For events held before 2018, click HERE
FRIDAY, January 15, 2021, 6:00 pm EST • International Day to Free Maroon(s) and all elders and political prisoners behind bars • Online event, more information and how to join HERE
Tuesday, January 19, 2021, 2:00-3:00 pm • Phone Zap to urge the NYS leadership to pass Elder Parole and Fair & Timely Parole • the platform of the People’s Campaign for Parole Justice • Discussion and action • zoom register HERE • co-sponsored by Long Island Social Justice Action Network and RAPP
WEDNESDAY, January 20, 2021, 6:00 pm • Westchester/Hudson Valley RAPP Open Membership Meeting, via zoom (register here)
THURSDAY, January 21, 2021, 7:00 pm • Long Island RAPP Open Membership Meeting, via zoom (register here)
TUESDAY, January 26, 2021, 6:00-8:00 pm, ALBANY • RAPP Capital Region Open Membership Meeting • Join the movement to end the incarceration of older people in NYS
WEDNESDAY, January 27, 2021, all day: People’s Campaign for Parole Justice Virtual Statewide Advocacy Day • Register/RSVP HERE
WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2021, 6:00 pm • RAPP Virtual Statewide Membership Meeting (registration link coming soon) • meet, talk, join our work
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Past events:
THURSDAY, January 14, 2021, Noon • People’s Campaign for Parole Justice virtual press conference/launch • WATCH recorded event HERE
WEDNESDAY, January 13, 2021, 5:00-6:30 pm EST • COVID-19: Prison Systems podcast featuring Jose Saldaña • FB, Inside Out/Outside In
Sunday, December 27, 2020, 7:00 pm • Jazz for Justice concert to raise funds to free incarcerated freedom fighters • WATCH recorded concert here
Wednesday, December 23, 2020, 5:30 pm • Home for the Holidays Long Island: Clemency NOW! Rally • Mineola Courthouse, 100 Supreme Court Drive, North Side Entrance, Mineola, LI 11501 • Press release and recording HERE
Tuesday, December 22, 2020, 6:00 pm • We’re Not Asking: Cuomo, Let Them Go! We Demand #ClemencyNow #FreeThemAll • rally at Cuomo’s NYC office, 633 Third Ave. (40/41st St) • Press release and recording HERE
Thursday, December 17, 2020, 6:30 pm • NY State’s Mandate to End Mass Incarceration • Virtual Town Hall • Join Assembly Members Demond Meeks, Carmen De La Rosa, formerly incarcerated and directly impacted advocates and community leaders • watch recorded facebook livestream
Thursday, December 17, 2020, 6:00 pm • Long Island’s First RAPP Open Membership Meeting
Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 6:00 pm • First Westchester/Hudson Valley Regional RAPP Open Membership Meeting • ZOOM link here
Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 5:00-6:30 pm EST • “Public Money and Racial Justice,” online Haymarket Books event • Tickets HERE (free event; donations benefit RAPP)
Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 4:00-6:00 pm • coordinated regional rallies to demand an end to Death by COVID in NY, PA, CT and NJ prisons/immediate release of elders vulnerable to COVID-19 • NYC/NJ/CT rally at Penn Station west entrance, 8th Ave. at 34th St. (info: Panthershepcat@aol.com); PA rally info here
Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 10:30 am EST • Justice Roadmap 2021 Launch • rallies in NYC, Long Island, Buffalo, Albany, Westchester (see flyer), and via zoom (RSVP here) • Demand that NYS dismantle systems that criminalize, incarcerate, and deport our communities. Build a world where all can thrive.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 11:00 am, Decarcerate the Hudson Valley • Join the launch of a new coalition to organize the Hudson Valley to fight for a world without cages where all of our communities have what they need to thrive. In-person rallies will take place outside of Sing Sing Correctional Facility (State Street and South Street, Ossining, NY); Orange County Jail (255 Main Street, Goshen, NY); and Albany outside the Governor’s Mansion (138 Eagle Street, Albany). If you can’t join in person, register for zoom here
Monday, December 7, 2020, 5:30 pm, The People’s Mansion, Eagle Street, Albany • Candlelight vigil for Clemency • Register for zoom option HERE (and see Media Advisory, with further detail, HERE)
MONDAY, November 23, 2020, 5:30 pm • Home for the Holidays: Demand Gov. Cuomo grant clemency now to incarcerated New Yorkers • Rally at Governor Cuomo’s NYC Office (633 Third Avenue, Manhattan) • WATCH the recorded rally
FRIDAY, November 20, 2020, 7:00-9:00 pm online • “Incarceration in the Pandemic: Break the Cycle” • Screening of Against All Odds, by Messiah Rhodes, and panel with incarceration activists including RAPP organizer Thomas Kearney
Thursday, November 19, 2020, 7:00-8:30 pm • Parole Preparation Party’s Virtual Welcome Home Party/Fundraiser, celebrating and honoring those released on parole over the past year • WATCH the recorded event HERE
Wednesday, November 18, 2020, 8:00 pm • We Keep Us Safe – A Virtual Town Hall on Decarceration • panelists include Jose Saldana of RAPP • live on Twitter, FaceBook, and YouTube @NYJusticeleague
Tuesday, November 17, 2020, Noon • Virtual Roundtable – Early Release as Pandemic Relief • NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Asian Pacific American Taskforce • WATCH Recorded session here
Thursday, November 12, 2020, 1:00 pm • Rally to demand Gov. Cuomo release Arthur Green, 70 years old, incarcerated 44 years, in hospice at Wende CF • Gov. Cuomo’s NYC office, 633 Third Ave (40/41 St) • or via zoom (Read press release with quotes from the rally HERE)
Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 7:00 pm • Faith & Justice: The Collective Fight to Release the Elderly from Prison • Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III, Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, Jose Saldana, Roslyn Smith, and Martha Raynor, Moderated by Greer Ellis Coleman • WATCH the recorded panel HERE
Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 1:00 pm • Jose Saldana on “Both Sides of the Bars,” Fortune Society’s TV show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network
WEDNESDAY, October 28, 2020, 7:00 pm • Clemency 101 – a virtual teach-in on clemency • advocates and community members present the basics of gubernatorial clemency in NYS • recording coming soon
WEDNESDAY, October 28, 2020, 4:30-6:00 pm • Incarcerated Elders: Black Panthers and Young Lords Mentoring Behind Bars, a conversation with Eddie Conway and Jose Saldaña. Between them, they served 82 years in prison and saved hundreds of young lives • moderated by Susie Day, author of The Brother You Choose: Paul Coates and Eddie Conway Talk About Life, Politics, and The Revolution (Haymarket Books) Watch the recorded zoom here
TUESDAY, October 27, 2020, 11:00 am • Protest to demand Gov Cuomo grant clemencies and NYS legislature pass Elder Parole and other life-saving legislation amidst a spike in COVID-19 cases in NYS prisons including Elmira CF (where 1 in 4 incarcerated men have tested positive for COVID-19). RALLY with us at: Elmira CF, (1879 Davis St., Elmira NY); Gov. Cuomo’s NYC office (633 Third Ave., Manhattan); Senator Kaminsky’s office in Long Island (55 Front St., Rockville Centre); or Albany, at the State Capitol (Washington Ave. at Hawk St, Albany); Watch recorded livestream HERE
Friday, October 23, 2020, 10:00 am-12:00 pm • The Race to Decarcerate: A Panel Featuring Jose Saldana, Release Aging People in Prison/RAPP • sponsored by Community Service Society • WATCH HERE
Thursday, October 22, 2020, 11:00 am-1:00 pm • Decarcerate Now At Greene Death Camp! • Rally at Greene Correctional Facility, Plank Road, Coxsackie, NY, site of a spike in COVID-19 cases • Demand that Gov. Cuomo release the people incarcerated there and that the NYS legislature pass Elder Parole and Fair & Timely Parole now • ZOOM HERE (REGISTER)
Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 4:40 pm • Abolitionist Futures – A World Beyond Criminalization and Punishment • Panel includes Jose Saldana • Columbia Law School • Watch the recorded event HERE
Thursday, October 15, 2020, 9:30-10:30 am, University of Buffalo Guest Lecture on Incarceration and Public Health: Why Releasing Incarcerated Elders Benefits Public Health, featuring Donna Robinson, Western NY Regional Organizer for RAPP • zoom here
WEDNESDAY, October 14, 2020, 5:30 pm, Foley Square Manhattan (and Governor’s Mansion, Albany) • Rally and vigil memorializing Salih Abdullah, 74-year-old incarcerated New Yorker who died at 14th parole board appearance • Demand: #ClemencyNow #FreeOurElders #Fair&TimelyParole #ElderParole • socially distant rally; Watch the recorded rally HERE
Tuesday, October 13, 9:00 am • Twitter Action to tell Gov. Cuomo and NYS Legislature to #FreeOurElders. While COVID-19 threatens the lives of thousands of incarcerated people in NYS prisons, Governor Cuomo is on a book tour, celebrating his handling of COVID-19. But the book fails to discuss the illness and death behind bars – and the Governor’s neglect of incarcerated people. Read what’s missing from Gov. Cuomo’s book—and from his actions—here.
Saturday, October 10, 2020: Rally to #CancelRent and pass #ElderParole at home of State Sen. Brian Benjamin
Thursday, September 24, 2020, 2:30-4:00 pm • COVID-19 Release Campaigns: Strategies to Include People Convicted of Violence • Webinar (REGISTER here)
Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 9:00 am • Community Press Conference preceding NYS Senate hearing on COVID-19 in NYS prisons and jails • WATCH the recorded press conference HERE (about an hour) to hear the truth about COVID-19 in NYS from family members, formerly incarcerated and other experts. Watch RAPP on the Senate hearing itself HERE, beginning at 5:19:36 with Susan Li and at 5:27:00 with Jose Saldana
MONDAY, September 21, 2020, 3:00-4:15 pm Eastern time • National Call to Action/Rally Day marking 49 years since the Attica uprising: it’s time to bring them home! REGISTER HERE for this event, which will include a presentation by RAPP’s Jose Saldaña and Rosalind Smith • Part of the national Attica 49 Month of Action with online events around the country all month
MONDAY, September 14, 2020, 12:00-1:30 pm EST • Challenging Long Prison Terms and Preventing Violence • Online, free (REGISTER HERE) • Two panels and the premiere of a short film, “The Trouble With Long Prison Terms.” With RAPP’s Jose Saldaña; hosted by the Justice Policy Institute, Brave New Films, and the Open Society Foundations
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2020, 1:00-2:30 pm • Attica Is Now! rally atFoley Square in Lower Manhattan, NYC; West Capitol Park in Albany; and on zoom WATCH THE RECORDING HERE • part of a nationally coordinated month of action to end life imprisonment/death by incarceration and continue the struggle begun at Attica prison 49 years ago • Speakers include survivors of the Attica massacre, leaders of the fight for #ElderParole, #Fair&TimelyParole, #HALTSolitary, Ban #WalkingWhileTrans, Movement 4 Black Lives, one of the lawyers for the Attica Brothers, and more
Thursday, September 10, 6:30 pm, online • Special RAPP membership showing of “Attica,” by Cinda Firestone
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, September 8, 9, 10, ALBANY, 6:00-8:00 pm each day • Backpack Giveaway and Community Outreach • SEE FLYER for locations & details
Tuesday, September 8, 2020, 7:30-9:00 pm, online “From Attica to Abolition” panel • sponsored by American Friends Service Committee/AFSC
WEDNESDAY, October 7, 2020, 6:00-8:15 pm • RAPP Virtual Statewide Open Membership meeting • Join the movement to #FreeOurElders and end death by incarceration • details to come
SUNDAY, August 30, 2020, 7:00pm • Black August Celebration of Hip Hop and Our Freedom Fighters • A Concert to Support US Political Prisoners and Their Freedom Campaigns • Hosted by Malcolm X Grassroots Movement & Movement 4 Black Lives • tune in right here
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020, 7:00-10:00 pm • Black National Convention • Movement 4 Black Lives • Watch recording HERE
Sunday, August 23, 2020, 2:00 pm • Black August – FreedomWork: COVID-19 & Beyond, a conversation on decarceration with RAPP’s Donna Robinson and Jerome K. Wright of HALT Solitary • Watch the recording
Saturday, August 22, 2020, 3:00 pm • National Call to Action/Rally for Freedom and Justice • Call on governors and legislatures around the country to take action to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails • ZOOM LINK
FRIDAY, August 21, 2020, 6:00, 7:00 and 9:00 pm • NYC and nationally • March for the Dead, Fight for the Living • Includes the demand to “release incarcerated people and detained immigrants, all at greater risk for COVID. Do not leave them to die. Stop deporting COVID-19 sufferers.” • Details HERE for NYC and San Francisco marches • RSVP on Facebook
FRIDAY, August 21, 2020, 5:00 pm • MDC Brooklyn • Justice for Jamel Floyd Noise Demo • 80 29th St., Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY
Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 1:00-3:00 pm • Indigenous, Black, and Brown Liberation: Abolition, Reparations, and Resistance • sponsored by Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies Program and Al-Adab Journal and endorsed by RAPP and other social justice groups • livestream and zoom
WEDNESDAY, August 19, 2020, 10:00 am • People’s Hearing on COVID-19 and Prisons and Jails • sponsored by Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, Parole Preparation Project, #HALTsolitary Campaign, FWD.us, and Center for Community Alternatives • Archived HERE • and read the press release here
TUESDAY, August 18, 2020, 11:00 am • Join Justice for Women Task Force, in-person or on Zoom, for a #WhatAboutHer rally outside Rikers. We will share stories of women formerly and currently incarcerated at Rikers and call for more protection for women and recognition of their needs. Retweet if you plan to join! (Register HERE)
Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 10:30 am • Funeral Liturgy for Sister Elaine Margaret Roulet • zoom link: https://livestream.com/accounts/5512365
WEDNESDAY, August 12, 2020, 6:30 pm • Black August Panel: Free Our Incarcerated Elders • organized by Citizen Action NY and featuring RAPP’s Jose Saldana • recording coming soon
MONDAY, August 10, 2020, 1:00 pm EDT • Join advocates for a rally at Edgecombe Correctional Facility, calling for an end to brutality and abuse from DOCCS, and a shift toward accountability and transparency • Please wear a mask •
THURSDAY, August 6, 2020, 6:00-7:30 pm • Adirondack Correctional Facility: A Public Health Crisis in the North Country • Hosted by High Peaks DSA and Release Aging People in Prison-RAPP • Zoom: bit.ly/ClemencyADK
THURSDAY, August 6, 2020, 6:00-7:30 pm • “Defund, Dismantle, Abolish: Organizing Against New York Police and Prisons” panel sponsored by the National Lawyer’s Guild New York University Chapter • via ZOOM (Register HERE)
THURSDAY, July 30, 2020, 6:00 pm via zoom • Albany/Capital Region RAPP open membership meeting – all welcome! ZOOM link here
WEDNESDAY, July 29, 2020, 7:00 pm EDT • Covid-19 in State Prisons: An Online Conversation with Sarah Resnick, Anthony Dixon, Michelle Lewin, and Jose Saldana • via Zoom • sponsored by n+1
SATURDAY, July 25, Noon – 2:00 pm EDT • RAPP’s Jose Saldaña and Laura Whitehorn on NYC Transformative Justice Hub panel discussing conflict transformation, mutual aid, and community accountability work inside prison and out • Register here
TUESDAY, July 21, 10:00a.m. • Justice Advocates Hold Press Conference to End 24-Hour Demonstration Laying Body Bags on State Capitol Steps (Zoom option here)
MONDAY, July 20, 2020, Beginning at Noon in Albany and zoom • Rally & Day of Action – Rise Up to Free Our People: #HALTSolitary, #FreeOurElders, dismantle the racist punishment system • RSVP/Zoom HERE
TUESDAY, July 14, 2020, 5:00 pm • Rally and March • We’re Not Done: A March on the #RoadToJustice for Justice & Decarceration to Demand Albany Address Racist Violence Behind Bars • We’ll demand the passage of a criminal justice bill package in Albany including, Elder Parole, Fair and Timely Parole • March starts at Union Square (E. 17th Street) and goes to Gov. Cuomo’s NYC office. That’s #RoadToJustice (FaceBook event page here)
SATURDAY, July 11, 2020, 3:00-5:00 pm Eastern Time • Bend the Bars National Action Day • COVID + Prisons = Death, All Around the US • nationally coordinated rallies protesting the refusal of states to release vulnerable incarcerated people and protect the lives of all behind bars
MONDAY, July 6, 2020, 5:30 pm, Adirondack, NY • Rally/Press Briefing #FreeThemAll: Say No to Cuomo’s Prison Nursing Home protest NYS plan to create a prison nursing home in the North Country Adirondack facility • WATCH recorded zoom here
SUNDAY, July 5, 2020, 5:00-7:00 pm, Lake Placid, NY • John Brown Lives! RAPP’s Jose Saldaña will speak at Call for Compassion and Action for elders in NYS prisons in local prisons • email info@johnbrownlives.org for additional details • gather (socially distant) at John Brown Farm State Historic Site, Lake Placid, NY
SUNDAY, July 5, 2020, 10:00 am • Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo Sunday Service: Share the Plate donations for RAPP • Zoom link and info here to support this generous tribute to RAPP and Western NY organizer Donna Robinson
FRIDAY, July 3, 2020, 11:00 am, NYC, Long Island, and zoom • #WhatAboutHer rally honoring the lives of women killed by police and prisons • in NYC: Governor Cuomo’s Office (633 3rd Avenue)/ in Rockland County: Memorial Park (Parking lot)- Spring Valley, NY/ in Long Island: Nassau County Jail, East Meadow, NY (PPE required at all in-person sites) • Register for zoom HERE • hosted by the Justice for Women Taskforce
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020, 10:30 am • Press Conference and Digital Protest of Gov. Cuomo’s rollbacks to bail reform & demand passage of important bills including Elder Parole, Fair & Timely Parole, HALT Solitary, Protect Our Courts, and Repeal Walking While Trans • Zoom Recording HERE
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020, 6:00-8:00 pm • Incarcerated Black Lives Matter • Join RAPP for a panel of formerly incarcerated women and men on how racist brutality inside prisons mirrors police brutality on the streets, from Attica and San Quentin to today
SUNDAY, June 28, 2020, 1:00 pm • Queer Liberation March for Black Lives and Against Police Brutality • RAPP will be part of a contingent on ending racist state violence behind bars • in-the-streets and virtual march and rally • March leaves Foley Square, Manhattan, at 1:00 pm • Livestream at @queermarch on FB and Twitter/Periscope and via Youtube live on reclaimpridenyc.org for those who can’t attend in person. This March, like all current protest Marches, does not have a City/NYPD permit.
THROUGH SATURDAY, June 27 • The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues • tonight’s installment benefits Release Aging People in Prison • on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube @24hourplays • HERE is their link for donations to RAPP
THURSDAY, June 25, 5:00-7:00 pm • “Clemency, Reentry, and Community Concerns” • panel sponsored by The Confined Arts, including speakers from RAPP • Watch live on facebook www.facebook.com/theconfinedarts
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020, 1:30-2:30 pm • Panel on Life Imprisonment, featuring RAPP Director Jose Saldana • part of the Innovations Conference (agenda and panels listed HERE) and hosted by Nicole D. Porter of the Sentencing Project • register HERE/then watch HERE
Saturday, June 20, 2020 • Juneteenth events, rallies, panels, and more • SixNineteen.com, @MXGMNational and @MxgmNyc
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020, 5:00-8:00 pm, Cairo, NY • Black Lives Matter Protest • Hannaford parking lot to Canna Park
THURSDAY, June 18, 2020, 12:00 pm • Socially Distant and Virtual Rally & Press Conference • Demand the “LI 6” Senators divest from police union funding • 55 Front St., Rockville Centre • zoom HERE
SATURDAY, June 13, 2020, 8:00 pm EST (5:00 PST): Celebrating Juneteenth! An Abolitionist Perspective on Movements for Black Liberation Past and Present • Sponsored by Critical Resistance • Tickets & more info HERE
SATURDAY, June 13, 2020, 3:00 pm • Children of Revolutionary Political Prisoners: Daughters and Sons of Russell Maroon Shoatz, Kamau Sadiki, Assata Shakur, Dr. Mutulu Shakur, and Mike and Debbie Africa • hosted by the Jericho Movement • WATCH the video
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020, 6:00 pm • Center for Community Alternatives Statewide Organizing Meeting • Join CCA, RAPP and others to hear about/participate in the movement to end mass criminalization • ZOOM LINK HERE
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020, 6:00-8:00 pm • Transform Commutation: A People’s Response • Live on Zoom (REGISTER HERE) • Envisioning changes, now and in the future, to Pennsylvania’s commutation process & release of elders in PA and everywhere • sponsored by #FreeTheVulnerableCampaign & Campaign to Restore Meaningful Commutation • panel includes speakers from RAPP
TUESDAY, June 2, 2020, 10:00 am • Press Conference: Community Organizations Demand NYS Legislature Address Systemic Racism across New York’s Criminal Legal System, Pass HALT Solitary Confinement Act, Elder Parole, and Fair and Timely Parole, Policing Reforms • Watch the recorded Zoom here (Password: 8o^qLg.7)
SATURDAY, May 30, 2020, 1:00-2:00 pm • Healthcare Workers Demand: Cuomo, Let Them Go! • socially distant action at Gov. Cuomo’s NYC office, 633 Third Ave., NYC (at 40th St.) • wear your scrubs or white coat • sponsored by NY Docs, RAPP, and VOCAL-NY • ATTEND BY ZOOM HERE
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020, 10:00 am • Press Conference: Supporters of Imprisoned, 68-year-old Black Panther with COVID-19 Seek His Release • Socially Distant Conference in front of Brooklyn office of NYS Attorney General Letitia James, 55 Hansen Place, Brooklyn 11217 • contact 347.447.8110
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020, 4:00 pm • Brooklyn Town Hall on COVID-19 Behind Bars • Join formerly incarcerated advocates, family members, and elected officials representing Brooklyn to discuss the pandemic’s impact in prison, how it disproportionately affects People of Color, and what can be done • REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020, starting at 10:00 am: Virtual advocacy day to demand the NYS legislature include incarcerated New Yorkers and family members in COVID-19 legislation.
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020, 10:00 am • Confined Arts virtual exhibit “Open Call for Clemency”—art from incarcerated people on why decarceration is the only way to avoid a disaster with COVID-19 behind bars
THURSDAY, May 21, 2020, 1:00-2:00 pm • Incarcerated: COVID-19 and the Plight of Families • Family members with loved ones incarcerated in New York State prisons share their lived experiences and urgent concerns. Featuring Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director, AFJ; Danny Glover, Actor, Activist, and AFJ Board Chair; Senator Brian Benjamin; Assemblyman Michael Blake; Members of four families including RAPP organizer Donna Robinson • ZOOM REGISTRATION HERE (you must register in advance)
THURSDAY, May 21, 2020, 10:00-11:00 am • COVID + Prison = Death: Rally to #HALTSolitary and #FreeOurElders • As the NYS Legislature plans to reconvene, join advocates, formerly incarcerated people and families will hold coordinated rallies at the offices of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’s and at the Queensboro Correctional Facility (and via zoom) to demand that New York’s COVID-19 response include people in NYS prisons. We’ll call on the legislative leaders to do what Gov. Cuomo refuses to do: save lives behind bars. ZOOM LINK HERE
MONDAY, May 18, 2020, 6:00 pm • Queens Town Hall on the COVID-19 pandemic behind bars • RAPP’s Mark Shervington joins other formerly incarcerated people and elected officials • WATCH recorded video here
MONDAY, May 18, 9:00 am • virtual press conference • WATCH video of this powerful virtual press conference on NYS legislature’s failure to hear from incarcerated communities during all-day legislative hearing on COVID-19’s Impact on People in State Prisons • (password: 5F.56%K2)
FRIDAY, May 15, 2020, 11 am, Bedford Hills, NY (socially distant and virtual): Vigil/rally to honor Darlene ‘Lulu’ Benson-Seay, who died of coronavirus, and fight for all the other women incarcerated at Bedford Hills CF who are facing deplorable conditions and the threat of illness • Watch on facebook HERE
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020, 6:00 pm • COVID & Incarceration • 24 Hour Viral Monologues • IGTV @24hourplays • and HERE after 6 pm, one play every 15 minutes • stories of currently and formerly incarcerated people and those advocating for them during the COVID-19 crisis, sponsored by RAPP along with Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Confined Arts, Zealous and the Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia University
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020, 10:00 am • Rally and zoom protest #ClemencyNow • Socially distant rally (please wear a mask) at Edgecombe CF, 611 Edgecombe Ave., NY 10032 (ZOOM LINK HERE)
SUNDAY, May 10, 2020: Virtual benefit concert for RAPP by Morgan Bassichis and other friends • 4:00-4:45 pm • RSVP/Register HERE; read about Morgan HERE
THURSDAY, May 7 and FRIDAY, May 8 • 2-Day Vigil and graveside sit at Fishkill CF, the NYS prison to honor those who have died of coronavirus behind bars and fight for NOT ONE MORE DEATH (photo by Walter Hergt):
WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2020, 10 am • Solitary is Torture/HALT Solitary Rally (socially distant, by car, or virtual) • Details and registration links HERE
THURSDAY, April 30, 2020, 12:00-12:30 pm • Social Impact LIVE on COVID-19 – Decarceration and Public Health • Focus on RAPP’s campaign for #ClemencyNow for vulnerable incarcerated people and how you can join in, with Mark Shervington and Melissa Tannis of RAPP and Cameron Rasmussen of Columbia Center for Justice • REGISTER HERE
FRIDAY, April 24, 12:30 pm • Rally at Nassau Jail for release of all who are older, pregnant, or otherwise at high risk for coronavirus. Car caravan and zoom; WATCH the archived video here
THURSDAY, April 23, 2020, 7pm Eastern Time • Free Them All! Prison is no place for a pandemic • Panel organized by Movement for Black Lives/M4BL • Register & more info HERE
THURSDAY, April 23, 10:00 am • No More Deaths Behind Bars • Vigil for Leonard Carter • at Queensboro CF (47-04 Van Dam St., Long Island City) and on zoom
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020, Starting at 1:00 pm • DAY OF ACTION • COVID + Prison = Death • #CuomoLetThemGo • Virtual and in-person rallies statewide – Albany, Buffalo, Hudson Valley, Westchester • Zoom registration here
THURSDAY, April 16, 10:00 am • NY Justice Roadmap Press Conference • The People’s Briefing on the state of coronavirus in jails, prisons, and immigration detention. Hear what Governor Cuomo won’t tell you in his daily updates • WATCH HERE
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2020, 5:00-7:00 pm • Clemency Works for COVID-19 • Virtual panel •
TUESDAY, April 14, 2020, 12:00-1:30 pm • A Poor People’s Response to the NYS Budget • Virtual Town Hall, NYS Poor People’s Campaign • including Thomas Kearney of Capital Region RAPP • via Zoom and Facebook •
TUESDAY, April 14, 2020, 11:30 am • Socially Distanced & Virtual Rally Outside Queensboro Prison, 47-04 Van Dam St, Long Island City, NY 11101 • Demand that @NYGovCuomo immediately release all people incarcerated here • Virtual and In-person rally
FRIDAY, April 10, 2020, ALL DAY • #ClemencyCoast2Coast Twitter/Call-In Campaign • @NYGovCuomo and @GavinNewsom must release incarcerated elders and others vulnerable to COVID-19 • CLICK HERE FOR CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT • We’ll have two Twitter “power hours:” The first during Governor Cuomo’s daily COVID-19 briefing, around 11:30 am EST/ 8:30 am PST, the second during Newsom’s daily briefing, around 3 pm EST/12 pm PST.
THURSDAY, April 9, 2020, 5:00-6:00 pm • Incarceration and the COVID-19 Pandemic • speakers include Jose Saldana, Johanna Fernandez, and Kevin Rashid Johnson (on phone from Indiana State Prison) • an episode of the podcast, Shelter and Solidarity • REGISTER HERE or Dial-in by phone: 605-475-4120, 712-832-8330, 425-436-6260 or 605-475-2875; Access code: 309 5629. This info is also available on facebook
WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020, 8:00 pm • Saving Lives By Releasing Vulnerable People from Jails & Prisons • RAPP’s Mark Shervington • Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside Coronavirus Webinar Series • REGISTER HERE
WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020, 7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST • #ClemencyCoast2Coast Virtual Town Hall • Join organizers/survivors of incarceration from New York and California to discuss the urgency of release during COVID-19 pandemic • REGISTER HERE
TUESDAY, April 7, 2020, 6:00 pm • STATEWIDE RAPP Open Membership Virtual Meeting
MONDAY, April 6, 2020, 3:00-5:00 pm • Braving a Pandemic: A Call to Action Webinar • Speakers include RAPP’s Jose Saldana • sponsored by Circle for Justice Innovations • REGISTER HERE
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020, 12:00 Noon • COVID-19 Press Conference & Vigil Outside Sing Sing CF • #NoMoreDeaths • Ossining, NY, in front of the prison grounds, between South and Lafayette Streets • come in a car or zoom if you can’t come (CLICK HERE to watch the recorded video)
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020, 12:00 noon • Virtual Press Conference: Community Demands Gov. Cuomo Release Incarcerated People Vulnerable to COVID-19 • WATCH HERE
FRIDAY, March 27, all day • #ClemencyCoast2Coast • Call on NY Gov. Cuomo and CA Gov. Newsom to release incarcerated people vulnerable to COVID-19 • Special segment at 3pm EST (12 Noon Pacific Time) for a power hour Twitter storm • Toolkit with instructions HERE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020, 7:00-9:00 pm • Statewide Virtual Forum on COVID-19 & Incarceration: Release Elders & Vulnerable People Now! You Can Watch Now • New speakers added • Formerly incarcerated speakers, a former parole commissioner, and a public health expert lead a discussion on how COVID-19 makes clemency/parole release imperative • sponsored by RAPP, WESPAC, Lower Hudson NYCLU, VOCAL-NY, Women 4 Women, Parole Preparation Project • Register HERE
SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020, 7:00-8:30 pm • Decarceration & Dignity Virtual Assembly: Getting People Home; Keeping People Safe and Connected • Release Aging People in Prison, RECH Foundation, Worth Rises, National Council for Currently & Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls, and #FreeThemAll4PublicHealth • RSVP HERE to join
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020, 12:00 Noon • Steps of New York City Hall, Manhattan • Emergency Action calling on Governor Cuomo to 1) release the oldest, sickest incarcerated New Yorkers who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus; 2) ensure that families stay connected through visiting. Press release HERE.
CANCELLED: TUESDAY, March 10, 2020, Noon to 1:10 pm • Muslim Perspectives on Abolition, Justice & Ending Mass Criminalization • Columbia Law School, Jerome Greene Hall Rm. JG104 • 435 W. 116th St., Manhattan • sponsored by the Muslim Law Students Association of Columbia Law School
SATURDAY, February 29, 2020, 2:00-5:00 pm • NYS Manhattan Budget Forum • 1216 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020, 6:30-9:00 pm • Building Solidarity and Justice from Mississippi to New York/Ending Torturous Conditions, Decarcerating, and Closing Prisons • Columbia Law School, 1125 Amsterdam Avenue basement 107, Manhattan • a teach-in including speakers from RAPP • RSVP here
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020, 5:30-7:00 pm • RAPP-Buffalo Open Membership Meeting • CAO Rafi Greene Resource Center: 1423 Fillmore Ave, Buffalo. Contact Donna with any questions: 716-526-7314
THURSDAY, February 6, 2020, 4:30-6:00 pm • NYS Westchester Budget Forum, 1 Larkin Center, YONKERS
FRIDAY, February 7, 2020, 5:30 pm, ALBANY • Teach-in on Bail Reform Activism, Addressing the Backlash, & How to Fight for Civil Rights Issues including police reform, parole justice, voting rights, ending solitary confinement, and more • sponsored by VOCAL-NY Albany • Social Justice Center, 33 Central Avenue, Albany • for info: 917-702-8781 /Luke@vocal-ny.org
SATURDAY, February 8, 2020, 7:00 pm • Forum on the Death Penalty and Solitary Confinement, Manhattan (exact location TBD)
WEDNESDAY, January 29, 2020, 7:00-10:00 pm • RAPP’s Jose Saldana will speak after a showing of Just Mercy by the Greenwood Baptist Church and Brooklyn Community Fund • Regal UA Court Street Theater, 106 Court Street, Brooklyn 11201 •
TUESDAY, January 21, 2020 • #HALTSolitary day of action in Albany • Join the Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement, RAPP, and others to put an end to the torture of solitary confinement in NYS prisons •
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020: BRING THEM HOME! mobilization to Albany to end death by incarceration and promote parole justice • free transportation and food, rally, march, and meet with legislators •
SUNDAY, January 12, 2020, Noon to 6:00pm • sign and banner-making for for Bring Them Home mobilization to Albany on 1/14 • 168 Canal St., 6th Fl, NY NY 10013
WEDNESDAY, January 8, 2020, 6:00-8:15 pm, NYC • NY RAPP Open Membership meeting and Training for Bring Them Home mobilization to Albany on 1/14 • 168 Canal St., 6th Fl, NY NY 10013 • pizza & discussion • all welcome! The meeting will include training for the Jan. 14th Day of Action in Albany
WEDNESDAY, January 8, 2020, 5:30-7:00pm • Training for January 14th Bring Them Home mobilization to Albany • Open to those who have RSVP’d for the Albany action • CAO Rosi Greene Resource Center, 1423 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo, NY
TUESDAY, January 7, 2020, 5:30-7:30pm, Albany, NY • Training for January 14th Bring Them Home mobilization to Albany • Open to those who have RSVP’d for the Albany action • Albany Social Justice Center, 33 Central Avenue, Albany, NY, 12210
TUESDAY, January 7, 2020, 11:00 am, Albany, NY • Black State of the State • Capitol, war room
MONDAY, January 6, 2020, 6-8pm, Brentwood, LI • Training for January 14th Bring Them Home mobilization to Albany • Open to those who have RSVP’d for the Albany action • 725 Brentwood Road, Main Building 2, Brentwood, LI 11717
SATURDAY, January 4, 2020, NYC • Noon to 2:00 pm: Training for January 14th Bring Them Home mobilization to Albany • Open to those who have RSVP’d for the Albany action • 168 Canal St., 6th Floor, NY 10013 • click here for other trainings in NYC, Long Island, Buffalo, and Albany
FRIDAY, January 3, 2020, Albany, 6:00 pm • Candlelight Vigil for Clemency • Governor’s Mansion, 138 Eagle Street, Albany, NY • Rally to demand the governor grant clemency to incarcerated New Yorkers
FRIDAY, December 20, 2019, 6:30-8:30 pm • Baldwin, LI • Town Hall on long sentences and solitary confinement • Second Baptist Church, 2050 Grand Avenue, Baldwin 11510 • sponsored by RAPP and #HALTSolitary
THURSDAY, December 19, 2019, 5-8 pm • Albany, NY • Town Hall on how mass incarceration affects the Capitol Region and why we must #FreeOurElders and #HALTSolitary • Howe Library; 105 Schuyler St, Albany, NY 12202 • sponsored by RAPP, Vocal-NY, and NYCAIC
WEDNESDAY, December 18, 2019, Noon • Rally: Home for the Holidays • Tell Governor Cuomo: Grant clemencies and commutations to reunite families and communities! • Gov. Cuomo’s office, 633 Third Ave.
SATURDAY, December 14, 2019, 6:00 pm • Justice for Rodney Reed and Abolish the Death Penalty! • The People’s Forum, 320 West 37th Street, Manhattan (8th/9th Avenues) • RAPP’s Jose Saldana will speak on abolishing life-without-parole (LWOP) sentences, “the other death penalty”
SATURDAY, December 14, 2019 • 3:00-5:00pm • The Work to Promote Parole Justice and End Death By Incarceration • the Village Zendo, 588 Broadway, Suite 1108, Manhattan (one block south of Houston) • free event
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019, 6:00-8:00 pm • Human Rights Day Harlem Town Hall to #HALTSolitary and #FreeOurElders • Raw Space Gallery, 2031 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Blvd. (between 121st and 122nd Streets), Harlem
SATURDAY, December 7, 2019, doors open 5:00pm • Remembering Our Political Prisoners • 90-40 160th St., Jamaica, NY, Harvest Room at Jamaica Market • panel includes: Kairi Al-Amin, Mauri Saalakhan, Ramzi Kassem, Mark Shervington of RAPP, Aisha Al-Adawiya
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019, 7:30pm • Launch Party for the Certain Days/Freedom for Political Prisoner Calendar with RAPP • 168 Canal Street, 6th Floor, Manhattan
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019, 6:00-8:00pm • Boricua College, 890 Washington Avenue, Bronx, NY (Faculty Colloquium Rm. 405) • Bronx Town Hall on Solitary Confinement & Elder Parole• RAPP and HALTSolitary with Senator Luis Sepulveda, Chair of the NYS Senate Committee on Crime, Crime Victims, and Correction
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019, 9:30am-12:30pm •Washington, DC • Justice Roundtable Assembly featuring Jose Saldana on a panel on lengthy sentences • True Reformer Building, 1200 U Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009 • Details and livestream
TUESDAY, November 26, 2019, 12:30pm • RALLY to Reunite Families and Promote Parole Justice • Hope for the Holidays • Foley Square, Manhattan • Join RAPP, the Parole Preparation Project, and some of our leaders with family members currently serving long sentences in the New York State prison system to call on New York State lawmakers to reunite families and bring hope to our loved ones behind bars. Click here for PHOTOS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019, 7:00pm • Parole Preparation Project Welcome Home Party + Fundraiser • Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Dr., Manhattan • Buy Tickets (starting at $25)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019, 6:00pm • RAPP Teach-in for students • 168 Canal St., 6th Fl., Manhattan • getting ready for a student contingent to January 14th Albany mobilization day
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019, 6:00-8:00 pm • Yonkers town hall: #HALT Solitary and #FreeOurElders • end inhumane treatment and death by incarceration in New York State • Yonkers Public Library, 1 Larkin Center, Yonkers • sponsored by VOCAL-NY, NY Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement, and RAPP
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2019, doors open at 5:30pm • 13th Annual Citizens Awards • Citizens Against Recidivism • Our Children’s Foundation, 527 West 125th St., Harlem • Awardees include RAPP Director Jose Hamza Saldana • tickets and more information
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2019, 8:00 pm-1:00 am • CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF FREEDOM FOR ASSATA SHAKUR at the 11th annual Freedom Dance • National Black Theater, 2031 Fifth Avenue, Harlem (between 125th and 126th Streets) • $20 entrance; food and beverages available for sale • DJ Lumumba (a/k/a Revolution) • ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT US POLITICAL PRISONERS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019, 6:00pm • Rally Outside Gov. Cuomo’s Fundraiser: Cuomo is hosting a fundraiser at 205 W. 46th St. (off 7th Ave in midtown Manhattan.) Join RAPP and HALTsolitary to rally and demand an end to the punishment of solitary, long sentences, and parole denials. Help us let the governor know that New Yorkers want a real end to the racist incarceration system.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019, 6:30pm • Re-examining Mandatory Minimum Sentences • a panel discussion at the NYC Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street, NY • panel includes RAPP’s Carlos Ivan Calaff
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2019, Noon-3:00 pm • Upper Manhattan Showing Up For Racial Justice gathering with RAPP • Come learn about RAPP’s work on parole justice and ending life imprisonment, and the ways SURJ members can support it. All welcome! • Please email ryan.acquaotta@gmail.com for location
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2019, 3:00-6:00 pm • Dessert party fundraiser for RAPP • 168 Canal St., 6th Fl., New York, NY 10013 • a gathering with a variety of treats to celebrate the work the RAPP community has been doing to end mass incarceration. Please join us whether or not you can donate. Bring a friend or make a new one there! All are welcome.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019. 7:00-8:30 pm • Town Hall on Solitary Confinement and Parole, hosted by NYS Assembly Member Harvey Epstein (District 74 Manhattan) • The Boys and Girls Republic, 888 East 6th St. (between Avenue D and FDR Drive, Lower East Side) • RSVP: Events.District74@gmail.com or 212-979-9696 (space is limited) • sponsored by RAPP and NY Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (NYCAIC)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019, 4:00-6:00 pm • Bedford Hills, NY • Adopt-A-Prison • Bedford Town House, 321 Bedford Rd. • Free and open to the public • more info
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2:00-5:00 pm • Brooklyn, NY • Picnic: Come Together to End Mass Incarceration • Prospect Park, below Center Drive near the Nethermead • fundraiser for RAPP by Showing Up for Racial Justice-NY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019, 6:30-9:00 pm, Harlem • Ending Life Imprisonment • a panel featuring Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis, authors of “The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences;” Jose Saldana of RAPP, and Saleem Holbrook of Pennsylvania’s Campaign Against Death by Incarceration (CADBI) and the Abolitionist Law Center. Both Jose Saldana and Saleem Holbrook are formerly incarcerated long-termers working to end life imprisonment. • Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, 439 W 127th St (between Amsterdam and Convent Avenues), New York, NY 10027 • FREE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 – Lunchtime, 12:15-1:45 pm – the same panel will lead a teach-in at the Columbia School of Social Work, Rm. C03, 1255 Amsterdam Ave., NYC (at 122nd St) • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019, 7:00-9:00 pm • The enduring legacy of Attica • Weeksville Heritage Center, 158 Buffalo Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213 • A conversation with Heather Ann Thompson, Tyrrell Muhammad, and Jose Saldana • Free, RSVP
SATURDAY, August 24, 2019, 3:00-7:00 pm • 24th Annual Dinner Tribute to Political Prisoners • Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center, 100-01 Northern Blvd, Corona, Queens • Dinner served at 4:00 pm; admission $40 in advance ($45 at the door) to raise funds for political prisoners • info, call or text 973-202-0745
FRIDAY, August 23, 6:00-8:00 pm • RAPP’s Mark Shervington on a panel, Movement Lawyering: Building Community Power & Challenging the Nonprofit Industrial Complex • CUNY School of Law Community Room, 2 Court Square, Long Island City, NY • sponsored by CUNY Law’s Luis DeGraffe Racial and Social Justice Orientation (RSJO)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019, 5:00 pm • Rally, march, and memorial to remember Valerie Gaiter and voice our outrage that she died in NYS DOCCS custody • Rally and speak-out: 250 Broadway (NYS legislative offices), 5:00-6:00 pm; march to 168 Canal St.: 6:00 pm; memorial, 6:30 pm • CLICK HERE to read media about Val Gaiter, the rally in her memory, and the Elder Parole bill that could have allowed her to go home.
SUNDAY, August 4, 2019, 1:00 pm • Brunch That Benefits: A Notecard Fundraiser for Political Prisoners – original notecards by Sophia Dawson on sale, performances, and more • Five Spot Soul Food, 459 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205 • more info: 914-439-7765 • sponsored by Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019, Detroit, Michigan, 7:00-9:00 pm • “The Case For Abolishing Life Sentences,” featuring Marc Mauer of The Sentencing Project and a panel discussion • Wayne State University, Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium • part of a conference on “Ending Perpetual Punishment” (July 12-23) co-sponsored by RAPP • click for more info • This event is part of a national effort to end life imprisonment
MONDAY, July 8, 2019, 1:30-4:30 pm • Race, Criminal Justice, and Human Rights, Child Immigrants and the Universal Periodic Review • UNA-USA Southern New York State Division • RAPP’s Jose Saldana will speak • Nelson Mandela room at the Ford Foundation office, 42nd St., NYC (RSVP required)
THURSDAY, June 27, 2019, 7:00-9:00 pm • Celebrate 175 years of the Correctional Association of NY • NeueHouse, 100 E. 25th St., NYC 10010
Help pass the HALT Solitary bill – urgent events and updates right now (click for details)
WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2019, 9:00 am-5:00 pm • Call-in day to press Gov. Cuomo to appoint rehabilitation-based commissioners to the NYS Board of Parole • (click for details)
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019, 7:30 pm • Caring for the Incarcerated: Will a Single Payer System Protect the Rights of the Most Vulnerable? • Mt. Sinai Med School – Annenberg Rm. 12-01 – 1468 Madison Avenue (between 99th & 101st Sts.) • sponsored by Physicians for a National Health Plan, New York Metro Chapter
TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2019 • Albany Advocacy Day for parole justice
SATURDAY, May 11, 2019, 1:00 pm • Rally to support children and family visits in NYS prisons • 848 Columbus Circle (at 59th St.), Manhattan • We Got Us Now campaign, the Osborne Association
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019, 6:00-8:00 pm • Join RAPP in the movement for parole justice • New Hour for Women and Children-LI, 1725 Brentwood Rd., Main Building 2
TUESDAY, April 30, 2019, Albany, all day • RAPP will join HALT Solitary to push the NYS legislature to pass the HALT Solitary bill (A.2500/S.1623) • RSVP for free transportation and more information See this link for other actions to support the passage of this important bill (and NYC actions on April 23 and trainings on 4/19 and 4/22).
MONDAY, April 29, 2019, 2019, 7:00 to 9:00pm • RAPP will join the Sero Project and the Gay Center NYC to launch issue #2 of Turn It Up! Staying Strong Inside, dedicated to the late Mujahid Farid • with Brian Carmichael, Turn It Up! contributor recently paroled • 208 W. 13th St., Manhattan (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
FRIDAY, April 26, 3:00-8:00pm, and SATURDAY, April 27, 10:00am-5:00pm • Queens • Black Family Empower Summit• Queens Education Opportunity Center, Jamaica, Queens • Free event, complimentary meals
THURSDAY, April 25, 2019, 7:00 pm • “Lockdown,” by Cori Thomas, with Jose Saldana on a talkback panel after the play • Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, Manhattan • tickets here
TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2019, 6:00pm (cocktails; dinner at 7:00 pm) • North Star Fund 40th anniversary Gala • RAPP received the Frederick Douglass Award • More information here
SATURDAY, April 13, 2019, 1:00-3:00 pm • RAPP member orientation • 168 Canal St., 6th Fl., Manhattan • snacks and discussion of RAPP history, principles, and goals
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019, 12:30 pm • RAPP’s Jose Saldana on aging in prison at Fordham Law School, Rm. 303 • sponsored by Advocates for the Incarcerated and Feerick Center for Social Justice, Fordham Law School
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019, 2:00-3:00 pm • RAPP’s Mark Shervington on panel, “Deconstructing Injustice/Challenging Incarceration,” at the National Action Network conference, Sheraton Hotel, 811 Seventh Avenue, Empire West, second floor, Manhattan • Free, register here
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019, 9:30am-4:30pm • Paving the Way conference, Healing Equity • St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf, 260 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
THURSDAY, April 4th, 2019, 10:00 am • RALLY for parole justice • Governor Cuomo must fill the 7 empty seats on the NYS Board of Parole with new commissioners who understand & believe in rehabilitation, second chances • Governor Cuomo’s office, 633 3rd Ave., between 40th & 41st Streets, New York, NY 10017 • Info here
WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2019, 7:00 pm • The Long Term: Resisting Life Sentences, Working Toward Freedom, with Mariame Kabe • Housing Works Cafe, 126 Crosby St., Manhattan
TUESDAY, March 12, 2019, 6:30-8:30 pm • RAPP’s Jose Saldana featured on a panel with preview of the play “Lock Down” • 110 Hudson St, 10th Floor, Manhattan
Sunday, March 10, 2019 • Beyond the Bars 2019 • This year’s theme: Until She’s Free (details here). Columbia School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Ave. at 122nd St., Manhattan
THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019, 6:00-8:00 pm • Abolition in Practice • Jose Saldana of RAPP in conversation with other formerly incarcerated advocates • CUNY School of Law 3rd Floor Community Room, 2 Court Square, Long Island City, NY • RSVP here
SUNDAY, March 3, 2019, 6:00-8:00 • Queer Soup Night featuring RAPP •
WEDNESDAY, February 27, 2019, 10:00 am-3:00 pm • End Mass Incarceration Legislative Awareness Day • NY State Capitol, State Street, Albany NY 12210 • sponsored by VOCAL-NY
THURSDAY, February 7, 2019: 9:30 am • Press Conference & Rally for The Justice Road Map: Turning the Tide on Criminalization • 60 Centre Street, Manhattan (Manhattan Supreme Court)
TUESDAY, January 29, 2019 • Albany, NY Parole Justice Advocacy Day • Join us! Meet with NYS elected officials, march and rally to demand: 1. A fully staffed Parole Board (19 Commissioners with professional backgrounds in rehabilitation); 2. Elder parole: all incarcerated older people, aged 55 plus, get an opportunity for parole release after serving 15 consecutive years in prison; 3. A parole process that centers change and transformation instead of punishment and re-sentencing.
See RAPPCampaign.com/Reports to read testimony of RAPP and The Sentencing Project to the NYS Legislature Hearing on Public Protection Budget, January 29, 2019
THURSDAY, January 24, 2019 • 10:00am – noon • Human Justice Summit • with a RAPP panel on parole justice • Bronx Christian Fellowship, 1015 E. Gun Hill Rd., Bronx, NY 10459
THURSDAY, December 13, 2018, 6:00-8:00 pm • Dismantling Injustice and Challenging Incarceration: A Multi-Issue Forum on Criminal Justice • National Action Network House of Justice, 106 W. 145th St. (just west of Malcolm X Blvd.), Harlem
SATURDAY, December 8, 2018, 7:00 pm • Candles for Clemency rally at Governor Cuomo’s home, intersection Crow Hill & Millwood Rd (Rte 133), Mt. Kisco, NY •
THURSDAY, December 6, 2018, 6:00 pm, Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive (at 120th St) Assembly Hall Harlem • “Justice Long Overdue: Lessons Learned from the Successful Release of People Serving Life in Prison in Maryland and New York – and Why More People Must Come Home” • with RAPP, the Osborne Association, the Justice Policy Institute, Columbia Justice Lab and Center for Justice, and the Riverside Church
TUESDAY, December 4, 2018, 9:00-11:30 am, Washington, DC • Campaign to End Life Imprisonment Launch event • Public Welfare Foundation Inc, 1200 U St. NW, Washington, DC 20009 • sponsored by The Sentencing Project and Public Welfare Foundation • Jose Saldana of RAPP will speak • LIVESTREAM starting at 9:30 am
TUESDAY, November 27, 2018, 10:00 am -4:00 pm • “Public Hearing on NYS Parole Hearings, Structure of Parole Board and Data Indicating Systematic Bias in the Parole Board’s Decision-Making” • Sponsored by NYS Senator Luis Sepulveda and Gustavo Rivera, Ranking Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Crime, Crime Victims, and Corrections, & the Senate Health Committee • 250 Broadway, 19th fl, Senate Hearing Room, NYC
THURSDAY, November 15, 2018, 7:00 pm • Parole Preparation Project 5th Annual Welcome Home Party and Fundraiser • Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, 439 W 127th St, New York, NY 10027 • purchase tickets here
WEDNESDAY, November 14, 2018, 11:00 am • Foley Square, 111 Worth Street, lower Manhattan • NYC rally, Speak Out Across NY State to Dismantle Injustice in the state’s jails, prisons, and parole system • RSVP & more info
THURSDAY, November 8, 2018, 12:30-2:00 pm • Justice and the Punishment Paradigm featuring Jose Saldana and Anthony Dixon of RAPP • sponsored by the William Patterson University Philosophy Club, University Hall 114, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, New Jersey 07470
SATURDAY, November 3, 2018, 9:00 pm-1:00 am • Freedom Dance • celebration & support for long-held US political prisoners • National Black Theater, 2031 Fifth Avenue, Harlem (at 125th St.) • Sounds by DJ Revolution • Donation, $20 • beverages and food on sale
SUNDAY, October 28, 2018, 5 pm-8 pm • Preparing for Parole: A Training for Family Members, with the Parole Preparation Project, Rockland Prison Justice Project, Rockland Coalition to End the New Jim Crow and RAPP • Martin Luther King Center, 110 Bethune Blvd, Spring Valley, NY 10977.
WEDNESDAY, October 24, 2018, 9:30 am-12:30 pm • Inside and Outside the Visiting Room: Improving the Visiting Experiences of Children with Incarcerated Parents, with RAPP’s Jose Saldana and others speaking on prison visits in the context of lengthy sentences, violence and healing • John Jay College, 899 10th Ave, Manhattan (Haaren Hall) b/n 58th & 59th Sts., Moot Court, 6th Floor • free; light refreshments will be served • sponsored the Osborne Association and the Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice • More info and RSVP
SATURDAY, October 20, 2018, 5:30-9:00 pm • Citizens Against Recidivism 12th Annual Awards Program • RAPP’s Anthony Dixon will receive the Freedom Fighter award; keynote speaker will be Shaun King • Our Children’s Foundation Inc., 527 West 125th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam), New York, NY 10027 • RSVP & buy tickets
SATURDAY, October 20, 2018, 1:00-4:00 pm • Dismantling Injustice (Series) • Gavin Brown’s Enterprise (Gallery), 439 West 127th Street, NY NY 10027 • Legislative Workshop, Public workshop with RAPP, CAIC, and JLUSA • Organizers will give an overview of the legislative process in New York, outline their specific bills and stages in the legislative process, and discuss how participants can get involved in producing concrete policy changes that will help radically transform New York’s prison system.
FRIDAY, October 5, 2018 • 5:30-6pm Reception, 6-8pm • Dismantling Injustice: (Series) • Panel with RAPP, Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC), VOCAL-NY, and Coalition for Women Prisoners (CWP) about efforts to challenge the criminal injustice system in New York • Gavin Brown’s Enterprise (Gallery), 439 West 127th Street, NY NY 10027
THURSDAY, October 4, 2018. 6:00-8:00 pm • Dismantling Injustice (Series) • Readings by people in solitary confinement • Gavin Brown’s Enterprise (Gallery), 439 West 127th Street, NY NY 10027
TUESDAY, October 2, 2018, 11:00 am • Hicksville, LI • RAPP and other community advocates protest Senator Patrick Gallivan’s fake “hearing” on parole WATCH our press conference from the Monday “hearing” in Albany
MONDAY, October 1, 2018, 11:00 am, Albany • Press conference in response to Republican Senators’ “hearing” on parole and voting for parolees (WATCH here) • LCA Press Room 130, Legislative Office Building, 198 State St, Albany, NY 12210 Albany • Free transportation from NYC. If you would like to attend, RSVP here and spread the word using this Facebook event page. PLEASE WEAR WHITE in Albany!
SUNDAY, September 30, 2018, 6:30-8:00 pm • Nyack, NY • Parole in NYS: A Panel Discussion • Grace Episcopal Church, 130 1st Ave, Nyack, NY 10960
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, September 21-23, Buffalo, NY • Connecting the Struggles: Prison Abolition in Western NY, 2018 Conference • RAPP & Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition panel on incarcerated elders, Saturday, 9/22 at 1:00-2:50 pm • Canesius College Science Hall, 1901 Main St., Buffalo 14208
SUNDAY, September 16 2018, 1:00-6:00 pm • Harlem • 46th Annual African-American Day Parade • Free Political Prisoners • Join RAPP in the Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition contingent • gather at the eastern end of 111th Street between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Frederick Douglass Blvds.
WEDNESDAY, September 12, 2018, 5:30-8:00 pm • A Question of Compassion: Parole for People Aging in Prison • RAPP and the Vera Institute of Justice discuss parole and the Vera Institute’s report on compassionate release in NYS (read it on RAPPCampaign.com/reports) • Vera Institute, 233 Broadway, 12th Floor, NY 10279 (b/n Park Pl and Barclay St) • wine & cheese 5:30-6:30; program from 6:30-8:00 • Free, please RSVP
SATURDAY, August 16, 2018, 4:00-8:00 pm • RAPP & CAIC (Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement) Potluck Gathering, Castle Gardens, 625 West 140th Street (between Broadway & Riverside Drive), Manhattan, 11th Floor • you are invited to bring a dish to share.
MONDAY, August 6, 2018: 8:00 am • Take Action for Parole Justice in Memory of John MacKenzie and all who have died in prison after unjust parole denials • rally at Governor Cuomo’s NYC office, 633 Third Avenue, NYC
THURSDAY, August 2, 2018, 7:00-9:00 pm • Breaking Bars: Fighting Incarceration from the US to Palestine • an event with RAPP, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Organization • Join us to explore systems of domination and parallels of structural violence between the US and Palestine • Barnard College, Diana Center Rm. 504, 3009 Broadway, NYC (at 119th St.)
THURSDAY, July 26, 2018, 11:30 am • Bronx, NY • Press Conference to demand that Gov. Cuomo sign bills to Dismantle Injustice • Bronx Supreme Court, 159th St. and Grand Concourse • RAPP & many community members join elected officials to push for a series of bills that will reduce brutality toward incarcerated people, expand parole, and move toward ending mass incarceration in NYS • (below: Jose Saldana of RAPP speaking at the press conference)
MONDAY, July 23, 2018, 5:30-7:30 pm • Queens, NY • Dismantling Injustice Community Event • Hillcrest Library, 187-05 Union Turnpike, Queens 11366 • Conversation with RAPP, Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement, Vocal-NY, Correctional Association of NY, and Coalition for Women Prisoners
THURSDAY, JULY 12—SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2018 • Ossining, NY • Set the Captives Free: The Church and Mass Incarceration, a conference to raise awareness about the experience of incarceration in the U.S., the impact on families and community; and the role the church needs to play in support of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons and families, with the goal of having each participant identify an action related to incarceration to implement in their local church. Mariandale Retreat & Conference Center, 299 N. Highland Ave., Ossining, NY 10562 • For information, please contact Rev. Dr. Patricia A. Sealy, Mott Haven Reformed Church, (718) 585-3636
SATURDAY, July 14, 2018, 2:30-4:30 pm: “Dismantling Injustice: Community Education and Organizing Event” • Kensington Branch, Brooklyn Public Library, 4207 18th Avenue, Brooklyn 11218
MONDAY, June 18, 2018, 5:00-7:00 pm • Dismantle Injustice in NYS– Rally at Governor Cuomo’s Fundraiser • Plaza Hotel, 768 5th Avenue (at 59th St), New York, NY 10019 • Join RAPP, the #HALTsolitary Campaign, JustLeadershipUSA, and other advocates, organizers and concerned New Yorkers to demand freedom for people in New York State prisons and jails. SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE
Over 100 New Yorkers came together outside Governor Andrew Cuomo’s fundraiser at the Plaza Hotel on June 18, 2018, calling on the New York governor to act on climate and prison injustice under the umbrella of “Cuomo’s Pipelines: Prisons to Poisons Are Bad For New York.” This is the first time these two movements have come together to demand systemic change from the governor. (Photo by Erik McGregor)
THURSDAY, June 7, 2018, 3:00-5:00 pm • Approaches to Medical Parole Across the US, with special focus on New York State • Pace University, 3 Spruce Street, CIVIC W612, New York, NY 10038 • sponsored by the Correctional Association of NY • with speakers from RAPP and the Correctional Association • Details and RSVP
TUESDAY, June 5, 2018 • Day of Action for Parole Justice • 8:00-9:00 am sendoff rally at Governor Cuomo’s office in NYC, then travel to Albany for a vigil and rally at governor’s office and legislature • Photos to come – watch this space! Read the article on the protest in The Daily News
SUNDAY, June 3, 2018 • Running Down the Walls 5K run/walk/jog/bike benefit for US political prisoners • Prospect Park, Brooklyn; $10 registration fee (exact directions here)
WEDNESDAY, May 30, all day, Albany, NY • Toward Freedom: Dismantling Injustice in New York State • (RSVP) • Join RAPP, JustLeadershipUSA, the Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC), and others to demand real pre-trial justice (bail, discovery, and speedy trial), an end to long-term solitary confinement, and the release of older and aging people in prison.
MONDAY, May 21, all day, Albany, NY • Poor People’s Campaign National Call for Moral Revival – Action for racial justice and to end mass incarceration • 7:00 am: buses leave NYC (Union Theological Seminary, 120th St. and Claremont Ave) • 1:30 pm: March leaves from The Shrine Church to the Capitol (includes a stop at the NYS Parole Board’s headquarters). The March will not involve civil disobedience. RSVP and further details
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018, 6:30-10:00 pm • Washington, DC • Vote for Justice: An Evening of Empowerment with Artists and Activists, sponsored by the Justice Roundtable and including award of Certificate of Excellence to RAPP’s Mujahid Farid for his advocacy work. 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001; RSVP
THURSDAY, May 3, 2018, 6:00-8:00 pm • Preparing for Parole: A Training for Family Members • 168 Canal Street, 6th Floor Photo
SATURDAY, April 14, 2018, 9:00 am-5:00 pm • RAPP at Free Them All: A Mass Commutations Convening • Barnard Hall, 3009 Broadway, 4th Floor, James Room, New York, NY 10027
WEDNESDAY, March 28, 2018 • 7:00-9:00 pm • “Dismantling Injustice: A Public Forum on Ending Mass Incarceration,“ featuring RAPP and other key advocacy groups • College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY • Details here
TUESDAY, March 20, 2018 • RAPP Potluck dinner • 6:00-9:00 pm • RAPP/Parole Preparation Project office, 168 Canal Street, 6th Floor, Manhattan • Eat, talk, make art for the April 23 Parole Watch action in Albany (see below for 4/23 details)
TUESDAY, March 13, 2018 • Join Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC) at an advocacy day in Albany to push for passage of the HALT Solitary bill • end the torture of solitary confinement • Read a report by the Correctional Association of NY on the impact of solitary in a NYS prison
THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, March 1-4, 2018: 8th Annual Beyond the Bars Conference, Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Ave. (at 122nd St.), Manhattan • Closing Jails and Prisons • Free registration
SUNDAY, February 18, 2018 • 9:00 am EST • Radio event • Last Mile/Second Chances, ‘Violent vs. Non-Violent’ Part 1 and Part 2 • Mujahid Farid and Donna Hylton with host Topeka K. Sam on SiriusXM Urban View Channel 126
SATURDAY, February 17, 2018 • RAPP will be at the 47th Annual Legislative Weekend of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus • RAPP will be on a panel on Real Criminal Justice Reform sponsored by Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry, at 9:15-10:30 am • Albany Capital Center, 55 Eagle Street, Albany Meeting Room #6
WEDNESDAY, February 14, 2018, 12:15-1:45 pm • Reflecting & Advocating for Our Growing Population of Elder Incarcerated People • This event is over now, but it was amazing. WATCH the archived livestream • Columbia School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Ave. (at 122nd St.), Room CO6, Manhattan • Free and open to all • Melissa Tanis and Dave George of RAPP • Register to attend or to watch livestream
SATURDAY, February 3, 2018, 6:30-8:30 pm • “Correspondence,” Art by Sophia Dawson • paintings based on correspondence with Black political prisoners, all elders • Okay Space, 281 N. 7th St., Brooklyn, NY 11211 • part of #ToBeFreeProject Note: This show runs until February 24
WEDNESDAY, January 31, 2018, 6:00 pm: “Cruel and Unusual: The Story of the Angola 3” screening and discussion with NY Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (NYCAIC) • The Lion Theater, 410 W. 42nd Street, Manhattan • free
TUESDAY, January 30, 2018, 6:00 pm • “Cruel and Unusual: The Story of the Angola 3” sneak preview, with book signing and panel on the Black Panther Party • The Lion Theater, 410 W. 42nd Street, Manhattan • free
SATURDAY, January 27, 2018, 4:00-7:00 pm • 22nd Annual Dinner, Tribute to the Families of US-held Political Prisoners/POWS • Unitarian Church of All Souls, 1157 Lexington Ave., Manhattan (at 79th St.) • Sponsored by the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee Buy Tickets (proceeds go to commissary accounts of the political prisoners)