The Board held a virtual roundtable on “Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Incarceration” on Monday, September 9, 2024. The roundtable informed the Board’s research on SSI and incarceration by presenting professionals with experience helping people navigate SSI applications. Panelists shared their experience in providing direct services to people who are or have been incarcerated, or providing training, supervision, and technical assistance to those who do so.
Panel members included:
- Ronna Cole, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Services, Washington State Department of Corrections
- Karen Duranceau, Project Manager, Washington State Department of Corrections
- Erica Hartwig, Staff Attorney, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
- Terre Marshall, Director of Complex Reentry Transitions, South Carolina Department of Corrections
- Michele Murff, Director of Housing and Homeless Programs, South Carolina Department of Mental Health
- Trinh Phan, Director of State Income Security, Justice in Aging
- Reverend Ben Roberts, Associate Pastor & Executive Director of Program and Justice Ministries, Foundry United Methodist Church
- Gloria Robinson, Program Analyst, South Carolina Department of Disability Services
- Tammy Seltzer, Director of the Jail and Prison Advocacy Project (JPAP), University Legal Services Disability Rights DC
- Dazara Ware, Assistant Director, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SOAR Technical Assistance Center
Supplemental Security Income and Incarceration Roundtable AgendaSSI and Incarceration Roundtable Panelist Bios
The purpose of this forum was to learn how applying, communicating, and receiving or resuming suspended benefits works for individuals re-entering society after incarceration. The Board hope to learn what appears to work well and where access to SSA’s services for such individuals could be improved within existing program policies and goals. The Board hopes to gather information from those who do the work, to understand the process, and perhaps learn how and what data might be discovered and gathered. The information presented at this event is for the purpose of informing the Board. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board or any Board member.