Introduction to Anti-Criminalization for Public Health Departments

The NASTAD Drug User Health team and Reframe Health and Justice held the Introduction to Anti-Criminalization for Public Health Departments webinar on March 16 to learn about the relationship between criminalization and health equity and understand anti-criminalization as a framework for change. The second webinar, Anti-Criminalization in Practice for Public Health, will be hosted on Thursday, April 6, from 4-5:15pm ET and will discuss what anti-criminalization approaches look like in action.

In the last several years, public health has taken significant strides in understanding the role of policing and criminalization on health outcomes for communities. As conversations increasingly incorporate health equity as a value and objective, jurisdictions across the country are starting to recognize that without addressing the impact of criminalization, we cannot challenge these disparities. In this webinar, participants understood how criminalization affects well-being and why public health agencies must address and incorporate anti-criminalization to improve health equity. Participants learned about the relationship between criminalization and health equity, understood anti-criminalization as a framework for change, and became familiar with the three-factsheet toolkit, which can support incorporating these strategies.

This webinar was moderated by Kate D’Adamo from Reframe Health and Justice. It featured Jules Netherland, Managing Director of the Department of Research and Academic Engagement for the Drug Policy Alliance, and Amber Piatt, Health Instead of Punishment Program Director for Human Impact Partners.  

Please contact DrugUserHealthTA@nastad.org for further questions.