Empower Missouri is dedicated to ending poverty within our state. In our day-to-day work, we focus on three key areas: affordable housing, criminal justice, and…
The 2020 General Election has come and gone, although the vote counting and legal actions over a variety of issues are apt to continue for…
Note: The following blog contains links to stories that include photos and descriptions of actions that are traumatizing. Recently, I have heard a number of…
“Diversion” is a broad term that refers to the many forms of exit ramps that can divert people from the criminal legal system. Instead of…
When pre-filing for the 2023 Legislative Session opened in December, I braced myself for bills that are filed every year, that we fight every year,…
For over 120 years Empower Missouri has brought together a team of anti-poverty advocates to learn together, make connections, and advance our mission. Our 2024 Anti-Poverty…
On Friday, the 2024 Missouri Legislative Session closed with little fanfare, a fitting end to a session where little work was accomplished. The legislation passed…
January 11, 2019 Dear Advocate, What does it take to pass improved public policy in Missouri, including reforming old laws that were ill-conceived that have…
Clean Slate legislation has been filed in Missouri’s house and senate, the result of a concerted push by advocates around the state, including Empower Missouri,…
Among Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are the lowest and arguably most important necessities humans require to exist; physiological needs. These include basic essentials such as…
For the past two years, Empower Missouri has been spearheading research into the practice of private probation in Missouri, to better understand its scope and…
In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), sometimes known as the welfare reform bill. Buried deep within that sweeping…
In 2017, Empower Missouri’s annual conference theme was Persisting and Organizing to Win. During the week of February 10, 2020, coalitions staffed by Empower Missouri…
On May 15, in the final hours of Legislative Session 2020, the Missouri General Assembly Truly Agreed and Finally Passed the Senate Substitute for Senate…
This session, five bills have been filed pertaining to funding for the Kansas City Police Department. For those who are not familiar with the issue,…
Black Missourians are more likely to be pulled over than their white neighbors. Much more likely. Each year since 2000, the Attorney General of Missouri…
Each year, the Missouri State Attorney General collects data from police departments all around the state that gives us a better look into the interactions…
The legislature is taking their annual Spring Break this week, which is widely considered to be “halftime” of the legislative session. We’ve spent the last…
Many Missourians are familiar with the term “State of the Union” address, and may tune in or bother to read news coverage of the annual…
Last week, on behalf of Empower Missouri, I attended the 2021 SEARCH Symposium. It is a national forum that addresses critical and timely issues, programs,…
The 2024 legislative session is nearing the finish line, and with that will come a chance to celebrate what we have accomplished this year. At…
It was a busy but inspiring week for Empower Missouri: our 2024 Week of Action! Throughout the week we offered three virtual training sessions (recordings…
It seems as if many of the issues today that are being debated in our state and federal legislatures are seen as partisan, but criminal…
The Community Justice Coalition (CJC), is a multi-sector team of dedicated advocates who envision a future without mass incarceration. Through deep policy research, field work and…
While crime has dropped across the nation and also in Missouri, our state is one of only eight states in which the prison population has…
We at Empower Missouri are extremely disappointed to learn that Gov. Parson plans to sign Senate Bill 600. This reverses the positive direction that his…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19th, 2021 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO)...Empower Missouri and its network of supporters in Missouri will be joining in a coordinated Week of…
10/1/2019Contact: Conner Kerrigan, Communications Director815-263-1261 (cell)[email protected] At 6:23pm on October 1st, 2019, the state of Missouri carried out the cruel and unusual execution of Russell…
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Click the image below to view a downloadable .pdf of our July newsletter.
The September Empowering You Newsletter can be downloaded by clicking on the thumbnail below, and you can explore it's contents by clicking on any of…
Many states have begun the efforts of legalizing low-level offenses; however, the records of past criminal histories are still a challenge that presents many obstacles…
We’re headed into the final two weeks of Missouri’s legislative session, which means that legislators from every corner of the state are in a mad…
June 3, 2019 For More Information: Jeanette Mott Oxford Executive Director, Empower Missouri (314) 775-3261 Conner Kerrigan Communications Director, Empower Missouri (815) 263-1261…
It seems hard to believe that we’re only a month away from the start of a new year, and a new legislative session. Pre-filing opens…
As a statewide advocacy organization, Empower Missouri is keeping an eye on what the state is doing or not doing regarding the issues we work…
Missouri’s General Assembly and executive branch have moved into political chaos, following a pair of racially insensitive proclamations to Special Session by Governor Mike Parson.…
Missouri has an HIV criminalization problem. Under current Missouri law, if someone knows they are living with HIV but does not disclose their status before…
The House Committee Substitute (HCS) of House Bills 167 & 166 was debated on the House floor on Tuesday afternoon. You know from our Weekly…
More than three decades ago, my biological parents tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and were diagnosed with AIDS in the late 80s and…
On Tuesday, March 3, HB 1691 was heard in the Judiciary Committee. Sponsored by Rep. Holly Rehder, this bill would modernize our outdated and harmful…
I really couldn’t have imagined the hearing going any better. The room was packed, standing-room-only in the gallery, nearly every one of the 19 (!)…
The Missouri General Assembly has a Legislative Session that goes from January to May. During those months, the capitol building in Jefferson City is in…
As social justice advocates, our relationship with “Independence Day” is “complicated” to say the least. Clearly the liberty and justice promised in founding documents of…
My name is Scott Quirmbach and Clean Slate legislation would change my life. In 1994, when I was 18 years old, I moved to Warrensburg,…
Hello! My name is Eric and I am extremely excited to be joining the Empower Missouri team as the Community Justice Intern. In this role,…
Missouri is one of only a handful of states that still regularly executes its citizens. On April 9th of this year, Missouri carried out its…
On Wednesday, May 11th, Empower Missouri, Criminal Justice Ministry, the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, Metropolitan Congregations United, the Missouri Catholic Conference, Missouri…
In over 120 years, Empower Missouri has advanced and passed many successful policies. One of the most impactful was a significant decrease in the food…
On Tuesday evening, I went to the prison in Bonne Terre to stand in solidarity with our colleagues at Missourians for Alternatives to the Death…
(Jefferson City, MO)..... Missouri lawmakers, health professionals and long-term HIV survivors are calling for the state legislature to change Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws which they…
The major take-away for me from the 2019 Legislative Session is the importance of working in coalition with others for evidence-based public policies. Empower Missouri…
Since 1901, the pinnacle of Empower Missouri’s work each year has been its Annual Conference. In fact, for the first decade, that was the bulk…
In just over two weeks, Missouri voters will head to polls for the midterm elections. In addition to voting for federal, state, and, in some…
In March, five listening sessions were conducted with Jefferson City residents regarding interactions between their community and the Jefferson City Police Department. A subsequent survey…
As we wrap up the year, we’re already deep into planning for the next legislative session that starts in January. Our December Friday Forum covered…
The image used in this article is from NBC News. Matthew Charles embodies the mission statement of Empower Missouri’s Criminal Justice Issues Team. We advocate…
Michael Johnson was released from Booneville Correctional Center on Tuesday, July 9th, 25 years before his expected release date. “Leaving prison is such a great…
Last week, the beleaguered Editorial Board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an opinion piece in reaction to a news story that 200 detainees facing…
Below is the testimony that Smart Sentencing Coalition member Kenya Brumfield Young presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 22, 2021 about the passage…
Media Advisory November 25, 2020 What: On World AIDS Day, a press conference will be held with Senator-elect Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston), Senator-Elect Greg Razer (D-Kansas…
It’s the third week of May, which means that you’re hearing crickets from hundreds of lobbyists and advocates across the state who are taking a…
On June 18th, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) launched their national HIV is Not a Crime initiative, focused on modernizing HIV-specific laws across the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2019 For More Information: Sara Baker, 314-809-0658 Jeremy Cady, 417-597-3838 Jeanette Mott Oxford, 314-775-3261 Jefferson City – Yesterday, the Missouri Legislature approved…
We have come a long way in what we know about HIV treatment and transmission since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began 40 years ago. In terms…
Approximately 3.7 million people in the United States are on community supervision (probation or parole, also referred to as community corrections), which is nearly double…
Members of Empower Missouri’s Criminal Justice Coalition have been discussing Missouri’s use of private probation and the impact on our communities. Missouri is one of…
In part one of this series, we provided a brief introduction to the concept of private probation - the practice of outsourcing probation services for…
Over the last six weeks, we have described Missouri’s practice of outsourcing probation and supervision services to private businesses and introduced why it is a…
There are many ways in which the anti-poverty issues that Empower Missouri works on intersect. Repealing the SNAP ban for people with past drug felony…
For Immediate Release December 2, 2020 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO…) On World AIDS Day, 2020, a bipartisan group of Missouri legislators held a 1 p.m. virtual…
Last Saturday, June 11th, Empower Missouri supporters, coalition members, staff and other guests gathered at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis to honor our…
Yesterday evening, Governor Parson vetoed SB 189, a criminal justice omnibus bill that included a number of provisions that Empower Missouri worked on last session. …
Empower Missouri has fought for all Missourians to have basic human needs and equal justice since 1901, and there have undoubtedly been many challenges to…
Hi! My name is Chris Morrison. I have always had a desire to make an impact on the world around me. Throughout my career in…
In a recent letter to Gov. Parson, State Auditor Nicole Galloway requested that a special session of the General Assembly be called to address the…
We knew going into the legislative session that it would be a wild year. Unfortunately, wild years where very little gets done has become the…
Even though the final two weeks of the 2020 Legislative Session tempts us to focus all attention on Jefferson City just now, social justice advocates…
On Call: Rita- MCCBarb-CWITMary Ann Jamie Alicia-ACLUAmanda Wilson- KC Lisc Samantha- Clark FoxBeth- Innocence ProjectCheryl- JCRCGwen- CJMNicole- Sentencing ProjectDamian JohnsonMichelle and Patty- All of us…
Missouri lawmakers returned to the Capitol in Jefferson City on January 6th with challenges posed by an ongoing pandemic. The Missouri legislative session began at…
In the past few months, we have all watched in shock and disbelief as precious lives have been taken from African Americans as a result…
Today the Missouri House of Representatives gave final passage to five of six bills heard by House committees on August 17. The bills were crafted…
During the age of COVID-19, many of us are doing our duty to protect ourselves and others. We stay home, wash our hands, and wear…
Date: April 4th, 2024To: Chair Narayan, and members of the Public Safety Committee - City of St. LouisFrom: Eric Reiter, Community Justice Practicum Intern, Empower…
Date: January 17th, 2024 To: Chairman Luetkemeyer and Members, Senate Judiciary & Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri Re:…
Date: January 16th, 2024 To: Senator Travis Fitzwater, Chair, and Members, Senate Transportation, Infrastructure & Public Safety From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri…
Date: February 21, 2024To: Chairman Evans and Members, House Judiciary CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: HB 1655 As the largest and…
Date: February 21, 2024To: Chairman Evans and Members, House Judiciary CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: HB 1693 As the largest and…
Date: February 12th, 2024To: Chairman Schnelting and Members, House Special Committee on Homeland SecurityFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, and Mallory Rusch, Executive DirectorRE:…
Date: January 23, 2024 To: Chairman Hovis and Members, House Pensions Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: HJR 92 As…
On behalf of the staff, board, and statewide Criminal Justice Coalition convened by Empower Missouri, I am here today to oppose the bills referenced above.…
Date: January 29th, 2024 To: Chairman Luetkemeyer and Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri RE: Our opposition to…
Date: March 11, 2024To: Chairman Luetkemeyer and Members, Senate Judiciary CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: SB 951 As the largest and…
Date: February 5th, 2024To: Chairman Gannon and Members of the Senate Local Government and Elections CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRE: Support…
As the largest and oldest anti-poverty advocacy agency in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents…
Date: February 22, 2024To: Chairman Lane Roberts and Members of the House Crime Prevention and Public Safety CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower…
Date: January 18th, 2024 To: Chairman Roberts and Members, House Crime Prevention & Public Safety Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri Re:…
Date: January 31st, 2024To: Representative Rudy Viet, Chairman, and Members of the House Committee on Corrections and Public InstitutionsFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager,…
Date: January 24, 2024 To: Chairman David Evans and Members of the Judiciary Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: Support…
Date: February 20th, 2024To: Representative Hannah Kelley, Chairwoman, and Members of the House Committee on Children and FamiliesFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower…
Date: February 21st, 2024To: Chairman Viet, and Members of the House Corrections and Public Institutions CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: Our…
Date: January 24th, 2024 To: Representative Rudy Viet, Chairman, and Members of the House Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice…
Date: March 26, 2024To: Representative Alex Riley, and members of the House General Laws CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: Our support…
Date: January 31st, 2024To: Representative Bill Hardwick, Chairman, and Members of the House Committee on Emerging IssuesFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRE:…
Date: January 29th, 2024 To: Sen. Leutkemeyer, Chairman, and Members of the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice…
Date: February 26, 2024To: Sen. Tony Leutkemeyer, and members of the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager,…
Date: January 22nd, 2024 To: Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, Chairman, and Members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence From: Gwen Smith-Moore,…
Each year as Legislative Session begins, there is a lot of “crystal ball gazing” in our state capital. The rumors come fast and furious, and…
Missouri is in the midst of reckoning with one of the many long term consequences of mass incarceration: a rapidly growing number of elders incarcerated…
Submitted by Maggie O’Donnell, Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) One in three Americans is burdened by some…
It has been clear to criminal justice advocates in Empower Missouri’s network for some time that poverty has been criminalized. Among the ways we have…
Just last month, Governor Parson signed five different criminal justice related bills into law. Each of these bills were supported by members of the Smart…
The language we use to describe systems of oppression greatly shapes our understanding of these systems and the people and communities impacted by them. This…
Whether you have been part of the Empower Missouri advocacy network for a long time or just joined our mailing list this week, there has…
With the November election less than one month away, it seems likely that you’re being inundated with news and opinions related to upcoming federal, state,…
In the spring of 2020, we saw the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, a pandemic unlike anything since 1918. The pandemic forced the closure of…
In June 2021, the Missouri Attorney General's Office released data from its annual Vehicle Stops Report, which showed in 2020 black drivers were about 71%…
The Missouri legislature is seeking to pass some significant changes to our criminal justice system this session. In the months ahead, you are likely to…
We were extremely disappointed when Gov. Parson announced on July 6 that he would be signing Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 600 (SB 600), legislation…
As always, the happenings in Jefferson City these past two months have been full of twists, turns and surprises. And it is not over yet,…
As the 2021 Legislative session gets underway, we must not forget what happened in 2020: Let us not forget how the killing of George Floyd…
I often describe myself as a grassroots organizer at my core. I really believe that there is no ethical way to advocate for legislative changes…
When Attorney General Eric Schmitt released the 2018 Vehicle Stops Report (VSR) on May 31, we learned some very disturbing news. The racial disparity between…
Reformed theologian and ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr (born in Wright City, MO in 1892) began sharing a prayer in 1934 that was published in this form…
Is it windy in your neighborhood today? If so, it could just be the speed with which the legislative windmill blades are turning in Jefferson…
*This article has been edited and expanded since first publication.* In 2018, Missourians overwhelmingly voted to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. This…
Happy Juneteenth! Empower Missouri is among organizations that has begun a discussion about amending our personnel manual to create a paid staff holiday for Juneteenth.…
In early August, Saint Louis hosted the Racial Equity Summit. This year’s event was conducted via a virtual format and highlighted major inequities throughout our…
I’ve been with Empower Missouri nearly 4 years now, and since I started every legislative session we work against work hour tracking for SNAP. It…
The 2023 legislative session will end today at 6PM, so there’s only a few hours remaining for the legislature to pass any final bills before…
The 2020 Legislative Session came to an end on May 15th, amidst the special challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having floor debate time reduced…
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