Hartford, CT (PRWEB) March 01, 2012
Community Partners in Action, a nonprofit organization committed to building community by providing services that promote accountability, dignity and restoration for people affected by the criminal justice system, has partnered with the Connecticut Bar Foundation to launch the Connecticut Innocence Fund, which provides financial assistance to exonerees to support their reentry into the community.
Re-establishing oneself in the community following wrongful imprisonment is a challenging process, said Maureen Price-Boreland, executive director, Community Partners in Action. Through the Connecticut Innocence Fund, we hope to provide financial assistance to help exonerees successfully reenter the community and lay the groundwork to regain employment and rebuild their lives.
A joint endeavor between Community Partners in Action and the Connecticut Bar Foundation, the Connecticut Innocence Fund offers interest-free loans to individuals that have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. The funds, which exonerees will repay from later compensation awards, can be used to help with daily living expenses, education costs and healthcare.
We all owe a debt to exonerees, who have personally suffered from the flaws of our justice system. At the time of their release from prison their needs are the greatest, yet the States compensation system is slow to respond, explains Atty. Timothy S. Fisher, president, Conn. Bar Foundation. This Fund will help bridge that gap and get our exonerees back on their feet as soon as possible.
Eligibility for funds will be determined by the Funds Advisory Committee. Criteria include: earning capacity, other existing and potential means of financial support, efforts to successfully reenter society and efforts to improve earning potential.
Donations to the Connecticut Innocence Fund are tax-deductible. To support this cause, mail a check payable to The Connecticut Innocence Fund to the Connecticut Bar Foundation, 31 Pratt Street, Suite 420, Hartford, Conn., or, go to the Foundations website, http://www.ctbarfdn.org, click Donate Now, and choose the Connecticut Innocence Fund as the target of your contribution.
About Community Partners in Action
Established in 1875, Community Partners in Action (CPA) is a nonprofit organization committed to building community by providing services that promote accountability, dignity and restoration for people affected by the criminal justice system. For more than 135 years, CPA has offered a wide range of programs for adolescents and adults, helping clients to develop transferrable skills and work towards a successful re-entry into society. To learn more, visit http://www.cpa-ct.org.
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