(Chicago, IL) – Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) will convene a forum featuring Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and local drug prevention and treatment advocates to discuss the impact of Federal and local initiatives to combat recidivism and substance misuse.
The forum will take place at A Safe Haven, 2750 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago on Monday, October 17 beginnin at 9:00 A.M.
The criminal justice system is the largest single source of referrals to substance abuse treatment in the U.S., comprising 37 percent of those in treatment. Criminal justice referrals are less likely to drop out of treatment and more likely to complete treatment than all other referrals (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Illinois has implemented several alternative-to-incarceration models that redirect eligible people into community-based treatment from all points in the justice system (e.g., prosecution, court, and sentencing), thereby reducing substance misuse and recidivism while maintaining supervision and accountability.
The forum will feature two panels with Federal officials and local advocates. The first panel will discuss Federal initiatives available in the Chicago area, including civilian and veteran drug prevention programs and drug courts, and the second panel will highlight the success of local drug treatment and adjudication programs and their impact on the health and safety of local communities.
Congressman Davis is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives, and lead sponsor of the Second Chance Act, which authorizes federal grants to entities that provide drug treatment, mental health care, housing and jobs for people newly released from prison.
Who: Panel 1
- Gil Kerlikowske, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
- The Honorable Paul Biebel, Jr., Presiding Judge, Criminal Division, Circuit Court of Cook County
- Renee Oshinski, Deputy Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network 12 (VISN 12 /Great Lakes)
- Michael Finley, Michael Finley Foundation, NBA Champion 2007 (San Antonio Spurs)
Panel 2
- The Honorable Mattie Hunter, Illinois State Senator – 3rd District
- Neli Vazquez-Rowland, President, A Safe Haven Foundation
- Sara Moscato Howe, Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Alcoholism & Drug Dependence Association
- Joel K. Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Human Resources Development Institute, Inc.
TASC, Inc. is an advocate of cost-effective alternatives to incarceration and is a member agency of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, represented on Panel 2.