Let your state congressional officials know that you support the United Way public policy agenda for 2011, which focuses on:

• Full funding to implement the settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Georgia to improve services for people with development disabilities and severe mental illness.
• Mental health and drug courts to provide treatment and rehabilitation for those charged with nonviolent offenses that are primarily related to these illnesses.
• Restoration of federal Social Security and health benefits for qualifying offenders along with housing and job placement for all in custody of the correctional system prior to their return home.
• Case review at sentencing or upon release to lift some or all statutory and regulatory restrictions to employment, housing, education and other benefits of citizenship that face offenders regardless of the nature of their crime or the time elapsed since satisfying it in the criminal justice system.
• Prevention by enacting the Child Protection & Public Safety Act to help children in the child protective service and juvenile justice systems become successful adults.

Want to advocate on the federal level? Check United Way Worldwide's policy agenda