TimeBanks USA

Racial Justice Initiative LegalandSystemsChangeStrategy T l Teleconference f Wednesday,July22,2009 2 Eastern 2pm E t Time Ti

Pleasenotethatachimesoundsaseachnewcallerjoins soweareaskingfolkstocallinpromptlyandnonewcallersmayjoinafter2:10pm

DialinAccessNumber: 17124323100 ConferenceCode: Code 579114

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CallAgendaHighlights
GivebackgroundontheRacialJusticeInitiative Articulatethelegalandsystemschangestrategy Addressquestions/concernssubmittedduringthe preteleconferencecommentperiod Fieldnewquestionsfromparticipants Discussnextstepsforfollowup

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FormatoftheTeleconference
Guestspeakers p includeProfessor&CoAuthorEdgar g Cahn, CoAuthorCynthiaRobbins,ProfessorJoeTulman Allotherparticipantswillremainmutedthroughoutthecall unlesstheyrequesttospeak Participantsmayrequesttohavetheirphonesunmutedto question/comment i / by b pressing i 5*ontheir h i phone h keypad k d Duetothenumberofcallers,onlyoneparticipantatatime mayhavehis/herphoneunmuted Questionswillbeaddressedintheordertheyarereceived andastimepermits

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TimeBanksUSABackground
TimeBanking,developedin1980byEdgarCahn,isanetworkfor people l to t exchange h ti timewith ithth their i neighbors i hb i inorder d t toserveth their i respectiveneeds,buildsocialcapital,andachievesystemschange. TimeBankingisin40statesand32countries. TimeBanks k USA( (TBUSA), ) f formed din1995,isaThink h k and dDoTank k forreweavingcommunity.TBUSAcreatednovelinnovationssuchas TimeDollarYouthCourt,alargescalediversionprogramfor arrestedyouthinWashington,DCandothercitieswhichgreatly reducesjuvenilerecidivism. TBUSAhashosted5internationalTimeBankingconferences.The mostrecentone one,inJune2009 2009,includedaColloquiumcalled DismantlingStructuralRacisminJuvenileJusticeandChildWelfare. TheColloquiumpubliclylaunchedTUBSAsRacialJusticeInitiative.

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RacialJusticeInitiativeColloquium DismantlingStructuralRacisminJuvenileJusticeandChildWelfare June26,2009 8:30a.m.12:30p.m.

WelcomeMessage EdgarCahn Founder,TimeBanksUSAandCoLeaderoftheInitiative VoicesfromtheRealWorldofJuvenileJusticeandChildWelfare YakuaBanks YouthAdvocateProgram,Newark,NJ FrankDAgostino ProgramCoordinator,YouthAdvocateProgram,Newark,NJ GregoryRossetti PoliceOfficer,CityofMadison,WI LeahGjertson AdvocateJudge,DaneCountyTimeBankYouthCourt ShaneSalter ExecutiveDirector,CASADC,Author,FosterParent,FosterCareSurvivor ANewTheorytoEnforceCivilRights CynthiaRobbins CoLeaderoftheRacialJusticeInitiative PrototypeHearingonEffectiveRemedies HearingOfficers: JoAnnWallace,ExecutiveDirector,NationalLegalAid&DefenderAssociation LindseyDraper,DMCCoordinator,OfficeofJusticeAssistance,Wisconsin ShirleyMarcusAllen,Partner,VenturePhilanthropyPartners Panel#1:DataonInjury ChrisBaird,ExecutiveVicePresident,NationalCouncilonCrimeandDelinquency;PerryMoriearty,ClinicalProfessor, UniversityofMinnesotaLawSchool;andJamettaAlston,RhodeIslandChildAdvocate,OfficeoftheChildAdvocate Panel#2:SystemsChangeAgents BartLubow,DirectorofPrograms,AnnieE.CaseyFoundation;JamesBell,FounderandExecutiveDirector,W.Haywood BurnsInstitute;andVincentSchiraldi,Director,DCDepartmentofYouthRehabilitativeServices Panel#3:AlternativesthatWork DanaNewman,YouthAdvocateProgramsInc.;CathyCiano,ParentSupportNetwork,RhodeIsland;andMattFraidin, Professor,UDCDavidA.ClarkeSchoolofLaw Panel#4:AlternativesthatWork RonLospennato,Director,SouthernPovertyLawCenter;ToussaintTinglingClemmons,JuryTrainingCoordinator,Time DollarYouthCourt;andJosephTulman,UDCDavidA.ClarkeSchoolofLaw ActionPlanningGroups(allattendeesshouldchooseonegroup) Policy/Advocacy Community&YouthEngagement Litigation GovernmentOfficials&HearingOfficers TheoryintoPracticePlenary ThiseventisfundedinpartbyagenerousgrantfromtheW.K.KelloggFoundation of 14 7/22/2009 Page 5

OverviewofTBUSAs RacialJusticeInitiative
In2008, ,Edgar g (Cahn) ( )securedap planning gg grantfromthe WKKelloggFoundationandbeganalandmarkeffortto addressstructuralracism,andrecruitedCynthia(Robbins) tocoleadtheeffort. effort TBUSAsRacialJusticeInitiativecombinesatargetedlegal theory h with i hTime Ti Bankings B ki coreprinciples i i l toaddress dd disproportionalityinjuvenilejustice,childwelfareand special p education. Thisteleconference,likethelawreviewarticle,AnOffer TheyCant Can tRefuse,focusesonjuvenilejustice.

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Backgroundofthe L land Legal d S SystemsCh ChangeS Strategy

OnJune30,2009,UniversityoftheDistrictofColumbia(UDC)LawReview prep publicationversionofAnOffer ff They yCantRefuse: f Racial releasedap DisparityinJuvenileJusticeandDeliberateIndifferenceMeetAlternatives ThatWork,byEdgarCahnandCynthiaRobbins(AnOfferortheArticle). TheIntentDoctrinesetforthinWashingtonvDavis (1976)createda significant f burden b d for f plaintiffs l ff seeking k relief l ffrom f government discriminationbecauseitrequiresthemtoprovethatthegovernment intendedtodiscriminate. ThisIntent Thi I Doctrine D i has h hindered hi d defforts ff todismantle di l structural lracism i andaddresswelldocumentedDisproportionateMinorityContactand Confinement(DMC)withintheJuvenileDelinquencySystem. AnOfferpresentsaLegalandSystemsChangeStrategythatoffersanew waytoovercomethe30yearoldchallengeofprovingthediscriminatory intentofgovernmentofficialsincivilrightscases,whileenfranchising youth,familiesandcommunityadvocatestoholdofficialsaccountable.

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LegalTheoryOverview
ThebasisoftheArticlesnewtheoryisauniqueapplicationinthe j juvenile il justice j ti and dEqual E lProtection P t ti context t tof fthe th Deliberate D lib t IndifferencestandardfromCityofCantonvHarris (1989) UnderCityofCantonvHarris,amunicipalitycanbeliableunder42 USC 1983onlywhereitspoliciescausetheConstitutional violation Onlyifamunicipalitys municipality spracticesevidencedeliberate indifferencetotherightsofitsinhabitantscansucha shortcomingbeproperlythoughtofasacitypolicyorcustom actionableunder42USC 1983(inthiscase,itwasafailureto t i its train it employees) l ) Municipalliabilityunder42USC 1983attachesif,andonlyif, citypolicymakersdeliberatelychooseapracticeorpolicyfrom amongvarious i alternatives lt ti

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Textof42USC 1983(Codificationof the h Civil lRights h Act) )

Everypersonwho,undercolorofanystatute,ordinance, regulation, l ti custom, t orusage,of fanySt State t orT Territory it orth theDi District t i t ofColumbia,subjects,orcausestobesubjected,anycitizenofthe UnitedStatesorotherpersonwithinthejurisdictionthereoftothe deprivation p ofany yrights, g ,p privileges, g ,orimmunitiessecuredby ythe Constitutionandlaws,shallbeliabletothepartyinjuredinan actionatlaw,suitinequity,orotherproperproceedingforredress, exceptthatinanyactionbroughtagainstajudicialofficerforanact oromissiontakeninsuchofficer officers sjudicialcapacity, capacity injunctiverelief shallnotbegrantedunlessadeclaratorydecreewasviolatedor declaratoryreliefwasunavailable Forthepurposesofthissection,anyActofCongressapplicable exclusivelytotheDistrictofColumbiashallbeconsideredtobea statuteoftheDistrictofColumbia

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ProvingDeliberateIndifference
Afailurebypolicymakerstouseknowledgeabouteffective alternativestoincarcerationthatreduceDMCgivesriseto liabilityunder42USC 1983 Toprovedeliberateindifferenceforpurposesofaclaim under42USC 1983,aplaintiffmustdemonstrate:
Injury I j to t aright i htprotected t t dby b the th Constitution C tit ti orfederal f d llaw l Thattheinjurywasrelativelycertaintooccur Thatthegovernment governments scourseofactionwasoneselectedfromamong variousalternatives

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APathtoProvingDeliberate Indifference d ff
Onceofficialsreceiveformalnoticeoftheraciallydisparate injurycausedbytheirpresentpracticeandnotice,aswell, oftheavailabilityofeffectivealternatives alternatives,the governmentscontinuationofthestatusquoconstitutes deliberateindifferenceandprovesintentfor42USC 1983 cases. cases juvenilej justicecontext, ,continuing gtoincarcerate Inthej youthofcoloratdisproportionateratesinsteadofusing moreeffective,lessexpensivealternativesconstitutes deliberate deliberateindifference. indifference

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APathtoProvingDeliberate Indifference d ff
Toestablishdeliberateindifferenceinthej juvenilej justice context,AnOfferTheyCantRefuseproposesaPublic Hearingprocesstoputofficialsonformalnoticethat:
ThepresentsystemresultsindocumentedDMCthatviolatesthe Constitution; Theracialdisparityremainsevenwhenaccountingforallrace neutral factors; Injuriesflowfromthisdisparity,specificallyfromthe disproportionatelyhighdetentionandincarcerationratesforyouthof color but color, but,infact fact,ateverypointinthesystemyouthofcolorare subjectedtoharshertreatment; Highlyeffective,evidencebased,replicable,andlesscostly alternativeswouldsubstantiallyreduceDMC DMC.

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Achieving gSystems y Change g

Afterreceivingnotice,ifofficialsoptnottousemoreeffectiveand l expensive less i alternatives lt ti to t incarceration i ti and dcontinue ti the th status t t quoofdisproportionateincarceration,thentheywouldbeliable under42USC 1983 Officials Offi i l who h maintain i t i th thestatus t t quowill illb bepolitically liti ll vulnerable l bl Litigationiscostlyandtimeconsuming;itisalastresort Wearehopefulthat, that officialsfacingthethreatofprovableliability willfeelcompelledtoadoptalternatives TheRacialJusticeInitiativestrategywillgiveofficialsthepolitical covertoestablishcommunitybasedalternativestoincarceration cover foryouth;theInitiativewillinsulateofficialsagainsttoughon crimeopponents

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NextSteps
Comments We W invite i it statements t t t of fsupport tfor f the th Initiatives I iti ti legal l land dsystems t changestrategy. Pleasesendanemailwithanysupportstatementor indicatingawillingnesstobecalledtodevelopabriefstatement to comments@racialjusticeinitiative.org comments@racialjusticeinitiative org Wealsoinvitecommentsonthelawreviewarticle,AnOfferTheyCant RefuseuntilJuly30,2009via comments@racialjusticeinitiative.org Actions Wouldyouoryourorganizationbeinterestedinhelpingtoorganizea publichearing p gtoaddressdisproportionality? p p y Doy youknowlegislators, g , judgesand/oradministratorswhomightbewillingtoconveneahearingto putofficialsonnotice?

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