about upcoming bills that need your support.

EDUCATE: 

• Get yourself a copy of The Meaning of Life, a book by Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis of The Sentencing Project, which tells the story of three “lifers,” including ARC Executive Director Sam Lewis, and makes a case for abolishing life sentences.
• Familiarize yourself with the struggles system-impacted people fight through every day. It can even be unsafe for some of our community members to practice their first amendment right to protest oppression. Read ARC's Mark Taylor, from the Hope and Redemption Team (HART), illustrate how he protests without risking interaction with the police.

COVID-19 sparked the mantra, “we are all in this together,” but the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Rayshard Brooks, and others, revealed once again that “we” does not include everyone.

Many in our communities are specifically excluded. Many are targeted. Many are ignored. System-involved people and their families often fall into these categories.

And ARC is here to break that paradigm.

We hope you will join us. We welcome your time and talent … as well as your demands and questions.

Sincerely,

Anti-Recidivism Coalition  (ARC)