July/August 2016

Welcome to the site of Building Bridges, Prison Action Network's newsletter 

  If you would like to receive a copy in your email in-box every month, please send a note with the reason for your interest.

During the month we post late breaking news and announcements here, so please check back now and then.  Scroll down now to go directly to the July/August newsletter.

To enlarge the text size, try clicking your cursor anywhere in the text, and then press the command key with the + key

Dear Reader,

  

Recently, as we were about to make a plea for donations, the Woodbourne Lifers sent an unsolicited and very generous gift.  What great timing!  Thank you, guys! A few days later we were offered another substantial (by our standards) donation from another source.  It felt so good that people value the work we do and don’t even wait to be asked to send a donation.  Your donations not only keep us afloat, but they let us know it’s worth doing.  We use your input to decide what is included in each issue.  Please send your donation to Prison Action Network at PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206.

On another note:

There is too much hysteria on the presidential election front right now.  The only viable reality is we are faced with a choice between fascism (an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization) and the continuation of a plutocracy (government by the wealthy). Neither one of them is a democracy, the dream to which most of us reading this are committed.  The electoral system is deeply flawed.  Yet if we don’t vote, we could lose the right to vote.  Please vote, and join the political revolution afterwards.

                                      Thanking you in advance,  Your Editor 

Table of Contents

1  Parole board release rates for both May and June, for A1V0’s and Everyone who sees the Board;  Report on Ciaprazi’s court decision

2.  Legislative Report.  A last gasp: 10 bills passed through both houses, one of them signed already by Cuomo.

3.  Litigation: Update on Cassidy;  Refreshing dissents written by US Supreme Court Justice SotoMayor.

4.  The SAFE Parole Act: Latest report

5.  Parole Justice-NY report: We’ve been busy!

6.  NetWORKS:  Each small step forward helps give us the strength to keep going.

7.  Prisoners Are People Too! July meeting included the film, “Revolving Door? Does the System Play Fair?”

8.  .Life Inside, the Marshall Project solicits stories of your surprising personal experiences with the System.

9.  Small things go unnoticed, like mitigating circumstances of childhood abuse.

10.  19 Dutch prisons are closing for lack of ‘criminals‘

11. Building a Winning Team: Community basketball tournament with half time panel on Mass Incarceration.

12. Cuomo seeks to expand medical coverage for those rejoining society.

1.  Parole News - Release Rates for May and June

MAY PAROLE BOARD RELEASES - A1 VIOLENT FELONS DIN #s through 2001  unofficial research from parole database

MAY 2016 - Interview Summaries

Type	Total	# Released	# Denied	Rate of Release	Year To Date Release Rates
Initials	23	8	15	35%	29%
Reappearances	82	27	55	33%	28%
Total	105	35	70	33%	28%

Four reappearances were denied on a de novo hearing.     Two reappearances were released on de novos.  One released reappearance was at a rescission hearing.   Three of the 8 initials were deported.

May 2016 - Initial Releases

Facility	Age at hearing	Age @ Commitment	Sentence	Offense	# of Board
Otisville	55	30	28-Life	Mrd 2	1
Shawangunk	56	38	40-Life	*CSCS1	1 deport
Woodbourne	43	19	25-Life	Mrd 2	1 deport
Woodbourne	45	22	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Woodbourne	49	26	23-Life	Mrd 2	1
Woodbourne	43	27	18-Life	Mrd 2	1
Woodbourne	51	28	25-Life	Mrd 2	1 Deport
Woodbourne	63	39	25-Life	Mrd 2	1

*Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance-1

May 2016 - Reappearance Releases 

Facility	Age @ hearing	Age @ Commitment	Sentence	Offense	# of Board
Altona	50	19	16-Life	Mrd 2	9
Attica	67	23	25-Life	Mrd pre 74	11  rescission
Attica	49	30	20-Life	Mrd 2	2
Attica	76	44	25-Life	Mrd 2	5
Auburn	51	22	26-Life	Mrd 2	3
Eastern	36	21	15-Life	Mrd 2	2
Fishkill	39	23	15-Life	Mrd 2	2
Fishkill	55	29	15-Life	Mrd 2	9
Fishkill	53	26	25-Life	Mrd 2	3   de novo
Grt meadow	54	18	2-Life	Mrd 2	5
Green haven	55	27	19-Life	Mrd 2	6
Groveland	65	24	20-Life	Mrd pre 74	13
Groveland	53	28	18-Life	Mrd 2	5
Mohawk	46	19	22-Life	Mrd 2	4
Orleans	53	32	15-Life	Mrd 2	5
Other agency	55	25	25-Life	Mrd 2	4
Otisville	58	24	20-Life	Mrd 2	7
Sullivan	54	20	26-Life	Mrd 2	6
Sullivan	63	21	25-Life	Mrd pre 74	11
Ulster	71	43	15-Life	Mrd 2	8
Woodbourne	34	19	15-Life	Mrd 2	2
Woodbourne	43	22	17-Life	Mrd 2	4
Woodbourne	48	25	15-Life	Mrd 2	6
Woodbourne	49	25	23-Life	Mrd 2	2
Woodbourne	75	33	15-Life	Mrd pre-74	14
Woodbourne	49	28	21-Life	Mrd 2	2   de novo
Wyoming	64	35	20-Life	Mrd 2	6

May 2016 - Over 60 Age Summary

Age Range	Total Seen	#Released	# Denied	May Release Rate %	YTD Release Rate
60-69	20	5	15	25%	22%
70-79	6	3	3	50%	26%
80+	0				50%
Total	26	8	18	31%	23%

May 2016 - Summary of ALL Parole Releases  -  unofficial research from parole database

Type of Release	Total Seen	# Released	# Denied	Rate of Release	Year to Date Release Rate
Initials	302	75	227	25%	22%
Reappearances	328	99	229	30%	29%
Total	630	174	456	28%	26%

AND 

JUNE PAROLE BOARD RELEASES - A1 VIOLENT FELONS DIN #s through 2001    unofficial research from parole database

June 2016 - Interview Summaries

Types	Total Seen	# Released	# Denied	Rate of Release	Year to Date Release Rates
Initials	20	9	11	45%	29%
Reappearances	99	37	62	37%	28%
Total	119	46	73	39%	28%

June 2016 - Initial Releases

Facility	Age at Hearing	Age at Commitment	Sentence	Offense	# of Board
Auburn	47	26	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Bare hill	45	25	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Cayuga	48	24	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Eastern	50	27	25-Life	CSCS-1	1
Fishkill	59	35	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Fishkill	42	21	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Otisville	71	47	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Otisville	52	28	25-Life	Mrd 2	1
Woodbourne	45	22	25-Life	Mrd 2	1

June 2016 - Reappearance Releases

Facility	Age at hearing	Age at Commitment	Sentence	Offense	# of Board
Adirondack	63	35	23-Life	Mrd 2	4
Albion-fem	43	22	20-Life	Mrd 2	2
Auburn	55	29	21-Life	Arson1	4
Bare hill	42	20	18-Life	Mrd 2	4
Bare hill	37	19	20-Life	Mrd 2	2  de novo
Fishkill	48	32	15-Life	Mrd 2	2
Fishkill	57	24	30-Life	Mrd 2	3
Fishkill	60	27	20-Life	Mrd 2	7
Fishkill	55	27	25-Life	Mrd 2	3
Fishkill	56	32	15-Life	Arson1	6
Fishkill	42	22	20-Life	Mrd 2	2
Franklin	50	22	18-Life	Mrd 2	7
Franklin	42	18	15-Life	Mrd 2	6
Franklin	49	26	23-Life	Mrd 2	2
Franklin	51	22	26-Life	Mrd 2	2 de novo
Franklin	52	27	25-Life	Mrd 2	2 de novo
Gouverneur	44	20	15-Life	Mrd 2	6
Gouverneur	39	18	20-Life	Mrd 2	2
Gouverneur	50	31	15-Life	Mrd 2	7
Green haven	59	27	25-Life	Mrd 2	5  viol
Green haven	72	34	25-Life	Mrd 2	8
Orleans	66	31	20-Life	Mrd 2	9
Otisville	54	21	20-Life	Mrd 2	8
Otisville	55	24	25-Life	Mrd 2	5
Otisville	61	34	25-Life	Mrd 2	3
Otisville	48	24	15-Life	Mrd 2	6
Otisville	71	47	15-Life	Mrd 2	7 de novo
Otisville	57	23	18-Life	Mrd 2	10 de novo
Riverview	72	29	15-Life	Pre 74 Mrd	16 de novo
Shawangunk	58	28	25-Life	Mrd 2	4
Shawangunk	54	27	25-Life	Mrd 2	4
Shawangunk	50	32	25-Life	Mrd 2	2
Sing sing	44	17	26-Life	Mrd 2	2
Ulster	50	30	19-Life	Mrd 2	2
Woodbourne	80	46	25-Life	Mrd 2	16
Woodbourne	44	18	25-Life	Mrd 2	2
Woodbourne	44	19	25-Life	Mrd 2	2

June 2016 - Over 60 Age Summary

Age Range	Total Seen	# Released	# Denied	Rate of Releases %	Year to Date Release Rate
60-69	23	4	19	17%	21%
70-79	9	4	5	44%	32%
80+	1	1	0	0%	60%
Total   (one age unknown)	33	9	24	27%	24%

June 2016 - All Parole Decisions - (Includes Merit time cases)

Type of hearing	Total	# Released	# Denied	Rate of Release	Year to Date Release Rate
Initials	423	111	312	26%	22%
Reappearances	472	147	325	31%	29%
Total	895	258	637	29%	26%

Acting Supreme Court Justice James Pagones has ordered a man released after 20 years in prison.  

Judge Pagones ruled that Roberto Ciaprazi knows he will be deported to Romania when released;  immigration Judge Mitchell Levinsky signed the order in January 1998 and ICE has confirmed it more recently. 

Pagones noted that the parole board's ruling spoke of Ciaprazi's "risk to the community" and "community reintegration," elements that are irrelevant for an inmate destined for eastern Europe.

"He has absolutely no right or expectation that release or parole means assimilating into American society," Pagones wrote in Ciaprazi v. Evans, 0910/2016.

Ciaprazi represented himself before Pagones in challenging the board's denial of his parole application. Assistant state attorney General Elizabeth Gavin argued for the parole board.

Interested readers can request the NYLJ article by Joel Stashenko, New York Law Journal July 27, 2016, from which this information was taken, by sending a SASE to PAN.

2.  Legislative report

Explanation:  A bill has to be passed in both houses and signed by the Governor before it becomes the law.

Bills of interest that passed both houses since our last report              (To date Cuomo has only signed A.9696):

Bill # and Action	Sponsor/s	Purpose
A1819a / S1608a	Gunther/Bonacic	Defines "residence" for clarification in the Sex Offender Registry Law and directs the Division of Criminal Justice Services to develop a notification procedure for mandatory reporting by offenders who have multiple residences.
A1984/S6806	O’Donnell/Montgomery	Requires parole appeal decisions to be published on a publicly accessible website within 60 days of such decision
A5548/S992	Sepulveda/Rivera	Requires DOCCS to provide a certified translator for inmates appearing before the Parole Board, whose first language is not English or who are in need of a deaf language interpreter.
A7500A/S5427A	Joyner/Rivera	Requires (DOCCS) to be responsive to the next of kin or other designated person who inquires as to the circumstances surrounding the death of a prisoner, and to provide such person with an original preliminary death certificate
A9239/S7252	Englebright/Ortt	Requires the Division of Criminal Justice Services to provide notice to the appropriate local police agency, within 48 hours, of the change of address, or the other information relating to a sex offender
A9406/S7224	Blake/ Rivera	Requires(DOCCS) to provide inmates with a medical authorization and a mental health treatment information consent form and to keep such form in inmate’s file and to make the forms available to authorized persons.
A9696/S7224 SIGNED BY CUOMO	DenDekker/Murphy	All current or prior crime victim's statements shall be provided to the parole board for their consideration at each board appearance so that victims do not feel they need to submit a new statement every time an offender is up for parole release. Victim impact statements have no expiration date. It also ensures that transcripts of parole board interviews are promptly provided to any victim who has requested such a transcript.
A10190/S7862	O’Donnell/Gallivan	Due to outrage exhibited in two communities about the way parole warrant sweeps were conducted, from now on only properly trained personnel shall carry out the job duties assigned to parole officers.
A.10200/ S.7853	Rozic/Gallivan	Provides death certificates from the state health department and the NYC bureau of vital statistics at no charge to state and local correctional facilities as well as to NYC DOC,when such death certificates will be used for administrative purposes.
A.10706/ S.8114   The editorial boards for both the Albany Times Union and the New York Times have urged the Governor to sign this into law.	Fahy/DeFrancisco	Requires state reimbursement to counties and cities in which a county is located of the full amount of expenditures for indigent legal services. Provides state funding and oversight of criminal defense for those accused of a crime, while relieving a huge unfunded constitutional mandate for Upstate counties.

3.  Litigation:  Cassidy decision,  Dissent by Sotomayor

In a nutshell, the 2nd Department decision in the Cassidy case was not good.  The Court ruled that the petitioner did not show by clear and convincing evidence that the Board violated a clear and unequivocal court order.  “The determination made at the conclusion of the de novo hearing took into account his COMPAS assessment and other statutory factors. The written decision and the hearing transcript together demonstrate that the Parole Board fully complied with its responsibilities."

Dissent written by Supreme Court Justice SotoMayor:     In an impassioned dissent, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor broke with the majority of the court in a case about unreasonable searches and seizures, citing James Baldwin’s and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s written experiences of constantly being viewed as criminally suspect as black people in America.

The case, Utah v. Strieff, examined whether it was constitutional for evidence collected unlawfully by a police officer to be used as evidence in court. In 2006, Utah Narcotics Detective Douglas Fackrell stopped Edward Strieff Jr. in Salt Lake City based on an anonymous tip about potential drug activity, discovered an outstanding warrant, arrested him, and found drug paraphernalia.

In a 5-3 decision, the Court reversed the Utah Supreme Court decision that the illegal stop disqualified the evidence. Instead, the Supreme Court ruled that the evidence did not violate the Fourth Amendment because the evidence seized weakened the unlawful stop.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined sections I through III of Sotomayor’s dissent. Justice Elena Kagan also issued a separate dissent, joined by Ginsburg.

For Justice Clarence Thomas, who gave the opinion, Utah v. Strieff was a case in which "the costs of exclusion outweighs its deterrent benefits." But in section IV, Sotomayor wrote for herself about how the ruling was a clear erosion of individuals’ rights:

By legitimizing the conduct that produces this double consciousness, this case tells everyone, white and black, guilty and innocent, that an officer can verify your legal status at any time. It says that your body is subject to invasion while courts excuse the violation of your rights. It implies that you are not a citizen of a democracy but the subject of a carceral state, just waiting to be cataloged.

The central point in Sotomayor’s dissent is that the case centers around "suspicionless stops" that are all too familiar for people of color, even though the defendant in this case is white. She cites James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk, and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me as evidence of those who have testified to what it is like living with the indignity of always being susceptible to unconstitutional searches, especially when one has done nothing more than be born in a body that is always already deemed criminal.

As Vox’s Dara Lind has noted, over the past 50 years, there has been a growing push from the Court undermining the rights of defendants and suspects in criminal cases despite the fact that their rights make up a significant portion of the Bill of Rights. Utah further solidifies the pro-prosecutor standing that Sotomayor does not share.

But Sotomayor’s dissent highlights how the ruling fails to listen to those who have long discussed the ways illegal stops undermine American democracy.

"We must not pretend that the countless people who are routinely targeted by police are 'isolated,'" she wrote. "They are the canaries in the coal mine whose deaths, civil and literal, warn us that no one can breathe in this atmosphere."

4.  The Safe and Fair Evaluations (SAFE) Parole Act

Should you skip your next parole hearing?  Do you feel hopeless because nothing has changed since your last hearing? ...and you’re tired of being treated with disrespect?  We have read your letters and we can empathize.  But....

We encourage you to go to your next parole hearing regardless of how hopeless you feel.  The reality is the Parole Board DOES release around 20 people (in May it was 35...) with serious violent crimes every month.  What their reasoning is we’ll never know.  The Board certainly does not make their decisions based on compassion or the law.  So while there are reasons beyond our knowing for the low rate of releases, some people make it. There is probably nothing a parole applicant can do to increase his/her chance at being one of them, but we encourage everyone to walk into there assuming you will be one of those released.  That attitude might be the key...

The SAFE Parole Act will make your chances better,  but it will take a monumental public outcry in order to pass the SAFE Parole Act, which like every other needed criminal justice reform bill,  seems hopeless at times.  But if every citizen who was impacted by the Parole Board's abuses got involved in the movement to make changes in the Parole Board processes, we would have a much better chance.  That’s why Prison Action Network is doing our best to get you involved.

As long as New Yorkers keep voting for a Republican majority, the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee will continue to block reform legislation from passing into law. This is not to say the Democrats are all lining up to do the right thing. Voters need to put good people from both parties into office. At this time however, there are more NYS Democrats than Republicans who are on our side when it comes to dealing with crime.  However, Prison Action Network is not partisan; if Martians promised to pass the bill if elected, we would join their party!

Our allies in the Assembly and the Senate are frustrated also.  They submit good bills, some of which even resemble sections of the SAFE Parole Act.  If the legislators cannot pass the bills they've drafted themselves, what reason do we have to think they can pass ours?  They are up against the PBA, and the Correctional Officers Union and their allies - together the strongest political force in NYS.  And yet as you will read in our Legislative report, one bill has passed and 9 others are just waiting for Cuomo to sign them. We need to build a movement that will have the clout to get more helpful bills passed. We have to spread the word.  We have to show up and stand up!  Or those who want to harm us will win.

The Ithaca Family Empowerment Tour Stop on June 17th      After worrying that it would be attended only by the core group of the planners, we had an overflow crowd. About 30 people attended. Some of them represented agencies and all of them were concerned about ending mass incarceration for personal or moral reasons. We had two speakers, from Ithaca, who spoke about their experiences with the parole board.  Everyone in the room told their reason for being there after which we discussed how their stories would be perfect to tell their legislators in support of the SAFE Parole Act.  Many of the guests were interested in contacting their legislators.  Joey Cardamone, director of Ithaca Prisoner Justice Network will be supporting their efforts, and Parole Justice - NY has promised to provide support when requested.

5.  Parole Justice-NY 

If you ever think we’re not doing enough, read on!:

• Should we try to find someone to seek appointment to the parole board?   After a conversation with Tina Stanford, chair of the Parole Board, a group member came away thinking nothing could be done with the set of characters we have serving now, and that we need to promote a candidate.  Another member recalled an effort to do that a few years ago, which failed despite vigorous campaigning. For now the group agreed to put it on a back burner and think about it again after November if the Senate flips.
• Senator Montgomery has submitted legislation about the composition and appointment of the parole board.  We will research ways we can support her.  A process for reviewing bills relevant to parole and developing ways to support them will be discussed by our Legislative Committee.  Some good bills came out of the Assembly.  Building Bridges will continue publishing a monthly column which lists all legislation that has been voted on by the two legislative crime committees.  At the time of our meeting only S.9696 had passed in both committees.  It relates to victim statements and is described on page 5.  Since then the Governor has signed it into law, and nine other bills have passed both houses and are waiting for him to sign as well.  We‘ve been told it could be December before he signs anything else, unless there’s a special session this Summer
• The Jamaica Queens RAPP event brought together criminal justice activists and social workers focused on Reentry.  About 100 people were there, several from Parole Justice-NY.
• Parole Preparation Project has a close to 50% release rate even though they only take people with indeterminate sentences with life at the end!  They currently have 76 active cases.  There are around 120 volunteers with a big backlog of cases.  PPP pairs attorneys and lay people with incarcerated people throughout the state to help them prepare for their parole hearings. The teams are a mix of lawyers and non-lawyers. They do not give out legal advice. They may be able to take Article 78’s in the future but not now.   Parole Applicants who reach out to PPP  ( ℅ Rankin and Taylor , 11 Park Place Suite 914, NY NY 10007) are put on a waiting list and sent a do-it-yourself parole preparation guide.  PPP will be presenting at the National Lawyers Guild convention.
• The Gov’s clemency program is on the minds of many people who write us;  some put a lot of faith in it, others suspect it is just hype.  We think it is probably hype.  So far we haven’t heard of anyone being released.  Lots of people have been called by counselors to answer questions and fill out a bunch of forms, which encourages them to think they have a good chance.  We hope so.
• We attended the Bronx Defenders Block Party,  circulated petitions and talked with people including formerly incarcerated women .  Housing is a big issue for the women.
• Parole Justice-NY’s members are calling legislators to meet with them in their district offices. So far, they have an appointment with the chair of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, Nick Perry, whom they plan to ask how to get SAFE on the Caucus priorities list.
• We discussed the status of litigation after Cassidy (cited parole board for contempt of court) was overturned by second department. Mackenzie is a similar case. Some people are saying that John MacKenzie might be released when he goes back to the board – possibly board will release him in order to moot the case.

If you know someone who wants to join Parole Justice-NY in the struggle for fair parole hearings, and they are able to commit to regular attendance at our meetings (3 or 4 per year in person and conference phone calls every 3^rd Monday at 7:30 pm),  please provide them with our number:  518 253 7533

6.  NetWORKS, the monthly column of the New York State Prisoner Justice Network

“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.” (Mother Jones, labor agitator, 1902)

The super-hype of the election season is swirling all around us. The grief from yet another round of killings by police threatens to drown us. Black Lives Matter is blamed (by some) for the deaths of police officers. No cops or prison guards are ever held accountable, no matter what they do.

In the midst of this time of sadness and confusion, we anti-incarceration activists and organizations are overwhelmed with grief, rage, and frustration just like everyone else who hopes for justice. Yet collectively we seem to be able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, steadily focused on the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating the scourge of mass incarceration. Because we are accountable to each other and to those who are living and dying under the heel of the criminal punishment system, we do not have the luxury to despair.  Each small step forward helps give us the strength to keep going.

Here are two recent small steps forward that the New York State Prisoner Justice Network (NYSPJN) is involved in. Just writing about them gives this reporter a glimmer of joy and hope.

The formation of the New York State Jails Justice Network. Jails are a serious part of the problem of mass incarceration. Although the terms “jails” and “prisons” are often loosely interchanged, especially by those who haven’t spent time in them, jails are the local (county or city) lockups for people awaiting trial or convicted of less serious charges, while prisons are the state and federal systems for people serving longer sentences for more serious crimes. Of the 77,000+ people incarcerated in New York State in 2016, nearly one-third (25,000) were in county jails or the New York City jail system, according to the Commission of Correction  (www.scoc.ny.gov/pop.htm). This is consistent with national figures that place about one-third of all incarcerated people in jails.

Jails are a gateway into the state prison system, a hidden world of torture, and a system for caging those not even convicted of anything – supposedly innocent until proven guilty.  In the public discussion about mass incarceration in recent years, jails have been nearly invisible. And yet they are plagued with many of the same issues as prisons -- brutality, terrible health and mental health care, solitary confinement (including for juveniles), suicide, over-incarceration – as well as issues that are unique to them as jails such as confining people because they can’t make bail and a complete absence of programs. In their separate counties, activists have been fighting against some of these conditions, many for decades, in isolation from others waging similar struggles.

This year the New York State Prisoner Justice Network realized we had been in touch with a number of jails activists. What could we do to support these far-flung local campaigns? What could we offer them? And then we realized we could offer them the most valuable resource of all – each other! So we put together a contact list of jails justice activists from counties around the state, and arranged to introduce them to each other by conference call.

These activists who had been working in their own separate counties on exposing brutal jail conditions, stopping jail expansion, promoting diversion, and other issues were delighted to meet each other and share information and advice. That first exploratory call has led to the establishment of a network that meets by conference call every month and is planning to have a face to face meeting in the fall. Counties that are represented in the network include Albany, Broome, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Greene, Nassau, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, and New York City. On the statewide phone calls jails justice activists report on the campaigns in their counties and share advice on what strategies are and aren’t effective. Eventually, the group plans to develop collaborative work on statewide issues that impact jails, such as bail and an adequate public defense system.

The Challenging Incarceration Collaborative. The New York State Prisoner Justice Network is a founding member of this new statewide formation whose goal is to foster greater collaboration among the diverse groups involved in anti-mass incarceration work throughout New York State.

New York City has a great number of anti-incarceration and prison reform groups, but they lack strong ties with the rest of the state, and in some cases with each other, while the upstate groups are very spread out geographically and often do not have resources to work together. All, however, are facing the same issues of injustice, abuse, and impunity in the criminal punishment system.

At the Beyond the Bars Conference at Columbia University last March, a group of half a dozen diverse organizations/campaigns, including Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement, NYS Prisoner Justice Network, Beyond Attica,  Milk Not Jails, and Release Aging People in Prison, presented a workshop together – a collaborative workshop on collaborative organizing. The large auditorium was packed – apparently many people wanted to know how to collaborate against mass incarceration.

Following the workshop, the groups decided to hold another event for a wider audience. This second event was a panel and discussion attended by about 50 people from about 25 organizations. Those who attended wanted to continue to build ways to work together, and held a third well-attended meeting, all three in New York City.  Discussions have focused on developing a multi-issue unified platform and campaigning for NYS legislators more favorable to prison reform. New York State Prisoner Justice Network is working to make the group more fully representative of the whole state of New York by involving more upstate organizations.

These are only two of the many ways anti-incarceration activists are strengthening ties with each other in order to work more effectively, as well as continuing to advance their separate pieces of work. While there’s a lot of sound and fury coming from the top of the power chain, down here at the bottom we are keeping on keeping on: building the work of justice one march, forum, meeting, protest, lobby day, or press release at a time.

There are still some New York State Prisoner Justice Network Directories available. They are free to prisoners, $5 each to non-prisoners. You can order a directory or get in touch with us about anything else at NYS Prisoner Justice Network, 33 Central Avenue, Albany NY 12210 or nysprisonerjustice@gmail.com.

7.  “Revolving Door?”

by Karima Amin

When someone is paroled, they serve part of their sentence under the supervision of their community with an eye toward the parole candidate’s becoming a productive member of society. Frustration abounds when prison staff imply that the parolee will be returning to prison, sooner or later.  On the outside, despite best of intentions, the parolee may be confronted with issues that sent him or her to prison in the first place, poor mental health, unemployment, drug and/or alcohol addiction, unsettled home life, etc.  To further complicate one’s return to society, the parolee has to navigate a minefield of negative attitudes, framed by stereotypes, that are often based on misconceptions, attitudes that malign the parolee, limiting his or her potential.

We have shown films and have discussed recidivism before. This is an important topic.  Previously, we screened “The Very Same House,” a film about recidivism in Buffalo, by Canisius College student, David Goodwin.  At our last monthly meeting, our guest speaker was Gerrod Bennett, a recent parolee who was released on June 14 this year, after 22 years in State Prison.  -His family is helping him to navigate the many pitfalls of this brand new world. He is becoming a successful reentry candidate. The Center for Employment Opportunities (C.E.O.) in Buffalo works hard to assist parolees who are seeking gainful employment. According to the C.E.O. website, “While nearly everyone will eventually be released, recidivism rates are stubbornly high: more than 40% will be reincarcerated and more than two thirds will be rearrested within three years. Employment challenges, sobriety, housing, mental health, and a lack of strong social ties are among the premier reasons that people return to jail or prison.”

Our July meeting addressed the issue of recidivism with the film, “Revolving Door? Does the System Play Fair?” by Charles Duncan and a speaker, Pastor Charles Walker from Back to Basics Outreach Ministries.  Pastor Walker is the Reentry Coordinator at Back to Basics. He works with parolees, helping them to become assets in society, not liabilities.

 For more information: Karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org  or BaBa at   g.babaeng@yahoo.com.

8. The MARSHALL REPORT's "Life Inside" series: Write about your surprising personal experience with the criminal justice system. 

The widely read internet publication, The Marshall Report, is soliciting pitches for their series, ‘Life Inside’. “We're looking for 400 to 1,400-word nonfiction essays about a surprising, personal experience you had with the system — whether you're a lawyer, prisoner, judge, victim, police officer, or otherwise work or live inside the system. Poetry, fiction, essays about experiences that are not directly related to criminal justice, and op-eds will not be accepted.  Send your Life Inside story to ehager@themarshallproject.org”  

9.  “It’s the small things which go unnoticed that make the biggest difference.”

By Anonymous

I was a poor Black child, physically and sexually abused, with a brain injury -which I didn’t know I had until I was an adult and being diagnosed for another problem - and which caused me to have a learning disability.  Quite frankly the oppressive abuse I suffered caused me to become emotionally disturbed and at the age of 20, to lose control and snap and kill, unintentionally. My early years of being abused might cause any child to suffer depression, as well as unconsciously and thoughtlessly veer onto a detrimental destructive path. I was abusing alcohol to erase painful thoughts. 

Yet, I worked many jobs earnestly, and was not into crime, but I lived in poverty- in a crime-ridden violent environment infected with prostitution, AIDS, HIV, drugs, crack, dope, cocaine. Many of my peers became victims of drug addiction and became infected with AIDs, HIV, STDs.  I was against selling crack poison to people.  However, I succumbed to this destructive path by living around it, having an older brother, cousins, friends, neighbors, etc. hooked on drugs which amounted to childhood abuse, detrimental to the well being, interest, and welfare of a child. 

Ultimately I was falsely arrested, spat on, cut with broken glass, punched and slapped, kicked, stomped, cut, robbed, called ugly, rejected, deprived, denigrated and bullied.The Court ignored all the significant mitigating circumstances of childhood abuse and the fact that the indictment (#8809-6115) was fatally defective, where it does not charge any crime at all, and does not charge an element of criminal intent pertaining to the act. The Court sentenced me to 20-Life for which I have already served 24 years. 

10.  Dutch prisons are closing because the country is so safe

By /Chris Weller

In 2013, 19 prisons in the Netherlands closed because the country didn't have enough criminals to fill them.  Now, five more are slated to close their doors by the end of the summer, according to internal documents obtained by The Telegraaf.

While these closures will result in the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs, only 700 of which will transition into other unknown roles within Dutch law enforcement, the trend of closing prisons follows a steady drop in crime since 2004.  The problem of empty jail cells has even gotten to the point where, last September, the country imported 240 prisoners from Norway just to keep the facilities full.

Still, according to The Telegraaf's report, Justice Minister Ard van der Steur announced to parliament that the cost of maintaining sparsely-filled prisons was cost-prohibitive for the small country.  A number of factors underlie the Netherlands' ability to keep its crime rate so low, namely, relaxed drug laws, a focus on rehabilitation over punishment, and an electronic ankle monitoring system that allows people to re-enter the workforce.

A study published in 2008 found the ankle monitoring system reduced the recidivism rate by up to half compared to traditional incarceration. Instead of wasting away in a jail cell, eating up federal dollars, convicted criminals are given the opportunity to contribute to society.

These measures all add up to an unbelievably low incarceration rate: Although the Netherlands has a population of 17 million, only 11,600 people are locked up. That's a rate of 69 incarcerations per 100,000 people.  The US, meanwhile, has a rate of 716 per 100,000 — the highest in the world.  It's marked largely by its lack of attention to social services and rehabilitation programs once prisoners finish their sentences. Without a safety net to give them any other options, many fall back into their old habits.

Seeing as how the Netherlands is literally importing prisoners to keep jails full, larger countries like the US could learn a thing or two from the Dutch model. 

11.  Building a Winning Team: Speaking Out Against Mass Incarceration

Community basketball tournament organized by: Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP), Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC), and JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA)

Saturday, August 20^th, 4pm, Riverside Church  A half time panel will speak on Mass Incarceration

If you'd like to speak on the panel, or play on the teams (all ages and skill levels are welcome!) please contact:

Yazmine Nichols (RAPP) yazmine.nichols@gmail.com  413.884.5205

Molly Padgett (CAIC) molly.padgett@gmail.com      Molly Padgett cell: 505.690.1186 

12.  Governor Cuomo seeks to expand medical coverage for people leaving prison.

That makes New York the first in the nation to request Federal approval to provide high-need individuals with Medicaid coverage 30 days prior to release to avoid relapse & recidivism.  He announced that New York State will seek federal approval to provide Medicaid coverage to incarcerated individuals with serious behavioral and physical health conditions prior to release. The program would ensure a smooth transition back into society for thousands of formerly incarcerated individuals and help reduce the rate of relapse and recidivism in communities across the state. The Medicaid coverage would apply to certain medical, pharmaceutical and home health care coordination services.  It’s a great gesture, and we hope it gets approved, but we are prepared to once more be disappointed by a Governor who gets our hopes up and then doesn’t produce results. 

Building Bridges is Prison Action Network’s way 

to communicate with our members.

Please contact us by one of the methods below if you’d like to join us.