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Social Justice Changemakers for Public Defense
 
 
 
In Missouri, a state where the rate of incarceration exceeds that of any country on the planet, Black drivers are 87% more likely to be stopped, 42% more likely to be searched, and 36% more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts. The disparate impact of traffic stops imposed upon Black people influence the discriminatory nature of Missouri’s criminal legal system. Black Missourians are disproportionately represented in Missouri’s courtrooms, jails and prisons, and as a result, face extensive social and economic consequences that feed into intergenerational trauma and the hindering of community stability. In fact, the rate of poverty for Black Missourians is nearly double that of the statewide average. The Missouri State Public Defender has recognized the practice of pretextual stops as one that targets minorities and people in poverty, hinders economic development, and holds little value in ensuring public safety. The Social Justice Changemakers for Public Defense program seeks to accelerate efforts to create a more just criminal legal system by bringing national awareness to these unjust practices and influencing a reduction or elimination of pretextual stops in Missouri. In doing so, the project will afford Missouri’s Black communities with greater protection from disparate police contact that creates collateral socioeconomic consequences for current and future generations.
 
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Please note:
This listing is currently not accepting applications.



Member Duties : Summer Associates will first develop an understanding of the effects of racially biased pretextual stops through the study of traffic stop reports, court and prison statistics, internal client data and narratives, and efforts elsewhere to abolish or reduce the prevalence of police involvement in minor traffic stops. They will develop a campaign to bring further awareness and propose alternatives to pretextual stops by building a coalition with community leaders and developing a framework for the abolition of police involvement in traffic offenses They will also work with existing AmeriCorps members to further MSPD’s efforts to connect clients with community resources by facilitating a client support day, bringing community service providers to indigent defendants and their communities. In doing so, Summer Associates will build upon work being done to stop the extent and effect of discriminatory practices in Missouri and advance the wellbeing of MSPD clients and all Black Missourians.
 
Program Benefits : Paid State Holidays ,  Living Allowance ,  Training ,  Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend . 
 
 
*For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare
 
Terms :
Car recommended ,  Permits attendance at school during off hours ,  Permits working at another job during off hours . 
 
Service Areas :
Ex-Offender Reentry ,  Community and Economic Development ,  Community Outreach . 
 
Skills :
Computers/Technology ,  Team Work ,  Writing/Editing ,  Social Services ,  Empathy, Resiliency, ,  Community Organization ,  Communications ,  General Skills ,  Law . 
 
 
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SUMMARY
Program Type:
AmeriCorps VISTA
Program
Social Justice Changemakers for Public Defense
Program Start/End Date
06/19/2022  -   08/27/2022
Work Schedule Full Time
Education level
Some college
Age Requirement
Minimum:  18    Maximum:  None
Program Locations MISSOURI  
Accepting Applications
From  04/08/2022  To  05/23/2022 
Contact Shayla Marshall
920 Main St
Kansas City   MO   64105
816-943-9462
Shayla.Marshall@mspd.mo.gov
publicdefender.mo.gov/
Listing ID 111287

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