ALIVE, FREE &UNITED

A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN STRATEGY TO SAVE LIVES AND BUILD OPPORTUNITY IN RICHMOND BY REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE AND ENDING MASS INCARCERATION & MASS DEPORTATION
Prepared by Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO); Safe Return Project; and the Pacic Institute. MAY 2012 Dedicated to the Mothers of Richmond and Contra Costa County who stand for peace, love and unity

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Table of Contents:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS Alive, Free, and United Proposals for Change Who We Are THE CHALLENGE OF OUR MOMENT The Cost of Violence Mass Incarceration & the Broken Road Home (IN)Secure Communities & Mass Deportation OUR RESPONSE 3 4 6 8 8 10 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 17 18

Ceasere Lifelines to Healing Ban the Box & Build a Bridge Home Evidence Based Strategies to Reduce Recidivism Ending Mass Deportations in Contra Costa County Shared Prosperity: Community Benets Agreement with BLNL Protect Adult Education Make Democracy Work CLOSING SUMMARY

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ALIVE, FREE & UNITED ALIVE, FREE & UNITED

A A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN STRATEGY TO SAVE LIVES AND BUILD COMMUNITY-DRIVEN STRATEGY TO SAVE LIVES AND BUILD OPPORTUNITY IN OPPORTUNITY IN RICHMOND BY REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE INCARCERATION & MASS RICHMOND BY REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE AND ENDING MASS AND ENDING MASS DEPORTATION INCARCERATION & MASS DEPORTATION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS

We stand at a watershed moment in the history of the city of Richmond. A once proud and purposeful city that was a model for the country, Richmond has been burdened in recent times by the scourge of disinvestment and violence. In recent years, a new spirit of hope and resilience has taken root. Richmond is once again being looked at as a model for progressive and innovative strategies to expand opportunity. However, the scal and economic pressures of the Great Recession threaten to pull the City back into the old narrative of division and turmoil. Gun-related homicides and rearm related injuries from shootings are steadily declining because of powerful strategies such as the Peace Fellowship, new strategic policing efforts and the Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing movement, which has mobilized community energy around embracing these types of innovative solutions. However, there are some who would insist that we turn back, despite the staggering realities that the residents of Richmond and Contra Costa County face on a daily basis. Some of these issues include: Nearly 80% of Richmond residents who are formerly incarcerated are unemployed, yet there are some who insist we should build more prison beds before providing employment assistance. Contra Costa is one

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of the most diverse counties in the region and has beneted greatly from the contributions of immigrants, yet we have the highest rate of immigrant arrest and deportations in the Bay Area. There have been more American lives lost to gun violence in the past ten years than in the Korean, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq wars combined (Clergy Lay People Urge Faith Based Push for Nonviolent Initiatives). Mass incarceration on a scale never seen in human history is one of the fundamental facts of our country today as there are more AfricanAmericans under correctional control in 2012 than were enslaved in 1850 (Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow). Deportations have surged in recent years and private immigrant prisons make over $5 billion in annual prot (Peter Rothberg, Immigrants for Sale). Difcult times call for prophetic vision and bold action. CCISCO and the Safe Return Project have developed an ambitious set of proposals and strategies to propel the transformation of Richmond into a place of freedom and opportunity, where diversity is celebrated and life is sacred. Our agenda for transformation is inspired by our unwavering belief in a God of abundance that has provided us with more than enough for what we need. Rather than succumbing to a mentality of fear, driven by scarcity, we need to live into the reality of the abundance

that we have. This belief requires us to critically examine our priorities and investments and focus on strategies that expand opportunity. It also requires us to dismantle systems that would exploit and oppress our communities. We believe that the threats of the epidemic of gun violence, mass incarceration and mass deportations are three of the greatest challenges to the future of Richmond and to America as a Land of Opportunity. Our proposals are simple. Invest in peoplevalue life and freedom keep families united. We have a set of very concrete proposals that would propel Richmond and Contra Costa County on a path that would honor our deepest values and put us on a road to real economic vitality. ALIVE, FREE & UNITED PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE: SAVE LIVES The City of Richmond and Contra Costa County should support funding for the services component of the groundbreaking Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing initiative; The Contra Costa Sheriff s Department should join the Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing initiative to encourage regional law enforcement collaboration.

SAFE RETURN Fund the rst stop welcoming center as an evidence-based pilot-program to promote unied re-entry services for Contra Costa County; Provide funding for job training and transitional employment through AB109 realignment funding; Incorporate bail reform strategies into the realignment policies to reduce unnecessary detention. KEEP FAMILIES UNITED Contra Costa County should join a growing number of counties, which include Santa Clara and San Francisco that are no longer honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers at a county level. BUILD OPPORTUNITY The City of Richmond should promote the development of a community benets agreement that connects disadvantaged workers to employment opportunities and aligns with the linked learning academies in high schools throughout West Contra Costa County. The City of Richmond should expand its ban the box hiring policy to ensure city vendors do not discriminate against applicants with a past conviction, and Contra Costa County should pass legislation making this change to its own hiring

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Mass incarceration on a scale never seen in human history is one of the fundamental facts of our country today as there are more African-Americans under correctional control in 2012 than were enslaved in 1850.

PROTECT EDUCATION: The West Contra Costa Unied School District should protect baseline funding for adult education programs. MAKE DEMOCRACY WORK CCISCO leaders are prepared to embark on an ambitious civic engagement strategy to contact 10,000 Richmond voters around this agenda for peace and opportunity. CCISCO and PICO California have also endorsed the statewide revenue measure to support education and public safety and will be encouraging faith voters to vote their values in November 2012.

ALIVE, FREE & UNITED

SAVE LIVES

SAFE RETURN

KEEP FAMILIES UNITED

Contra Costa should no longer honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers at a county level.

BUILD OPPORTUNITY

PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE

Support funding for services component of Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing

Fund the rst stop welcoming center. Provide Job training and transitional employment through AB109

Richmond should promote the development of a CBA that connects disadvantaged workers to employment opportunities

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WHO WE ARE: CCISCO: Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organizing CCISCO is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, interfaith federation of 22 congregations representing over 38,000 families across the county. Since 1996, we have been organizing a voice for justice and equity in Contra Costa. CCISCO is a part of the PICO National Network which is made of up 53 faith-based community organizations in 18 states representing nearly 1 million families. OUR IMPACT Over the past year, CCISCO leaders have been hard at work in helping to transform our community and country. CEASEFIRE-LIFELINES TO HEALING: We are helping to our community ALIVE and FREE and build pathways to opportunity through our work with the Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing movement. We have helped to engage hundreds of Richmond residents in this movement. Every week CCISCO clergy and community leaders walk the streets to promote peace and healing. KEEPING FAMILIES UNITED: We have helped to pass policies to help newcomers to integrate and keep families united. We worked hard with the Richmond City Council to unanimously pass a Municipal ID card to show that we value everyone in Richmond and we worked with the Richmond Police Department to pass a new policy to stop the conscation of peoples vehicles. MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK: We have helped over 100 residents become new citizens; registered

hundreds of new voters and are planning to contact 10,000 Richmond voters this November about our agenda for peace and opportunity.

THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE The Pacic Institute is an Oakland-based independent non-prot that works to create a healthier planet and sustainable communities. Founded in 1987, we conduct interdisciplinary research and partner with stakeholders to produce solutions that advance environmental protection, economic development, and social equityin California, nationally and internationally. Our Community Strategies for Sustainability and Justice Program works to build community power to create and sustain healthy neighborhood environments. Since 1995 this program has worked to overcome the common root causes to economic, environmental, and community health challenges in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color through action research that advances innovative, cross-cutting solutions developed by impacted residents. We believe that communities have the right to excellent research support and that a participatory research process can support many aspects of community organizing and advocacy campaigns to win healthy neighborhood environments, a thriving economy, and social justice. The Pacic Institute is a founding partner of the Safe Return Project and provides capacity building and technical assistance to the Safe Return Team. We are committed to support the leadership of formerly incarcerated community leaders engaged in research and advocacy to improve community reintegration.

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SAFE RETURN PROJECT

WHATE WE DO:

We are carrying out research, community organizing and WHO WE ARE: education, and policy development The Safe Return Team is a group of formerly incarcerated Richmond and advocacy to support leadership residents working to strengthen the in our community and create the relationship of people coming right conditions for people to Got the City of Richmond to home from incarceration with the successfully reintegrate. Our ban the box, removing questions broader community. We understand accomplishments and ongoing work that breaking the cycle of about employment applicants since 2010 are: incarceration and crime will take conviction history from the citys changes in the way our community Interviewed more than 600 application, with the support of a residents about their perspectives relates to members coming home, majority of city council. on how Richmond can become and positive leadership by formerly incarcerated residents contributing safer, healthier and more Got the Community Corrections to the greater community. We are powerful. Partnership to create a carrying out research, community Community Advisory Group a organizing, and policy advocacy to Designed an extensive survey formal way for community build our communitys power to using scientic methods and make this change. We work with members to engage in major surveyed 104 adults on probation fellow formerly incarcerated decisions about realignment in and parole to ll a major gap in residents, their families, service Contra Costa County. information about the needs and providers, public ofcials and agencies, and employers and others experiences of this population. Worked with the City of Richmond to develop strategies and taken and reentry service providers to action. Our supporting Met with more than 15 identify a site and develop plans for organizations are CCISCO, Pacic organizations from the Bay Area programming at a First-Stop Institute, and Richmond Ofce of and throughout the US to learn Welcoming Center that will provide Neighborhood Safety. from successful models of information, referrals, and a peer community organizing, violence support group to Richmond residents prevention, economic development, and reentry services.
returning home.

Held two major events on reentry in Richmond drawing together nearly 200 residents to advocate policy changes to improve opportunities for formerly incarcerated people.

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THE QUIS SET AHMET EGESTACHALLENGE OF OUR MOMENT

When the truth of the molestie, a the rich vel e2ng richer, he poor a class. Malesuada eleifend, tortor ma-er is that fusce aare get. Aliquam tamet estre ge2ng poorer, and years ago I used to say that the middle class is going to disappear, the middle class has disappeared. Today as I sit here there is a highway into poverty and there is not even a sidewalk anymore to get out. Suze Orman on Meet the Press, January 15, 2012

One in ve Americans has struggled to put food on the table in the past year and nearly half of all households in American lack basic economic security (Living Below the Line: Economic Insecurity and Americas Families).

THE COST OF VIOLENCE

The City of Richmond has been decimated by the epidemic of gun violence over the past fteen years. Criminally involved group members make up less than 0.5% of Richmonds population and were responsible for 56% of all homicides between 2008 and 2010. Gun violence is concentrated in an area of less than 1.5 square miles in the City. These are areas of highly concentrated poverty.

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The loss of life has had a profound and traumatizing impact on all sectors of the city. It has also exacted a signicant toll on the economic and scal vitality of Richmond. The Center for Disease Control estimates that each homicide by rearm costs an estimated $1,387,382. This does not include associated law enforcement costs such as investigation, prosecution and potential incarceration. The Contra Costa District Attorneys Ofce estimates that it costs $500,000 alone to prosecute a homicide.
Table 1. Center for Disease Control estimates of cost of gunshot deaths and injury Death/Injury Avg. Medical Avg. Medical Avg. Work Loss Avg. Work Costs (2005 Costs est. Costs (2005 Loss Costs dollars) 2012 dollars) est. 2012 dollars* dollars* $4914 $5772 $1,176,277 1,381,610 6681 16,420 1,666,981 79,154 1,957,973 92, 971 Avg. Total Cost (2005 dollars) $1,181,191 1,672,669 93,134 Avg. Total Cost est. 2012 dollars* 1,387,382 1,964,654 109, 392

Homicide by rearm Youth homicide 5,688 by rearm Nonfatal 13,980 Hospitalized injury due to rearm Youth nonfatal 13,425 hospitalized injury due to rearm

15,769

78,462

92,159

91,887

107, 927

*Estimated using Consumer Price Index ination calculator at http://146.142.4.24/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl Youth dened as age 10-24 Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2003). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [2012 May 8] Homicide by rearm costs available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/violentdeaths/table6.html

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MASS INCARCERATION & THE BROKEN ROAD HOME

There are about 2,000 residents in Richmond, North Richmond and San Pablo that are currently on parole or probation. Thousands more are no longer on probation or parole but still face challenges when accessing employment, housing, and critical services. In recent years, about two thirds of residents going to prison had already been incarcerated before. To break this cycle, we must more effectively support our brothers and sisters to rebuild their lives. Getting off BART with nothing more than a paper bag and the clothes on your back is the harsh reality of arriving home to Richmond after being incarcerated. The questions that cross your mind: Where am I going to sleep tonight? How do I reconnect with my kids and family? How do I rell my prescription? How am I going to get back into the workforce? Everyones needs are different, but this transition home is often one of the most vulnerable moments for formerly incarcerated people. When the transition home goes right, someone gains a father, a neighbor, a scholar, an employee, a volunteer, and more. When the transition goes wrong, there may be shattered hopes, suffering, and far reaching effects and costs. How well the transition goes for people coming home matters not just to the individuals returning, but to our families, neighborhoods, businesses and community. The services currently available to people coming home are a disconnected patchwork with large gaps and no overarching coordination. There is not a single place or network whose sole purpose is to maintain accurate information and make referrals to the complete range of reentry-related services. The more than 2,000 people on probation and parole in Richmond rely on informal networks, ofcers, and individual program providers to connect with these essential services. The Facts: Reentry Needs and Services More than half of the recently returned Richmond residents did not benet from a single training or support program while they were incarcerated. Nearly half of the people surveyed had no health insurance and seventy percent said they had wanted to see a doctor but did not because of the cost. 7 out of 10 of recently returned Richmond residents do not have housing of their own, 34% stay with friends or family, 11% in short-term shelters, and 25% in residential recovery programs. Three quarters of those who do not drive said they also do not have a bus pass or bus tickets, and less than half said they had never been late or missed a commitment because of transportation problems.

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Today in Richmond, formerly incarcerated people are directors of organizations, are running successful businesses, and leading community change efforts, yet as a whole, almost 4 out of 5 are currently unemployed. While the unemployment rate in Richmond overall is around 16%, the rate for formerly incarcerated Richmond residents last year was more than four times higher: 78% (Safe Return Project Survey). Beyond the common problems for low-income residents searching for a job, such as transportation and childcare, people coming home have an added layer of hurdles, such as years away from the workforce and employers negative attitudes towards individuals with past convictions (The New Challenge of Employment in the Age of Criminal Background Checks, 191). US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has stated that Stable employment helps ex-offenders stay out of the legal system It makes sense for local communities and our economy as a whole (US Department of Labor announces grant competition to help former offenders gain career skills and rejoin community life). More than a third of people coming home to Richmond from incarceration have children under age 18, many of whom rely on their parents as providers, so the barriers to these mothers and fathers being employed not only affect them but their children as well.
Figure 2. Employment of 101 Richmond residents released within the last 3-18 months (Pacic InsFtute, 2011)

More than half of all black men without a high-school diploma go to prison at some time in their lives. Mass incarceration on a scale almost unexampled in human history is a fundamental fact of our country today perhaps the fundamental fact, as slavery was the fundamental fact of 1850. In truth, there are more black men in the grip of the criminal-justice systemin prison, on probation, or on parolethan were in slavery then. Over all, there are now more people under correctional supervision in Americamore than six millionthan were in the Gulag Archipelago under Stalin at its height. The Caging of America: Why do we lock up so many people? Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, January 30, 2012

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The Facts - Employment and Reentry

SAFE RETURN

Approximately eight out of ten formerly incarcerated Richmond residents do not have a job. Only 2% of the 101 formerly incarcerated residents surveyed by the Safe Return Project had full-time employment. More than half of those surveyed stated that having a criminal record affected their job search Russian novelist Dostoyevsky once wrote that The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons. It could also be stated that the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by how it treats those who exit its prisons. The failure to create a safe return for returning Richmond residents is not only a moral crisis, but it is a fundamental challenge to the future health and economic vitality of the city.

The Safe Return Project

The Safe Return Team is a group of formerly incarcerated Richmond residents working to strengthen the relationship of people coming home from incarceration with the broader community. We work with fellow formerly incarcerated residents, their families, service providers, public ofcials and agencies, and employers and others to develop strategies and taken action.

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(IN)SECURE COMMUNITIES AND MASS DEPORTATION Since the inception of the Secure Communities program in 2008, 226,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported under the program, out of a total 1 million deportations that have taken place since 2009. Last year, the Obama Administration deported a record 397,000 people. Designed to deport those with serious criminal records, Secure Communities has transformed minor infractions into a source of immigrant surveillance. This has resulted in heightened fear in the immigrant community and has eroded trust with law enforcement. It has resulted in alarmingly high numbers of non-criminal deportations and even several documented incidences of detention and deportation of United States citizens. As of March 2011, Contra Costa was 30th in the country for their rate of non-criminal deportations under S-Comm.

"It is not a program I'm enthusiasAc about because an arrest is not a convicAon. It is clear there is a very, very broad net of people who are ge2ng swept up." Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus on the Secure CommuniFes Program.

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OUR RESPONSE
Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing Ban the Box and Build a Bridge Home Evidence Based Justice Strategies to Reduce Recidivism End Mass Deportation in Contra Costa County Shared Prosperity: Community Benets Agreement with Berkeley Lawrence Labs Protect Adult Education

EGESTA QUIS SET AHMET

Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing
The Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing movement is part of a broader national movement to transform the epidemic of gun violence and the national tragedy which has resulted in more than 200,000 deaths since September 11, 2001. This toll is greater than the combined American casualties from the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. Ceasere is a proven strategy that has worked to both save lives and reduce recidivism. Born from the Boston Miracle in the 1990s, the Ceasere model is communications strategy that focuses on impacting group behavior. In Richmond, the Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing movement is a community-driven collaboration between congregations, community members, formerly incarcerated residents, city agencies, service providers and law enforcement agencies. The three core goals of the movement are to: 1) Save lives; 2) Reduce recidivism; and 3) Build pathways to opportunity for those most impacted by gun violence. In Richmond, less than 200 people are responsible for 97% of all gun-related homicides and injury shootings. That is less than .5% of the entire population. This small group is the focus of the Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing movement. Through strong communication, relationship-building, accountability and building opportunity, the goal is to shift the behavior of this group and radically reduce gun violence in Richmond. This is a model that has been proven to work through innovative strategies such as the Operation Peace Fellowship developed by the Ofce of Neighborhood Safety. Over the past eight months, more than 40 small group meetings have been held across Richmond engaging nearly 800 community residents in a dialogue about the cost of violence. Over 300 residents have participated in ongoing training to understand and help shape the Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing initiative. There have been 40 night walks in ten targeted neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence with volunteers from 8 to 88 years old. Clergy and community leaders conducted 42 home visits alongside law enforcement representatives to invite individuals to the rst two call-ins in Richmond. The rst two call-ins were held in North and Central Richmond with a total of 42 participants. 17 community advocates have received Life Skills training and have been building relationships with call-in participants and helping to connect them to opportunities. After a recent gun homicide, law enforcement responded with a series of targeted enforcement activities to hold the initiating group accountable and to prevent a cycle of retaliation. The development of the Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing has revealed a critical need for a more coordinated and strategic service intervention. During ongoing engagement with call-in participants, the need for accessible job training and employment has been the top priority. Call-in participants have expressed a repeated need for access to basic services, such as GED preparation; access to Drivers Licenses, and most consistently, they have expressed the desire and need for job training and sustainable employment. It is clear that with a relatively small and targeted infusion of resources for sustained mentoring; life skills development; and sheltered employment that the Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing movement would promote radical transformation in the gun violence epidemic that has plagued Richmond for decades.

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RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

The City of Richmond and Contra Costa County should support funding for the services component of the groundbreaking Richmond Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing initiative. The Contra Costa Sheriff s Department should join the Ceasere-Lifelines to Healing initiative to encourage regional law enforcement collaboration.

Citation - The Partnership for Safe Communities

Ban the Box and Build a Bridge Home

In 2011, the City of Richmond joined a growing number of cities and states around the country that are removing barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated residents when they passed the ban the box policy, removing the question regarding prior felony convictions from city employment applications. By unanimously passing a policy to ban the box city ofcials sent a clear signal that they are leveling the playing eld for formerly incarcerated residents. It is critical that Richmond continue to build on this success and expand their policy to include all city vendors. Contra Costa County is one of the largest employers in the region and it is vital that they introduce ban the box legislation. In addition to removing barriers to employment discrimination, it is critical that the Community Corrections Partnership prioritize funding for job training and transition employment. Only 4% of Contra Costa residents who have been released through AB109 realignment have full-time employment.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
The City of Richmond should expand its ban the box hiring policy to ensure city vendors do not discriminate against applicants with a past conviction Contra Costa County should introduce and pass ban the box legislation to ensure that formerly incarcerated job seekers have equal access to county employment

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Evidence-Based Justice Strategies to Reduce Recidivism

The rst stop welcoming center is a critical element in developing an effective and coordinated re-entry strategy in Contra Costa County. Safe Return Project members have conducted case studies on similar programs across the region and identied the No Violence Alliance (NoVA) Project as one of the most successful initiatives in the region. The program is funded by the Board of Supervisors and is administered through a partnership with the San Francisco Sheriff s Department. An independent evaluation of the NoVA Project conducted in 2010 found that out of 259 NoVA participants, only 55% were rearrested while 85% of the comparison group was rearrested. Comparison group members were 300% more likely to be rearrested for a violent charge and only 1% of NoVA participants were convicted of new violent crime. Half reported working more than in previous times of their lives and more than half reported having higher income. Although the study did not include a cost-benet analysis, the funding was approximately $6,900 per client per year which compared very favorably with the cost of incarceration, which averaged $140/day or nearly $51,100 per prisoner per year. NoVA provides clients with a case manager whose duty is to work hand in hand on a personal level with each client and provide housing, referrals, work resources, guidance, assessments, and weekly group meetings to discuss and work on issues. Each case manager is assigned to no more than 15 clients. NoVA case managers are placed at various organizations, each of which receives funding to pay the case manager salary. NoVA has a Flex Fund that sets aside funding for each client, which the case manager can spend to meet client needs like clothing, housing, drivers license, transportation, education, and others. NoVA also provides transitional housing and involves 13 community and agency partners.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Fund the rst stop welcoming center as an evidence-based pilot-program to promote unied re-entry services for Contra Costa County; Provide funding for job training and transitional employment through AB109 realignment funding; Incorporate bail reform strategies into the realignment policies to reduce unnecessary detention.

Ending Mass Deportations in Contra Costa County

Across the country, counties are realizing that the Secure Communities makes them less secure. It erodes public trust with law enforcement and has devastating consequences for families and communities. Contra Costa is further burdened with having the highest rate of deportations in the region. It is imperative that Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston do the right thing and follow the lead of places such as Santa Clara County, California and Cook County, Illinois and no longer honor the Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Contra Costa County should join a growing number of counties that are no longer honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers at a county level.

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Shared Prosperity: Community Bene>its Agreement With Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
The decision by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) to build its new research facility on the Richmond shoreline is one of the biggest developments in a generation. The lab's new campus will bring in more than 800 jobs, attract spin-off enterprises and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue. It is imperative that the Richmond City Council support the development of a community benets agreement that will assist disadvantaged workers gain access to living wage employment through the development and operation of the lab. It is also vital that LBNL partner with the Linked Learning Academies at the West Contra Costa Unied School District to promote effective work-based learning opportunities to prepare the workforce of the future.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
The City of Richmond should promote the development of a community benets agreement to ensure that connects disadvantaged workers to employment opportuniXes and aligns with the linked learning academies in high schools throughout West Contra Costa County.

Protect Adult Education

It is vital that the West Contra Costa Unied School District protect adult educaXon to ensure that low-income families have access to GED classes and immigrant parents can conXnue to learn English and integrate into the broader community.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
The West Contra Costa Unied School District should protect baseline funding for adult educaXon programs.

Make Democracy Work

CCISCO leaders are prepared to embark on an ambitious civic engagement strategy to contact 10,000 Richmond voters around this agenda for peace and opportunity. CCISCO and PICO California have also endorsed the statewide revenue measure to support education and public safety and will be encouraging faith voters to vote their values in November 2012.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
CCISCO leaders are prepared to embark on an ambiXous civic engagement strategy to contact 10,000 Richmond voters around this agenda for peace and opportunity. CCISCO and PICO California have also endorsed the statewide revenue measure to support educaXon and public safety and will be encouraging faith voters to vote their values in November 2012.

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Closing Summary

Our proposals are simple. Invest in ALIVE, FREE & peoplevalue life and freedomkeep UNITED families united. We have a set of very concrete proposals that would propel Richmond and Contra Costa County on a path that would honor our deepest values and put us on a road to real economic vitality. We look forward to continued partnership with public ofcials, service providers, allied community organizations, and the powerful leaders that are directing our communities toward a future where all are alive, free, and united.

CCISCO
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organizing 1000 Macdonald Ave., Suite B Richmond, CA. 94801 www.ccisco.org

SAFE RETURN PROJECT

1000 Macdonald Ave., Suite B Richmond, CA. 94801

PACIFIC INSTITUTE
654 13th St. Preservation Park, Oakland, CA. www.pacinstitute.org

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