Overview
As a native of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, MBC's Founder, Melanie E. Bates, Esq., has dedicated her career to serving the local community. MBC has a deep commitment to criminal justice reform. Poverty, lack of education, and other social issues should not feed the pipeline to prison. Through consistent advocacy, we desire to alleviate the factors that force many people to be impacted by the system.
Incorporating Design Thinking in Criminal Justice Reform
Know Your Rights Program
A key component of this work is our Know Your Rights Program. During the Program, participants are provided with comprehensive information regarding their rights during police encounters. The Program includes a robust dialogue, special guest speakers, PowerPoint presentation, video clips, handouts, and role play. The Program consists of the following objectives:
- Participants partake in a discussion about personal experiences with law enforcement
- Participants learn statistics related to policing and the overall criminal justice system
- Participants learn key phrases to remember while in an encounter with law enforcement
- Participants watch videos depicting a myriad of scenarios involving law enforcement and members of the community
- Participants engage in role play
- Participants share thoughts about how they will plan to conduct themselves in any future situations
- Participants are provided with information about the mission of the D.C. Office of Police Complaints and how to file a complaint, if needed
Know Your Rights Program Booklet
Know Your Rights Program Testimonial
The session was awesome. Your commitment to excellence and attention to detail was shining through every element of the program. I enjoyed seeing our Fellows being so engaged and the addition of the Office of Police Complaints, officer, and attorney, really added a layer of authenticity to the conversation. Please extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the guests that joined you. I couldn't have asked for a better event!"
-Ivan C. Douglas, Jr., The Literacy Lab
-Ivan C. Douglas, Jr., The Literacy Lab
Know Your Rights Program Key Phrases
Know Your Rights Program News Interview
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