We've been doing seminars for lifer families for sometime now, but this year, as I discussed earlier, we decided to offer a choice of sessions in the afternoon. That experiment has proven quite successful, offering those attending a chance to get the special information they need. At the recent Yorba Linda seminar about 2/3 of the participants were attending their first seminar, so they really needed the Parole 2.0 group, which took them through the basic parole process, from timing of first hearings to just what happens.
Those who are veterans of dealing with CDCR and parole, could choose to attend other groups, depending on the situation and needs of their lifer. Those coming up for parole could find out about parole relapse prevention plans and/or what happens after the hearing, whether the decision is grant or denial.
And for those looking to new laws for relief, attorney Michael Beckman covered those requirements and details. Something for everyone! We'll continue this format for the rest of the seminars this year (confirmed for San Diego in July and Long Beach in September, in he works for the Bay Area and Central Valley), so if you're planning on attending, consider which one of the small groups make the most sense for you.
The small groups also provide us with the opportunity to get to know seminar goers better, and that's also a big part of our mission; developing community and providing support to all lifer families. Keep you eyes open for announcements of upcoming seminars--'Coming Soon to a City Near You!'
And be sure to sign up--while we do accept walk-ons, it's hard to predict how many will show up, so if you don't register, you run the risk of not having a resource packet available or (gulp) lunch! Our new website makes registering easy--and we'll remind you of how to do that when we announce the next seminar.
