VJC Meeting Notes
November 20, 2023
Present: R Jackson, Lareta Finger, Debra Turner, Russ Leimbach, Kevin Drexel, Duane Baron, Mike
Ramer, LaDawn Knicely, Jim Hogan, Ruth Stoltzfus, Jenny Stover, Sheba Williams, Andrea Jackson,
Kathleen Templeton
Harvey- Asked each attendee to introduce themselves.
R Jackson – Is a part of Strength in Peers, and helps with re-entry.
Lareta - Concerned citizen and wants to learn. She has helped people write letters to editor. She is co-
editor to Sojourners.
Debra – Legislative expert. Interested in legislation done in Richmond to change laws that affect us
locally.
Kevin – new to VA. In Harrisonburg 1 year. 30+ career in housing affordability. Interested in re-entry
and affordable housing options.
Duane – Deputy Public Defender in Staunton, doesn’t practice in Harrisonburg.
LaDawn – Pastor and pastoral counselor under the supervision of Harvey. Past work has been at Mercy
House and Gemeinshaft Home which gave her an interest in working with formerly incarcerated felons.
Kathleen – Stated she is overwhelmed, and deeply blessed to be a part of this group and passionate
about peace and criminal justice activist.
Ruth – Retired legal aid attorney with Blue Ridge with criminal law. Been involved with criminal justice
community and hopeful for next steps and legislation change out of Richmond.
Jim – Citizen and involved with VJC for several years and appreciative of contributing.
Jenny – from NY. Helps elderly individuals incarcerated with medical issues to get them out. One was
her brother who she helped to get him out after 29 years of incarceration.
Russ – Citizen interest. Transplant from S. Indiana 15 years ago, Was a Hosier Hills Pact which is
alternatives to incarceration utilized.
Sheba – Richmond – Reentry work
Andrea – Volunteer and activist for community and VA organizing events. Involved with VJC when part
of expansion of regional jail was being discussed and desires to be informed about criminal justice.
Harvey – Middle River-Landrum, reporter at DNR, to interview some of women and GH house
tomorrow. If we have anything we want to inform Landrum, let her know.
Updates:
CJP Hire – Steering Committee met and to get momentum going where Stephen King is Administrator
who is putting this position on back burner with nothing is happening. Ruth and LaDawn are putting
heads together to make sure consistent voice about job description. LaDawn encouraged to meet with
Sallie and Stephen. Not only do we have a CJP opening, but also CIT Planner, and other vacancies.
Russ – Isn’t city also responsible?
Ruth – Answered, she went and spoke to City Council with open public time that both city and county is
affected. She requested city staff to work with us when having to deal with jail expansion. She realized
that Rockingham/Harrisonburg work together on jail and jail issues as deal with Middle River. She
hoped the city would help nudge county to fill CJP position. She came to understand that this
assignment has been given to the county with lists of stuff to do and limited with time. She doesn’t
believe what she shared at council meeting didn’t mean much. We need to know what our main
concern with job description is and streamline it, and not make a long wish list.
Harvey – How do you Duane do it in Augusta County with D Pastors. Is it a shared project or city or
county?
Daune – Not sure about funding if separately or not.
Hogan – Ruth has city made specific requests to hire CJP or are they sitting on their hands not doing
anything?
Ruth – Job Description for CJP position had been posted and talked with Stephen King about it. Job
Description was taken down which may be a positive thing because need to have someone with grant
experience.
Harvey – Spoke with Frank Sottaceti who suspects Stephen King and other Board of Supervisors want
position to fade away and not be filled. He suggested to keep putting pressure on the county and take it
up with city for it to be shifted to city’s jurisdiction. Ruth your contact with city was not in vain.
Jenny – Suggested to take the issue to the media.
Kathleen – Reminded us that the county’s 1 st idea for jail was a $98 million price tag expansion what
officials were pushing for.
Future Programs for 1 st Monday Meetings for Public December 4 th
1.We could hear from Kevin Drexel about his interest and experience for housing issues with those at a
disadvantage with affordable housing.
2.Peggy Plass head of JMU’s Justice Study Program, and Head of Gandhi Center. She could present.
3. Nick Myers – Chaplain at Coffeewood. Working with inmates at Correctional Center.
4. Tom Stover – local person incarcerated for 4 years and willing to speak about life inside.
Kevin Drexel – If you were to speak on December 4 th , what would be key things you would cover? He
stated that he as been In Harrisonburg one year working with housing. Moved here to be closer to
daughter, and accepted to Seminary, but decided to go another direction. He stated that there are:
Gaps with Affordable Housing – He is an expert in development and financing. He has worked with
group homes with children. There is a gap here for reentry for formerly incarcerated. Looking at angels
how to approach this.
He personally suffered with addiction and got in trouble here in Harrisonburg and was incarcerated this
year. He learned a lot in 40 days. Conditions are awful. He did a lot of writing while inside and
formulated areas / gaps to be filled here from Harrisonburg, Staunton, and to Lexington.
Need a re-entry program that wouldn’t compete with GH.
R Jackson – Housing is non-existent. Affordable housing not a term people don’t understand. GH,
Oxford House, Salvation Army are some options. Individuals need to get job. Large agencies are
handling rentals. It is extremely difficult to find a place or someone who would rent to them.
Debra – Most are restricted because felons won’t be rented to.
Andrea – Affordable housing is technically defined as 30% of gross income.
Jenny – New York Governor Hogan, 2 days ago, passed law for “clean slate law” for felons to get
affordable housing for accommodations and employment.
Duane – CSB has housing coalition and oversees access to housing funds in the three Harrisonburg
communities.
Andrea – Dedicated to this and getting people who are Valley Homeless Connection Staunton/Augusta
County. CSB to get different organizations together to work. The issue is not availability. Housing gears
towards luxury. “Clean slate law” needs to be done at state level to see a change. It is a hot topic and
people need a place to live, which is a basic human need which is a crisis. Get people on board to
include. Stipulations on re-entry citizens.
Harvey – How do we get temporary housing for those in transition. Just talked to a woman who is
buying a 2-story house to rent a room. He feels we have a hospitality shortage and not just a housing
shortage.
Hogan – Has experience with homeless veterans and by providing management with those so house
doesn’t get destroyed.
LaDawn – Hospitality crisis is with churches, and would like to challenge and put pressure on the church
to rise to this need and opportunity because there are so many church buildings that sit empty all week.
Russ – Homeless people don’t have a friend. They too don’t have hospitality.
Jenny – Get a signed petition through change.org for statewide for people to sign affordable housing.
Andrea – There is really a housing crisis that there is not enough housing. There is also a stigma to
renting to someone to the unhoused person. A lot of “not in my backyard.” Agrees to putting pressure
on churches to be that place and break the stigma.
Ruth – Good discussions with lots more church could do , but there is a shortage of housing and suggest
Kevin Drexel to speak about housing issues. We need expert information.
Kathleen – Would like to hear more from Jim Hogan about management.
Hogan – Did get house in city and the managers had to assure neighbors it wasn’t going to be a crack
house and if a problem it would be addressed so this satisfied the neighbors.
Russ – (Peggy Plass) – Wanted name of Gandhi Center Director.
Harvey – Website Issue – Harvey thanked Mike Ramer for updating website.
Harvey - Mentioned that he appreciated Debra’s work on FB page to expand visibility in the
community.
Debra – we have 50 facebook followers, and would like to get 100 and make comments.
James – With regard to churches in SC where he used to live he had opportunity to work with men in
mission with mobile homes who worked with very little wage to have housing.
Kevin – Will speak on December 4 th about affordable housing. This is his expertise as he taught full
semester programs on this.
Harvey – Feel free to invite friends to this informative meeting.
Adjourned Meeting.
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