Our work is centered on working toward a world without prisons through alternative means to conflict resolution and community accountability.
See our Criminal Justice campaigns below:
Defund The Police, Invest In Communities
- A commitment from the City & County to transition funds away from policing and into the programs that address the root causes of crime.
- Remove Police from Kingston City School District
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- An immediate and permanent cancellation of contracts with Kingston Police Department, Ulster Police Department and all law enforcement.
- A commitment to reinvest funds into Mental Health and Community Resources for the children in the district.
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- Invest in our communities by moving resources to support:
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- Non Carceral Mental Health programs and support
- Non Carceral Drug Rehabilitation programs and support
- Renter Protections
- Non Police Mobile Crisis Intervention.
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- Reduction of Kingston Police Department Budget: Removal of Police Response from Mental Health Calls, Welfare Checks, Non-Violent Crimes, Car Accidents and Eviction.
- Reduction of Ulster County Sheriff Department: Review by the NYS Commission on Corrections to reduce capacity and staffing levels and lessen the costs of operations. Healthcare and food service contracts should be adjusted based on actual average daily censuses.
Remove Police From Our Schools
Time and time again, children in the Kingston City School District have fallen victim to racial profiling, violence, sexual harassment, and trauma at the hands of the police. The presence of police criminalizes our children, and exacerbates the school to prison pipeline, which unfairly targets Black students.
We demand:
1. An immediate and permanent cancellation of contracts with Kingston Police Department, Ulster Police Department and all law enforcement.
2. A commitment to reinvest those funds into Mental Health and Community Resources for the children in the district.
3. Investigate all complaints of Police Violence and Misconduct that have been reported to the school district.
Spread the word. Print & Share our flyer. (this version uses less ink).
Write a Letter to The Editor.
If you have had a negative experience with Police, tell your story.
Contact The School Board at boe@kingstoncityschools.org
Increase The Peace
We call Kingston to Rise Up Above Violence and commit to the following pillars to create a #ViolenceFreeKingston:
- Respond to conflict in ways that will not harm a person, their autonomy, or their dignity
- Respect others as well as myself
- Value others as well as myself
- Choose to Rise Up Above Violence
- Commit to peace one day at a time
- Help each other get the resources we need in our lives
- Have conversations with each other about how to handle conflict differently
- Make commitments to one another to be non-violent in thoughts, words, and deeds
