In early December 2011, UAF received a request from A New Way of Life Reentry Project (ANWOL) to respond to a recent city ordinance that would displace formerly incarcerated women and their children. Formed in 1998, ANWOL represents a unique model of prison rehabilitation and reentry in Los Angeles that provides safe, clean, sober homes for formerly incarcerated women and their children, offers them education and job training, and supports their transition back into society. The recently proposed city ordinance would specify that two or more probationers or parolees cannot live in the same house in a single-family residential zone, a requirement that would make all of ANWOL’s five community-based reentry homes in violation. ANWOL says that the women currently at these homes would be evicted, which “would result in homelessness for a population who already faces discriminatory barriers when attempting to address housing.” Working in partnership with a variety of other local mental health, homelessness, and reentry organizations, ANWOL plans to engage its activist group, called Women Organizing for Justice to prevent the approval of the ordinance. Specifically, ANWOL proposes to use funds to have formerly incarcerated women and other women that would be affected by the ordinance meet with local policy makers to express their concerns with the ordinance, which is currently in the public discussion phase of the approval process.
According to endorsers, “ANWOL is a pioneer and leader in our region on community-based rehabilitation” and not only provides services but “engages in sustained and effective policy advocacy and therefore is well positioned to make the impact they wish to make.”
