Thank you to the 500+ presenters and participants who made our first Building Bridges Community Experience an opportunity for connection and collaboration in a virtual community.

Here is what some of our participants and presenters have to say about their Community Experience...
“What an amazing event... Given this was virtual with 500 attendees and numerous sessions, I think it went excellent and I would grade it at A+!!  I learned a lot, reconnected with old friends and had a blast.  Thank you and your team for a job well done!!” - Presenter & Participant

“For the first time I was able to see the bigger picture on all of the services available throughout Ohio. Great to see the faces and hear the folks live that I have been communicating with to help reentering citizens. This event was a very uplifting and powerful experience for me to meet (on line) and hear the folks that are working daily to assist the returning population.” – Participant

"Seeing/hearing so many passionately involved people who are dedicated to improving the System! It was amazing and inspiring.” – Participant

“For me engaging with reentry professionals, currently incarcerated, and restored citizens and being able to discuss different viewpoints of reentry efforts and experiences has been extremely motiving. Subsequent to this experience (along with other factors) we are refocusing our efforts and are actively determining the next action items.” – Participant

Weren’t able to participate? Missed a few sessions? Below are resources from our 2020 Building Bridges Community Experience focused on developing reentry opportunities for men and women returning from incarceration. Click on the Webinar or Podcast tabs for video and audio recordings from various sessions offered throughout the 2020 Community Experience.  See below for additional PDF session resources. 

In addition, you’ll find the teachings and workbook from the 2019 Dismantling the Community-to-Prison Pipeline event featuring Dr. Tia Martinez. 

For up-to-date and upcoming online opportunities follow the Building Bridges Facebook page.

2020 Community Experience Resources

The Three Irreducible Minimums for Increasing Successful Reentry Right Now.

Reentry is complex in the best of times and personal every time. And it can overwhelm everyone involved. In this session, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute Faculty provide three key areas in the continuum of care where every community needs to focus its energies. In this session, real-time analysis of the latest data helps participants determine how to best assist those coming back into a very different pandemic-impacted community.

• Presented by: Dr. Myrinda Schweitzer Smith, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute
• Downloadable PDF Handout
   

Accessing Legal Tools for Restoring Voices during the Pandemic. 

Along with every other intersecting system of reentry, the legal system has been impacted tremendously during the pandemic. Gaining access to legal services that can aid in reentry and restored citizenship is a challenge. Join staff and restored citizens from the Ohio Justice and Policy Center for an overview of what’s available directly to restored citizens outside of the courts, etc….

• Presented by: Alicia Miller, Verjine Adanalian, Sheila Donaldson-Johnson and Michael Zuckerman, Ohio Justice and Policy Center
• Downloadable PDF Handout
   

2019 Community-to-Prison Pipeline Resources

The Building Bridges of Opportunity movement focuses its efforts in three areas for dismantling the community-to-prison pipeline – resilient families, healing trauma, and successful reentry. The three areas of focus attack the prison pipeline at its beginning (vulnerable families) and end (unhealthy reentry) as well as a common thread that perpetuates across generations - harm and unsafe communities (unresolved trauma).

The resources below help you develop a robust understanding of the systems, structures, legacies, and aftermaths that conspire to keep certain people groups caught up in disadvantage and harmful social structures.

Featuring social action specialist, Dr. Tia Martinez, this trio of videos provides in-depth analysis on the major cultural shifts, policies, and practices that have conspired to create the community-to-prison pipeline permeating all sectors of our society. These videos were filmed during Dr. Martinez’s Ohio visit in November 2019 for our inaugural Building Bridges of Opportunity events in Mason and Columbus. Below is a PDF Workbook that accompanies the first two videos.