Critical Resistance

CRITICAL RESISTANCE SEEKS TO BUILD AN INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT TO END THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX BY CHALLENGING THE BELIEF THAT CAGING AND CONTROLLING PEOPLE MAKES US SAFE.

NATIONAL WORK: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: WROTE AND DISTRIBUTED PRESS RELEASES; ORGANIZED AND FACILITATED SPOKESPERSON TRAININGS; ORGANIZED A MEDIA TRAINING SERIES; PARTICIPATED DISTRIBUTED REGULAR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION TO CRS NATIONAL EMAIL LIST; INTERVIEWED WITH NATIONAL RADIO AND PRESS; ORGANIZED AND PARTICIPATED IN DIGITAL EVENTS AND WEBINARS; CONSISTENT SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION; PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED THE ABOLITIONIST, A BILINGUAL NEWSPAPER WRITTEN BY IMPRISONED PEOPLE AND NON-IMPRISONED PEOPLE, SENT TO OVER 6,500 IMPRISONED PEOPLE, AND NEARLY 150 NON-IMPRISONED PEOPLE; SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT AND CIRCULATION OF NATIONALLY ORIENTED RESOURCES AROUND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SENTENCE, AND ORGANIZING STRATEGY. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: CONDUCTED CAPACITY TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS WITH OUR STAFF AND MEMBERS IN AREAS INCLUDING CAMPAIGN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION, BASE BUILDING, FUNDRAISING, MEDIA ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT; PROVIDED TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PRESENTATIONS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY; COMPLETED AND CONDUCTED AN TRAINING CURRICULUM FOR INTERNAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES; COMPLETED ONBOARDING A NEW NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR; HIRED AND TRAINED A NEW PERSON IN THE BUILDING PROJECT MANAGER POSITION; CREATED A NEW NATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE FELLOWSHIP, AND HIRED AND TRAINED SOMEONE IN THE POSITION; HIRED A NEW OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED:COMPLETED OUR 2021-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN; BEGAN A PROCESS OF VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON MEETINGS TO START PLANNING A NEW NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2023-2025; COORDINATED NATIONAL GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES; HELD A NATIONAL LARGE-SCALE IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL HYBRID FUNDRAISING EVENT IN SAN FRANCISCO; ORGANIZED DIGITAL EVENTS AND WEBINARS; CONTINUED TO BUILD OUT OUR CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND TRAIN STAFF ON HOW TO USE IT; UNDERWENT A 6-MONTH TRAINING WITH OUTSIDE CONSULTANT ON STRENGTHENING ORGANIZATIONAL AND STAFFING INFRASTRUCTURE; UNDERWENT A 3-MONTH TRAINING WITH OUTSIDE CONSULTANT ON IMPROVING ORGANIZATIONAL FINANCIAL TOOLS AND LITERACY.

OAKLAND WORK: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: WROTE AND DISTRIBUTED PRESS RELEASES; ORGANIZED AND PARTICIPATED IN REGIONALLY AIMED PRESS CONFERENCES, ORGANIZED AND FACILITATED SPOKESPERSON TRAININGS; DISTRIBUTED WRITTEN COMMUNICATION TO CRS OAKLAND REGIONAL EMAIL LIST; CREATED WRITTEN REPORTS; REGULARLY COMMUNICATED OVER SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES; PUBLISHED OPINION PIECES IN LOCAL AND STATE PRESS OUTLETS; INTERVIEWED WITH REGIONAL RADIO AND PRESS; REGULARLY PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEES OF A CA STATEWIDE COALITION. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED:CONDUCTED CAPACITY TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS WITH OUR OAKLAND MEMBERS IN AREAS INCLUDING REGIONALLY SPECIFIC COALITION AND CAMPAIGN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION (CLOSE CA PRISONS), BASE BUILDING, FUNDRAISING, MEDIA ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT; PROVIDED TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PRESENTATIONS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COALITION PARTNERS, AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE BAY AREA.ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED:ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CR OAKLAND CHAPTERS ANNUAL WORKPLAN; HELD A RETREAT FOR CR OAKLAND DEVELOPMENT; COORDINATED REGIONAL GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES; SUPPORTED OUR NATIONAL LARGE-SCALE IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL HYBRID FUNDRAISER IN SAN FRANCISCO; ORGANIZED IN-PERSON AND DIGITALEVENTS; FACILITATED NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT WITH PRISONER CORRESPONDENCE.GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED:IMPLEMENTED OUR CA STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN WORK THROUGH: PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL EVENTS; PRODUCED EDUCATIONAL AND ORGANIZING MATERIALS; HELD MOBILIZATIONS AIMED AT BUILDING BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND GRASSROOTS SUPPORT; CONDUCTED AND PARTICIPATED IN STATEWIDE ADVOCACY DAYS AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN SACRAMENTO; ORGANIZED ACTIONS TO BUILD PUBLIC PRESSURE; DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED WORKSHOPS ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGNS. MAINTAINED SOME SUPPORT FOR A SAN FRANCISCO BASED COALITION AND AN ALAMEDA COUNTY BASED COALITION BOTH WORKING TO ADDRESS HARMS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTIES' JAIL SYSTEMS; CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE HEAVILY IN A STATEWIDE COALITION TO ADDRESS PRISON CLOSURES IN CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED NYC, PDX, ZACHARY PROJECT AND LA WORK: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF MEDIA MATERIALS FOR NYC, LA, AND PORTLAND COALITIONAL WORK; ORGANIZED AND FACILITATED SPOKESPERSON TRAININGS IN NYC AND LA; DISTRIBUTED WRITTEN COMMUNICATION TO CRS PORTLAND, NYC, AND LA REGIONAL EMAIL LISTS; AND INTERVIEWED WITH REGIONAL RADIO AND PRESS, PRODUCED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND GRAPHICS RELATED TO CAMPAIGNS. MAINTAINED OUR WORK AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PORTLAND PRISONER MAIL PROGRAM; GREW THE NYC PRISONER MAIL PROGRAM; CREATED PRESS RELEASES AND COMMUNICATIONS MATERIALS TO SUPPORT ADVOCACY OF IMMIGRANTS DETAINED BY IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT IN NEW YORK; CREATED AND DISTRIBUTED COMMUNICATION RELATED TO DIGNITY NOT DETENTION NY BILL. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: CONDUCTED CAPACITY BUILDING TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS WITH OUR PORTLAND, NYC, AND LA MEMBERS IN AREAS INCLUDING REGIONALLY SPECIFIC CAMPAIGN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION, BASE BUILDING, FUNDRAISING, MEDIA ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT; HELD IN PERSON EVENTS AND GATHERINGS IN PORTLAND, LA, AND NYC; PROVIDED TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PRESENTATIONS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS PORTLAND, NYC, AND LA. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CR PORTLAND, NYC AND LA CHAPTERS ANNUAL WORKPLAN; COORDINATED REGIONAL GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES. SUPPORTED THE ONBOARDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CHAPTER MEMBERS IN NY AND LA.GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED: IMPLEMENTED OUR CAMPAIGN WORK THROUGH: PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL EVENTS; PRODUCED EDUCATIONAL AND ORGANIZING MATERIALS; HELD IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MOBILIZATIONS AIMED AT BUILDING BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND GRASSROOTS SUPPORT; ORGANIZED ACTIONS AND EVENTS TO BUILD COMMUNITY MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND GRASSROOTS SUPPORT IN PORTLAND, LOS ANGELES, AND NYC; DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED WORKSHOPS ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGNS. SOLICITED FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION FROM IMPRISONED PEOPLE THROUGH OUR PRISONER MAIL PROGRAMS IN PORTLAND; CONTINUED OUR DIGNITY NOT DETENTION NY LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN IN NEW YORK THROUGH ORGANIZING IN-PERSON RALLIES, PUBLIC FORUMS, AND ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS. LA CHAPTER CONTINUED SUPPORTING CA PRISON CLOSURE CAMPAIGN BY PLANNING IN-PERSON OUTREACH IN NORCO, CA. CONTINUED ZACHARY PROJECT FUND COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT MEMBERS IN TIMES OF CRISIS. DISPERSED FUNDS, AND DISTRIBUTED COMMUNICATIONS TO THE FUNDS EMAIL LIST.