Congresswoman Bush Visits Local Re-Entry and Recovery Public Health Programs
LIV Recovery Sober Living provides safe space for residents recovering from substance use
Concordance Academy aims to end reincarceration cycle
St. Louis, Mo. (August 31, 2023) — This past Tuesday, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) visited two organizations in her district - LIV Recovery Sober Living Center and Concordance Academy - focused on substance and alcohol use treatment and recovery, and re-entry services for formerly incarcerated people.
“The criminalization of poverty, substance use, and the decades-long War on Drugs has caused devastating harm on our communities, particularly our Black and brown communities,” said Congresswoman Bush. “Without proper redress and systemic change in our approach to public safety, our loved ones' lives will continue to be at risk for harm and our communities will continue to be destabilized.”
LIV Recovery Sober Living Center is an organization that provides a safe space for residents to continue their journey in sobriety and connects residents with educational, charitable and social welfare resources. Congresswoman Bush met with co-founder Derrick Jones, heard from residents, and toured the facility.
Concordance Academy works on reducing reincarceration rates by executing a holistic, integrated, evidence-informed re-entry model. Congresswoman Bush met with several members of Concordance’s board, including Executive President Kate Kay and Executive Vice President Tiph Jones. She had a discussion about their program model, toured the facility, and engaged in conversations with participants about her legislative efforts.
“Organizations like LIV and Concordance are putting in the work to acknowledge the systemic harm caused to our communities by failed and misguided approaches to public safety,” said Congresswoman Cori Bush. “It’s past time the federal government adopt comprehensive legislation that is equitable and treats public safety as a matter of public health.”
Since coming to Congress, Congresswoman Bush has advocated for the current federal government approaches to public safety and substance use crisis’s to be instead rooted in public health. She has introduced groundbreaking legislation mimicking this approach, such as:
- The Drug Policy Reform Act which she introduced with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, would end criminal penalties for drug possession at the federal level, shift regulatory authority from the Justice Department to the Department of Health and Human Services, expunge existing records, reinvest in alternative health-centered approaches, and eliminate many of the life-long consequences associated with drug arrests and convictions.
- The People’s Response Act which would advance an inclusive, holistic, and health-centered approach to public safety by creating a public safety division within the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
- The End Solitary Confinement Act which would end solitary confinement in federal prison and detention facilities, establish minimum standards for incarceration and due process protections, and incentivize states and localities to end solitary in their facilities.
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