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August Community Meeting with John Kenstowicz

Wed, August 30th, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Pittsburgh Mennonite Church
2018 South Braddock Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15218

John Kenstowicz is a self-proclaimed “leftover from the 60s”. With a major in Criminology from Berkeley, his first job after college was working as investigator on the south side of Chicago for Woodlawn Criminal Defense Services. Woodlawn was where the gangs, the Blackstone Rangers and the Disciples started. John worked for 26 years as a therapist and intensive case manager for Mercy Behavioral Health. For 6 years he was a convener of the Prison Society, where he recruited and trained volunteers to visit in county jails and state prisons, monitored a very large jail Court Order, and networked with many criminal justice advocacy groups. Since retiring in 2017, John has engaged in a variety of jail and prison advocacy causes working with different organizations for change. Most recently he has joined PIN’s ACJ Action Group, where he has worked with members to create both correction officer and healthcare worker surveys presented to the ACJ Jail Oversight Board in July and August. The results have revealed how Warden Harper and ACJ administration have failed at providing a safe, legal, and healthy environment for employees, which directly impacts all aspects of quality at the ACJ.

Join us for a Q&A with John. He will discuss his work around the AC, survey results, and answer questions about criminal justice reform in Pittsburgh and beyond.