SPECIAL EDITION:
Felton in the News
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ADVOCATING FOR
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS IN WASHINGTON, DC
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Protecting Criminal Justice Rights
Joseph Bell, Jr., Case Manager for Felton Institute’s Mild to Moderate Program (M2M), traveled to Washington, DC last month to lobby the Senate and House of Representatives to pass bills advocating for children’s criminal justice rights.
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Joseph Bell, Jr, stands in front of the U.S. Capitol.
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Legislation advocating for children’s criminal justice rights included:
- HR2834 - assures that parents are notified upon arrest of their child and given consultation about their Miranda Rights.
- HR2908 - assures that children 15 and under cannot be tried as adults and no children under 18 can be charged with the Felony-Murder rule.
- HR2858 - assures that children who have been sentenced to a life sentence will be eligible for a review by a judge after they have served 20 years.
For Bell it’s personal. As a formally incarcerated individual, he does not want to see his two grandchildren “fall victim to crime or the carceral system.” Joseph stressed that advocating for children’s criminal justice rights is important because “young people's rights should be protected, and they should know them.”
In conjunction with lobbying efforts, he attended the "Freedom Tour" sponsored by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and co-sponsored by Human Rights Watch two organizations Bell is part of. Bell, a member of the National Life Without Parole Leadership Council, was among the invited experts in the field of sentences to speak with the Legislators.
While in Washington, DC, Mr. Bell spoke about his advocacy work as well as his work with Felton Institute’s M2M program which provides mental health services to justice-involved adults. He explained, “mass incarceration is a national problem, and we should not be labeled for life for our worst decision.”
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Joseph Bell, Jr. stands at the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument.
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Joseph Bell, Jr. at the National Museum of African American History.
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Felton Engages at San Francisco Pride
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SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
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Rising Success in Job Placements
For Bay Area Older Adults
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Felton SCSEP placed 1st nationally in securing employment for older adults. With a 70% placement rate, one of the highest it’s ever been despite COVID, it’s been an exciting and successful year!!!
SCSEP hopes to keep the track record going in helping spread the word that older adults really do add value to the workforce. It's a population that will continue to keep growing.
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SCSEP has had trainees gain employment in industries such as Administration, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Healthcare, Customer Service/Hospitality, just to name a few. Felton Institute has also employed over 30+ trainees from the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
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Felton Client Success Stories
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"Such a Blessing"
FEST Program Secures Housing for Clients
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The Felton Engagement Specialist Team (FEST) provides outreach and support to clients by addressing substance use, mental health, and physical health needs. The team also works to secure temporary or permanent housing for the unhoused.
FEST team members Billie Jean and Rodney Thompson are pleased to share two recent success stories. With homelessness and substance abuse on the rise in the Bay Area, securing housing and substance abuse treatment for underserved populations can be a challenging endeavor. But Jean and Thompson prevailed in assisting two clients locate housing as well as enter a detox center.
One of their clients, Rachel, described being at “her wits end” in finding housing. After FEST assisted her, however, she shared that it was “such a blessing.”
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FEST members stand with client Luis (right) after securing him a spot in a detox program.
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FEST team member Billie Jean (right) stands with her client Rachel (left) after securing her housing.
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Felton Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under EIN 94-1156530
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