House Criminal Justice / Senate Judiciary Joint Committee to Study Bail Reform
Sept. 13th, 2021

Speakers include:

Judge Lynda Jones, General Sessions Judge
Senator Ferrell Haile, Speaker Pro Tempore
Jenna Bottler, Justice Action Network
Jasmine Heiss, Vera Institute
Willie Santana, Vera Institute
David Conner, TN County Services Association
Jim Hart, County Technical Assistance Service
Jeff Bledsoe, TN Sheriffs Association
Tim Fuller, TN Sheriffs Association
Mark Davidson, District Attorneys General Conference
Russell Johnson, District Attorneys General Conference
Maggie Duncan, Association of Chiefs of Police
Judge Lynda Jones, General Sessions Judges Conference
Judge Andy Brigham, General Sessions & Juvenile Judge
Verna Wyatt, TN Voices for Victims

House Criminal Justice / Senate Judiciary Joint Committee to Study Bail Reform
Sept. 14th, 2021

Speakers include:

Judge Chris Craft, Criminal Judge
American Bail Coalition
Stephen Owens, Kansas House of Representatives
Criminal Justice Reform Commission
TN Association of Professional Bail Agents
Brandon Ross, Smart Start of TN
Justin Hawkins, Talitrix LLC
Micah Gravley, Talitrix LLC
Matthew Swando, Track Group
Cassie Schmitt, Track Group
Mindy Huddleston, SCRAM Systems

Senate Judiciary Committee members include:

Mike Bell (R) D9 - Chairman
Dawn White (R) D13 - 1st Vice Chairman
Paul Rose (R) D32 - 2nd Vice Chairman

Todd Gardenhire (R) D10,     Sarah Kyle (D) D30,
Jon Lundberg (R) D4,     Kerry Roberts (R) D25,
Katrina Robinson (D) D33,     John Stevens (R) D24

House Criminal Justice Committee members include:

Michael G. Curcio (R) D69 - Chairman
Jerry Sexton (R) D35 - Vice Chairman

Bill Beck (D) D51,     Scotty Campbell (R) D3,
Vincent Dixie (D) D54,     Clay Doggett (R) D70,
Andrew Farmer (R) D17,     Bruce Griffey (R) D75,
G.A. Hardaway (D) D93,     David Hawk (R) D5,
Dan Howell (R) D22,     Bud Hulsey (R) D2,
London Lamar (D) D91,     William Lamberth (R) D44,
Debra Moody (R) D81,     Lowell Russell (R) D21,
Paul Sherrell (R) D43.

News coverage:

Yue Stella Yu, Nashville Tennessean, "Effective or Burdensome: Tennessee Lawmakers Take On Cash Bail Reform," Sept. 14, 2021

Ian Round, Daily Memphian, "Lawmakers Hear Suggestions to 'Refine' Bail System," Sept. 13, 2021

A time for connection, training, and strategizing for CALEB membership, our general meetings are held the second Thursday of every month from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. At the current time our meetings are virtual.

Next general meeting: Sept. 9th.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtduyhrTkiHdFfOKwrjwz7bMEhnLJGqH6M

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Education reform takes hard work to produce real change, so we're committed to an action month around school support staffing, funding, and restorative practices. As a launch to this month and in efforts to continue to fight to end the school to prison pipeline, we will be hosting a day of action alongside our sister organizations MICAH (Memphis) and NOAH (Nashville). This is a statewide call to action, bringing together all walks of faith and persons. 
 
The Day of Power and Prayer holds large significance for us as an organization, and we are expecting participation and attendance as we can not only ask our state legislators to action, but our members to action to fight for our children and the funding they deserve to have access school nurses, social workers, and counselors in their schools. 
 
The state of Tennessee only spends 2.9% of all taxable resources on public education. That’s the lowest rate of any state in the nation, and only 19 percent of districts report meeting the goal of one certified social worker for every 1,500 students. Yet we have a state reserve of 2 billion dollars, and continue to fund the presence of police in our schools. We must show up and act. This event will be a show of solidarity and accountability to our state legislature, because WE HAVE FAILED OUR CHILDREN and we have to step up. 
 
The Day of Power and Prayer (DOPP) will take place on Sunday, August 15 from 3-5 pm ET with access to join online. Fill out the Save the Date Form, where we can continue to share information and next steps. PLEASE HAVE YOUR ATTENDEES FILL OUT FORM.
 
ORGANIZATIONAL ASK: We are asking as per your membership commitment to show up virtually in numbers (5-10 people for in person attendance) to the DOPP, to share this event on your social media/organizations (Flyers, fact sheets, etc, will be attached) and to participate in the day of programming if you so desire. 
 
If you need further clarification on the event, or would like to discuss anything further on the DOPP, please feel free to reach out to Angelica Acevedo (angelica@calebcha.org), and we can schedule a phone call/meeting!

Sign up to learn about the price tags placed on the accused and incarcerated in Hamilton County. The Sycamore Institute's presentation on local fees and fines in the criminal justice system is scheduled for Thursday (Aug. 12th) at 3:00 pm EST. Hamilton County Community Bail Fund Manager Dylan Gibbons will join as a panelist for this important conversation. You won't want to miss it!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/financial-security-in-tn-the-role-of-fees-and-fines-in-hamilton-county-tickets-165782904129

CALEB's next general meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 12th, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.

To attend the meeting virtually, register in advance at the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckdOGsrzsvGdAuDMhbk3BLbpx_P86dYS7X

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CALEB's monthly meeting is the chance for our members to connect, keep up to date about organizational and campaign news, and find out where to plug in!

When: Thursday, July 8th, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Virtual

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdOiorzIoH90k-dmD8se3q99ugQOJ2Fzb

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlf-2vrj0rH9Yp515LaPLEAEpoEgZ3qt2p

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The following is a schedule of our upcoming task force meetings. If you're a task force member but don't have a link to participate, let us know at info@calebcha.org.

This month, Chattanoogans in Action for Love, Equality & Benevolence (CALEB) has released a report outlining best practices and potential impact of establishing a city-wide Community Land Trust (CLT) in Chattanooga. The report, which was funded by the City of Chattanooga, details how the CLT model could be used to promote permanently affordable housing in a rapidly skyrocketing real estate market. This study was commissioned after multiple city housing reports recommended the CLT model as a tool to address affordability issues. 
 
We contracted with the nationally recognized CLT consultancy firm, Burlington Associates in Community Development, to aid in the development of the study. After conducting this research, we believe that establishing a city-wide CLT would be one of the most efficient and effective uses of local housing subsidies. 
 
An executive summary, FAQ, and a downloadable PDF of the full report can be found at www.calebcha.org/cltstudy. 

On March 17th from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EST, we'll be hosting a "Lunch & Learn" virtual event to discuss the findings of the report and answer questions. Registration for the event can be found at https://fb.me/e/238ttr1ZJ.

CALEB's next General Meeting is scheduled for March 11th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Meetings are opened to the public, and currently held over Zoom.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrc-GuqD4rH9JpZ5ymtMoEdAgetxBzGUJS

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.