Rep. Kamlager-Dove Requests Funding for Amistad in the ’24 Appropriations Process
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) is pushing for federal funding for Amistad in the 2024 congressional appropriations process. Kamlager-Dove’s request is for Community Project Funding for the ‘Renovation and Expansion of Amistad de Los Angeles Residential Reentry Facility’ sponsored by the Amity Foundation.
Our Amistad de Los Angeles campus provides re-entry services to men in California as they work their way towards reintegration. Elements from our Teaching Community curriculums helps our students navigate past traumas, history, and behavior. Students learn to care for themselves physically starting with a healthy diet, meditation and yoga in a welcoming, culturally diverse environment where they can begin to explore their own experiences within the family context. The goal for our students is becoming contributing members of their communities. Additionally we partner with numerous agencies to provide vocational, GED, educational, employment and housing services.
Per Rep. Kamlager-Dove’s request, the purpose of this project is to increase bed availability through the rehabilitation and expansion of Amistad de Los Angeles residential reentry facility. This will enable better outcomes for all individuals with histories of incarceration in a state prison, ultimately decreasing recidivism, and improving public safety. This project allows for the renovation of the existing facility to not only increases the capacity to serve a greater number of individuals (26 new beds), but to also significantly improve the standard of housing for the current 184 residents who were formerly incarcerated in state prison.
Amity Foundation’s President and CEO Doug Bond had this to say about the inclusion of Amistad in these requests: “Resources like this are vital to the transformation of the lives of our students and well-being of our entire community. Having safe environments create sanctuaries for our students to heal, and our Amistad de Los Angeles campus will continue to be a space for learning and growth in our community with the continued support and leadership of Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove.”
It's important to note, the congressional appropriations process is complex and with the current political landscape in Washington, DC, nothing, including funding for projects, is guaranteed. With that said, we are thankful for Rep. Kamlager-Dove’s efforts to secure this important funding and encourage all Members of Congress to support it as well.
Rep. Kamlager-Dove expressed praise for the Amity Foundation and the work being done at Amistad: “I was glad to advocate for funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations process for the renovation and expansion of the Amistad de Los Angeles Residential Reentry Facility. The Amity Foundation is doing outstanding work to ensure that those who have encountered the criminal justice system can have the pathways and support necessary to reintegrate into our community. Our criminal justice system is deeply flawed, but services like the ones offered at Amistad de Los Angeles address the cycle of recidivism and mass incarceration many Angelenos face. I look forward to being a continued partner in the work that they do for their students and for justice.”
You can view the full Member Financial Disclosure Letter below, as well as read about the other CPF requests here. Learn more about our Amistad de Los Angeles campus on our website and through our annual reports.
