Justice Involved Tulsans seek to break barriers to employment, housing, education, training, financial success
The Tulsa Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity is partnering with Block Builderz to provide resources for justice-involved Tulsans by hosting a fair on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Rudisill Library, 1520 N. Hartford. This resource fair, called Sowing Hope, will precede two other upcoming events aimed at supporting the justice-involved: The City of Tulsa Municipal Court amnesty days and an Expungement Fair sponsored by Tulsa Councilor Vanessa Hall Harper:
Justice involved people often face barriers that make re-integration into communities extremely difficult and may not be able to easily access information about resources and support. This resource fair is one of 41 Resilient Tulsa actions aimed at supporting justice involved Tulsans and making city government and other community services more accessible.
Oklahoma leads the nation in incarceration rates for both men and women
1,300 out of every 100,000 adults is incarcerated
Tulsans who are involved with the justice system are those who were previously incarcerated or are facing criminal charges. When they re-enter the community, they often experience barriers to financial stability due to fines and fees. Others may be unaware of the different laws that have changed that restore rights of people with felony convictions. By increasing opportunities for all Tulsans to access jobs, understand their rights, and know where to turn to for support to live healthy lives, Tulsa will continue building a more resilient and equitable city.
“As part of the Resilient Tulsa strategy, we want to help some of our most vulnerable neighbors find second chance employers, fair housing, debt coverage, education and degree programs, and advocacy efforts designed to help them successfully transition into the community,” said Mayor G.T. Bynum. “To be a truly world class city, we have to be a place of opportunity for everyone.”
“How can one be happy when you’re unable to find sustainable employment? We want full employment for everyone,” said Block Builderz Visionary Director, D’Marria Monday.” If you’re unable to be gainfully employed, you’re unable to afford housing. That contributes to our housing crisis. Even life's basic necessities can be hard to achieve with a criminal record. ”
To register for the resource fair please visit https://sowinghope.eventbrite.com. Lunch and childcare arrangements are provided.
About Resilient Tulsa
The Resilience Strategy serves as a roadmap to addresses Tulsa’s most pressing challenges and seeks to build capacity among residents, city systems and community partners to build a more resilient city. Resilient Tulsa is organized into four overarching visions, 11 goals and 41 actions, which taken together strive to produce long-term solutions to challenges ranging from extreme weather events to significant racial, economic, and health inequities.
About Block Builderz
Block Builderz asks all Tulsans to join in building a New Hope in Oklahoma by making it a more Resilient Tulsa, a city where everyone is included. Block Builderz offers community led solutions to address mass incarceration from a holistic approach.We are standing on the verge of change by becoming a city that provides everyone with a Fair Opportunity to Compete. In the famous words of Dr. King, “What affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
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