Cherie Cruz

July 27, 2022

ACLU takes Pawtucket to federal court over unconstitutional political lawn sign ordinance

“My supporters want their neighbors to know about the election and to encourage them to consider my candidacy,” said candidate Jennifer Stewart....

June 8, 2022

Activists rally at RI State House to end mass criminalization

“A small amount of [prison] time can change your life,” said Trent Manning, and organizer with Behind...

May 17, 2022

Amended cannabis legalization bills introduced and on path to passage

“The magnitude of the cannabis legislation, specifically the state-initiated expungement piece, is without equal,” said Representative Leonela...

March 16, 2022

Advocates push for expungement of criminal records as General Assembly moves towards legalized marijuana

“In order to begin to repair the harm of this failed war on cannabis,” said Cherie Cruz,...

March 1, 2022

Marijuana bill brings praise, and renewed calls for automatic expungement

“…there is no excuse to deny automatic relief from past arrest records and criminal convictions to tens...

November 29, 2021

The RI Redistricting Commission hearing on prison gerrymandering

“If the state really does believe that imprisoned people are in fact residents of the districts in...

July 12, 2021

Clemency tour comes to Rhode Island with march on women’s prison in Cranston

The organizers are calling on Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee to grant clemency to five women in...

May 7, 2021

Better than New York? Cannabis legalization in RI needs to center social and economic justice, say advocates

“In any legalization legislation we must ensure that the past and future harms of the criminalization of...

April 21, 2021

Reclaim RI’s 420 rally for racial and economic justice in cannabis legalization law

“We can’t talk about weed legalization if we don’t mention policing, police violence and mass incarceration,” said...

March 15, 2021

The Uprising: The Legalization of Cannabis in Rhode Island

Join us as we discuss the ongoing process of legalizing marijuana in the ocean state, and the...

December 11, 2020

Rhode Island to stay the course on prison Covid outbreak

“…our focus is to support the Department of Corrections’ leadership, help ensure that there isn’t any increase...

December 2, 2020

Public Defender petitions RI Supreme Court to end cash bail amid ACI Covid spike

Dr Jennifer Clarke, the now former medical programs director at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, added...

November 5, 2020

Count Every Vote: Rhode Islanders rally for Democracy

“The work that we do today, the work that we did yesterday and the work that we...

July 21, 2020

Coalition celebrates passage of Fair Chance Licensing bill

“Our bill is a small but significant step towards repairing the vast harm that mass criminalization has...

April 17, 2020

Advocates press Governor Raimondo to release more inmates from prison in response to pandemic

“It’s a public health crisis and we know it’s a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. We...

April 2, 2020

Hundreds attend online rally to convince Governor Raimondo to depopulate prisons

“The ACI and jails across Rhode Island are ticking time bombs for a coronavirus outbreak. Public health...