The David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP)
Founded in 1967, The Fortune Society has been a powerful advocate and re-entry service provider for four decades. Fortune’s leadership role as an advocate for the rights and fair treatment of people with criminal records and for fair criminal justice policies was recognized shortly after its founding when Fortune’s founder, David Rothenberg, and two of its formerly incarcerated leaders, Kenny Jackson and Mel Rivers, were asked by people incarcerated at Attica Correctional to join the observers present in the yard during the Attica Rebellion. While Fortune has always engaged in advocacy and community education, in order to increase our impact, we have recently launched the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP), a department which focuses primarily on public policy advocacy.
DRCPP coordinates The Fortune Society's technical assistance, training, policy development, advocacy and community education efforts. DRCPP integrates our internal expertise – specifically drawing upon the life experience of Fortune’s formerly incarcerated staff and clients – with the research and evaluation of our extensive and nationally recognized array of services for men and women who have been involved with the criminal justice system.
The Fortune Society has a long and active history of collaborating with advocates, policy experts and government entities in the development of sound re-entry and Alternative to Incarceration policy. DRCPP strengthens this role by generating research reports, best practices and case studies, working closely with policymakers, as well as providing related technical assistance and training to community-based organizations around the country. Through DRCPP, we are able to enhance our policy work regarding program models and needed supports for formerly incarcerated people as well as greatly expand our focus on changing punitive laws and social policies that create unfair barriers to successful reintegration.
Please click here to download the DRCPP's current policy advocacy agenda.
Stay in touch. Join DRCPP's mailing list to stay informed about our work to remove counterproductive barriers to reintegration facing men and women who have criminal histories. To sign up, please click here.
___________________
Representatives from The Fortune Society frequently appear before community boards and other legislative bodies to speak about important criminal justice issues. You can read our most recent testimony below:
Joint Public Hearing: The Rockefeller Drug Laws – 35 Years Later: May 8, 2008
Download PDF
State
Executive Budget FY 2008-2009: February 7, 2008
Download PDF
City Jails: April 25, 2006
Download PDF
Non-Health Related Discharge Planning: December 19, 2006
Download PDF
HIV Test, Counseling and Informed Consent: December 20, 2006
Download PDF
