Thursday, January 9, 7 p.m.

Center of Clayton

50 Gay Ave.

Saint Louis, MO 63105

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m.

Read more and register here.

Stephanie McCreary, chief purpose officer for Oasis, will Join us to share information about volunteer engagement activities within Oasis including opportunities with Oasis Tutoring and with their newest program, Oasis Grand Champions. Oasis Grand Champions was developed to meet the critical need for strong and caring mentorship for children currently residing in and preparing to transition out of foster care. Volunteers share their knowledge and experience to help build necessary life skills in a safe environment. We’ll also learn about the impact Oasis aims to create in our community and how you can get involved.

On December 4, the Criminal Legal System Reform (CLSR) Task Force held a Lunch & Learn with Annie Legomsky, leader of the Holistic Defense Services Unit (HDS) at the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office. The Public Defender’s Office zealously advocates for indigent people accused of mostly low-level nonviolent crimes. 

HDS’s goal is to address the root causes of their clients’ involvement in the criminal legal system and help break the cycle of criminalization. Public Defender clients have a history of trauma, and many face mental health disorders, substance use disorder, and housing instability. HDS workers assess the clients’ social needs and connect them with services.

Legomsky explained that individuals and Women’s Voices can improve HDS clients’ lives and gave several examples. First, many clients need transportation, and volunteer drivers can get them to such places as treatment centers. The Public Defender’s Office can also now receive direct donations, and HDS also can use those funds for transportation and other client needs, like clothing and toiletries.

Legomsky’s most urgent request was for individuals to educate the state legislature about the importance and effectiveness of HDS’s work and their need for funding. This legislative session, HDS is seeking funds to hire additional employees, so that each of the thirty-three public defender’s offices has one or two HDS workers on site to assess needs and provide services. An independent evaluation shows the HDS program is cost effective, decreasing unnecessary pretrial detention and reducing the occurrence and length of prison sentences.  

The question of public safety often arises as states around the country deliberate “Clean Slate” bills. These bipartisan bills, such as those introduced in Missouri’s legislature, would create automated record-clearing processes for certain nonviolent convictions. Legislators and business leaders are already convinced of the benefits for state economies and productive opportunities for ex-offenders. They also recognize the unfairness that only 1-2% of eligible individuals, those with resources, can access the existing costly and time-consuming petition process. 

But what about public safety? A “Clean Slate” law does not guarantee expungement. Individuals who have records eligible for expungement and have served their time must remain crime-free for a set number of years. This is not easy, since recently incarcerated individuals will, during those set years, face the same obstacles that limit employment opportunities and access to housing for everyone with criminal records.

With so many obstacles and little hope for change, many give up. Effectively barring ex-offenders from employment and housing makes zero sense and has been a recipe for recidivism. Nationally, and in Missouri, recidivism rates are in the 60-70% range. However, a Clean Slate law would provide hope as well as motivation to hundreds of thousands. States that have cleared people for employment through expungement have seen recidivism rates drop to 20-30% and lower. Moreover, studies show that ex-offenders who have remained crime-free for 3 to 5 years are no more likely or even less likely than the general population to commit a crime.



Criminal records can follow one for life and can sentence families to poverty with a multiplier effect for decades. It is in our community’s best interest to have healthy, self-sufficient individuals who, with obstacles removed, can move on with their lives and provide for their families.



Women’s Voices is a partner in the Missouri Clean Slate Campaign. 

It’s not often that any of us get a chance to see a small group of citizens build a successful grassroots movement to bring about change in a community. The story of the Attainable Housing Task Force, a small group of volunteers who are members of Women’s Voices Raised (WVR) for Social Justice, a St. Louis nonprofit, was able to have this type of success. In fact, they were able to build so much local support in one community that the local group became its own entity and took over the work. This is a success story in grassroots organizing, and this is the story of how it came to pass.

Read More On Our Website.

Remembering Ann Mandelstamm

Ann Mandelstamm, an active member for many years, completed her life in November of 2024. She carried out her longtime intent to exit her life mindfully and peacefully when she reached her mid-80’s, and lived a rich and inspiring life of joy, generosity, and service to so many.

In her Sunday St. Louis Post Dispatch column, Janet Jackson wrote a commentary about Ann titled “On the Importance of Laughing at Ourselves."

We are grateful for all of Ann's efforts to make a better world, and we extend our condolences to her family and many friends.

Ann's obituary was printed in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

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