LATEBREAKING NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
(Scroll down to immediately access Building Bridges, September 2010)
POSTED 10/11 by Milk Not Jails
Join us for a special ice cream social in Bedford-Stuyvesant!
Brought to you by Bridge Street A.M.E. Church Prison Ministry, Bed-Stuy Farm Share, and MILK NOT JAILS
Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 1-3pm
Where: Bridge Street A.M.E. Church, 277 Stuyvesant Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
A/C Train to Utica Avenue
Why: To bring together people concerned about the prison system and people concerned about their local food systems to learn about MILK NOT JAILS, a new campaign working to change the urban-rural relationship in New York State. Enjoy free ice cream and entertainment. Learn about what milk and jails have to do with one another. Find out what you can do.
For more information: milknotjails@gmail.com or tel (718) 783-8443
Bridge Street A.M.E. Church Prison Ministry assists people in prison and their families. The groups organizes ministry to Rikers Island, a pen pal program with people in prison, “Strength for the Journey” newsletter, court support to individuals and families, and various programs for children with incarcerated parents.
MILK NOT JAILS asserts, “If rural NY’s economic survival depends on my habits, I’d rather drink their milk than send my child to their prison.” Currently poor urban people of color are being exported to and locked up in prisons in rural areas of the state. Prisons are one of the largest employers in many rural parts of the state, where there was once a thriving dairy and agricultural economy. MILK NOT JAILS insists that bad criminal justice policy should not be the primary economic development plan for rural, upstate NY. More at milknotjails.wordpress.com.
Bed-Stuy Farm Share operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project in Bed-Stuy. Purchasing directly from farmers in NY State and the NE, the volunteer-run group is working to build direct trade routes between farmers and consumers and increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious food in Bed-Stuy. More at www.bedstuyfarmshare.org.
POSTED 9/24 by I.C.A.R.E
When a Person with Mental Illness Goes to Prison: How to Help, a guide for family members and friends.
[See links below to get your own copy]
The Urban Justice Center’s Mental Health Project (MHP) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness – New York State (NAMI-NYS) are pleased to announce the publication of this guide which provides comprehensive information about the New York State prison mental health system and contains suggestions for supporting people with psychiatric disabilities in prison. We hope it will serve as a valuable resource for family members struggling to protect their loved ones.
The guide describes the services currently available for people with mental illness in prison as well as reforms related to disciplinary confinement, which take effect in July 2011. It explains how family members can best advocate for their loved ones to receive mental health treatment while in prison and assistance preparing for their release back to the community. It also includes information about how family members can get support for themselves and become involved in larger advocacy efforts to combat the criminalization of mental illness.
The guide was written by Alexandra H. Smith, Soros Justice Fellow with MHP from 2008 through 2010, and Jennifer J. Parish, MHP’s Director of Criminal Justice Advocacy. Funding for the project was provided by the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, the Open Society Institute, and NAMI-NYS.
You can download the publication at www.urbanjustice.org or order a copy by contacting Jennifer Parish at the Urban Justice Center, 123 William Street, 16th floor, New York, NY 10038 or jparish@urbanjustice.org.
POSTED 9/23 by John Jay Criminal Justice Program
Details of the event posted in the Sept. newsletter under Manhattan "Save the Dates":
Do Reentry Courts Reduce Recidivism?
Guest Discussants will include
Honorable Leo Sorokin, United States Magistrate Judge, Boston, MA
and
Braulio Rodriguez, Participant, Harlem Reentry Court
Reentry courts have been identified by practitioners and policy makers as a promising way to address the challenges that prisoner reentry poses for communities and individuals returning home. This research presents findings from an evaluation of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court. Results indicate a significant reduction in re-convictions for new crimes but an increase in parole revocations for technical violations, suggesting a “supervision effect.” Policy implications will also be discussed.
Building Bridges
September 15 2010
Dear Reader:
This year we will be working very hard to pass our proposed bill to change NYS parole policies. We need your help. Please continue to work at building a relationship with your state legislators. Only 6 people reported to us that they have already begun the process. That's not going to be enough! We need everyone reading this to do their best. Please let us know how you're doing so we can use the information to encourage others. Think of all the men and women in prison, who have done everything possible to change, who are denied parole over and over again. Help them have hope that someday soon they will be judged on their present behavior not what happened years ago and can never change.
Please be well, keep the faith, and share the news!
[P.S. Hope to see you at the Prison to Prosperity Fair at Riverside Church on the 25th. Details in Article #1]
ARTICLES
1. Activities for advocates; statewide
2. Campaign for Parole Reform
3. Clemency application deadline Oct.1
4. Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act
5. Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition
6. ICARE column
7. Job Ops in Capital District and NYC
8. Legislation Updates
9. Marilyn Buck Solidarity Fund
10. Milk Not Jails
11. Parole News
12. Prison Media
13. Syracuse march for prisoners' rights
[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please send your request to PAN clearly stating name of the document and the date of the Building Bridges in which it was mentioned -Ed.]
IN MEMORY:
Prison Action Network member Ahmad Montaqim, age 66, who was denied parole 5 times, died on August 26, 2010 after more than 33 years in prison. We are sorry he did not live to touch and taste and hear the sights and sounds of the world outside the walls again before he died. Our condolences to his friends and loved ones.
ALBANY'S SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY MOURNS:
Charles LaCourt -- Albany activist, re-entry advocate, formerly incarcerated person, and wonderful human being -- recently passed away and will be much missed.
(This is a new feature of Building Bridges; we do not mean to slight the memory of any other past members. We also are not always informed.)
1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES
PLEASE CALL YOUR U.S. SENATORS TODAY to ask them to prioritize and support Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, as soon as possible! (See 'message' below)
BACKGROUND INFO:
In 2009, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and 15 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, legislation that would create a bipartisan Commission to review and identify effective criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform. The House of Representatives and Senate Judiciary Committee have reviewed and favorably passed the bill, and it is now awaiting passage by the United States Senate. The results of this Commission would likely strengthen our arguments for the changes we here in NYS are seeking in our criminal justice system.
MESSAGE:
• I am calling to ask the Senator to prioritize and support immediate Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, because:
• Having a transparent and bipartisan Commission review and identify effective criminal justice policies would increase public safety.
• The increase in incarceration over the past twenty years has stretched the system beyond its limits. These high costs to taxpayers are unsustainable, especially during these tough economic times.
• The proposed commission would conduct a comprehensive national review – not audits of individual state systems – and would issue recommendations – not mandates – for consideration.
New York's U.S. Senators are:
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY) (202) 224-4451
Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY) (202) 224-6542
ALBANY:
EVERY TUESDAY AT 6PM P-MOTIONS (PROGRESSIVE MEN OPERATING TOWARDS INITIATING OPPORTUNITIES NOW) A men's support group which meets weekly at the SEFCU building, 388 Clinton Ave (look for the bright red roof). Facilitation shared by Sam Wiggins, Monroe Parrott and Malik Rivera. For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.
BUFFALO:
EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 5-6 PM ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION DEMONSTRATES in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffal0. [See article 5 for more on ECPRC]
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 2-5PM ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Presented by: Prisoners are People Too, Massachusetts Avenue Project*, and MILK NOT JAILS
To bring together families, people impacted by incarceration, & criminal justice advocates to learn about MILK NOT JAILS, a new campaign working to change the urban-rural relationship in New York State. Enjoy FREE ice cream and entertainment. Learn about what milk and jails have to do with one another. Find out what you can do. For more information: Milk Not Jails or tel (716)834-8438.
Location: Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo
*Massachusetts Avenue Project nurtures the growth of a diverse and equitable community food system to promote local economic opportunities, access to affordable and nutritious food, and social-change education. More at www.Mass-Ave.org
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO! MEETING
A presentation of the alleged crises precipitated by Family Court actions. With so many incarcerated parents, mostly mothers, losing their children during their period of confinement, this is certainly a noteworthy topic. While many profess a need for Family Court, there seems to be too many laws and policies in place that have proven to be destructive to families. This meeting will discuss the role of the Department of Social Services, CPS, child support, foster care, custody, loss of parental rights and more.
Mrs. Jacqueline Bontzolakes, a mother and concerned citizen, will share her child custody story and the turn of events that landed her behind the walls of the Erie County Holding Center. Out of jail and now on “supervision,” she shares the opinion of many who feel that Family Court destroys families for profit. Our second speaker, Mrs. Eula Nailor, is a longtime community activist who works with families negatively impacted by Family Court and the Foster Care system. As a member of V.O.C.A.L. (Victims of Child Abuse Laws), she helps families to navigate a broken system that puts children at risk. The Honorable Debra Givens, our third speaker, a candidate for State Supreme Court Justice, is a Buffalo City Court Judge. As an Acting Judge in both County Court and Family Court, she’ll be on hand to answer legal questions.
The film being screened is “Family Court Crisis: Our Children at Risk,” produced by the Center for Judicial Excellence.
PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo
ITHACA:
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 5-7PM ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Presented by: Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources of Tompkins County, Inc.* and MILK NOT JAILS
Co-sponsored by the Southside Community Center
To bring together families, people impacted by incarceration, & criminal justice advocates to learn about MILK NOT JAILS, a new campaign working to change the urban-rural relationship in New York State. Enjoy FREE ice cream and entertainment. Learn about what milk and jails have to do with one another. Find out what you can do. For more information: milknotjails@gmail.com or tel (718)783-8443.
Location: Southside Community Center, 305 S. Plain Street, Ithaca
*Opportunities, Alternatives, & Resources of Tompkins County, Inc. is an independent non-profit agency that welcomes community involvement and support. We advocate for the rights and welfare of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community members and their families in Tompkins County. More at www.oartompkins.com.
MANHATTAN:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 5-7PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS COMMITTEE
Parole & Probation: What you should know.
Are you on parole or probation? Do you think it is a subject worth talking about? If so, come join us in conversation.
For more information contact Stacey Thompson, (212)254-5700 ext. 333 or via email sthompson@correctionalassociation.org
Location: Correctional Association of New York.
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., bet. 124th & 125th Streets, Suite 200.
Take the 2/3/A/C/B/D to 125 St.
Metro cards available upon request for formerly incarcerated persons
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 9-5PM PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
This event is the brainchild of Prison Action Network member, Sheila Rule, and her incarcerated husband, Joe Robinson. Make sure your family and friends get there if you can't, or even if you can. Not only is it important to support the efforts of our members, but they and you will prosper from attending! If you are formerly incarcerated, plan to attend this FREE day-long fair which can help you to successfully reintegrate into society! FREE workshops include: entrepreneurship, employment, education, building social networks, legal protections, battling post-prison depression & stress, dressing for success, strengthening family ties, personal finance, where to find FREE and cheap stuff in NYC, spirituality. There will also be FREE books and giveaways, FREE breakfast and lunch, information booths, plenary session and speakers.
RSVP as soon as possible. Space is limited. Call 877-267-2303 or email thinkoutsidethecell@verizon.net.
Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, BEGINNING OF THE 12-WEEK FALL CYCLE OF RECONNECT
The Women in Prison Project's leadership training program for women who are currently in transition home from prison, jail, or an alternative to incarceration (ATI) program. If you would like to learn how to advocate more effectively for yourself and others who are negatively affected by the criminal justice system, this is for you. The program ends on Wed. Dec. 22. Please call Andrea Williams at 212 254-5700, x338 for more information or to enroll.
SAVE THE DATES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15: 9:00–10:30 AM OCCASIONAL SERIES ON REENTRY RESEARCH
Do Reentry Courts Reduce Recidivism? Results from the Harlem Parole Reentry Court
Zachary Hamilton,Assistant Professor
Criminal Justice Program, Washington State University
RSVP to Amelia Thompson (212.484.1399; amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu)
Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 899 Tenth Avenue (b/w W. 58th and 59th Streets), Room 630.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010, CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM, INC.
Fourth Annual Citizens Awards program at the historic Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. NYS Senate President Malcolm A. Smith will be the keynote speaker. Nominations for the awards are now being accepted. Please contact Mika'il DeVeaux for details: info@citizensinc.org.
Location: 3940 Broadway (164th and Broadway)
METROPOLITAN NEW YORK CITY
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24 DROP THE ROCK DISTRICT DAY
Drop the Rock Coalition members will break into teams across the city and meet legislative officials in their district offices. Our aim is to show state legislators that support for closing underutilized and costly prisons is spreading and gaining more traction especially during this time of severe fiscal constraints.
We urge state leaders to: Close empty prisons, Reform parole practices. Fully repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws, Expand eligibility for Work Release and Merit Time, Invest savings in proven prison rehabilitation and community-based alternatives and prevention programs.
We have teams visiting district offices in: Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Port Chester, Brewster, Hudson, NY.
If you would like to meet with a leader in your district or join one of the teams above, please call Drop the Rock at 212-254-5700. We will work with your schedule if you are only available to take off a portion of the day. If you have any questions please contact Denise Thomas at dthomas@correctionalassociation.org. You can also download a flyer for posting around your neighborhood from their website: www.correctionalassociation.org/
The Drop the Rock Coalition, coordinated by the Public Policy Project of the Correctional Association, is a statewide alliance of individuals and organizations dedicated to downsizing the NY State prison system.
2. CAMPAIGN FOR PAROLE REFORM
The Policy Committee of the Coalition For Fair Criminal Justice Policies has completed their latest draft of a proposal to change parole policies. We will be meeting with interested groups and individuals to plan our 2010-2011 legislative strategy. If you would like a copy of the latest revision, please contact the Campaign for Parole Reform.
3. CLEMENCY APPLICATIONS DUE NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1st
If you have a client, a friend, or a loved one in prison, you might want to encourage them to apply for clemency. Paterson is not running for office; he has nothing to lose (that we know of) by granting a good many. Here's the notice that was posted in state prisons by the Commissioner.
Applications for Clemency or Pardons:
Governor Paterson’s office has requested the Department to inform the inmate population that any application by an inmate for executive clemency or a pardon must be mailed no later than October 1, 2010 in order for staff to consider it. Any application that is received after that date will be referred to the staff of the newly elected governor, who will assume office on January 1, 2011. You are reminded that the procedures governing submission of an executive clemency application are set forth in directive 6901. These same procedures should be followed for the submission of an application for a pardon. The governor’s power “to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after conviction” is set forth in article iv, section 4, of the New York State Constitution.
4. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS JUSTICE ACT: THE CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR REDUCED SENTENCES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVE -TO-INCARCERATION PROGRAMS.
The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act would allow the courts to take domestic violence into consideration when sentencing survivors who have committed crimes as a result of abuse and to give survivors more reasonable, shorter sentences.
Over the past 30 years, domestic violence has been increasingly recognized as a national epidemic, spurring the enactment of laws designed to enhance the prosecution of battering. Unfortunately, these advances have stopped short of reforming the way the criminal justice system responds to women who defend themselves against abusers or commit crimes as a result of the abuse they have endured.
The DV Survivors Justice Act allows our state’s sentencing laws to better reflect the unique circumstances of survivors who commit crimes. By establishing more sensible, appropriately fitting sentences for survivors and enhancing recognition of domestic violence in sentencing, survivors of abuse are less likely to be victimized by the very system that should protect them. It would expand judicial discretion and allow judges to sentence some survivors to community-based alternative-to-incarceration programs. Some incarcerated survivors, who pose no threat to public safety, would be given the opportunity to apply for resentencing and thereby receive much-deserved relief. The Parole Board would be required to take the impact of domestic violence on the crime into consideration when making release decisions for incarcerated survivors.
The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act would also apply to survivors who commit other types of crimes, such as burglary or robbery, as a result of intimidation or coercion by an abusive partner. For example, domestic violence may be just as significant a factor for a woman who serves as a robbery lookout who knows that if she does not obey her abuser, he will seriously harm or kill her as it is for a woman who shoots her abuser for the same reasons. Should a woman who shot her abuser be eligible for reduced sentencing while another woman, who bought a gun for protection and did not use it against her abuser, but was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon, be excluded from eligibility? Alternative programs are more likely than incarceration to give survivors the ability to take responsibility for their actions and to positively participate in their communities, interact with their families and children, and recover from abuse through therapy.
To gain support for their proposal the Coalition for Women Prisoners have produced the movie Strength of a Woman, filmed by Allison Caviness. This beautiful movie which features 3 women who each tell the story of their abuse and the crime that they committed in response to it, surely will open hearts and minds to the plight of victims who take extreme and sometimes criminal measures to end their abuse. Show the movie to your friends and colleagues: DVD copies can be ordered by calling Josie Diaz at 212 254 5700, or at their website: www.CorrectionalAssociation.org.
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 THE COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS WILL MEET FROM 10AM-NOON AT 2090 ADAM CLAYTON POWELL BLVD., SUITE 200, MANHATTAN. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS MEETING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
5. THE ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION (ECPRC) IS STILL PUSHING FOR A COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD.
The county legislators took a break during the month of August but we were busy, lobbying them individually for their votes in favor of our Advisory Board resolution. There will be a vote in October: our resolution vs. the county's local law. The community favors our proposal. On May 18, twenty-three community members made public statements in favor of our proposed resolution. Only 2 people spoke in favor of the county's proposed local law. Interestingly enough, in July, the Sheriff hired those two people to be his "community deputies"..i.e., his "eyes and ears" in the community.
6. ICARE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR SPEAKS ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH A 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA
We all understand the importance of transportation in the transitional process of people being released on parole, and how the lack of it can lead to a regretful decline towards recidivism.
For some the lack of transportation is the reason Social Service appointments are not kept, therefore, the small, but yet helpful benefits they provide are lost. For others the lack of transportation is the reason job interviews, medical and even parole appointments are missed causing them to lose out on employment opportunities, medical care and their freedom once again.
Some may think the lack of transportation is no reason not to report to your parole officer, however, everyone is released to a different set of circumstances, some harder then others. When I first came home I had to report weekly to my parole officer several towns away. How was I to do this with forty dollars? I didn't know the bus system nor did I have the means for transportation each week. For the first two months of my release my sisters drove me to the places I needed to go in order to reestablish myself in society. Not everyone has this support.
As I became more and more independent I began to travel locally by either walking or riding the bike my nephew had given me. I learned the bus routes and started taking public transportation to job interviews and other appointments. I remember leaving one interview with almost no wind in my sails. Here I was a guy with a Master’s degree being interviewed for a part time job at nine dollars an hour with Netflix and the question that determined whether or not I got the job had nothing to do with my education, criminal background or lack of work experience. It was, “Do you have a car?”
Netflix required you to be at work at four o’clock in the morning and the buses where I lived in Long Island did not start running until six o’clock. So I was denied the job because of lack of transportation. The frustrating part was that I needed a car to get a job, but in order for me to afford a car I needed a job.
I got my license three months after my release and bought (with the help of a friend) my first car, a 1994 Toyota Corolla with 197,000 miles. Upon getting the car I returned to Netflixs and informed them I now had a car, and was given the job. When I bought the car the owner said, “Car be good to Jafar.” Than turned to me and said, “Jafar be good to the car.” I called the car a go-cart because it sat so low to the ground the lights from on coming traffic hit you right in your face. After close to three years and with 220,000 miles under its belt, the go-cart stopped on Interstate 84 on my way to Vassar College, and never revived. It got me as far as Brewster then had to be helped off the highway by a tow truck. I sold the car to a local junk yard which promised to use its parts to help heal other Corollas. As they towed the go-cart down the street I said, “Good-bye car, you served me well. “ I took good care of the go-cart and without a doubt it took good care of me and made my transition a lot easier.
Jafar Abbas
7. JOB OPS IN NYC AND ALBANY: THE CENTER FOR CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN NYC IS SEEKING A FULL-TIME RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATE; GLENMONT JOB CORPS ACADEMY HIRING NOW – IMMEDIATE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 5 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY
The person hired for the job at John Jay College will perform various research and technical assistance duties associated with applied crime reduction and prevention work. The Center fosters innovative crime reduction strategies through hands-on fieldwork, action research, and operational partnerships with law enforcement, communities, social service providers, and other practitioners.
Among other duties, the research and technical assistance associate will be responsible for:· providing hands-on technical assistance and support to jurisdictions seeking to implement innovative crime reduction strategies, including problem analysis; strategy design; assistance in operational planning; training of local project managers and operations staff and coaching of senior law enforcement and community figures. designing, planning and conducting conferences, working sessions, trainings and webinars of various kinds associated with the research and operational agenda of the National Network for Safe Communities. This will include session design, logistical planning, working knowledge of small group process and dynamics and experience in small group facilitation and training. Working with other experienced crime reduction researchers and practitioners in cities and states across the U.S. to continue to develop and apply innovative crime reduction strategies. This may occasionally involve working in international contexts.
To apply please contact Amelia Thompson, Project Administrator, (212) 484-1399, amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu.
Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
555 W. 57th Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10019
The Glenmont Job Corps Academy is a Residential Education and Vocational training program for at-promise 16-24 year old youth located approximately 5 miles south of Albany, NY. We are seeking energetic, sharp, and committed human service professionals to change the lives of our students. We have a number of opportunities currently available to contribute to our students’ success: - Residential Coordinators – 2nd & 3rd Shift; - Food Service Assistant (2); - Maintenance Technician – (1); - New York State Certified Substitute Instructors;- Part Time Recreation Specialist – (1); - Purchasing Agent (1); - Driver/Maintenance Worker (2); - Cook (1); - Assistant Food Services Manager (1); - Food Services Manager (1); - Human Resources Manager (1); - OA Counselor (1); - Nursing Instructor (1); - New York State Certified Reading and English Instructor (1); - Social Development Administrative Assistant (1); - Support Services Manager (1)
The Glenmont Job Corps Academy offers a very competitive benefits package to full time employees which includes medical, dental, vision, 401k with employer match, tuition reimbursement, free life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment policy, disability, employee assistance program and much more.
If you are a natural leader with great social skills and a lot of energy and are interested in developing skills and gaining experience that will help you excel in fields such as counseling, social work, education or management, this is the place for you. To apply for any of the above openings, please send a resume and cover letter as follows:
Human Resources Department, Glenmont Job Corps Academy, 822 River Road, Glenmont, NY, 12077 Email: hrglenmont@adamsaai.com, Fax: 518-767-9085
8. LEGISLATION: STATUS OF BILLS AND LAWS; PUBLICATION OF A NEW LITIGATION MANUAL
S4687/A8012, the Human Rights Law Bill, described in August's Building Bridges, would have helped thousands of New Yorkers with criminal histories fight illegal discrimination. Governor Paterson vetoed it. Did you call him to ask him to sign? Did you tell your family and friends to call? If not, those calls could have made the difference. We must speak louder!!
S7864 Hassell-Thompson / A10611 Aubry Additions to list of accomplishments that qualify a person for limited credit time allowances (LCTA): Certification and minimum work as an optician, hazardous materials removal worker, sign language interpreter, or worker in the Puppies Behind Bars program are added to significant programmatic accomplishments for limited credit time allowances for inmates. Governor signed it into law on 8/13/10.
IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION, WE ARE INCLUDING SUMMARIES OF THE LAWS TO PROVIDE PSRs AND FREE BIRTH CERTIFICATES:
COPY OF PRE-SENTENCE REPORT (PSR) for People Going before Parole Board
Amends CPL §390.50(2)(a)
Upon written request, the court shall make a copy of the PSR* available to a person for use before s/he appears before the parole board for release consideration or files an appeal of a parole board determination. In the written request, the person must affirm that s/he anticipates an appearance before the parole board, or intends to file an administrative appeal of a parole board decision. The court must respond within 20 days from receipt of the written request.
*except those portions properly redacted pursuant to CPL §390.50(2)(a)
FREE BIRTH CERTIFICATES
Amends Pub. Health L. §§4174(4) and §4179
Free birth certificates must be issued:
* when DOCS or a local correctional facility requests one for an individual in anticipation of release;
* when Office of Children and Family Services or authorized agency requests one for a youth placed in the custody of the local commissioner of social services or the custody of the office of Children and Family Services in anticipation of youth’s discharge from placement
LITIGATION MANUAL FOR PRO SE LITIGANTS INSIDE PRISON OR OUT:
Building Bridges does not accept ads, but occasionally we learn about something that we think might be useful to our readers. Recently we received a letter from the author of GORILLA LAWFAIR, a litigation manual written by a current "jailhouse lawyer". The book provides readers with illustrations of hypothetical situations where litigation is required and provides sample arguments in sample motions to give an idea on how these arguments look in their perfected form. In a promotional brochure were descriptions of some of the contents: *Motion to Appear Before a Grand Jury, *Motion to File a Late Criminal Appeal, *440.10 Motion to Vacate Judgment, *2241 Motion for Habeas Corpus Relief, *Motion for a Writ of Error Coram Nobis, and *Sample Article 78 Petitions.
In the world of Pro Se litigation, people in prison have primarily relied on The Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual, issued by Columbia Law School. Now to supplement the Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual there's Gorilla Lawfair: A Pro Se Litigation Manual by Anpu Unnefer Amen. Copies of the book Gorilla Lawfair are $30. each, but readers of Building Bridges are being offered a reduced price of $26. Please send a money order or institutional check to Ta Seti, PO Box 120276, Brooklyn NY 11212.
9. MARILYN BUCK SOLIDARITY FUND FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS SETS DEADLINE FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 TO SUBMIT COPY FOR COMMEMORATIVE AD BOOKLET IN SUPPORT OF THE POLITICAL PRISONERS WHO REMAIN BEHIND BARS.
It will be distributed at Memorials for Marilyn. In New York City the Memorial will take place on Saturday, November 13. All funds raised will benefit the six political prisoners incarcerated in New York State: Herman Bell (incarcerated 37 years to date), David Gilbert (29 years), Robert Seth Hayes (37 years), Abdullah Majid (28 years), Jalil Muntaqim (39 years), and Sekou Odinga (29 years).
Choose from: Full-page ad: $200, Half-page ad: $100, Quarter-page ad: $50,
Business card ad: $25. To have your name only included on a list of friends/supporters: $10
For more information: mbtributebook@gmail.com
Send a check payable to PDF/ Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, with "Marilyn Tribute" in the subject line, and send to CDHR, P.O. Box 90221, Pasadena, CA 91109
To pay by credit card, go to http://marilynbuck.com/donations.html and follow instructions.
10. MILK NOT JAILS ASSERTS: " IF RURAL NY’S ECONOMIC SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON MY HABITS, I’D RATHER DRINK THEIR MILK THAN SEND MY CHILD TO THEIR PRISON.”
Currently poor urban people of color are being exported to and locked up in prisons in rural areas of the state. Prisons are one of the largest employers in many rural parts of the state, where there was once a thriving dairy and agricultural economy. MILK NOT JAILS insists that bad criminal justice policy should not be the primary economic development plan for rural, upstate NY. [See Article #1 for announcements of their Ice Cream Socials in Buffalo and Ithaca.] More at www.milknotjails.wordpress.com.
11. PAROLE NEWS: AUGUST RELEASES, LCTA RELEASES, UPDATED LIST OF PAROLE COMMISSIONERS
AUGUST 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database
TOTAL INTERVIEWS........ # RELEASED......... # DENIED......RATE OF RELEASE
21 initials.........................................2...................19.................. 10%
85 reappearances......................... 16..................69................. 19%
106 Total.........................................18..................88................. 17%
INITIAL RELEASES
Facility...................... Sentence..... Offense
Mid Orange............. 20-Life..........Kidnap
Mid Orange............. 20-Life..........Murder
REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY...... SENTENCE OFFENSE... # OF BOARD
Altona...........25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd *for deportation only*
Auburn......... 21-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Bare Hill....... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Gt Meadow.. 29-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Groveland.... 18-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Groveland.... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Livingston.... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Marcy............18-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th or 7th
Mid Orange. 15-Life.......... Att M1............3rd
Oneida......... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Otisville........ 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Southport..... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Sullivan........ 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 13th
Washington 25-Life.......... M pre-74......7th
Woodbourne..20-Life........ Murder 2...... 2nd
Woodbourne..18-Life........ Murder 2...... 3rd
RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON:
CAYUGA:
July
Appearances: 22 (8 A1's)
Release: 1 (a Lifer on his 2nd board)
1 Lifer with an LCTA was denied.
1 postponement
LCTA CERTIFICATES: In response to mail requests we did some research into LCTA releases. They are not identified on the parole website so what we know is only by word of mouth. We are pretty sure the numbers are very low, perhaps due to disciplinary reasons or missing deadlines to apply. The law states that eligible people will be notified, but one person we know had to really work hard to find out he was eligible to apply. Also, many LCTA worthy people are already seeing their boards.
PAROLE COMMISSIONERS:
We're down to 14 and one of them, Chairperson Andrea Evans, does not sit on hearings. Notice: none of the 4 who were approved by the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections (as reported in July BB) have been confirmed by the whole Senate, which apparently is necessary. If all four are confirmed, it appears there will be one seat yet to be filled.
Evans, Andrea W................. David Paterson......... 6/08/09....... 2/6/13
Smith, Walter Wm., Jr.......... George Pataki........... 12/17/96...... 7/06/11
Ferguson, James................... George Pataki........... 4/12/05........ 7/06/11
*Gallivan, Patrick................. George Pataki........... 6/22/05........ 7/02/11
Ludlow , G. Kevin................ George Pataki........... 6/21/06........ 6/18/11
Greenan III, Gerald J............. George Pataki........... 6/21/06........ 6/18/12
Elovich, Lisa Beth................. George Pataki........... 12/13/06...... 12/31/13
Lemons, Henry..................... Eliot Spitzer.............. 5/01/07........ 6/18/08
Thompson, Sally................... Eliot Spitzer.............. 6/14/07........ 5/4/13
Hagler, Michael A................. Eliot Spitzer.............. 10/22'07....... 8/31/13
Ross, Mary............................ David Paterson......... 6/19/08........ 8/31/13
Crangle, Joseph..................... David Paterson......... 6/19/08........ 6/16/14
Brown, Jared......................... David Paterson......... 1/26/10........ 6/18/12
5 Vacancies
* Former Erie County Sheriff Patrick M. Gallivan won the Republican nomination for State Senator in the primaries Tuesday. If he wins in the general election, he will have to resign from the parole board January 1.
(Please send us the names of commissioners and the dates they appear at facilities if you know them. Prison Action Network is doing research which requires that information.)
12. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM
ALL THINGS HARLEM - Joseph Jazz Hayden urges readers to study Michelle Washington's book, The New Jim Crow. He recommends forming study groups to discuss her theories and ways to apply her remedies. Jazz says, "...it is clear that our public officials and those engaged in their incremental advocacy need to hear the voices of the advocates for radical systemic change. The one true thing that President Obama said was that it was not about him but about us. The only way that he and the rest of our elected representatives will speak out and move is if we force them to." The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887 info@allthingsharlem.com
www.allthingsharlem.com
allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com
FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.
ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.
SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email
13. TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE MARCH UP STATE STREET IN SYRACUSE TO CALL FOR CHANGES IN THE WAY INMATES ARE TREATED AT THE ONONDAGA COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER.
from an article by Charley Hannagan of The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY , September 4, 2010 --
A coalition of groups called on Syracuse city and Onondaga county officials to clean up problems at the justice center where Chuniece Patterson died of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in November and Raul Pinet Jr. died in August after being restrained. Both cases are under investigation by the Onondaga County’s District Attorney’s Office.
Marchers walked two miles from Kirk Park through the city’s streets to rally in the plaza in front of the justice center. “We know these are not quote natural deaths unquote as (Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin) Walsh likes to call them or the misconduct of a few bad nurses and officers,” Ashley Sauers, an organizer with the Answer Coalition, told the crowd.
Ten community organizers spoke about abuses they said occurred at the center. They told stories of disabled inmates denied wheelchairs, others denied medication prescribed to stop seizures and people waiting months to see attorneys. And they told people to remember the politicians who were not at the rally when they go to vote in the local elections in the fall.
This is the third time Hazel Bivins, First Lady of Lighthouse of Love Ministries, has marched on the justice center. The marches have grown from 50 people to the 200 who attended Saturday afternoon’s rally, she said. Bivins said she would have joined the rally even if she had not known Patterson. “It has nothing to do with their race or ethnicity; it’s the injustice that’s here,” she said.
Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information about joining please contact us at prisonactionnetwork@gmail.com