Program:
PJC At A Glance
- Budget:
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$1,761,250
- Category:
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Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy
- Population Served:
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<p> </p>The Public Justice Center works with people and communities to
confront the laws, practices, and institutions that cause injustice, poverty,
and discrimination. We advocate in the courts, legislatures, and government
agencies, educate the public, and build coalitions, all to advance our mission
of “pursuing systemic change to build a just society.” Since our inception, the PJC has worked on a spectrum of issues confronting people who live in poverty or who suffer discrimination. The PJC's current focus areas include homeless children's and foster children's rights to education stability, workers' rights, tenants' rights, prisoners' rights, access to health and public benefits, civil right to counsel and appellate advocacy. A few of these projects are described in further detail below. Descriptions for and accomplishments of all projects are available at <a href="http://www.publicjustice.org">www.publicjustice.org</a>.
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Program:
Access to Health Care and Public Benefits
- Budget:
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--
- Category:
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Health Care
- Population Served:
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<div>Too many people fall through the gaping holes in government "safety net" programs meant to help during difficult times. On behalf of people living poverty, we seek to protect and expand eligibility for and access to adequate public benefits and health care coverage</div>
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Program:
Tenant Advocacy Project
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Housing
- Population Served:
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<div>The Tenant Advocacy Project seeks to protect and expand tenants' rights to safe, habitable, affordable, and non-discriminatory housing, and to fair and equal treatment by Maryland's landlord-tenant laws, courts and agencies.</div>
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Workplace Justice Project
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Employment
- Population Served:
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<div>Robust labor laws are essential to eliminating the problems of poverty and inequality that plague the low-wage workforce. We work to prevent discrimination, support minimum or overtime wages, and prevent unsafe conditions.</div>
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Education Stability Project
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Education
- Population Served:
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Homeless
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Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.)
Program Description:
<div>Every time a child's housing changes -- or they become homeless or their foster care placement changes -- there is an immediate effect on their educational stability and success. If we can create school stability for such students, we can better help them to achieve academically and ultimately, we can help break the cycle of poverty.</div>
Program Long-Term Success:
The PJC filed the first two class-action lawsuits in Maryland seeking to compel adherence to the federal McKinney-Vento Act. In both cases, the suits were successfully settled on behalf of homeless children as they access their right to education in the Prince Georges' County and the Montgomery County Public Schools. As a courtroom victory is only one step toward a lasting solution, the PJC continues to work with both school districts to address homeless children's access to education: creating policies and systems to identify and support homeless children. In addition, the PJC continues to assess and monitor compliance in the rest of the state, participate in national conversations about the homeless child's right to education and consult with school districts across the nation.
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