Phoenix, Arizona — Jan. 14, 2019 — American Friends Service Committee-Arizona (AFSC-AZ), the Tucson-based experts in the field of criminal justice reform, will lead a historic gathering of formerly incarcerated people and their families advocating for systemic change at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix for the first-ever ReFraming Justice Day on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

The slate of events for ReFraming Justice Day includes a 10 a.m. Rose Garden press conference emceed by Piper Kerman, author of the bestselling memoir-turned-Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, and featuring Pat Nolan, director of the American Conservative Union’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform. Kerman, Nolan and AFSC-AZ will announce plans for major, Republican-sponsored state-level sentencing reform legislation.

Following the press conference, Kerman, Nolan, and dozens of formerly incarcerated people and their families will be available for TV, radio, print and online media interviews.

In the afternoon, ReFraming Justice Day’s system-involved participants will meet with legislators of both parties to advocate for common-sense reforms, including expungement of conviction histories, a mandatory-minimum “safety valve,” and fair and proportionate sentencing reform legislation.

The ReFraming Justice project, conceived and led by AFSC-AZ program coordinator Grace Gámez, Ph.D, amplifies the voices of formerly incarcerated people and their families, and provides them with the tools to be leaders in the criminal justice reform movement. In preparation for the inaugural ReFraming Justice Day, AFSC-AZ and the ReFraming Justice project have provided workshops on legislative advocacy to all event participants.

To schedule an interview or to receive more information, please contact Joe Watson, AFSC-AZ communications director. For updates on this event and others, follow AFSC-AZ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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