Building on our victory through the NO Justice campaign, WWAV is taking our unique advocacy model statewide. Our first stop was Esther House in Baton Rouge, where we met with a community of 9 women, 8 of whom have SCAN charges. Together we discussed options for being removed from the sex offender registry, the changing laws mandating drug testing for TANF recipients, the challenges of finding access to housing, and the struggles of being a woman living as an ex-offender.
Here’s full report from this exciting meeting:
On February 29, representatives from the Louisiana Women’s Advocacy Alliance (LWAA) conducted a meeting at Esther House, the Baton Rouge transitional housing facility for women. Women With A Vision’s (WWAV) executive director Deon Haywood, outreach worker Zina Mitchell and intern from Tulane University Rebecca Gibson met with the women to discuss the purpose of LWAA and to invite them each to join the Alliance as active members and contributors working towards changing Louisiana policies hindering the health and human rights of women across the state.
Nine women were present at the meeting, 8 of whom have a charge of soliciting a Crime Against Nature (SCAN); one women disclosed her charge is over 2 decades old. Primary discussion focused on personal experiences with state law enforcement, current living situations, anecdotes detailing time spent in jail and much emphasis on the frustrations involved with registering and paying for the mandatory pieces involved in informing neighbors of the SCAN charge.
Ms. Haywood talked in depth about the recent elimination of the mandatory sex offender registration requirements for individuals convicted of SCAN; WWAV played a large part in advocating for this change. The women attending the meeting expressed their excitement but adamantly voiced the need to have the law apply retroactively to those currently on the registry. This thought was identified as the next step and focus going forward for LWAA. The women at Esther House voiced interest in helping to write letters to state representatives, informing them of the current status of the law and the great impact it has on their livelihood and ability to make a better life for themselves and their families. The ninth attendee at the meeting, a young female engineering technician, voiced her interest in helping conceptualize and create the letters.
The meeting adjourned with much enthusiasm and excitement in light of working towards reaching state representatives and local officials to make the newly changed law retroactive. Pictures were taken of the meeting’s attendees and Ms. Gibson will continue to take on the role of corresponding with the women and keeping them up-to-date with LWAA meetings and activities.
On February 29, representatives from the Louisiana Women’s Advocacy Alliance (LWAA) conducted a meeting at Esther House, the Baton Rouge transitional housing facility for women. Women With A Vision’s (WWAV) executive director Deon Haywood, outreach worker Zina Mitchell and intern from Tulane University Rebecca Gibson met with the women to discuss the purpose of LWAA and to invite them each to join the Alliance as active members and contributors working towards changing Louisiana policies hindering the health and human rights of women across the state.
Nine women were present at the meeting, 8 of whom have a charge of soliciting a Crime Against Nature (SCAN); one women disclosed her charge is over 2 decades old. Primary discussion focused on personal experiences with state law enforcement, current living situations, anecdotes detailing time spent in jail and much emphasis on the frustrations involved with registering and paying for the mandatory pieces involved in informing neighbors of the SCAN charge.
Ms. Haywood talked in depth about the recent elimination of the mandatory sex offender registration requirements for individuals convicted of SCAN; WWAV played a large part in advocating for this change. The women attending the meeting expressed their excitement but adamantly voiced the need to have the law apply retroactively to those currently on the registry. This thought was identified as the next step and focus going forward for LWAA. The women at Esther House voiced interest in helping to write letters to state representatives, informing them of the current status of the law and the great impact it has on their livelihood and ability to make a better life for themselves and their families. The ninth attendee at the meeting, a young female engineering technician, voiced her interest in helping conceptualize and create the letters.
The meeting adjourned with much enthusiasm and excitement in light of working towards reaching state representatives and local officials to make the newly changed law retroactive. Pictures were taken of the meeting’s attendees and Ms. Gibson will continue to take on the role of corresponding with the women and keeping them up-to-date with LWAA meetings and activities.