In this issue…
Life and Liberty Event in Hartford
Katal hosts visitors to Albany
life and liberty event in hartford
Life insurance is an important tool to protect families and wealth, yet in Connecticut, people with felony convictions find it nearly impossible to obtain life insurance. Why? Because in Connecticut, insurance companies are legally allowed to discriminate against people with criminal records. Racial disparities in criminal justice practices means that Black communities in Connecticut are especially impacted by this form of legal discrimination.
Katal is working with our partners at Voices of Women of Color to change this. Tonight, we’re co-hosting an event with Voices about the new Life and Liberty Bill — legislation that would prevent insurance companies from discriminating against people trying to obtain life insurance. If you’re in Connecticut, join us tonight at New Hope Christian Church at 33 Granby St in Hartford, CT, to learn more. We’ll be joined by State Senator Doug McCrory, Representative Joshua Hall, and Jason Gill, local business owner of All Faith Funeral Services.
For more details, please contact Kenyatta Thompson at kthompson@katalcenter.org
katal hosts visitors to albany
The Costa Rican Delegation; 5th from right is Stephanie Lao of Project Safe Point, and next to her is Katal’s Keith Brown
Over the last month, Katal has been pleased to host a few visiting delegations to Albany. In early July, a small group from Universidad de Costa Rica School of Public Health came to Albany to learn about innovative public health approaches to public safety and harm reduction responses in the context of US drug policies. Keith Brown, Katal’s Director of Health and Harm Reduction, and Stephanie Lao, Executive Director of Project Safe Point (the local syringe exchange program), hosted the energetic group for the day.
An operational meeting of the Albany LEAD program, with Civil Rights Corps staff as observers.
Later in the month, Katal, along with our local partners hosted a delegation from the Civil Rights Corps to check out Albany’s LEAD program. The Civil Rights Corps is doing amazing work around the country to advance bail reform. Their staff were interested in learning about LEAD and Albany’s other intersecting projects in order to make policy and legal recommendations for diversion and pre-arrest models in other municipalities. As part of the visit, the Civil Rights Corps staff observed the bi-weekly LEAD Operational Workgroup meeting.
We thank our new friends from Costa Rica and the Civil Rights Corps for coming to visit!
