Building Bridges

JANUARY 2012

2012-01-12T12:32:00.011-05:00

DURING THE MONTH WE POST LATE BREAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS OR NEWS HERE. TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE JANUARY 15TH ISSUE OF BUILDING BRIDGES PLEASE SCROLL DOWN.

POSTED JANUARY 17 By Prison Action Network THE BELOW IS CANCELLED INDEFINITELY DUE TO A MISTAKE ON THE PART OF THE PRODUCER.

Judith Brink will be a guest on WBAI's "Where We Live" radio show on January 26, 8-9 pm when she will be discussing the SAFE Parole Act with host Dequi Kioni-Sadiki. WBAI is found at 99.5 fm on your radio dial in the metropolitan NYC area, and live-streams at www.WBAI.org for those outside of its range. Listeners can call in with their questions.

PEACE AND JUSTICE IN 2012!

Dear Reader,

We’re starting the new year with some changes. Perhaps the most drastic change is that we’re no longer publishing a calendar of events. There are many other places where the information is available, foremost among them the monthly Reentry Net/NY calendar, which provides New York State advocates with information about upcoming conferences, trainings, meetings, and other events related to prison and jail reentry and the consequences of criminal proceedings. Contact information for each event is provided on the calendar. To add an event to the calendar, visit the site and click "add event."

We’ve enjoyed providing the calendar to readers, particularly those without computer access, so they could participate and/or be aware of how much attention is being paid to criminal justice issues. But every month we find it harder and harder to fit everything into 10 pages, and we think it’s important to share information which is not available anywhere else under one cover. If however, there is an outcry against this decision we will consider other options, one of which is to include our calendar in those electronic editions (email and website) where we have unlimited space. Please let us know if you have strong feelings about this change. In fact we’d love to hear from you anyway. Building Bridges exists to share important news with, for and by our members, so let us know if we can serve you better.

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone’s sake, get involved!
The Editor

SUMMARIES

1. CRIME AFTER CRIME, a powerful documentary film about a woman who was sentenced to 25-Life for her role in the death of her abusive boyfriend. She and a pair of pro-bono rookie attorneys take viewers with them as they encounter the corrupt and politically driven twists and turns of the criminal justice system. Free showing includes discussion with one of the lawyers and the legislators who are sponsoring the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, A7874/S5436. 

2. LEGISLATION - Update on the status of last year’s major CJ bills. Most are back in committee, starting over, but some have made significant movement. 

3. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN invites readers to attend their workshop at the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus Weekend, ON FEB. 18 IN ALBANY. It’s part of a series of social, civil and criminal justice workshops. 

4. NYS PRISONER JUSTICE believes these are the worst of times and the best of times. The best is the many movements and campaigns that are working to solve social problems by providing people with positive opportunities to realize their potential and contribute to their communities. The worst is that after hundreds of years racism is still thriving, now through the mass incarceration of predominately poor and Black people. We haven’t won the war, but we haven’t lost it either. 

5. PAROLE NEWS takes 5 pages to report this month! November and December statistics; a year-end summary; memo to the Parole Board from Chairwoman Evans; Thwaites and Graziano court decisions.
 
6. PRISONERS OF THE CENSUS - a victory! Prisoners will be counted in their home districts for redistricting purposes. Kudos to the Prison Policy Institute which was instrumental in exposing the inequities of counting prisoners where they are incarcerated.

[For copies of articles referred to in this issue, please send an email with your request stating # and title of article and date.] 

1. CRIME AFTER CRIME, A POWERFUL FILM ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PRISON

I shared my excitement about this film in article #4 of the November Building Bridges after I viewed it at a screening in Albany by Prisoners Legal Services to announce their new Pro Bono project. Now’s your chance to see it (bring tissues).

Directed by the talented Yoav Potash, Crime After Crime chronicles the experience of Deborah Peagler, a California woman charged with murder in the 1st degree, for her role in the death of her abusive boyfriend. After being threatened with the death penalty, Debbie was sentenced to 25 years to life without ever having a trial. After she languished in prison for 20 years, California passed a law allowing incarcerated survivors of abuse to reopen their cases. The documentary follows the story of Debbie and her two pro-bono rookie attorneys, as they encounter the corrupt and politically driven twists and turns of the criminal justice system. 

Following the screening, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry, will speak about their pending legislation: the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (A.7874-A/S.5436). The proposed Act, recently introduced in the NY State Legislature, is the only bill in the country that would allow judges to sentence survivors to significantly lower sentences and Alternative-to-Incarceration programs.

There will also be a thought-provoking panel discussion with Joshua Safran, one of Debbie’s attorneys, and NY advocates about the intersection of abuse and women’s incarceration. Advocates will also be on hand to inform you about ways to join the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act Campaign.

Co-hosted by the Women in Prison Project of the Correctional Association of NY, STEPS to End Family Violence and the Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

This free screening is made possible by the New York Women’s Foundation and is open to the public. However, we are accepting RSVPs prior to the screening. Please contact at Jesenia A. Santana or call her (646) 315-7626 and include how many seats you are reserving and the name(s) of those attending. Seats are reserved until 10 minutes before start time.

Thursday, January 19th 6:30-9:00pm 
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Room 2200 Multi-Purpose Room, North Hall 2nd Fl.
445 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019

2. LEGISLATION - ON JANUARY 4, 2012, MANY BILLS WERE REINTRODUCED, INCLUDING MOST OF THE 26 BILLS WE REPORTED ON IN JULY, WHICH ARE BACK IN THE COMMITTEES WHERE WE LEFT THEM AT THE END OF 2011. HERE ARE THE EXCEPTIONS:

A7782/S5427 - Aubry/Hassell-Thompson BAN THE BOX BILL
was reintroduced in the Assembly and then sent to Investigations and Government Operations.

S0107/A5355 - Montgomery/Aubry EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Was vetoed by Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee last session. It’s been referred back to the Committee this session, and also to the Assembly’s Crime Committee.

S0338/A0154 - Montgomery/Aubry MERIT TIME BILL
It’s been referred back to the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee where it was defeated last session.

S0476-A/A7870 - Nozzolio/Tediso $7 CO-PAYMENTS FOR PRISON MEDICAL CARE
It was referred back to the Assembly where it died*, and was returned to the Senate where it was sent to the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee.

S2057 - Kruger no Assembly bill 85% OF MINIMUM (of an indeterminate sentence) MUST BE SERVED
Hasn’t been reintroduced so far.

S3537/A07015 Griffo FIVE MEMBER BOARDS FOR VOS
Referred to Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, amended, and sent back, but not reintroduced in Assembly so far.

S3645-C/A 7015-B - Griffo/Spano “BRITTANY’S LAW” VFO REGISTRY
Died in Assembly*, sent back to Senate, referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee

S3747/A8478 - Nozzolio/Giglio FRP BILL
Died in Assembly*, returned to Senate, referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee

S5374/A7939 - Duane/Aubry THE SAFE PAROLE ACT
Senator Perkins and Assembly Members Stevenson, Farrel, and Gottfried have added their names as sponsors. (If they represent you, a message of appreciation would be a good move on your part.)

* FYI: A bill needs to be passed in both houses, so those that have died in the assembly will go nowhere this session. [I’m still learning. Last July I told readers that Senate bills got new numbers every year that they were reintroduced. That appears not to be so. ]

3. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN IS PRESENTING A WORKSHOP AND YOU AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE LEGISLATURE ARE INVITED

NYS PRC will be hosting a workshop at the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus Weekend, ON FEB. 18 IN ALBANY.

 Title: CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERIES, Parole Release Decisions in the Era of Reintegration

Purpose: To provide perspectives and concrete strategies for creating a parole model that advances public safety and promotes successful and productive reentry and reintegration into society, particularly in those communities of color which are disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration.

Format: A panel of 6 participants and a moderator. The panel will answer questions posed by the moderator and from the audience.

Moderator: Glenn Martin from the Fortune Society.
Panel Members: (because not all are yet confirmed, some are listed only by the group they represent)
          Julia Long - formerly incarcerated for defending herself, member of Alb. County Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Advisory Comm
          Larry White - formerly incarcerated person, community organizer for Fortune Society, social and criminal justice activist
          Incarcerated Persons - members of the Second Look Org. at Sullivan Correctional Facility [by video]
          Assembly Member - Jeffrion Aubry - Sponsor of the SAFE Parole Act, A7939
          A member of the NYS Parole Board - (specific commissioner has not been confirmed)
          Ariel Igartua - daughter of incarcerated man recently denied parole

Sponsors of the workshop are: Sen. Perkins, Sen. G. Rivera, A.M. Aubry, A.M. Stevenson

 You and your legislative representatives are invited, particularly if they are a member of the Caucus. You can help get this bill passed by inviting them to this workshop which will show why it’s in their best interest to support a bill so many of their constituents support.

There will be transportation from NYC to the Capitol. For more information or to reserve a seat on the bus, please contact Larry White at lw77a3272@yahoo.com.

Members of the Caucus:  
SENATE CAUCUS MEMBERS: Eric Adams, Martin Malave Dilan, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Shirley L. Huntley, Velmanette Montgomery, Kevin S. Parker, José R. Peralta, Bill Perkins, Gustavo Rivera, John Sampson, Jose M. Serrano, Malcolm A. Smith, Andrea Stewart-Cousins 

ASSEMBLY CAUCUS MEMBERS: Carmen E. Arroyo, Jeffrion L. Aubry, Inez D. Barron, William F. Boyland, Jr., Nelson L. Castro, Barbara M. Clark, Vivian E. Cook, Marcos A. Crespo, Herman D. Farrell, Jr., David F. Gantt, Vanessa L. Gibson, Carl E. Heastie, Earlene Hooper, Hakeem Jeffries, Guillermo Linares, Grace Meng, Francisco P. Moya, Samuel D. Roberts, Robert J. Rodriguez, Eric A. Stevenson, Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, N. Nick Perry, J. Gary Pretlow, Philip Ramos, Jose Rivera, Naomi Rivera, Annette Robinson, Michele R. Titus, Keith L.T. Wright, Felix Ortiz

4. THE NEW YORK STATE PRISONER JUSTICE COLUMN

Dear Building Bridges Readers,

The English novelist Charles Dickens begins one of his books by saying, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Our times, too, are the best and the worst.

The U.S. prison system continues to incarcerate more people, for longer, than anywhere in the world, under brutal conditions with little hope of positive outcomes for prisoners, their families, and their communities. You, Building Bridges readers, know the story all too well: children as young as 13 tried as adults; disproportionate arrest, sentencing, and prison for people of color; alarming rates of long-term isolation; a parole system that gives people no way out. From politicians to prosecutors to judges to guards, there are too many who have a stake in keeping the system the way it is or making it worse, who gain advantages from portraying offenders as demons and whipping up fear and hate.

So what could possibly make a prisoner justice advocate say this is the best of times? A growing public perception that there is something very wrong with mass incarceration, and a growing movement to challenge and change it. The following are a few examples:

Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, has caught on like wildfire, and sparked a movement. It makes the case that mass incarceration, including the so-called war on drugs, is the leading form of racial injustice in our time. And before that, years of grass-roots action against harsh drug sentences won some reforms in New York and nationally.

A number of coalitions opposed to long-term solitary confinement and other forms of lockdown have sprung up. They have been presenting evidence that long-term isolation equals torture. Last year, hundreds of brave California prisoners called attention to this issue with a series of hunger strikes across the state.

Anti-death penalty and innocence movements have gained traction and visibility. They not only show that the death penalty is immoral and ineffective; they also call the whole system into question. If some death row prisoners are innocent, what about prisoners in the rest of the criminal justice system? And speaking of innocent death row prisoners, the most famous of them, former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal, just successfully got his death sentence overturned! Mumia was wrongly convicted for the shooting of a police officer in Philadelphia in 1981. His supporters never gave up for 30 years. They are not done fighting yet -- they say life in prison for an innocent person is not justice.

In this column last month, we told how New York State Prisoner Justice, in collaboration with other organizations and individuals, was providing regular teach-ins on prison issues at Occupy Wall Street. This month, New York State Prisoner Justice, along with the Center for Law and Justice and the Occupy Albany People of Color Caucus, presented a well-attended and successful teach-in to Occupy Albany and other members of the Albany community. The panelists said that people in prison and formerly incarcerated people are some of the most marginalized members of the 99%. They discussed the links between the Occupy movement and the prisoner justice movement. Two former long-termers on the panel talked about the lack of rehabilitation and preparation for re-entry.

Most of these different movements and campaigns agree that mass incarceration doesn’t solve social problems, it makes them worse. Instead, our society needs programs that give people positive opportunities to realize their potential and contribute to their communities; and that give the members of those same communities tools to hold each other accountable. We haven’t won the war against mass incarceration, but we haven’t lost it either. In this column each month, we will share some of the victories, obstacles, and lessons of the movement for prisoner justice. Comments? Write us at NYSPJN, 33 Central Avenue, Albany NY 12210 or nysprisonerjustice@gmail.com.

5. PAROLE NEWS - NOVEMBER & DECEMBER RELEASES; SUMMARY OF 2011 RELEASES; ANDREA EVAN'S MEMO TO PAROLE BOARD; RULING IN THWAITES'S ARTICLE 78; APPELLATE DIVISION DISMISSES GRAZIANO APPEAL.

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS –
DIN #s through 1999 unofficial research from parole database

NOVEMBER Totals 
Total Interviews....... # Released...... # Denied.. Rate of Release
18 Initials........................ 1...................... 17............ 6%
84 reappearances............ 22.................... 62............ 26%
102 interviews................. 23.................... 79............ 23%

NOVEMBER Initial Releases 
Facility.....Sentence.......... Offense
Collins..... 15-Life............ Murder 2

NOVEMBER Reappearances 
Facility............. Sentence.......... Offense.... # of Board
Altona.............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 5th
Auburn............ 26 ½-Life......... Kidnap 1.......... 5th *
Cayuga............ 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 4th
Collins............. 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd
Fishkill............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd
Fishkill............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd
Fishkill............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 4th
Fishkill............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 9th
Fishkill............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 4th *
Fishkill............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 5th
Fishkill............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd
Greene............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd *
Lincoln............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 11th
Marcy.............. 20-Life............ Murder 2......... ?? **
Mt. McGregor... 22 ½ ................Murder 2......... 3rd
Otisville........... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 2nd
Otisville........... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 6th *
Sullivan............ 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 2nd
Taconic............ 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 6th
Woodbourne.... 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd
Woodbourne.... 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 6th
Woodbourne.... 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd *

*for deportation only **returned in 2005

DECEMBER Totals

Total Interviews.........# Released...... # Denied.. Rate of Release
15 Initials........................ 0...................... 15.... 0%
69 reappearances............ 14.................... 55.... 20%
84 interviews................... 14.................... 70.... 17%
1 medical release

NO DECEMBER INITIAL RELEASES

DECEMBER Reappearances
 Facility.............Sentence........ Offense # of Board
Auburn............ 20-Life............ Murder 2................. 3rd
Bedford Hills....25-Life............. M2 + K1-2x............ 2nd
Bedford Hills.... 25-Life............ M2 + K1-2x............ 2nd
Cape Vincent... 15-Life............ Murder 2................. 5th
Cayuga............ 20-Life............ Murder 2................. 6th
Cayuga............ 15-Life............ Murder 2................. 5th
Eastern............ 15-Life............ Murder 2................. 4th?
Fishkill............. 8 2/3-Life....... JO Murder 2............. 5th?
Mt. McGregor...15-Life............ Murder 2................. 2nd
Otisville........... 15-Life............ Murder 2................. 7th
Sing Sing......... 18-Life............ M2 + K1-2x............ 3rd?
Southport ........18-Life............ Murder 2................. 4th
Taconic............ 25-Life............ M2 + K1-2x............ 2nd
Woodbourne.....20-Life........... Murder 2................. 5th

Bedford Hills.... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... MEDICAL *
* at year 16 of sentence

Note: In February we will not have any parole release statistics for you. They are not released to the parole website until too close to our deadline to complete the work involved. December was an exception. In March we will publish January’s releases.

ANNUAL REPORT OF 2011 A1VF PAROLE BOARD HEARINGS COMPILED FROM UNOFFICIAL RESEARCH** USING PAROLE WEBSITE DATABASE.

2011 A1VF SUMMARIES AND COMPARISONS:

INITIAL BOARDS:
218 interviews, 26 releases; for a release rate of 12%. Two of those 26 were rescinded. In 2007 there were 41 initial releases, 25 in 2008 after the hearing held by Senator Nozzolio, in 2009 there were 38 initial releases, and 39 in 2010, making 2011 the second lowest number of release decisions, as well as the second lowest rate of releases, in the last five years. Three of those initial release decisions were for deportation only, making the % of those released to their home communities 10.5%

REAPPEARANCES:
979 interviews, 209 releases; for a release rate of 21%. That is the second highest in the past five years. 31 of the 209 were released for deportation making the rate released to the U.S. 18%. Four of the 209 were released to another state and another 4 were released on special consideration hearings.

MEDICAL PAROLE:
This year saw what is believed to be the first A1VF’s released on medical parole. A man was released on a medical parole board, although he had been parole eligible since 2002. A woman was released on a “true” medical parole board several years before reaching her parole eligibility date.

GENDER BREAKDOWN:
Of the 218 initial interviews, 212 were males (97%), 6 were females (3%). Of the 26 initial releasees, 25 were males (96%), 1 was female (4%).

Of the 979 reappearance interviews, 957 were males (98%), 22 were women (2%). Of the 209 releasees, 201 were male (96%) and 8 were female (4%).

RACIAL/ETHNIC BREAKDOWN:
Of the 218 INITIAL interviews, 123 (56%) were Black, 58 (27%) were Hispanic, and 32 (15%) were White. Of the 26 initial releasees, 16 were black (62%), 8 were Hispanic (31%) and 2 were White (8%). (Remaining numbers are other and unknown ethnicities.) 

Of the 979 REAPPEARANCE interviews, 522 (53%) were Black, 239 (24%) were Hispanic, and 208 (21%) were White. Of the 209 releasees, 116 were Black (55%), 61 (29%) were Hispanic [or 51 and 24% excluding deportations], and 28 (13%) White. Remaining numbers are other and unknown ethnicities.

PRISON CATEGORY:
MEDIUMS: 728 (61%) of all interviews with 178 released (75% of releasees).
 MAXIMUMS: 451 (38%) of all interviews with 57 released (24% of releasees).
The remaining interviews were in other facilities such as Walsh Medical Center or CNYPC.

HOW MANY BOARDS--NUMBER OF RELEASES--PERCENT OF TOTAL (235):
First ----26--11 %
Second - 41--17%
Third ---43--18%
Fourth --28--12%
Fifth----30--13%
Sixth ---24--10%
Seventh-12*--5% *includes 1 medical release
Eighth--14---6%
Ninth---5----2%
Tenth --7----3%
Eleventh-4--1.6%
Twelfth -2--0.8%
 
AGES AND LENGTH OF INCARCERATION:
9 of those released were between the ages of 73 and 83, all on reappearances.
26 of those released were in prison since the 1970’s, one since the 1960’s, 111 since the 1980’s and 97 since the 1990’s.
[2 of the initial releasees were born after 27 of the other releasees had gone to prison.]

**None of the previous numbers are official or scientific; nor account for any de novo boards. The results are based upon unofficial, best efforts research. Please FOIL the Board of Parole for exact and official data.

ANDREA EVANS'S MEMO TO THE PAROLE BOARD TELLS THEM: "YOU MUST ASCERTAIN WHAT STEPS AN INMATE HAS TAKEN TOWARD THEIR REHABILITATION AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR SUCCESS ONCE RELEASED TO PAROLE SUPERVISION."

TO: Members of the Board of Parole: Terrence X. Tracy, Counsel; Terrence Saunders, Chief Administrative Law Judge; Lester Edwards, Secretary to the Board  

FROM: Andrea W. Evans, Chairwoman 
DATE: October 5, 2011
 RE: Recent Amendment of Executive Law §259-c(4)  

Through the enactment of Chapter 62 of the Laws of 2011, Part C, subpart A, §38-b, Executive Law §259-c(4) was amended to provide that the Board of Parole shall:  “establish written procedures for its use in making parole decisions as required by law, such written procedures shall incorporate risk and needs principles to measure the rehabilitation of persons appearing before the board, the likelihood of success of such persons upon release and assist members of the state board of parole in determining which inmates may be released to parole supervision;”  

As you know, members of the Board have been working with staff of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the development of a transition accountability plan (“TAP”). This instrument which incorporates risk and needs principles, will provide a meaningful measurement of an inmate’s rehabilitation. With respect to the practices of the Board, the TAP instrument will replace the inmate status report that you have utilized in the past when assessing the appropriateness of an inmate’s release to parole supervision. To this end, members of the Board were afforded training in July 2011 in the use of the TAP instrument where it exists. Accordingly, as we proceed, when staff have prepared a TAP instrument for a parole eligible inmate, you are to use that document when making your parole release decisions. In instances where a TAP instrument has not been prepared, you are to continue to utilize the inmate status report It is also important to note that the Board was afforded training in September 2011 in the usage of the COMPAS Risk and Needs Assessment tool to understand the interplay between that instrument and the TAP instrument, as well as understanding what each of the risk levels mean.  

Please know that the standard for assessing the appropriateness for release, as well as the statutory criteria you must consider has not changed through the aforementioned legislation. Consequently, in all cases you must consider
(i) the institutional record including program goals and accomplishments, academic achievements, vocational education, training or work assignments,therapy and interactions with staff and inmates;
(ii) performance, if any, as a participant in a temporary release program;
(iii) release plans including community resources, employment, education and training and support services available to the inmate;
(iv) any deportation order issued by the federal government against the inmate while in the custody of the department and any recommendation regarding deportation made by the commissioner of the department pursuant to section one hundred forty-seven of the correction law;
(v) any statement made to the board by the crime victim or the victim’s representative, where the crime victim is deceased or is mentally or physically incapacitated;
(vi) the length of the determinate sentence to which the inmate would be subject had he or she received a sentence pursuant to section 70.70 or section 70.71 of the penal law for a felony defined in article two hundred twenty or article two hundred twenty-one of the penal law;
(vii) the seriousness of the offense with due consideration to the type of sentence, length of sentence and recommendations of the sentencing court, the district attorney, the attorney for the inmate, the pre-sentence probation report as well as considera-tion of any mitigating and aggravating factors, and activities following arrest prior to confinement; and
(viii) prior criminal record, including the nature and pattern of offenses, adjustment to any previous probation or parole supervision and institutional confinement. See Executive Law §259-i(2){c){A}. As noted by the New York State Court of Appeals in Siimon v. Travis. 95 N.Y,2d 470 (2000), the above-stated criteria reflect the strong rehabilitative component of section 259-i of the Executive Law.

  Therefore, in your consideration of the statutory criteria set forth in Executive Law §259-i(2)(c)(A)(i) through (viii), you must ascertain what steps an inmate has taken toward their rehabilitation and the likelihood of their success once released to parole supervision. In this regard, any steps taken by an inmate toward effecting their rehabilitation, in addition to all aspects of their proposed release plan, are to be discussed with the inmate during the course of their interview and considered in your deliberations.

  cc: Elizabeth Glazer, Deputy Secretary;  Mary Kavaney, Assistant Deputy Secretary; Brian Fischer, Commissioner; Anthony J. Annucci, Executive Deputy Commissioner; Angela Jimenez, Deputy Commissioner   .

THWAITES DECISION: JUDGE ORDERS NYS PAROLE BOARD TO RETROACTIVELY APPLY A NEW PROVISION REQUIRING IT TO CONSIDER THE REHABILITATION OF AN INMATE AND NOT BASE A DENIAL OF RELEASE ON AN OFFENSE THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED DECADES IN THE PAST.

Supreme Court of the State of NY, Orange County, Hon. Lawrence H. Ecker, J.S.C., Presiding
 Douglas Thwaites vs NYS Board of Parole  

Facts: Petitioner was convicted by jury of Murder 2 in 1986, and sentenced to 25-Life. He is now 67 and has served over 26 years. When released he is subject to deportation. He appeared before his first parole board in March 2010. He was denied and held for 24 months to March 2012. His denial was couched in the familiar boiler plate language, claiming notice of his institutional accomplishments and then saying the instant offense leads the Board to conclude his release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and deprecate the seriousness of the crime so as to undermine respect for the law.  

Petitioner appealed and the Board affirmed its decision denying parole.  

Petitioner filed an Article 78 contending the decision 1) was arbitrary and capricious; 2) denied due process in failing to offer any guidance or additional reasons; 3) failed to consider sentencing minutes; 4) failed to follow guidelines; 5) failed to apply procedures for deportation only; and 6) abuse of discretion in focusing exclusively on the instant offense.

  Court ruled the lack of sentencing minutes was not sufficient grounds. The court reviewed the language of 259-i and placed great significance on 259-c(4) which was recently amended to require the Board to promulgate new procedures incorporating risk and needs principles to measure rehabilitation. The court then referred to the interpretations of Prof. Phillip Genty, as reported in the NYLJ, Sept 1, 2011. Even though the changes went into effect after the petitioner’s parole hearing, the court concluded that remedial amendments should apply [remedial statutes have been regarded as an exception to any general rule against retroactivity] and entitle petitioner to a new parole hearing utilizing risk assessment procedures. It accuses the Board of employing past-focused rhetoric, not future-focused risk assessment analysis. Thus failing to sustain a rational determination on the inquiry at hand: whether there is a reasonable probability that, if such inmate is released, he will live and remain at liberty without violating the law.

  The court found the Board’s decision denying parole to be arbitrary and capricious, irrational, and improper.  The court granted the petition, annulled the Board’s determination, vacated the denial, and directs the board to, within 30 days*, hold a new hearing with a different panel of the Board. Dated 12/21/11.   

*30 days would be January 21, 2012. The DOCCS website lists his next hearing as March 2012. The Parole Board calendar does not list him in January, February, or March 2012. In neither place is there any indication that the judge’s order will be followed.

GRAZIANO V. EVANS: THE APPELLATE DIVISION, THIRD DEPARTMENT AFFIRMS ALBANY ACTING SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ROGER D. MCDONOUGH IN DISMISSING THE STATE COURT ACTION. DECIDED AND ENTERED: DECEMBER 22 2011.

  Appellate Division, Third Department
 [This opinion is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the official reports.]

  In the most recent development in the case of Peter Graziano, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, Appellant, vs. Andrea W. Evans, as Chair of the New York State Division of Parole, et al., Respondents.   Thomas E. Mercure, a judge on the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division. granted defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint.

  HISTORY: In 1986, plaintiff Graziano was convicted of murder in the second degree for which he received the minimum sentence, 15 years to life in prison. He appeared before the Board of Parole five times between 2001 and 2008, and was denied parole each time. Plaintiff was ultimately unsuccessful in challenging the Board's determinations denying parole. In 2006, plaintiff Graziano commenced a class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging that the Board had violated the US Constitution by adopting an unofficial policy of denying parole release to all prisoners convicted of A-1 violent felony offenses, without consideration of statutorily mandated factors. That action was dismissed upon a finding that plaintiff and the other class members had failed to state federal due process, equal protection or ex post facto claims.

  In 2009, plaintiff commenced the current action on behalf of a class that is identical to that certified in the federal action — prisoners who were convicted of A-1 felonies, are eligible for parole release, and were denied parole after their most recent hearing based upon the seriousness or nature of their offense. As in the federal action, plaintiff alleged that the Board had adopted an unofficial policy resulting in the systematic denial of parole to A-1 violent felony offenders based solely on the nature of the underlying crime and without consideration of the statutorily mandated criteria set forth in Executive Law § 259-i (2) (c) (A).

  Unlike the federal action, plaintiff's challenges were grounded in allegations that the Board had violated Executive Law § 259-i, rather than the constitutional claims rejected by the United States District Court. Plaintiff sought, among other things, a declaration that the Board violated Executive Law § 259-i, an injunction enjoining the Board from denying parole without due consideration of all factors set forth in section 259-i, and an order directing retraining and new supervisory procedures for the Board.

  Defendants (Evans and the Parole Board) moved to dismiss the complaint, and plaintiff cross-moved for class certification and to consolidate this action with his then-pending CPLR article 78 proceeding challenging his 2008 denial of parole. The Supreme Court granted Parole’s motion, dismissed the complaint, and denied Graziano's cross motion as academic.   Graziano appealed, and the Appellate Division, Third Department affirmed the Supreme court’s ruling on the grounds that Plaintiff has previously litigated this claim. The Appellate Division agreed with the Supreme Court that the doctrine of res judicata bars "all other claims arising out of the same transaction" — such as those raised here — "even if based upon different theories or if seeking a different remedy" Accordingly, the Appellate Division, Third Division ruled that the Supreme Court properly dismissed the complaint brought by Graziano..   

6. PRISONERS OF THE CENSUS - VICTORY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF LAW ENDING PRISON-BASED GERRYMANDERING.

  Last month we reported that a Supreme Court Judge threw out the lawsuit by upstate Senate Republicans and upheld the law ending prison-based gerrymandering. The landmark 2010 law required the state to count incarcerated people as residents of their home addresses for redistricting purposes. The rejected lawsuit argued that the state was required to use the Census Bureau counts (which count people in prison as residents of the prison) when drawing state and county legislative district lines. The state constitution says that incarcerated people remain residents of their pre-incarceration homes, but the Senate Republicans wanted to claim the political clout of the prison populations.  

After the decision was announced, it initially appeared that the New York Senate did not intend to implement the law which they had previously threatened. On January 5, those fears were laid to rest when the legislative task force called LATFOR released the population data to be used for state and local redistricting that properly counts incarcerated people at their home addresses. Details at www.prisonersofthecensus.org.

Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as a way of communicating with our members. 
If you would like to join, please send a note.

DECEMBER 2011

2011-12-14T18:02:00.017-05:00

PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TO ALL!

Dear Reader,

Although it’s a holiday season for many of us, I always hesitate to wish readers a Merry or Happy Holiday because I don’t know how merry or happy you can be, either in prison, or at home missing your incarcerated loved one. So instead I send wishes that you will experience something wonderful whenever and wherever you are. Sometimes joy comes in a very small package at a very unexpected moment, so I hope you will keep your heart open and ready. Joy to the world!

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone’s sake, get involved!
The Editor

Article Summaries: 

1. Attica - The Correctional Association (CA) of New York visited Attica C. F. on April 12 and 13, 2011 and reports that Attica has changed significantly since 1971, although some severe problems do persist. So severe that Director Soffiyah Elijah concludes that it is broken beyond repair, and Governor Cuomo should shutter its doors forever.

2. Dorothy Day Apartment building on Riverside Dr. in West Harlem once was home to drug dealers but is now not only beautiful, but it also pulses with pride and hope and happiness.  

3. The Guardian Newspaper is interested in hearing from U.S. inmates, their families, prison guards or anyone whose life has been impacted by incarceration. 

4. Hour Children, a Queens nonprofit group, is creating affordable housing in Long Island City for formerly incarcerated women trying to rebuild their lives.  

5. Job Op: Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region is seeking a program director for their SNUG program. 

6. Legislation: 65%, Merit Time Bill, SAFE Parole Act, Domestic Violence Survivor Justice Act

7. NYS Parole Reform Campaign will present a workshop at the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus Weekend in February. We continue to work on clarifying the changes to the current parole statute. Part 3 of Setting the Record Straight deals with Parole’s 3 R’s. 

8. Column #2 of the New York State Prisoner Justice Network discusses their involvement with Occupy Wall Street and asks for your involvement in that work.

9. Parole News: TAP and COMPAS per Chairwoman Evans; October parole release decisions.  

10. Prisoner of the Census: An Albany judge has upheld a state law that counts inmates, for legislative reapportionment purposes, in their home community rather than the district in which they are incarcerated.  

11. Prison Legal Services is looking for lawyers to do pro-bono work and offers incentives.

12. Radio messages from home to those inside. CALLS FROM HOME is a gripping radio broadcast that brings the voices of prisoner families, former prisoners, poets, musicians, and everyday citizens to the airwaves. The broadcast consists of holiday greetings from family members to their loved ones behind bars and the over 2.4 million people incarcerated in the United States.

13. Taking Care of Business means communities building an inclusive environment for people returning home from prison, by Karima Amin, CEO of Prisoners Are People Too, Inc.  

14. Opportunities for getting involved in the struggle for justice: Actions, Events and Meetings.

[For copies of articles referred to in this issue, please send an email to PAN with a request stating # and title of article and date.]

1. ATTICA: CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION CONDUCTED AN INSPECTION OF THE PRISON AND POSTED THEIR FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION ON THEIR WEBSITE.

INSPECTION
The Correctional Association (CA) of New York visited Attica Correctional Facility on April 12 and 13, 2011. They obtained surveys about general prison conditions from 269 inmates in general confinement, in addition to 63 program- or location-specific surveys from inmates in special programs and housing units.

 Attica Correctional Facility: 2011 – The September 1971 Attica rebellion brought the plight of incarcerated individuals to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness. No longer would these invisible people experience invisible injustice behind brick walls and barbed wire fences. The prisoners’ demands included basic civil rights such as medical care, religious and political freedom, in addition to a living wage and opportunities for education and rehabilitation.

Prison conditions throughout New York State have come a long way in the past 40 years– inmates are afforded better medical care, opportunities for religious expression, and mandatory educational programming for those without a high school diploma or equivalent; however, we have a significant way to go – many prisons are still not safe, adequacy of medical care varies from facility to facility and most inmates are paid equal to or less per hour than in 1971. Attica has changed significantly since 1971, although some severe problems do persist.

The Correctional Association of NY is an independent, non-profit organization with unique legislative authority to inspect prisons and report its findings and recommendations to the legislature, the public and the press. Through monitoring, research, public education and policy recommendations, the CA strives to make the administration of justice in New York State more fair, efficient and humane.

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS : Click here to read the Correctional Association’s findings and their followup recommendations.

CONCLUSION
In her article, “Beyond Repair”, Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director of C. A., concludes with the following:
Unable to cast off its violent past, Attica Correctional Facility stands as a bold testament to inhumanity. It is broken beyond repair, and Governor Cuomo should shutter its doors forever. Symbolically, the closure of the facility would serve as an acknowledgment of the violence and brutality inflicted upon the prisoners of Attica at the hands of the state. Fiscally, prison closures continue to make sense for our cash-strapped state. Recognizing the inefficiency of New York’s over-reliance on incarceration, Governor Cuomo has already designated several facilities for closure. These downsizing efforts should continue, and Attica should be next on the Governor’s list.
[To read the article click here. ]

2. DOROTHY DAY APARTMENTS IN WEST HARLEM

In his September 23, 2011 NY Times Op-Ed, “It Takes a Village”, Charles Blow describes the Dorothy Day Apartments on Riverside Drive in West Harlem. [The following is a condensation. For the complete article click here]

The building is the sixth in the neighborhood run by Broadway Housing Communities, and the first to include a day care center serving both the building and the community. This former drug den is not only beautiful, but it also pulses with pride and hope and happiness. It’s just what I needed to see. Writing about children and the poor and the vulnerable these days, there aren’t very many bright spots — but this is one.

The children are bathed by natural light that floods into the basement through skylights. The floors are covered by beautiful green ceramic tile made to look like slate. The walls are painted a sunrise yellow, lined with thick wooden moldings and covered with well-framed pieces of art — some by the children, some donated. The courtyard, which had been filled with six feet of garbage, is covered with mats and used as an area where wee little legs that barely have kneecaps can be folded into funky shapes for daily yoga. Above the day care center are six floors of housing for 190 people, more than half of whom are children and all of whom were either homeless or in extreme poverty. Many of the adults are the hardest cases: those recovering from drug addiction, those with chronic diseases like H.I.V. and those with mental disabilities. In fact, most of the adults suffer from some form of disability. And on the top floor is an art gallery that opens onto a sweeping veranda, lined with flowering plants and with some of the most magnificent Hudson River views in the city.

There are no security guards. There is no commotion. There are no signs of institutional living like names above doors. There isn’t even so much as a crayon mark on any of the walls. This is an oasis of civility and tranquility and culture inhabited — and to some degree, self-policed — by people whom the world would rob of those dignities.

So why so much emphasis on beauty and art, I asked? One administrator responded resolutely: “You don’t just give a person four walls to live in. You give them something to be inspired by.” Another administrator said that the environment helped to “stabilize the parents to provide a platform for the children.” And those children, she said, can create “pathways out of poverty” for the whole family.

The Dorothy Day Apartments have been open since 2003, and they have had no arrests and no teenage pregnancies, unless you count the girl who was pregnant when she moved in. Most of the children went through the Head Start program in the basement, which now mostly serves the surrounding community. None of the children have dropped out of school. A handful have even earned scholarships to the city’s better private schools. Of the 10 children who have graduated from high school, eight have gone on to college and one has just graduated from college. (None of the adults in the building have ever been to college.)

The building runs mentoring programs and literacy programs and English as a second language programs. It maintains a computer lab and this week launched a partnership with what is essentially an international, Internet-based book club for boys in the building. (The girls’ group will begin next week.) It’s fantastic.

The cost of the building plus renovations was $17 million. So if it houses 190 people, that works out to about $89,500 a person, not including most of the children served by the day care center. According to the New York State Commission of Correction, 1,000 new jail beds will have been built between the end of 2007 and the end of 2011 in the counties of Albany, Essex, Rensselaer and Suffolk at a cost of $100,000 per bed. Furthermore, as Broadway Housing Communities points out on its Web site, “permanent supportive housing for an individual costs taxpayers $12,500 annually, compared to annual costs of $25,000 for an emergency shelter cot; $60,000 for a prison cell; and $125,000 for a psychiatric hospital bed.”

3. THE GUARDIAN NEWS (www.guardiannews.com) IS STARTING A NEW SERIES ON AMERICAN PRISONS AND THE IMPACT OF INCARCERATION ON INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES. THEY INVITE YOUR STORY:

We are interested in hearing from inmates, their families, prison guards or anyone whose life has been impacted negatively or otherwise by the system of incarceration. If you would like to contribute to the series, please write to: Sadhbh Walshe, The Guardian, PO Box 1466, New York, NY 10150. Or send an email.

4. HOUSING FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED WOMEN BEING BUILT IN QUEENS BY HOUR CHILDREN

According to the NY Daily News, Tuesday, November 08, 2011 in an article by Sam Levin, the nonprofit group, Hour Children, is creating affordable housing in Long Island City for formerly incarcerated women trying to rebuild their lives.

For women leaving prison, one of the greatest challenges is finding a stable place to live. The organization is breaking ground next week on an 18-unit apartment building, on the heels of opening 14 units in Corona in September. 

“These women need a place they can call home that is safe and supportive,” said Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, executive director and founder. “You have to build all those building blocks before you can launch a new life.”

5. JOB OPPORTUNITY: TRINITY ALLIANCE OF THE CAPITAL REGION WILL BE RESTARTING SNUG IN THE NEW YEAR. IN ANTICIPATION, THEY ARE SEEKING A PROGRAM DIRECTOR
.
Qualified candidates are those who:
 
have street and criminal justice experiences similar to the individuals SNUG targets

possess strong administrative, communication, management and computer skills

are able to lead and supervise a diverse workforce, and work within a team and an established agency setting

are able to work flexible, non-traditional hours

are willing to regularly undergo random substance abuse screenings

are able to demonstrate credibility and investment in working with a wide range of parties including but not limited to neighbors, family members and friends of victims and shooters, hospital emergency room personnel, the faith community and school and community public safety officials.

Cover letters and resumes may be emailed to: h.oberlander@ta-cr.org
 

6. LEGISLATION
Currently, Correction Law §803 grants 1/3 off indeterminate sentences and 1/7 off determinate sentences for good behavior. 2/3 is 66% so maybe this is what the readers who ask about “the 65% reduction” mean, only 66% is what’s served, not what’s taken off. Under §803, not every crime is eligible, especially not violent offenses. The Merit Time Bill S 338 didn’t change the amount of the time cut but it did include more categories of offenses (specifically violent crimes). It did not pass. It was vetoed in the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections committee.

A7939/S5374, The SAFE Parole Act, which I hope by now everyone understands remains sitting in committee, and has not become law. Until it passes, a person can still be denied parole based on the nature of their offense. See more about that in Articles 6 and 7, and at www.parolereform.org.

Another bill we support is the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, Bill A.7874/S.5436, which would allow alternative sentencing for some crimes committed as a result of domestic violence, and the possibility of re-sentencing for those already in prison. The Women In Prison Project provides a website just for that bill: www.dvsurvivorsjusticeact.org.

7. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN

NYS PRC will be hosting a workshop at the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus Weekend. Senator Perkins was instrumental in getting us on the agenda. Although the time has not been set, the date will probably be Saturday Feb 18, 2012. Our workshop is titled: CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERIES, Parole Release Decisions in the Era of Reintegration. It will “provide perspectives and concrete strategies for creating a parole model that advances public safety and promotes successful and productive reentry and reintegration into society, particularly those communities of color who are severely impacted by mass incarceration.” We will have a panel of 5-6 participants and a moderator. The panel will answer questions posed by the moderator and from the audience. Stay tuned for more.

DECEMBER 19, JUDITH BRINK WILL BE PRESENTING THE SAFE PAROLE ACT TO PRISON FAMILIES OF NY IN ALBANY. See details in Article 14, under Albany Meetings.

ANOTHER ORGANIZATION SIGNS IN SUPPORT: The Staten Island Executive Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends brings to 63 the number of organizations who support the SAFE Parole Act. We feel very humbled by such an outpouring of support for something that was just a dream in the hearts of the families who attended Family Empowerment Day 4 in 2009. We’ve come a long way, and there’s much farther to go, but we will not give up until our men and women in prison are judged by who they have become and not for what they did in the past.

CORRECTING SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE 2011 CHANGES TO PAROLE BOARD POLICIES:
In 2011, the governor revised parole board policies when he merged DOCS and the Division of Parole. He left the Board as an independent body. In doing so he revised the parole statute to direct the Parole Board to:

1. consider the person’s readiness for reentry and reintegration.
2. establish procedures for including risk and needs principles in their decision making process.

The other 8 factors that the parole board must consider are the same as always, except they are now all in one place. They still include “the seriousness of the offense”.

In 2011 the Safe And Fair Evaluations (SAFE) Parole Act was introduced to the legislature as Senate Bill 5374 and Assembly Bill 7939. It is not a law. To become a law it will have to pass in both houses of the legislature and be signed by the governor.

[That’s a lot of people to convince to support something. It should be easy though, since it makes a whole lot of moral and financial sense. So don’t give up! Every person who joins this effort increases our chance of success. Talk to your legislators. Tell them you want this bill passed, and why. Call us if you need more information: 518 253 7533.]

Until the SAFE Parole Act passes there is nothing preventing the Parole Board from denying parole based on the nature of the crime.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT, PART 3 IN THE SERIES: RELEASE, REENTRY, REINTEGRATION: HOW THE SAFE PAROLE ACT IS NECESSARY FOR ALL THREE.

The Importance of the Safe and Fair Evaluations (S.A.F.E.) Parole Act in Making Decisions about Release, Reentry, and Reintegration

Penal Law 1.05 states that in addition to punishment (retribution), deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation there is a fifth goal: “the promotion of their [incarcerated people’s] successful and productive reentry and reintegration into society.” [emphasis added]

The purpose of this article is to define reintegration, and to show how necessary the SAFE Parole Act is in achieving it.

Reentry and reintegration are commonly thought of as meaning the same thing, but they are, in actuality, very different:

Reentry is the process of returning to one’s community and finding a way to get basic needs met - such as housing, food, employment - without resorting to criminal activities. Preparation for reentry starts in prison, with programs that prepare the person for life on the outside. In recent years outside agencies have gotten funding to meet reentry needs and continue to help a person remain at liberty without reverting to a life of crime. Parole needs to to create linkages for their clients with community agencies that can meet their subsistence needs, such as food, clothing, employment, medical care, and public assistance. Most community organizations offer case management to get a person back on their feet. Most don’t go any further.

Reintegration is established when the formerly incarcerated person has developed social ties that help him or her continue to live at liberty without breaking the law. This person needs to be connected with a new environment which encourages and rewards legitimate behaviors and attitudes. The shorter the period of incarceration, the easier this task will be. 
Part of this new involvement is with groups such as neighborhood associations, faith groups, men’s groups, women’s groups; groups where he or she is accepted as a contributing member to the positive goals of the group. Reintegration is the last stage in our criminal justice system, and therefore it must be the goal of all the stages that precede it, from arrest forward. It’s the capacity to live at liberty without disobeying the law. The community must get involved in nurturing legitimate lifestyles in the lives of the men and women returning from prison.

 In NYS’s criminal justice system the judicial system sets the punishment, which may include a period of incarceration. Prisons are responsible for providing deterrence and the tools for rehabilitation. The Parole Board’s job is to assess a person’s readiness to leave the incarceration stage behind and begin the process of reintegration.

This is where the SAFE Parole Act becomes necessary. Even with the recent revisions to the law, which mandate the use of a Transitional Accountability Plan and a Risk and Needs Assessment, the criminal justice system has not moved significantly closer to the fifth goal of reintegration. As long as the Parole Board can continue to base release decisions on the crime, which a person can never change, people who are truly ready to begin the process of reintegration will continue to be denied. The Safe and Fair Evaluations (S.A.F.E.) Parole Act doesn’t leave it up to the Parole Board to voluntarily create procedures that would lead to fairer parole hearings, it includes them right in the bill. 

Unlike the recently implemented changes, the SAFE Parole Act is based on an understanding that what a person does, what his or her attitudes and behaviors have become over the course of many years, are the most important indicators of readiness for reintegration, and thus for release from prison.

Most importantly, if the parole applicant’s attitude and/or behavior does not meet their standards, the Parole Board must spell out what he or she must do in order to be considered ready for release to parole supervision. Once those requirements have been met, the person must be released.

No one can ever know for sure that another person will commit a crime. But there are good indicators in the SAFE PAROLE ACT, and the Parole Board can do no better than to base their decision on them.

TAP and R&NA will continue to be used by Parole’s Community Supervision once the person is back in society, and will extend until the person has reached the final goal of reintegration.

by Larry White

8. THE NEW YORK PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK COLUMN

Dear Building Bridges Reader,

The New York State Prisoner Justice Network is honored to continue with our regular column for Building Bridges. This is column #2. Last month, we gave an overview of The NYS Prisoner Justice Network. This month we will discuss our involvement with Occupy Wall Street and ask for your involvement in that work.

Occupy Wall Street is an international protest movement inspired by recent uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Greece, and Spain. In September, several hundred people gathered in Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan. What started as a relatively small number of activists quickly expanded into a global movement with over 950 occupations in over 85 countries.

The Occupy Movement protests the huge gap in wealth between the 1% who control the world’s resources and the 99% who don’t. The Occupy Movement was started by mostly white middle-class students and quickly gained support from community organizations, labor unions, and Occupy The Hood, a project that links the Occupy Movement with existing organizing projects led mostly by poor people and people of color.

The Occupy Movement has also sparked important debates about issues of liberation and justice: militarism, migration, racism and colonialism, sexism and gender, and how these issues intersect with the economic system. Many long term community activists are pushing the Occupy Movement to understand how poor people and people of color have been effectively organizing around these issues for generations and are the natural leaders of any movement for social change.

The Occupy Movement has provided an important opportunity for the prison justice community in New York. Members of the New York State Prisoner Justice Network are holding weekly teach-ins on the prison industrial complex, the system that cages nearly 2.4 million people in the United States.

 We are trying to help people understand how prisons and policing are connected to every other issue about social transformation, including jobs, schools, healthcare, housing and racial justice. We are also in the process of becoming a Formerly Incarcerated People’s Caucus at Occupy Wall Street, which would help bring the voices of those most impacted by prison into the regular debates of the Occupy Movement.

Though our group includes formerly incarcerated people, family members of those currently incarcerated, and activists who work on prison and policing issues on the outside, we believe that the experience and expertise of people who currently survive behind prison walls must be heard and understood in order to transform this system and our broader society.
We would be grateful for your involvement in our work at Occupy Wall Street. You can participate by answering the following questions:

What is the prison industrial complex? (In your own view - how you understand the system, how it impacts you and others).

What should justice look like instead of prisons?

We will include your responses in the content and analysis of future teach-ins. Please send responses to NYSPJN, 33 Central Avenue, Albany NY 12210 or nysprisonerjustice@gmail.com.

9. PAROLE NEWS

TRANSITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLANS (TAP) and RISK AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS (COMPAS)

From the testimony of Andrea Evans, Chairwoman of the Board of Parole, before the Assembly Committee on Correction, Nov 10, 2011, we gained some further insight into how TAP and Risk and Needs Assessments will be used in parole decisions. The following information is from her written testimony to the Committee.

The Board has been working closely with the DOCCS in developing the TAP instrument. It will be the instrument that measures the rehabilitation of persons appearing before the Board, as well as their likelihood of success in the community when released. Each member of the Board has received training in the use of both the TAP instrument and a risk and needs instrument known as the COMPAS instrument. Currently the use of these instruments is being piloted in 3 correctional facilities for the purpose of establishing appropriate conditions of supervision. When the pilot phase is concluded, the Board will use them to assess the appropriateness of an inmate’s release to community supervision. Because the TAP instrument reflects an inmate’s overall effort toward his or her rehabilitation while incarcerated and draws upon information closely associated with their risk of re-offending, and their needs in order to become successful, the Board’s written procedures will call for the use and careful consideration of these documents.

As an interim measure, I have instructed the Board to use the TAP instrument where and when it has been prepared for a parole eligible inmate. I have emphasized that when the Board considers an inmate for parole, they must ascertain what steps he or he has taken toward their rehabilitation and the likelihood of their success once released to community supervision.

The one function that has been transferred from the Board to DOCCS is the granting of certificates of relief and certificates of good conduct. Last year the Board granted 1,695 such certificates. DOCCS has granted 1,581 since April 2011.

OCTOBER 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES - A1 VIOLENT FELONIES - DIN’s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database

TOTALS
Total Interviews............... # Released....... # Denied.. Rate of release
18 Initials....................... 3...................... 15............ 17%
69 Reappearances........... 19.................... 50............ 28%
87 Total.......................... 22.................... 65............ 25%

OCTOBER INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY.......... SENTENCE.....OFFENSE..... # of BOARD
Bare Hill........... 22-Life............ Murder 2......... 1st *
Fishkill............. 19-Life............ Murder 2......... 1st
Fishkill............. 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 1st
* for deportation

OCTOBER REAPPEARANCE RELEASES
FACILITY..........SENTENCE......OFFENSE..... # OF BOARD
Altona.............. 25-Life......Murder pre-74....... 8th
Attica...............4.5-Life......Murder 2............... 5th
Auburn............ 25-Life.......Murder 2................2nd
Auburn............ 25-Life.......Murder 2............... 2nd
Clinton............ 15-Life.......Murder 2............... 12th
Collins............. 15-Life.......Murder 2............... 11th
Franklin........... 16-Life.......Murder 2............... 3rd
Green Haven.... 28-Life.......Murder 2............... 2nd
Groveland ........20-Life.......Murder 2............... 5th
Mt. McGregor... 23-Life.......Murder 2............... 5th
Orleans............ 20-Life.......Murder 2................6th
Otisville........... 15-Life.......Murder 2............... 3rd
Otisville........... 15-Life.......Murder 2............... 4th
Otisville........... 25-Life.......Murder 2................2nd
Sullivan............ 15-Life.......Murder 2............... 3rd
Taconic............ 15-Life.......Murder 2............... 2nd
Upstate............15-Life......Murder 2............... 6th
Washington......15-Life......Murder 2............... 3rd
Woodbourne.... 20-Life......Murder 2 ................2nd

10. PRISONERS OF THE CENSUS

ALBANY JUDGE UPHOLDS LAW ON COUNTING PRISONERS
 Early this month Supreme Court Justice Eugene P. Devine ruled to uphold the state law known as Part XX which requires that incarcerated people be counted in their home communities. not in the districts where they are imprisoned. An appeal may be made, but for 2012 redistricting purposes the law will be followed This will give all registered voters in NYS an equally weighted vote. The next step, hopefully, will be to give incarcerated citizens the right to vote.

Justice Devine said that even if the law "is the product of a power play by Democratic lawmakers to usurp the strength of the Republican Party," the law survives constitutional scrutiny. "Though inmates may be physically found in the locations of their respective correctional facilities at the time the census is conducted, there is nothing in the record to indicate that such inmates have any actual permanency in these locations or have intent to remain," he said.   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, whose office defended the law that he championed as a state senator, called the ruling a "victory for fundamental fairness and equal representation." Read all about it

11. PRISONERS' LEGAL SERVICES IS LOOKING FOR LAWYERS WILLING TO DONATE THEIR TIME TO REPRESENT PRISONERS ALLEGING A VIOLATION OF THEIR RIGHTS

BENEFITS;
Education about a new area of law, litigation experience and CLE credits.

Support from PLS, including use of office space and access to office supplies and equipment.

Through partnerships with several NY law schools, volunteer attorneys will have the option of utilizing law students for case-related research and writing tasks.

PLS provides professional liability insurance for all volunteer/pro bono attorneys.

Interested lawyers may contact Samantha Howell at showell@plsny.org or PLS, 41 State St., Suite M112, Albany NY 12207

12. CALLS FROM HOME is a gripping radio broadcast that brings the voices of prisoner families, former prisoners, poets, musicians, and everyday citizens to the airwaves. The broadcast consists of holiday greetings from family members to their loved ones behind bars and the over 2.4 million people incarcerated in the United States.

The show is now available for you to listen and to share with your friends.

Spread the joy this holiday season and bring powerful, moving voices to the airwaves

Get involved with a national campaign to address the cost of prison phone calls and find out about special tools you cn use with Calls from Home.

Working together we created an amazing radio program. Thanks for your support.

13. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IS TAKING CARE OF EACH ANOTHER

It is a fact that each of us is multi-dimensional. I am a mother, teacher, woman, friend, taxpayer, golden ager, and storyteller and the list goes on. Why do we have so much trouble realizing that this is true of everyone, including our incarcerated population and our formerly incarcerated neighbors? These groups are also multi-dimensional and yet we have a tendency to paint them all with the same brush and to label them in ways that fail to acknowledge their growth and development as fully human. We see them as “criminals” and “ex-cons” and nothing more. We don’t view them as parents, senior citizens, veterans, or simply as sisters and brothers and children who got caught in their wrongdoing. Some of them are living with long-standing and long-ignored mental health issues or issues of substance abuse. It seems easier to look the other way and to ignore the poverty and racism and other crime generative factors that may have led to incarceration. One important part of “taking care of business” is taking care of each other. Sadly, too many of us have failed to honor this charge.

When formerly incarcerated people come home, they are frequently faced with people in the community who shun them, broken promises of reentry help that never materialize, and false steps to reintegration that may thwart their desire to become community assets. In this community, there are a few people whose criminal histories are public knowledge. They are mentors, ministers, paralegals, authors, activists, business owners and more. They are hard workers who are laying some of the bricks that we need to create strong, vibrant, and progressive neighborhoods. They are our sisters and brothers. Working with them in the business of building community is everyone’s responsibility.

By Karima Amin, Dir. Prisoners Are People Too, Inc.

14. OPPORTUNITIES FOR GETTING INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE; ACTIONS, EVENTS, MEETINGS.

ACTIONS: Many communities in our state have OCCUPY movements; they need people there talking about criminal justice issues. Everyone has a voice at their General Assemblies and in fact women and minorities are often given preference in speaking order. There are 12 Occupy cities in NYS identified on Wikipedia: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Fredonia, Ithaca, Kingston, New Paltz, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Saranac Lake, Syracuse, and Utica. 
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EVENTS
HARLEM
December 21, 6-9PM Occupy Harlem General Assembly (speaking of Occupies...)
Guest Speaker Glen Ford, Executive Editor, Black Agenda Report
More info: occupyharlemgeneralassembly@gmail.com

Location: St. Philip’s Church, 204 W. 134th St, off Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.
#2 or 3 train, 135th St stop.
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MEETINGS
ALBANY
MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 7:00 - 8:30PM PRISON FAMILIES OF NEW YORK

Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker: Judith Brink, Prison Action Network, speaking on Parole Reform

Free and open to the public. Holiday refreshments

All other Mondays of the month meetings are in the form of support groups. If you have an incarcerated loved one you are welcome. Same place, same time.

Location: 373 Central Av, Albany near McDonalds
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BUFFALO meeting
MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2012 PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO!
We’ve never held a monthly meeting in December and this December is no different. Our volunteers need a break to rejuvenate, meditate, and celebrate. Monthly meetings will resume next year. Until then, we wish you "BEST BLESSINGS FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND BEYOND!"

"God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through." (Anonymous)
____________________________________________________

HARLEM meeting
OCCASIONAL SATURDAYS 1-4 PM FAMILIES BEHIND THE WALL MEETINGS

Sponsored by Senator Bill Perkins, held in his office. Open to all who have a family member or friend in prison and would like to see some changes. Please contact special assistant Tahj Berrien for date of next meeting or for more information at 212-222-7315; tahj.berrien@gmail.com

Location: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Bldg., 163 W. 125th St., Suite 912, NYC 10027
  
Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as a way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please call us at 518 253 7533 or send an email.

NOVEMBER 2011

2011-11-16T09:01:00.012-05:00

DURING THE MONTH WE POST LATE BREAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS OR NEWS HERE. TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE NOV 15TH ISSUE OF BUILDING BRIDGES PLEASE SCROLL DOWN.

POSTED DEC 7, NYCLU

PROLONGED ISOLATED CONFINEMENT:

The NYCLU is convening a meeting on December 14th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM to discuss prolonged isolated confinement in New York. We welcome everyone working on these issues in New York to attend. If you would like to attend, please email me and we can send you additional information on attending in person or by phone as well as an agenda.

Thank you.

Scarlet Kim | Legal Fellow
New York Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street | 19th Floor | New York, NY | 10004
212-607-3343 | skim@nyclu.org

POSTED DEC 5 - Thousand Kites (www.callsfromhome.org)

CALLS FROM HOME
Thousand Kites needs your help to produce “Calls from Home,” a special radio project that connects prisoners to their families. With your support we are going to send voices through prison walls and over barbed-wire to the millions of our neighbors behind bars this holiday season.

Sing a song, read a prayer, speak from the heart and let those inside know you are thinking about them. Call in a holiday wish now at 877-410-4863 to our toll-free 24/7 answering machine.

POSTED DEC 2 - www.Prisonersofthecensus.org

NEW LAW ENDING PRSION-BASED GERRYMANDERING UPHELD IN NY SUPREME COURT

Albany, NY – New York Supreme Court Justice Eugene Devine today [12/2/11] upheld New York’s law ending prison-based gerrymandering in the Little v. LATFOR lawsuit. His decision squarely rejects the plaintiffs’ claim that the New York law violated various provisions of the New York State Constitution.

Attorneys for the fifteen voters from around New York State who joined the suit as intervenor-defendants issued the following joint statement:

By eliminating the political distortion caused by prison-based gerrymandering, the new law upheld by today’s decision will ensure fairer representation for all New Yorkers, starting with this year’s redistricting.

Judge Devine’s decision affirms what we have known from the beginning: the law ending prison-based gerrymandering advances fairness in redistricting and is in complete agreement with New York’s state constitution. Now that Justice Devine has made his decision, we look forward to seeing LATFOR implement the new law in the coming months.

The organizations representing the fifteen voters in court were the Brennan Center for Justice, the Center for Law & Social Justice, Dēmos, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund , the New York Civil Liberties Union, and the Prison Policy Initiative. In today's ruling rejecting Plaintiffs' legal challenge, the Court repeatedly cited the organizations' arguments explaining the policies and legal precedent supporting New York’s law.

On Aug. 4, Judge Devine granted the fifteen voters permission to intervene and defend the law. The defendants in the lawsuit were government bodies charged with carrying out the new law: the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR), and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). The New York State Attorney General’s office is representing DOCCS.

The new law, known as “Part XX,” requires that incarcerated persons be allocated to their home communities for state and local redistricting and reapportionment but does not affect funding distributions. This tracks with the New York State Constitution’s explicit provision that incarceration does not change one’s residence.

New York State Senator Elizabeth Little and a group of co-plaintiffs sought to restore New York’s former practice, which artificially inflated the voting strength of select communities at the expense of all others by allocating incarcerated persons to the districts where prisons are located, rather than to their home addresses.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll reported that public opinion is against prison-based gerrymandering, with a majority of New York State voters agreeing that “prison inmates should be counted as residents of their home districts, not of where they’re imprisoned.” The poll found that majorities of voters from both parties, and majorities of both upstate and downstate voters, favored “counting inmates in their homes, not their prisons.”

BRIDGES, NOVEMBER 15

Dear Reader,

Despite all that needs fixing, there is definitely change in the air. The movement to end the New Jim Crow, the Occupy movement, and the Reintegrative Justice movement are all bringing more public awareness to the issues of systemic racism, corporate abuse, and the failure of punishment to change people. This Thanksgiving I'm going to appreciate the positive things that are happening. I’m also grateful for the many wonderful people who are reading these words in Building Bridges. I’m glad you’re in my life. A special welcome and thank you to all our new members from Mid-Orange’s Governmental Education Organization (GEO), which donated a generous amount of their organization’s remaining funds to Prison Action Network when the prison closed.

There’s a lot of news to report this month; so please be sure to read the Summaries to find out which articles interest you the most. [There's a surprise in Article 10, so make sure you at least check that article out.]

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone’s sake, get involved!

The Editor

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be appointing quite a few judges to the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals, particularly if he serves two terms. We hope it will lead to more reintegrative sentencing in NYS 

2. Calls From Home is a radio program where you can send a message of hope and encouragement to those behind bars in our nation’s prisons, read a short poem, sing a song or send a blessing, speak from your heart to the over 2 million people behind bars this holiday season. 

3. Certain Days is a 42-page informational calendar that honors political prisoners.

4. Videos of Senator Perkins and Joseph Jazz Hayden speaking at the Fifth Annual Citizen’s Award Events are available on YouTube.  

5. The Coalition for Women Prisoners invites you to visit their new Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act Campaign interactive website where you can take action and view several advocacy pieces which powerfully reveal the ravages of domestic violence. 

6. Decision Fatigue is blamed for conservative parole board decisions in a NY Times Magazine article. 

7. Decreased drug crime prison sentences have lowered incarceration numbers by 22 percent in NYS, reports Mary Beth Pfeiffer. 

8. Legislation: a report on the progress of the Domestic Violence Survivors’ Justice Act. 

9. Minimum Sentences are called “often excessively severe” by the US Sentencing Commission. 

10. NYS Parole Reform Campaign continues to gain support; PAN delivered 333 letters from family members and advocates to Gov. Cuomo; Part 2 of “Setting the Record Straight”, The Success of the the Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Merger Depends on the Implementation of the SAFE Parole Act.  

11. NYS Prisoner Justice Network premieres the first of its monthly Building Bridges columns.  

12. Parole News: Sept. stats around 16%; Merger confusion; "One size fits all" parole decisions continue; Does long incarceration increase public safety?

13. STEPS program gives women hope for life after jail. 

14. Ways to get involved: a list of statewide events for a variety of criminal justice causes.

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please send an email to PAN with a request clearly stating the number and title of the article and the date it appeared. -Ed.]

1. APPOINTMENTS TO NEW YORK'S HIGHEST COURTS. IN HIS ARTICLE, "SURGE OF OPENINGS WILL ALLOW CUOMO TO SHAPE JUDICIARY", NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL, NOVEMBER 9, 2011, JOHN CAHER REPORTS ON THE DECISIONS THAT GOV. CUOMO WILL BE MAKING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. [John Caher can be contacted at jcaher@alm.com.]  

Appellate Division: 

Justice A. Gail Prudenti, who presides over the Appellate Division, Second Dept will become the state’s chief administrative judge on Dec 1, thus creating an opening for her current position. A month later Justice Anthony v. Cardona will retire from the Third Dept. The governor can fill two other Appellate Division positions in the First Department, one in the Second Department and another in the Fourth. There is a Supreme Court vacancy in the Tenth Judicial District—Nassau and Suffolk counties—and three Court of Claims posts are available for gubernatorial appointment. 

Only elected Supreme Court justices, not acting justices, are eligible for appointment to the Appellate Division.

 Court of Appeals Bench: 

Mr. Cuomo will have the opportunity to appoint two Court of Appeals Judges his first term, and if he serves a second term he could become the second governor to appoint all seven judges of the high court. The first was his father.  Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick faces mandatory retirement at the end of 2012. In November 2014, as Mr. Cuomo's first term comes to an end, Judge Victoria A. Graffeo's term expires. On the first day of what could be Mr. Cuomo's second term, two more Court of Appeals seats, those held by Robert S. Smith and Theodore T. Jones, will open due to mandatory retirement. Also in a second term, Mr. Cuomo would appoint a new chief judge at the end of 2015 when Judge Lippman turns 70, the mandatory retirement age. Eugene F. Pigott Jr., turns 70 in 2016 and Susan Phillips Read’s 14-year-term expires at the end of 2017.    

2. CALLS FROM HOME: Thousand Kites invites you to participate in a special holiday radio program for prisoners.

  Send a message of hope and encouragement to those behind bars in our nation’s prisons. Read a short poem, sing a song or send a blessing. Speak from your heart to the over 2 million people behind bars this holiday season. Your messages will be broadcast on radio stations around the country sending radio waves of hope through prison walls. Call in your message toll free number at (877) 410-4863, or check out www.callsfromhome.org for more information. If you need information about this broadcast contact us via email.team@thousandkites.org

Poets & Spoken Word Artists: We are calling on our poet, writer and creative friends to submit a work to Thousand Kites for our national radio broadcast Calls from Home. Call your poem into our 24/7 answering machine today. Don't worry if you mess up, we edit all the calls. Toll-free at (877) 410-4863 or upload your song directly to our website. We are asking you to submit a work on the themes of incarceration, family, the power to endure and anything that would lift the spirits and spark creativity in our thousands of prisoner listeners. Speak from the heart. You can submit your poem, or read a prisoners poem if you have permission, by calling it into our toll-free line and recording it on our answering machine at toll-free at (877) 410-4863.

    
3. CERTAIN DAYS: FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS CALENDAR

Today’s struggles against war, capitalism, imperialism and colonialism are rooted in the history of earlier struggles for justice, including the mass movements of the 1960s and 70s. Many political prisoners and prisoners of war of today were organizers during that period, and many of them have been in prison since that time - 30 years or more. Yet these prisoners are not relics of past movements. They are still active in their political work, and despite the hardships of organizing in prison, they continue to organize for justice in the present day: justice behind bars and justice on the streets. The Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar is our tribute to them.  

Certain Days is a joint fundraising and educational project between outside organizers in Montreal and Toronto and three political prisoners being held in maximum-security prisons in New York State: Herman Bell, David Gilbert and Robert Seth Hayes. The initial project was suggested by Herman in 2001. It has since evolved into a full color 42 page calendar featuring art and writing on a range of social and political issues, and is sold as a fundraiser to support political prisoners in Canada, the USA and Palestine.   For more information or to get a copy of the calendar ($5 + $3.50 shipping for prisoners) contact us at Certain Days, c/o QPIRG Concordia, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. O., Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada or www.certaindays.org. [All cheques should be made payable to QPIRG Concordia]   

4. FIFTH ANNUAL CITIZENS' AWARDS EVENT - SPEECHES AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE   

Readers can click here to view the keynote speech by Senator Perkins and Joseph “Jazz” Hayden’s acceptance speech for his Lifetime Achievement Award.

5. THE COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS (CWP): MEDIA IS THE FOCUS OF THIS MONTHS' UPDATES - A WEBSITE, SEVERAL MOVIES AND A DAILY NEWS ARTICLE INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

FILM: CWP partnered with the filmmaker of Crime After Crime to co-host two screenings of the film with STEPS to End Family Violence in NYC on November 2nd. It also was screened in Albany under the sponsorship of Prisoners Legal Services. [Building Bridges was in the audience - at a commercial Albany movie theatre - and found it heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. A must-see, if you ever have the opportunity.] Strength of a Woman is a 20-minute documentary created by the Violence Against Women Committee of the Coalition For Women Prisoners and filmmaker Allison Caviness about the experiences, resilience, and strength of formerly incarcerated domestic violence survivors and the devastating impact that the criminal justice system can have on women’s lives. Strength of a Woman is a unique and powerful advocacy tool, which can be used to educate policymakers and the public about these critical issues. You can view the film on the website www.dvsurvivorsjusticeact.org.  

WEBSITE:  The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act Campaign Website, which was built by Allison Schwartz, DVSJA Campaign Fellow with the Women in Prison Project, provides an opportunity to learn about the bill, share your comments, submit testimony, write your legislator, view multimedia advocacy pieces, follow their blog, and stay abreast of national news about survivor-defendants, and much more! [see more about the Act in Article 8.]  

We look forward to seeing you at the next Coalition meeting on Thursday, November 17th from 5:00-7:00pm, at the Correctional Association, 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., between 124th & 125th Sts, Suite 200. For more information contact Stacey Thompson, Coalition Associate at: (212)254-5700 ext. 333 or via email at: sthompson@correctionalassociation.org

 6. DECISION FATIGUE: THE BEST TIME TO SEE THE PAROLE BOARD IS EARLY IN THE DAY ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE IN THE AUGUST 21, 2011 NY TIMES SUNDAY MAGAZINE.

In an article titled “Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue” author John Tierney reports that “Prisoners who appeared early in the morning received parole about 70% of the time while those who appeared late in the day were paroled less than 10% of the times. The mental work of [deciding] case after case, whatever the individual merits, wore them down (the Parole Board).” “No matter how rational and high minded you try to be, you can’t make decision after decision without paying a biological price....eventually your brain looks for shortcuts.” One [shortcut] is “you start to resist any change and potentially risky move - like releasing a prisoner who might commit a crime.” Even the wisest people won’t make good choices when they’re not rested and their glucose is low”. After a snack break the odds of being released increased by about 45 % but dropped again to about 10% just before lunch. Right after lunch it soared again.    

7. NYS PRISON POPULATION DROPS BY 22% ACCORDING TO JOURNALIST MARY BETH PFEIFFER IN HER ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON OCT 16 IN THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL.

Nearly 16,000 fewer minorities serve state time today than in 2000, groups that were hardest hit by the so-called war on drugs. Overall, the prison population declined 22 percent. Among the 50 states, New York charted the biggest drop in its prison rolls in a decade when 37 state prison systems had double-digit population hikes.   While pointing out that Hispanics and blacks are still vastly overrepresented in prisons, incarceration experts said the overall figures were impressive. 

Nearly 7,700 fewer people of color are incarcerated in state prison in 2011 compared with 2000, the Journal study found. In addition, 35 percent fewer female inmates serve time, and 77 percent fewer women serve drug sentences as their top crime. Inmates were also older by three years on average, according to the analysis, which used databases of the inmate population on one day each in February 2000 and March 2011. 

The five boroughs charted a 42 percent decline in sentenced inmates in 2011 compared with 2000; inmates from the rest of the state actually increased 17 percent. Both the city and upstate saw big declines in drug commitments, but the city's decline, 76 percent, was three times that of upstate. 

Today, the No. 1 most serious crime of sentenced inmates is second-degree murder, with just over 8,000 convicts -- about the same as in 2000.  In 2000, the most common top crime for which inmates were incarcerated was third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance -- with almost 10,000 people sentenced. That's now down to about 3,000.  With the population shrinking, the state closed three of its then 69 prisons in 2009 and six more as of Oct. 1, with Arthur Kill prison on Staten Island set to close by Dec. 1. Portions of eight other prisons have also been closed since 2009. 

The downsizing doesn't impress some reform advocates, who still see the system as hugely bloated, especially with blacks and Hispanics, now 77 percent of inmates, down from 84 percent in 2000.  "The disparities have diminished somewhat and that's good news, but that does not put us as a state in a place that we can be proud of," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, which has opposed city frisking policies as discriminatory. "We were starting at a pretty horrific place from which to decline."  "The prosecution of drug offenses is still tremendously racially biased," said Jack Beck, a project director for the Correctional Association of New York, which monitors state prisons. Although more whites serve time, he said the proportion "is still grossly out of line with drug use in society."  "In a time of economic recession it causes a rethinking," said Alan Rosenthal, director of justice strategies for the Center for Community Alternatives, a Manhattan-based sentencing reform group. "We had a shift from tough on crime to smart on crime," an acknowledgement, he added, that high prison rolls did not equate with lower crime.   [You can reach Mary Beth Pfeiffer at mbpfeiff@poughkeepsiejournal.com].

8. LEGISLATION: THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS JUSTICE ACT (A.7874-A/S.5436)

This bill expands upon the existing provisions of alternative sentencing for domestic violence cases and allows judges the opportunity to re-sentence currently incarcerated persons for offenses in which certain domestic violence criteria was a significant element of the offense. Sponsored by Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry and Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, DVSJA was introduced on May 20, 2011. The legislation is sitting in the codes committee of both houses, and currently has 13 Assembly and 13 Senate co-sponsors. At an advocacy day in Albany on June 7, 140 Coalition for Women Prisoners (CWP) members met with 69 legislators about this bill. Letters in support have been signed by 89 domestic violence and other social justice advocacy groups. [See more about CWP in article 5]

9. MINIMUM SENTENCES ARE OFTEN “EXCESSIVELY SEVERE” SAYS THE U.S. SENTENCING COMMISSION IN ITS LATEST REPORT [read the whole report.]

A 645-page report from the United States Sentencing Commission found that federal mandatory minimum sentences are often “excessively severe,” not “narrowly tailored to apply only to those offenders who warrant such punishment,” and not “applied consistently.” That is especially so for sentences of people convicted of drug-trafficking offenses, who make up more than 75 percent of those given federal mandatory minimum sentences. This is a powerful indictment from the commission, which has three Republicans and three Democrats and operates by consensus. The report shows that harsh mandatory minimums have contributed to the near tripling of federal prisoners in the last 20 years, reaching 208,000 in 2009 and putting federal prisons 37 percent over capacity. The effects of mandatory minimums on repeat offenders are perhaps the harshest. In the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, Congress established five-year minimum terms for “serious” traffickers and 10-year minimums for “major” traffickers, as defined by different quantities for different drugs. But those sentences are often lengthened in any number of ways. A prior conviction for any “felony drug offense”punishable by more than a year, including for simple possession, doubles those terms. Two prior convictions raise the presumption to a mandatory life term. At the same time, there can be great disparity in punishment. Committing the same drug crime can lead to a felony conviction in one state but a misdemeanor in another, which can then lead to widely differing federal sentences. The racial disparities in sentencing are also stark. In some cases, mandatory minimums can be reduced for offenders if the crime did not involve violence or a gun. But most African-American drug offenders convicted of a crime carrying a mandatory minimum sentence could not meet these and other requirements: only 39 percent qualified for a reduction compared with 64 percent of whites. The report notes that inequitable sentencing policies “may foster disrespect for and lack of confidence in the federal criminal justice system.” Not “may.” Given the well-documented unfairness, Congress needs to rescind all mandatory minimum sentences.    [New York Times op-ed]

10. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN:

SIXTY-SECOND ORGANIZATION SIGNS IN SUPPORT OF THE SAFE PAROLE ACT
At its meeting on October 23, 2011, New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) endorsed the S.A.F.E. Parole Act. In Friendship, Nancy B. Black, Clerk, New York Quarterly Meeting

PRISON ACTION MEMBERS DELIVER 333 LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR

On November 8, four members of Prison Action Network delivered 333 letters signed by friends, families, and advocates of our incarcerated members to the governor in support of the SAFE Parole Act. In the photo Mary Kavaney, Assistant Secretary for Public Safety, is accepting the letters on behalf of the governor from Judith Brink, Dir. of PAN. They were joined by Linda King, Joan Card, and a friend of PAN, each of whom told a personal story of how she is affected by the current policy of denying parole based on the nature of the crime. We asked Ms. Kavaney to take our message to Gov. Cuomo: “Making parole release decisions based on the nature of the crime too frequently results in violent offenders being denied time after time, often resulting in adding 4 to 24 years to their minimum sentences. These are the people who have the lowest rates of recidivism. What rational explanation could account for all those denials? The crime has already been dealt with in the courts. All we are asking is that the Parole Board base its decisions on the readiness of the individual for reintegration, and if she or he is not deemed ready, letting the parole applicant know how to become so."

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT, a series of articles presented by the Coalition For Fair Criminal Justice Policies to explain and support the SAFE Parole Act.

Part 2: The Success of the Merger Depends on the Implementation of the SAFE Parole Act, by Larry White (delivered at the NYS Assembly’s Nov. 10 Public Hearing on the DOCCS Merger)

I believe with great conviction that incarcerated individuals are stakeholders in every aspect of the correctional and parole process, and therefore should have meaningful involvement in the operation of the processes that affect their lives and liberties.

The recent legislative changes that were enacted in conjunction with the merger of Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Division of Parole, including the development of Transitional Accountability Plans and the implementation of Risk and Need Assessment Instrument(s) provide tools that are potentially helpful to refocus the roles of Corrections and Parole in preparation for successful reentry, but completely fail to address the need for those under custody to have direct involvement and input in the very processes that directly affect their release from incarceration.

Although the Transitional Accountability Plan in theory does allow for participation by inmates in the construction of their individualized plan, there is no general policy or directive that requires this. There is also nothing that categorically provides that at every stage of the correctional process the individual inmate shall be informed of exactly what he/she must accomplish or achieve in order to be released on parole. It is this involvement that creates buy in and empowers personal transformation. Without such information the inmate cannot chart a course of involvement in the correctional process that he/she feels certain will lead to successful parole release.

Both the TAP and the Risk and Need Assessment Instrument have the potential to make clear to a person in prison what is expected of him or her and why. Under the TAP, IF the original model is followed, each inmate will participate in the development of their treatment plan, and thus will have a clearer understanding of what they must achieve. That is a very big “if.” The challenge will be whether New York follows the original model, and if line staff can accept a model in which people in prison participate in their own plan.  

The Risk and Needs Assessment Instrument and the Transitional Accountability Plan together have the potential to provide each inmate with a clear indication of what is required for successful release to parole and community supervision. Inmates could be informed of these requirements at each stage in the correctional process when the TAP and the Risk and Needs Assessment are updated. Inmate participation in the rehabilitation process is increased when they are informed of what is required for their release from imprisonment and when they have an opportunity to take part in setting those goals. At this stage of the merger it is entirely unclear whether this is how the Tap and Risk and Needs Assessment will be utilized and implemented. I feel compelled to express my doubts and concerns.

Perhaps we need to follow the path of places like Norway and other European countries that have decreased the primacy of punishment and increased the use of proven programmatic approaches to behavioral and cognitive change that lead to law-abiding conduct. The prevailing primacy of punishment that guides our correctional system fails to provide an environment that encourages a personal, stakeholder approach to inmate involvement in the rehabilitative process.

  I would like to address the use of Risk and Need Assessment Instruments in the parole release process. Risk assessments are essentially predictions of future behavior and are subject to error. There are no 'laws' of behavior that can be applied to a set of circumstances to determine the behavioral outcome that will follow. Criminal behavior, in particular, is motivated and supported by an unquantifiable number of factors; therefore to assess an individual as 'high risk' is not to say that he or she will indeed recidivate. Despite its shortcomings, risk assessment can, to a certain extent, differentiate offenders who pose a significant risk for re-offending in the future from those who are likely to refrain from committing future offenses. It can also help identify needed support services.

It appears that the risk assessment instrument that DOCCS intends to use will contain “seriousness of the offense” as a factor to determine current dangerousness. From my perspective, the nature of the offense is not a useful tool in determining who should be released and if in fact they are ready for reintegration. The seriousness of the crime has no relevance as a predictor of whether the person will commit that crime again. In addition, the process for utilizing the risk and needs assessment instrument should be transparent. A person appearing before the parole board should be provided with a copy of the scored instrument in advance and the decision should include an explanation of how the instrument was used to make the release decision.

What is sorely missing from the legislation under discussion that accompanies this merger is the requirement that the Board of Parole provide the parole applicant with specific requirements for actions to be taken, programs or accomplishments to be completed, or changes in performance or conduct to be made, or corrective action or actions to be taken, in order to qualify for parole release. As soon as the requirements have been successfully completed and the parole applicant's institutional record has been satisfactory during the time between the previous and current parole board hearing, release shall be granted.

11. NYS PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK (NYSPJN) AND PRISON ACTION NETWORK (PAN) HAVE JOINED IN A COLLABORATION BY WHICH NYSPJN WILL USE BUILDING BRIDGES AS THEIR WAY OF COMMUNICATING IN PRINT WITH OUR COMBINED MEMBERSHIPS.

Dear Building Bridges Reader,

The New York State Prisoner Justice Network is honored to be invited to write a regular column for Building Bridges. This is column #1.

The Prisoner Justice Network was formed out of the first-ever statewide prisoner justice conference in March of 2010. The conference brought together dozens of organizations and individuals from around the state doing various kinds of prisoner justice work. The participants agreed that mass incarceration is racist and repressive and makes social problems worse, not better. We agreed to form a network to stay in touch with each other, support each other’s work, and share information and inspiration, with the goal of strengthening overall the movement to challenge and change mass incarceration in New York.

Since then, the NYS Prisoner Justice Network has created a number of forms of communication among people challenging New York’s Criminal INjustice System – listserv, website, directory, mailing list, facebook, twitter, regional meetings, regular statewide phone calls. A central part of that communication is with prisoners and their families. They are the experts at the center of the conversation about what needs to change. Many of us NYS Prisoner Justice activists are formerly incarcerated or prison families.

NYS Prisoner Justice is also emerging as an action organization. The largest action to date was the May 2011 Legislative Awareness Day. People came together from all over the state and talked with each other. Then they went in teams to meet with legislators to promote an agenda of change: parole reform, an end to long-term solitary confinement, especially for prisoners with mental illness, and prison closures leading to less incarceration. The focus on parole reform was chosen because it is the issue mentioned most often, and most passionately, by the prisoners who write to NYS Prisoner Justice. The specific issues were framed in the context of a critique of the whole model: mass incarceration is not a solution to social problems. Community healing, not revenge, should be the model. The Legislative Awareness Day helped to get the SAFE Parole Act, for real parole reform, introduced into both houses of the New York State Legislature (though it will still take a lot of work to get it passed). In working toward parole reform, NYS Prisoner Justice is cooperating closely with the NYS Parole Reform Campaign, which developed the SAFE Parole Act and is leading the strategy to get it passed.

Two other important partnerships that NYS Prisoner Justice has been involved in are the Campaign to End the New Jim Crow, a study-group-to-action movement initiated in response to the book, The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander, demonstrating that mass incarceration is the main form of racial oppression in our time; and the Occupy Wall Street movement, where NYSPJN members have started teach-ins on prison issues.

We hope that this column in Building Bridges will give us the opportunity to bring forward issues that are raised by our member organizations and prisoners; will help us communicate better with those who are incarcerated; and will strengthen the movement to end imprisonment and bring about true justice. Contact us at NYSPJN, 33 Central Avenue, Albany NY 12210; nysprisonerjustice@gmail.com; and www.nysprisonerjustice.org.

12. PAROLE NEWS: SEPTEMBER STATS; MERGER CONFUSION; SAME OLD PAROLE BOARD ONE SIZE FITS ALL RELEASE DECISIONS; DOES A LENGTHY INCARCERATION INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY?

SEPTEMBER 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999 unofficial research from parole database
Total Interviews............... # Released....... # Denied.......... Rate of Release
20 Initials ..........................3.................... 17............ 15%
102 reappearances.......... 17.................... 85............ 16%
122 interviews................. 20.................... 102.......... 16%  

September Initial Releases
Facility.............Sentence..........Offense.........
Clinton............ 16 ½-Life......... Murder 2
Clinton............ 15-Life............ Murder 2
Sing Sing......... 25-Life............ Murder 2

September Reappearance Releases
Facility............ Sentence...........Offense..........# of Board
Arthurkill......... 18-Life............ Murder 2......... 6th
Bare Hill........... 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 9th
Bare Hill........... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 2nd
Bare Hill........... 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 5th
Clinton............ 1 ½-Life........... Murder 2......... 4th
Fishkill............. 22-Life............ Murder 2......... 4th
Fishkill............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 5th
Fishkill............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 6th
Fishkill............. 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd
Gouverneur...... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 2nd
Marcy.............. 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 4th
Midstate.......... 25-Life............ Murder 2......... 9th
Midstate.......... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 2nd
Mt McGregor.... 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 3rd*for deportation
Taconic............ 20-Life............ Murder 2......... 6th
Woodbourne.... 15-Life............ Murder 2......... 4th

MERGER CONFUSION:

Now that DOCS and the Div. of Parole have merged, at least one ILC has complained about the brief - 10-15 minute - and only, meetings with their facility parole officer 2-3 months prior to their parole board hearings. They complain that the brief interview is not enough time to create a comprehensive parole summary, and too far removed from their interview date. In response they were told that Parole is currently under staffed and they should make sure the information in their quarterly reports is accurate. (These reports can be accessed by a FOIL, we’ve been told.) When we consulted the NYS Parole Handbook on the Parole website for information concerning the role of the Facility Parole Officer, we discovered that the current version was last updated a year ago, before the Merger was even announced. At that time, it said that the “Facility Parole Officer has the responsibility for preparing the status report for your Parole Board appearance, which evaluates your criminal history, as well as all of your accomplishments and adjustments while in prison. The other function of a facility Parole Officer is to counsel and help you prepare for successful reentry into the community.” That information, however, is no longer applicable to the current situation because we don’t know who is responsible for what. Titles have been changed presumably. Or maybe just responsibilities. Maybe guidance counselors are now doing some or all of what facility parole officers used to do. Or maybe the role has been divided up. I suspect the response that was given to the ILC was the best that was possible based on the lack of information available to anyone. Somehow we don’t think we’re the only ones in the dark. [Please let us know if you have anything more definitive to report.]

MR. WINSTON MOSELEY - THE FIRST APPLICANT TO BE EVALUATED UNDER THE CHANGES BY GOV. CUOMO - WAS DENIED PAROLE AND GIVEN A 2 YEAR HIT. ADVOCATES WERE WATCHING CLOSELY TO SEE HOW THE NEW CRITERIA WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.  

Considering the extreme seriousness of his crime and his criminal history, we were interested in what new criteria, if any, the expected denial would be based. On November 1, 2011 the Parole Board was true to form, and issued yet again one of their boiler plate decisions, saying that there is reasonable probability that he would not live and remain at liberty without violating the law and that his release was incompatible with the public safety and welfare the community. They describe the crime in detail, and then note (and commend) his good institutional conduct and his many programs and institutional accomplishments. They also mention the letters of support. Yet they gave no clues as to whether Mr. Moseley will ever be released, or what steps he can take to get out of prison someday. So one size really does fit all in the Board’s opinion, since I have dozens of letters from readers containing parole decisions that are word for word the same as this, with only the details of the crime being different.   We must continue to work to get the SAFE Parole Act passed, so parole decisions will have some real connection with the individual being interviewed.

IS PUBLIC SAFETY SERVED BY LONGER INCARCERATIONS?

If more prisons was the solution, we should be the safest country in the world. We’re not. The trouble is, there is little evidence that prison has much of a deterrent effect especially for young people who come from poor, crime-ridden neighborhoods with little hope for the future. Prisons have another disadvantage---they are a heavy financial burden. But there are better, more effective, and probably less expensive solutions than just building more prisons and handing out longer sentences.

Everything that criminologists have learned about crime in recent research is that most adolescents who become delinquents, and the overwhelming majority of adults who commit violent crimes, started very young. What researchers have found is that parenting is not a natural instinct. We are losing parenting skills as mobility and divorce sunder families and fifteen-year-olds who did not have proper childhoods of their own have babies. Inadequate parents make children who are more at risk.  With modern weaponry in the hands of increasingly younger and more desperate children, the rituals of insult and vengeance are a lethal luxury we can no longer afford.

What is needed is not expensive, and is not necessarily liberal or conservative. It is a shift in thinking that begins at home, that teaches that respect comes from within, not from worrying about the opinions of others.
-from the prologue to All God’s Children, by Fox Butterfield

13. 'STEPS' PROGRAM HELPS FREED PRISONERS "RE-ENTER" WORLD, GIVES WOMEN HOPE FOR LIFE AFTER JAIL.

After two decades behind bars, Sharon Richardson is returning to prison – this time without shackles. Richardson is a “reentry specialist” who uses her own experience with incarceration to help former inmates adapt to life on the outside.  She’ll be taking her work one step further this fall by counseling women still in jail – some who may even be former jail-mates. “I want to help save lives,” said Richardson, 52, who lives in southeast Queens and works for a nonprofit group called STEPS to End Family Violence. “I’m giving back – I have to.”  For more, readers can access the article by Sam Levin, Daily News if they click here.

14. PLACES TO GO: ACTIONS, EVENTS AND MEETINGS

  EVENTS: 

BINGHAMTON
 Friday November 18, 12 Noon-4PM Southern Tier Social Justice Project and the Broome County Reentry ABLE Program
  Making Connections, Restoring Hope, Changing Lives
  REENTRY RESOURCE DAY FOR FORMERLY-INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, THEIR FAMILIES & ALLIES
 
Food & Drinks will be available.
Questions? Contact Cheryl DeRosa (607) 727-0438 or Jeff Pryor (607) 778-1364

Location: Broome County Library, Exhibit Room, 2nd Floor 59 Court Street, Binghamton
_____________________
 
MANHATTAN Events

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16, 1-3PM NY Reentry roundtable “policing the police: the need for sweeping reform now!” Guest Speaker Robert Gangi, Dir. Police Reform Organizing Project, Senior Policy Advocate, Urban Justice Center. Please RSVP to Gabriel Torres Rivera, J.D. grivera@cssny.org.

Location: Community Service Society of NY (CSS)
105 East 22nd St., cnr Park Ave So. Conf. Rm 4A Take 6 or W/R to 23rd St.  
__________
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1 (9AM - 5PM) COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY POLCY FORUM
Whatever it Takes; Strategies for Preventing Youth Disconnection   Speaker: Bryan Samuels, Commissioner, Administration for Children Youth and Families, US Dept of Health and Human Services.   For more information please contact smetzger@cssny.org  Location: the NYC Bar Association, 42 W. 44th St.
__________
  SATURDAY DECEMBER 3, 1PM THE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK  DEATH PENALTY FORUM
“WE ARE ALL STILL TROY DAVIS!”
presented by the Political Action Committee/Second Chance Committee.
For more information: Dawn 917 557 0109, Brenda 917 723 4378, Victor, 646 229 9869

Location: House of Justice, 106 W. 145th St., #3 train or 19 Bus to 145th St.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEETINGS:

ALBANY
DECEMBER 12 & EVERY SECOND MONDAY, 6PM THE UPSTATE CAMPAIGN TO END THE NEW JIM CROW
“NO TO PRISONS, YES TO CARING COMMUNITIES”
Call 518 427 8361 for details
Location: The Book Club, 153 S. Pearl St.
__________________

BUFFALO meeting
MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO, INC.

Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. is a justice advocacy initiative that meets on the last Monday of every month. Most meetings feature a documentary film, related to some criminal justice issue, prison issue or reentry challenge and one or more guest speakers.

At the next monthly meeting of Prisoners Are People Too, Inc., we will meet some formerly incarcerated people who have established successful businesses in Western New York. They will discuss the hardships of imprisonment, the challenges of reintegration, and the obstacles they faced in seeking to establish a legitimate business while dealing with the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. Mr. Alfonzo Carter will tell his story and introduce us to “Electronic Outlet” which is located in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village. Mr. Guy Lane will introduce us to his restaurant, named after his baby daughter, “Nadia’s Taste of Soul.” A third speaker is unconfirmed at this printing.

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2, Inc. programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.

Location:Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street
____________________

MANHATTAN meetings
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 5-7PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS MEETING

Updates by the Conditions/Reentry Committee on our efforts to monitor implementation of the Dept. of Health oversight law and our work on the housing booklet for women returning home.

Discussion with Kathy Boudin on issues facing long-termers and ways to ensure justice for all.

More info: Jaya Vasandani, 212.254.5700, x334, jvasandani@correctionalassociation.org

Location: Correctional Association of NY, 2090 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 1, 6:30PM THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY

What is happening at the jails on Rikers Island and other city jails?
*23-Hour Confinement in “The Box”,
*Inadequate Mental Health Treatment,
*Brutality,
*Mistreatment 

Are you concerned about the NYC jails? Do you have ideas about how to organize to stop the abuse and trauma?  Let’s get together to talk about it, organize around it, and change it!  

Contact Jennifer at jparish@urbanjustice.org or 646.602.5644, or Randi at 718.508.3413 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS
ALBANY: Every Monday 7-8:30PM Prison Families of NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
Every Tuesday at 6PM P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now)
Malik at 518-445-5487.

BROOKLYN:
Every Wednesday 5:30PM VOCAL Parolees Organizing Project.
For more info call 917 676-8041

LONG ISLAND:
2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month: November 22 and December 13, 7:30PM Prison Families Anonymous meetings The Community Presbyterian Church 1843 Deer Park Avenue, Deer Park, NY

First Tuesday of the month, December 6, 7:30PM at St Brigids Catholic Church, 75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.
For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as a way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please give us a call or send an email

OCTOBER 2011

2011-10-13T10:21:00.009-04:00

WE POST LATE BREAKING NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE DURING THE MONTH. TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF BUILDING BRIDGES, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN.

*******************************************************
Pardons: The Power Nobody Wants
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

The New School
John L. Tishman Auditorium
66 West 12 Street
New York City

The Hon. Dennis Jacobs, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and a distinguished panel of experts explore the history and real-world application of the power of pardon at the state and federal level. Following opening remarks by New School president David E. Van Zandt, Judge Jacobs explains the history of the power, its role in correcting injustice in the application of criminal law, and the way the decline in its use reflects a missed opportunity, lack of imagination, and failure of courage.

Our panel then examines the critical historical, legal, economic, and ethical issues surrounding the pardon power and the implications of its greater or lesser use. Panelists include:

Moderator: Senator Bob Kerrey, President Emeritus, The New School.

*Hon. Dennis Jacobs, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
*Hon. Robert L. Ehrlich, Senior Counsel, King & Spalding; former Governor of Maryland; former Congressman (R-MD), U.S. House of Representatives.
*JulieStewart, Attorney; President and Founder, Families Against Mandatory Minimums.
*Margaret Colgate Love, Attorney; former Pardon Attorney, Office of the Pardon Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice.
*Anthony Papa, Manager, Media Relations, Drug Policy Alliance; clemency recipient following imprisonment for first-time, nonviolent drug offense under New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws.

For details click here.

October 15 2011

Dear Reader,

My colleagues and I talk a lot about reintegration. But what is it, really? What does reintegration feel like? I think it’s when a person feels welcome and accepted by the community, and the community feels safe and enriched by the person. It doesn’t happen overnight. Trust takes time. Simply put, when it’s there it feels great! It’s comfortable. Trust makes you feel expansive and generous; good about yourself. Its opposites, fear and distrust, alienate a person, shrink one’s comfort zone. How to shift from the latter paradigm to the reintegrative way is the question. Let’s look at the current situation:

  No one ever describes prisons as trusting places. Prisoners don’t trust other prisoners. Prison staff don’t trust prisoners, and prisoners have little but anger and distrust for the guards. Of course there are exceptions, but the prison culture does not encourage them. The guards and the prisoners do not think of themselves as being on the same side and thus they each feel they need to show how tough they are in order to survive, which sets up a get-even mentality. When families and friends visit prison they experience similar treatment from the staff: they don’t trust us, and so we don’t trust them, even at their friendliest, because they treat us as if we are trying to get away with something. Bringing in a piece of paper with writing on it is wrong; a sweater with a hood can be wrong. Hugging and kissing are wrong. It’s always about what we are doing wrong - things that usually aren’t considered wrong anywhere else. If that’s how we’re treated, how can we think our loved ones aren’t treated worse?

Then there’s the Parole Board, which is suspicious of parole applicants and worried they will go out and commit another crime. Parole applicants are afraid the Board won’t ever release them, and there’s nothing they can do about it. How can a person change their behavior and their thinking if they’re not given proper guidance? The Board would rather decide how long they need to be punished, it would seem from the many parole denial decisions we’ve read.

None of this helps reintegration. After 10, 20, 30 years of living with fear, anger, and distrust, how does a person walk out the gate and feel welcome and accepted by their community? And if you don’t feel welcomed and accepted how do you feel caring and generous in return? When the community parole officer says you can’t take a job you were offered because you have to take a program you taught in prison, how can you feel like they have your best interest in mind? (see Article 8 by Lawrence Hayes for more examples.)

You may be wondering why I am stating the obvious. Of course there’s no trust between the good guys and the bad guys, you might say! But it depends on where you’re situated who you think is good and who you think is bad. And anyway, shouldn’t we all be on the same side? Of course we should! We all want to feel safe. Safe is having enough food, a roof over our head, access to a good education and adequate health care, people who want the best for us and faith that those things won’t be taken away from us. Isn’t that what everyone wants?

I dream of a world where reintegration not only is the goal, but where very few of us ever need to reenter because we never left. To build that world, we all need to understand we are on the same side. If we treated others as we want to be treated, so much would change. We would have a truly correctional system instead of a penal system, and it would be focused on helping people become the best they can be, not on punishing them. Punishment is proven to be an ineffective way of motivating a person to do better. In the reintegrative system of my dreams, prisoners would be able to look to guards for guidance. Parole Boards would evaluate whether the person’s behavior and thinking had changed and if not, provide specific means to achieve the necessary changes. Community Parole officers would be actually helping their clients find community support in the form of jobs, housing, education, food, health care instead of threatening them with prison if they fail to find those things for themselves. This is the world I am not only dreaming of but working toward. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” (John Lennon). I know a lot of you have the same dream. Let’s make it happen! Starting (but not ending) with the SAFE Parole Act. Visit www.parolereform.org to tell your story, or write to your legislators!

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone’s sake, get involved! The Editor

P.S. On Saturday September 24, The National Symposium Think Outside the Cell “A New Day, A New Way" was host to hundreds at Riverside Church. Videos of much of it on are available on Youtube

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES:
1. Prison Children Anonymous: Children who have or once had a parent, sibling or loved one involved in the criminal justice system, now have a place to receive emotional support and learn about our penal system.

2. Citizens Against Recidivism 5th Annual Citizens’ Awards Event, Saturday November 5th, is at a new location this year: TIAN, 679 Riverside Dr. Join the PAN table for a reduced ticket price.

3. Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People’s Movement (FICPM) announces a national conference to discuss and ratify a National Agenda to restore their civil and human rights.

4. The Coalition for Women Prisoners, a project of the Women in Prison Project, invites readers to help make the criminal justice system more responsive to the needs and rights of women and their families.

5. The Free Bus Program was recently eliminated by NYS DOCCS. Please help bring it back by taking the “Bring Back the Buses” Survey.

6. Legislation: Despite rumors, there is no law releasing inmates after 65% of their sentence is served, The SAFE Parole Act was not voted on by the Senate ‘s Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee, and only 4 of the 26 bills reported on in Building Bridges were voted on by any body. None of them became law.

7. NYS Parole Reform Campaign: Response to Philip Genty’s article on Exec. Law §259-i revisions by the governor (see Sept. Building Bridges). More than 210 letters to the Governor in support of the SAFE Parole Act have been gathered by hardworking readers. Good work, team!

8. Parole News: August releases, first use of revised Parole Board policies, comments from a stakeholder.

9. Youth Justice: New York State is one of only two states in the country (the other is North Carolina) where every 16 and 17 year old is automatically tried as an adult. Judge Lippman calls for raising the age.   

10. Things you can do to become educated and/or involved exist across the state, in Albany, Binghamton, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Long Island, Manhattan and White Plains.

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please send an email to PAN with a request clearly stating the number and title of the article and the date it appeared. -Ed.]

1. PRISON CHILDREN ANONYMOUS IS FORMING TO HELP CHILDREN WHO NOW HAVE OR ONCE HAD A PARENT, SIBLING OR LOVED ONE INVOLVED IN THE PENAL SYSTEM.

PCA is in pilot stage while it tries to find private and public funding. Its first meeting was held on Tuesday, October 11, at The Community Presbyterian Church, 1843 Deer Park Avenue in Deer Park, New York.
PCA meets once a month on the second Tuesday so children can share their experiences, feelings and hopes with each other. The parent group, Prison Families Anonymous, meets at the same time in another room and parents and guardians of children are encouraged to join that group while the children’s group is in session.
Along with providing emotional support, PCA educates children about the criminal justice system, about jails and prisons, about re-entry issues, about pending legislation and about resources they might not be aware of.
Details are listed below, in Article 10, last page, under L.I. Support Groups.
For more information please e-mail PCA or visit Facebook by searching “Prison Children Anonymous”. Visit the parent’s website for more information as well at www.PF-LI.com.

2. CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM 5TH ANNUAL CITIZENS' AWARDS EVENT
 
This gala event presents awards to people who did time for a crime and have shown that they were not only safe to release, but that their release has benefitted their communities (who nominated and voted for them).

Keynote address by NYS Senator Bill Perkins; Light dining provided.

Prison Action Network never misses this event, and as usual we invite you to join our table for a reduced price. Send your check or money order for $45. to Prison Action Network, PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206 by October 28, and you’ll be on the list at the door.

Advance Tickets through Citizens Against Recidivism: $55. ($60 at the door).
For more information: click here.

Saturday November 5th, doors open at 6pm
Location: TIAN, 679 Riverside Dr. (at W.145th St. in the Riverbank State Park)

3. FORMERLY INCARCERATED AND CONVICTED PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT (FICPM) ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CONFERENCE

On Thursday, November 2, 8:30AM-6PM in Los Angeles, formerly-incarcerated and convicted people and their allies from all over the United States will convene to discuss and ratify a National Agenda to restore their civil and human rights. They plan to mount unified national campaigns to register voters, end all forms of discrimination based on arrest or conviction records, to support the human rights of people locked up in cages, and to serve their families and communities.

PLEASE REGISTER NOW to attend the November 2 conference in Los Angeles.

If you have any questions about the FICPM Strategy Session, please contact: Aaliyah: 916-501-9988  -OR- Fanya: 562-688-0472 -OR- click here.

4. THE COALITON FOR WOMEN PRISONERS

At the September 15th Coalition For Women Prisoners meeting, the Incarcerated Mothers’ Committee reported on their implementation activities around the NY Adoption and Safe Families Act Expanded Discretion Law (ASFA), which was passed on June 15, 2010.

If you would like to learn how to help ensure that incarcerated parents can benefit from this law, please contact Stacey at (212) 254-5700 Ext. 333 or sthompson@correctionalassociation.org.  

Upcoming Coalition events: *

October 21st: The activities of the Violence Against Women Committee will be highlighted at this Coalition meeting.

*We are gearing up for our December Coalition Holiday Event [date to be announced], where we will be sending letters to women on the inside. 

5. THE FREE BUS PROGRAM WAS RECENTLY ELIMINATED BY NYS DOCCS  

This program provided monthly free buses to NY State prisons -- many of which are very far from NYC and inaccessible by public transportation. Buses also left from upstate areas to help family members visit their loved ones incarcerated in downstate prisons.    The NY Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents, coordinated by the Osborne Association, is launching a BRING BACK THE BUSES campaign. As part of this campaign, the Initiative is collecting surveys from family members and people who have used the “Free Bus Program.”

The survey is available here.   

No computer? You can contact 718-637-6597 or -6587 for copies of the survey or to arrange to fill out the survey over the phone with someone. You can help ensure that families’ voices are heard and that the free DOCCS buses -- which help keep families connected, reduce the trauma of incarceration and support successful reentry -- are brought back!    Call Osborne's Family Resource Center toll-free at 1-800-344-3314 for support, info about related upcoming events and organizing efforts around bringing back the buses.

6. LEGISLATION RUMORS DISPELLED:

Recently we received a copy of a letter sent to interested parties that corrected rumors and misinformation about 2011 criminal justice bills, particularly to discredit the cruel rumor that there was a new law effective Nov 2011 releasing certain inmates after they had served 65% of their sentence. (Another reader told us that rumor had surfaced many times during his 30 years in prison.)   

However the letter itself contained some erroneous information, which we want to set right.

Let me start by saying it’s very easy to be confused - the legislative process is difficult to comprehend. The information is not widely distributed; thousands of bills are introduced every year and most of them never see the light of day. To discover all the bills that might be of interest would require a lot of effort. We rely heavily on word of mouth information from our allies in the advocacy world who are supporting or opposing specific bills on matters we know will be of interest to our members. If you already know about a bill, the legislative website is a useful tool for finding out more about it.
 
One bill we do know a lot about is the SAFE Parole Act. We are part of the NYS Parole Reform Campaign which is working hard to get it passed. The SAFE Parole Act was not voted on in the Senate’s Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee. The next session begins in January, and it will need to be reintroduced in the Senate, where bills expire after a year otherwise. With 3 sponsors in the Senate, we feel very hopeful that at least one of them will want to reintroduce it in January. The Assembly keeps bills for 2 years, after which they too need to be reintroduced. The SAFE Parole Act will go into the next session with all four of its Assembly sponsors still in place. We will be sure to inform readers when it is voted on by either committee.
 
Not all of the criminal justice bills referred to in the July Building Bridges were voted on by the legislature (that word is usually used to refer to both houses). Those 26 bills were introduced this year in the Assembly’s Correction Committee and/or the Senate’s Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee. Only the following four were voted on:

S338/A154 Merit Time and S107/A5355 Educational Opportunities were both introduced and defeated by a vote of the Senate Committee.

S3645 /A7015-B “Brittany’s Law”: VFO Registry, and S3747/A8478- "FRP Bill" were the only bills among the 26 that were voted on and passed by the Senate. Neither have been voted on by the Assembly.

Before a bill becomes a law it must 1) be presented to both houses, 2) have been passed by both houses, and 3) be signed by the governor. Not one of the 26 have passed those 3 hurdles, so none have become laws. (See Building Bridges June and July 2011 for more details about the bills.)

7. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT, a series of articles presented by the Coalition For Fair Criminal Justice Policies to explain and support the SAFE Parole Act.

Part 1: Why We Need To Continue Working For Passage Of The Safe Parole Act

In his September 1, 2011 New York Law Journal article, Professor Philip Genty shares with readers his optimism for parole reform, as he attempts to interpret the legislative change enacted by the Governor’s March 31, 2011 budget bill. If that optimism depends upon the good will of the parole board to write procedures heralding a new day for parole reform, should we share that hope?

If Professor Genty is correct in his prognostication, we say “hurrah!” But there is substantial room for skepticism, and it is that skepticism that is the basis for the need for supporters of real parole reform to continue to demand sweeping change.  It is important to understand what the legislative change did and did not do—and why now is the time to push for the real reform proposed by the SAFE Parole Act (A.7939 and S.5374).

The statutory change that has generated this optimism is a re-write of Executive Law§ 259-c(4). It says that the parole board shall:

establish written [guidelines] PROCEDURES for its use in making parole decisions as required by law[, including the fixing of minimum periods of imprisonment or ranges thereof for different categories of offenders]. Such written [guidelines may consider the use of a] PROCEDURES SHALL INCORPORATE risk and needs [assessment instruments] PRINCIPLES to MEASURE THE REHABILITATION OF PERSONS APPEARING BEFORE THE BOARD, THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS OF SUCH PERSON UPON RELEASE, AND assist members of the state board of parole in determining which inmates may be released to parole supervision.
( [ ] = deleted from original; CAPS = added to original)
 
It should be noted that there was also a rewrite of Executive Law § 259-I, which contains the factors that the parole board must consider. These factors remain exactly the same as they were, except for their repositioning within the statute. They continue to include the very static factor “the seriousness of the offense...” This factor and all of the other factors are still required to be considered under the new procedures that are still to be written.

So, here we are six months after the enactment of this hope-generating statute, and neither the procedures nor the risk and needs assessment instrument have been implemented. Yet it is these, as yet unwritten, procedures that Professor Genty would have us pin our hopes on. It doesn’t seem like a good time to sit back with our fingers crossed in hopes that the parole board will inject real reform into the still to be written procedures.

The SAFE Parole Act doesn’t leave the practical implementation of reform to the vagaries of the parole board and the hope that it will write reform-minded procedures. The SAFE Parole Act contains the procedures for implementation right in the statutory proposal itself.

Unlike the budget bill, the SAFE Parole Act would do the following:

A) Remove from parole consideration “the seriousness of the offense,” leaving that consideration exclusively to the sentencing court.

B) Add the requirement that the parole board must consider the parole applicant’s preparedness for reentry and reintegration, as evidenced by the applicant’s institutional record pertaining to program goals and accomplishments as stated in the facility performance reports, academic achievements, vocational education, training or work assignments, therapy and interactions with staff and other sentenced persons, and other indications of pro-social activity, change and transformation.

C) Add the requirement that the parole board consider the progress made towards achieving the programming and treatment needs developed in the transitional accountability plan.

D) Add the requirement that if parole is not granted the parole board will state in detail and not in conclusory terms the factors and reasons for the denial and the specific requirements for actions to be taken, programs or accomplishments to be completed, or changes in performance or conduct to be made, or corrective action or actions to be taken, in order to qualify for parole release.

E) Add the requirement that if parole is not granted the Department shall, within ninety days of the hearing decision, provide the parole applicant access to the program or programs, activities and/or facilities needed in order to provide the opportunity to fulfill the requirements set forth by the board.

F) Add the requirement that if the requirements previously set forth by the parole board at the time of denial have been successfully completed and the parole applicant’s institutional record has been satisfactory during the time between the previous and current parole hearing, release shall be granted.

G) The parole applicant shall be entitled to a copy of the scored risk and needs assessment.

These are but a few of the provisions that the SAFE Parole Act would require if enacted.

We have two choices.

We can sit back and hope that the parole board writes procedures for itself that adopt the requirements of the SAFE Parole Act, and thus prove true Professor Genty’s prognosis that these procedures may “be the most significant parole reform in more than 30 years.

Or we can continue to do the hard work of organizing for legislative change and passage of the SAFE Parole Act.

SPEAKING OF DOING HARD WORK: A big thumbs up to all the readers who have done great work gathering signatures on a letter to Governor Cuomo requesting his support of the SAFE Parole Act! So far more than 210 letters have been returned to us! As soon as we can finish sorting them by zip code, so we can also inform senators and assembly members of the numbers from their districts who have signed, we will hand deliver them to the governor’s office. We hope to do that before November, so please try to get as many additional letters as possible to the Campaign by Oct. 21. (The address appears in the footer of the letter.)

8. PAROLE NEWS: AUGUST STATS; PAROLE BOARD REQUIRED CREDENTIALS; REVISED 259-I TO GO INTO EFFECT IN NOV.; PAROLE SUPERVISION AS SEEN FROM A STAKEHOLDER’S PERSPECTIVE.

AUGUST 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
Unofficial research from parole database

TOTAL INTERVIEWS.. # RELEASED. # DENIED... RATE OF RELEASE
17 Initials. .......................3....................... 14............ 18%
94 reappearances..... ......16...................... 78............ 17%
111 interviews.......................19...................... 92............ 17%

AUGUST INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY.......... SENTENCE.........OFFENSE........ # OF BOARD
Arthurkill......... 20-Life............ Murder 2.............Initial
Clinton............ 15-Life............ Murder 2.............Initial
Greenhaven..... 17-Life............ Att Murder 1.......Initial

AUGUST REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY......... SENTENCE.....OFFENSE.........# OF BOARD
Arthurkill .........15-Life........Murder2.................2nd
Arthurkill .........15-Life........Murder 2................5th
Elmira...............25-Life........Murder pre-74.......9th
Fishkill..............22-Life........Murder 2................3rd
Fishkill..............15-Life........Murder 2................3rd
Fishkill..............25-Life........Murder pre-74.......8th
Fishkill..............15-Life........Murder 2................2nd
Franklin.............20-Life........Murder 2...............7th ?
Franklin.............15-Life........Murder 2...............3rd
Greenhaven.......25-Life........Murder 2...............3rd
Marcy................15-Life........Murder 2...............6th
Southport .........20-Life........Murder 2...............8th
Wende...............25-Life........Murder 2...............7th ?
Woodbourne.....15-Life........Murder 2................5th
Woodbourne.....18-Life........Murder 2................7th
Wyoming...........15-Life........Murder 2...............6th

PAROLE BOARD MAKEUP AS STATED IN EXECUTIVE LAW § 259.:
§ 259-b. State board of parole; organization.

1. There shall be in the state division of parole a state board of parole which shall possess the powers and duties hereinafter specified. Such board shall consist of not more than nineteen members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of senate. The term of office of each member of such shall be for six years; provided, however, that any member chosen to a vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term of the member whom he is to succeed. In the event of the inability to act of any member, the governor may appoint some competent informed person to act in his stead during the continuance of such disability.
2. Each member of the board shall have been awarded a degree from an accredited four-year college or graduate degree from college or university or accredited graduate school and shall have had at least five years of experience in one or more of the fields of criminology, administration of criminal justice, law enforcement, sociology, law, social work, corrections, psychology, psychiatry or medicine.
3. The governor shall designate one of the members of the board as chairman to serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the governor or until the member's term of office expires and a successor is designated in accordance with law, whichever first occurs.
4. The members of the state board of parole shall not hold any other public office; nor shall they, at any time of their appointment nor during their incumbency, serve as a representative of any political party on an executive committee or other governing body thereof, nor as an executive officer or employee of any political committee, organization or association.
5. Each member of the state board of parole shall receive for his services an annual salary to be fixed by the governor within the amount appropriated therefor. Each member of such board shall also receive his necessary expenses actually incurred in the discharge of his duties.
6. Any member of the state board of parole may be removed by the governor for cause after an opportunity to be heard.
7. Except as otherwise provided by law, a majority of the state board of parole shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business of the board.
 

MR. WINSTON MOSELEY WILL BE AMONG THE FIRST INMATES EVALUATED UNDER THE REVISED SYSTEM WHEM HE MEETS THE PAROLE BOARD THE WEEK OF OCT. 31.  
 Excerpts from a Sept. 30, 2011 article in the NY Law Journal by John Caher. [all emphases added] 

For the first time since he became eligible for parole in 1984, Mr. Moseley will appear before a parole board that now is being directed to look beyond his crime and criminal record, and consider if the 76-year-old who committed hideous crimes 47 years ago is the same person [now] seeking freedom.  

...Executive Law §259(c) requires the parole board to establish and apply "risk and needs principles to measure the rehabilitation of persons appearing before the board" and the likelihood of success should the offender be released. In the past, the board "could" consider those factors; as of today it "must" consider them.  

Mr. Moseley will be among the first inmates evaluated under the revised system when he meets the parole board the week of Oct. 31.  

The risk assessment tool is under development and is expected to be in use by November, according to Peter K. Cutler, a spokesman for the new Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which was created this year through the merger of the prison and parole system.  

Advocates welcome the new paradigm and are eagerly awaiting the first batch of parole board determinations based on the revised standards. 

Robert N. Isseks, an attorney in Middletown who has for years pursued a federal class action alleging that the parole board ignores current criteria and effectively acts as a re-sentencing body, said he has doubts. ..."I'd like to be optimistic," Mr. Isseks said. "I hope [the new law] will force them to do what they are supposed to do, but I can't predict. In the hundreds of decisions I have seen, there is plenty of reason to be skeptical."  The 2006 federal case filed by Mr. Isseks in the Southern District, Graziano v. Pataki, 7:06-cv-00480, was dismissed last December by Judge Cathy Seibel. Mr. Isseks is appealing and also attempting to reinstate a state court action pending before the Appellate Division, Third Department. Mr. Isseks said the new requirements may put a heavier burden on the parole board to establish that it has performed more than a cursory review. "These new guidelines might help the judges make more informed decisions, and give them something more to look at and consider," Mr. Isseks said. 

Ms. JoAnne Page [CEO, Fortune Society] agreed. "This provides grounds for challenging a parole board hit on the basis of not having looked at evidence of rehabilitation or not having administered a recent risk assessment," she said. "It opens doors, provides a basis from which to challenge [a denial of parole]. It is a step in the right direction, and something that has been needed for many, many years." Ms. Page said the new criteria may force the parole board to consider that A-1 felons released on parole are at an extremely low risk of re-offending. In fact, state figures show that offenders who serve a sentence for murder are the least likely to commit a felony once they are paroled. "People change," Ms. Page said. "If there is anything I know from my 22 years heading Fortune, it is that people who have been menaces to the community have the capacity to become good neighbors and make a positive difference in the world. And the people who committed the most horrific crimes and served decades [in prison] are beyond the age when people tend to recidivate."

John Caher can be contacted at jcaher@alm.com.  

THE NEW YORK STATE PAROLE SYSTEM MUST BE ABOLISHED by Lawrence Hayes 
I have a 9pm curfew and can't leave the five boroughs of New York City without consent. I report to a parole office every month and their approach with me is to consistently obstruct to my reintegration, EVEN WHEN THEY SEEM COMPASSIONATE AND UNDERSTANDING. I can’t maintain lasting friendships because I can’t be out past 9pm and I can’t be spontaneous and join them to attend an event or visit anyone outside of New York City. Intimate relationships end quickly mostly because it’s a frightening experience for any woman who loves you, because (especially with political me) your lady friend and family is always fearful of you going back to prison. 

My 17-year old daughter often expresses her dislike and distain for the parole system because she sees what it does to me. She can be out past 9am, but her daddy can’t. 

Parole does more to interfere with working than it does to help. Too many times, I’ve been ordered to “report” first thing in the morning when the parole officer should know it affects my paycheck. Every penny less than my full week’s salary can mean less food for my daughter and me, or prevent me from doing my laundry; it can prevent me from paying someone back who lent money for the week’s unlimited transit card, etc.   

It would seem to me that after 20 years of no police contact it’s pretty clear I’m not a criminal or a risk to society, especially since I’ve always maintained work and a place to stay. The irony of it all is that, in New York City, there are a disproportionate number of African-American parole officers; talk about participating in conspiracies against ourselves? 

In summary, as currently constituted, the parole system serves no useful purpose. Somewhere in the area of 45 percent of the New York prison population consists of parolees. Is that their idea of success? If, as stated on their website, their mission is to promote public safety by preparing inmates for release and supervising parolees to the successful completion of their sentence, they have a dismal record. My success has been limited by them, not expanded. I am surviving. I could be thriving, if they really had my - and my community's - best interests at heart.

 9. YOUTH JUSTICE: JUDGE LIPPMAN, CHIEF JUDGE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND CHIEF JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS, RECENTLY GAVE A SPEECH CALLING FOR NEW YORK STATE TO RAISE THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY.

New York State is one of only two states in the country (the other is North Carolina) where every single 16 and 17 year old is automatically tried as an adult. “The judge is proposing that the state transfer jurisdiction for 16- and 17-year-olds accused of less serious crimes to family courts, which have more social services, while continuing to prosecute the most violent juveniles as adults. The plan reflects an emerging consensus in many states that troubled teenagers have been mishandled by the adult court system.” Read article in 9/21 NY Times

10. PLACES TO GO: ACTIONS, EVENTS AND MEETINGS

EVENTS
ALBANY
SUNDAY OCTOBER 16TH, 6:00 PM SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTER FILM SPECIAL!!

COINTELPRO 101, WITH FILMMAKER CLAUDE MARKS. Mr. Marks will be present and will talk with the audience about the legacy of Cointelpro today

Sponsored by the Social Justice Center of Albany, the Albany Political Prisoner Support Committee, and the Capital District Solidarity Committee. $4 donation at the door to cover expenses requested but not required.

Location: Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave, Albany (wheelchair accessible.)
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BINGHAMTON event
SAVE THE DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18, 12 Noon-4PM Southern Tier Social Justice Project and the Broome County Reentry ABLE Program

Making Connections, Restoring Hope, Changing Lives
REENTRY RESOURCE DAY FOR FORMERLY-INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, THEIR FAMILIES & ALLIES

Food & Drinks will be available. Questions? Contact Cheryl DeRosa (607) 727-0438 or Jeff Pryor (607) 778-1364

Location: Broome County Library, Exhibit Room, 2nd Floor 59 Court Street
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BROOKLYN event
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 4:30-7:00 PM The Osborne Association

SHARING OUR STRENGTHS’ SUPPORT GROUP
Presents Dr. Michael Willett, author of Man by Choice, Male by Birth
Book signing & in-depth, involved TALK, Refreshments Served
For more info or call 718-637-6560

Location: 175 Remsen Street (8th Flr Conference Rm) Brooklyn
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MANHATTAN events
 TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 6:00-7:30 PM The Dangerous Over-Use of Solitary Confinement:  Pervasive Human Rights Violations in Prisons, Jails & Other Places of Detention 

Keynote Address by JUAN E. MENDEZ, Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment with Panel discussion. 

Location: Church Center for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza, NYC , 44th Street Entrance – Second Floor Conference Room

THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 6-8PM New York Task Force on Racial Disparity  Community Awareness and Connection Event:
A community meeting to learn about campaigns and coalitions working to stop the rail to jail in NYC. Find out what other groups in NYC are working on and how it relates to you.

Location: Center for Community Alternatives, 39 W. 19th Street, (Betw 5th and 6th Ave) 10th Floor 

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 5:30-8 PM Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) & NYU Wagner Students for Criminal Justice Reform present

REINTEGRATIVE JUSTICE FORUM

 Discussants: SOFIYAH ELIJAH, Ex. Dir. Correctional Assoc. of NY Gara LaMarche, NYU Wagner School of Public Service, Vivian Nixon, Exec. Dir. College and Community Fellowship, Heather Ann Thompson, Ass. Prof. of History, Temple Univ.
 Event is free. Donations gratefully accepted.
RSVP by Oct 28; 212 691 1911 x 219, kjones@communityalternatives.org
Location: Puck Building 295 Lafayette Street, NYC 

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5, DOORS OPEN AT 6PM Citizens Against Recidivism 5th Annual Citizens’ Awards Event   
We never miss this event, and as usual we invite you to join our table for a reduced price. Send your check or money order for $45. to Prison Action Network, PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206 by October 28, and you’ll be on the list at the door.   

The Citizens’ Award Event draws the public’s attention to people who did time for a crime and have shown that they were not only safe to release, but that their release has benefitted their communities, members of which voted for them to receive this award.

Keynote address by NYS Senator Bill Perkins. Light dining provided..
Advance Tickets $55. ($60 at the door).
For more information: http://www.citizensinc.org/FutureEvents2011.htm

Location: TIAN, 679 Riverside Dr. (at W.145th St. in the Riverbank State Park)

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9, 6-8PM NYC Second Chance Committee
A Forum on Reentry: Where Are We? Where Should We Be?

Panelists: Glenn Martin, Fortune Society; Amir Amman, Student/Activist; Mary Arnold, Village Care of NY; Soffiyah Elijah, Correctional Association; Detrel Howell, DOCS Reentry Services; Dr. Divine Pryor, NU Leadership on Urban Solutions; Gabriel Torres-Rivera, Community Services Society

For more information, please call 877 626 4651 or 212 690 3070

Location: National Action Network Headquarters, 1006 W. 145th St. NYC
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WHITE PLAINS event
Monday October 17, 6-8:30PM

“Bridging the Gap: Lessons Learned from a Reentry Collaboration with Victims and Victim Advocates” with Elizabeth Gaynes, Kathy Boudin, Marie Verzulli, Susan Herman (moderator) Free and open to the public.

Location: Pace Law School, Preston Hall, Tudor Room, 78 No. Broadway, White Plains, NY
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MEETINGS

BUFFALO
MONDAY OCTOBER 31, 6:30-8:30PM Prisoners Are People Too, Inc.

We will hear about the Secure Youth Detention Center in Buffalo, NY; its history, its mission, its current services. With so many youth detention centers being closed around the state and with the December 2010 closing of Hopevale in nearby Hamburg, NY, people are interested in learning more about Buffalo’s youth detention center. Hopevale functioned for 155 years, first as a facility for troubled teen girls, then later as a coed residential home and school for troubled youth. Mr. David Rust, the Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services in Erie County and Ms. Nadia Moore, the Director of Buffalo’s Secure Youth Detention Center have been invited to share information about a facility that touches the lives of many juvenile offenders, ages 13-15, who have been charged with serious crimes.

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2, Inc. programs.
For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
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MANHATTAN meetings
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 1-3PM NY Reentry Roundtable
Guest Speakers: Representatives of the Human Resources Administration (HRA) will be making presentations on areas of interest to us, including new initiatives for the formerly incarcerated, child support enforcement, AIDS services, Food stamps and Medicaid. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and receive information from HRA representatives. Also, it will be opportunity for the agency to rectify misconceptions that surround some of HRA’s policies. Please RSVP to Gabriel Torres Rivera, J.D.

Location: Community Service Society of NY (CSS)
105 East 22nd St., corner Park Ave So. Conference Rm 4A
Take 6 or W/R to 23rd St.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 27, 5:30PM Education from the Inside Out Coalition (EIO) Meeting.
Our mission is to remove barriers to higher education funding facing students in prisons, both in NYS and nationwide. You can help us increase college access for incarcerated students TODAY! If you are interested in joining the Coalition or if you have any questions, please contact Lettisha Boyd at (646) 380 -7780.

Location: 475 Riverside Drive, Robing Room 
Can't make it?   Call in! 800-662-6992, Access code: 107-9949

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SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:
ALBANY: EVERY MONDAY 7-8:30PM Prison Families of NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
EVERY TUESDAY at 6PM P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now) Malik at 518-445-5487.
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BROOKLYN
EVERY WEDNESDAY 5:30PM VOCAL Parolees Organizing Project For more info call 917 676-8041
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LONG ISLAND
WEDNESDAYS NOVEMBER 9 AND 23, 7:30PM Prison Families Anonymous meetings
Location: The Community Presbyterian Church 1843 Deer Park Avenue, Deer Park, NY.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23 (see above) Prison Children Anonymous meets on the second Tuesday so children can share their experiences while the parent group, Prison Families Anonymous, meets at the same place and time but in another room and parents and guardians of children are encouraged to join that group while the children’s group is in session.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1 (& all first Tuesdays), 7:30PM at St Brigids Catholic Church, 75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.

For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903
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MANHATTAN
TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 6-8PM Incarcerated Family Support Group
Sponsors: Coalition for Parole Restoration & Senator Bill Perkins
Do you have questions about visitation, tickets, appeals? Is your loved one going to the parole board and needs assistance preparing or do you just need someone to talk to about having a loved one in prison?

Invited Providers: Fortune Society, Osborne, Exodus, Strive
Please Rsvp 212 465-3241

Location: 163 West 125 Street Harlem State Building, 9th Floor (Senator Bill Perkins Conference room)

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Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as a way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please email us or call 518 253 7533
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SEPTEMBER 2011

2011-09-15T15:11:00.015-04:00

WE POST LATE BREAKING NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE DURING THE MONTH. TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE SEPT ISSUE OF BUILDING BRIDGES, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN.

POSTED SEPT 20 - FROM NAACP
ONE LAST ATTEMPT TO SAVE TROY DAVIS

In moments of immense sadness, moments that shake the foundation of our faith in the justice system and mankind, adequate words are scarce.

Today, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles co-signed on the decision to execute Troy Davis.

Despite overwhelming evidence pointing to his innocence -- evidence that prompted former FBI Director William Sessions and more than a million others to write in support of clemency -- Troy's execution is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21.

[His family has] asked us not to give up.

For the past two decades that Troy has been on death row, miracles have interceded at crucial moments. Can you help us make a miracle happen now?

Please stand with Troy and his family. Tell District Attorney Larry Chisolm that he has to intercede:

Ask-DA-Chisolm-To-Help

Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm is the man who requested the death warrant against Troy Davis. He's the glue that holds the case together and, even after today's news, he remains in a unique position to petition the judge to withdraw the death warrant against Troy. It's a long shot, but it's Troy's best hope.

Please, our last hope is to change the heart of District Attorney Chisolm. Sign today, and we will make sure that every name is hand delivered to his office.

Please, take one last action and sign the petition today.

POSTED SEPT 10 BY PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO!

Monday, September 26, 6:30-8:30PM
Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street.

Who Are the Keepers?

by Karima Amin

A few years ago, Prisoners Are People Too took a look at the role of the correctional officers in our NYS correctional facilities. After so much talk about “the keepers” and “the kept,” during recent Attica 40 commemorative events, I thought it was time to revisit the role of the individuals who are most intimate with prisoners on a day-to-day basis.

The correctional officer has the job of maintaining security and prisoner accountability to prevent disturbances, assaults, and escapes. Correctional officers maintain order within the institution and enforce rules and regulations. To help ensure that prisoners are orderly and obey rules, correctional officers monitor their activities and supervise their work assignments. Sometimes, officers must search prisoners and their living quarters for contraband like weapons or drugs, settle disputes between prisoners, and enforce discipline. Correctional officers periodically inspect the facilities, checking cells and other areas of the institution for unsanitary conditions, contraband, fire hazards, and any evidence of infractions of rules. In addition, they routinely inspect locks, window bars, grilles, doors, and gates for signs of tampering. Finally, officers inspect mail and visitors for prohibited items.

Correctional officers report orally and in writing on prisoner conduct and on the quality and quantity of completed work.. Officers also report security breaches, disturbances, violations of rules, and any unusual occurrences. They usually keep a daily log or record of their activities. Correctional officers cannot show favoritism and must report any prisoner who violates the rules. If a crime is committed within their institution or if there is an escape, they help the responsible law enforcement authorities investigate or search for the escapee. In jail and prison facilities with direct supervision of cellblocks, officers work unarmed. They are equipped with communications devices so that they can summon help if necessary. These officers often work in a cellblock alone, or with another officer, among the 50 to 100 inmates who reside there. The officers enforce regulations primarily through their interpersonal communication skills and through the use of progressive sanctions, such as the removal of some privileges.

What I’ve described here seems harmless enough, yet I can cite scores of negative stories about “the keepers” and “the kept,” or “the keepers” and “the visitors.”

At the next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too, Rev. Patricia Bufford, a recently retired NYS Correctional Officer, will be our guest speaker. She is known in this community as an individual with a genuine interest in community enhancement. With 20 years experience as a CO, she will share her thoughts about corrections and more.

Come out and be a part of this conversation on Monday, September 26, 6:30-8:30pm at the Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street. As always, these meeting are public and open to your questions and comments. (PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. Email for: more info or call 716-834-8438.)

BUILDING BRIDGES
SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Dear Reader,

Last month we published a letter to Governor Cuomo for people to sign as their first step in getting involved in the campaign to pass the SAFE Parole Act. The response has been encouraging. We’ve received one hundred and thirteen letters from all over the state, in prison and out, and some from people in other states. Please keep in mind that politicians are influenced, after their consciences, by two things: votes and money. So if you’re eligible to vote but haven’t registered, please do so and get your friends to join you. If you live in another state or if you are disenfranchised by your current incarceration or parole status we suggest you send the letter for signing to friends and relatives in NYS. The letter can be copied from the August 2011 edition of Building Bridges, found in the right column under previous posts. It’s the very last page.

We are encouraged by Columbia Law School professor Phillip Genty’s optimistic view of the Governor’s changes to the parole laws [see article 3], and we certainly hope Parole Commissioners are reading it and being influenced to see it as he does. Through Genty's eyes, the Governor’s changes accomplish much of what the SAFE Parole Act would. However we do not share Prof. Genty’s faith in the Risk and Needs Assessment that is used. Its questions measure the strengths and deficits of the person being interviewed. While this is useful in developing a Transitional Accountability Plan for use during incarceration and after release to parole supervision, how it will influence release decisions remains to be seen.

Please check out Parole News, linked here [see column to the right]. It links to Building Bridges and publishes our summary of each month’s articles. It also has a comprehensive list of links to many advocacy organizations as well as to a list of reports, articles and other resources, including legislation and key people in the parole world. It’s become a favorite website, and since the editor obviously reads Building Bridges, this is a message to say I’d like to make contact.

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone’s sake, get involved!

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES:

1. Attica: NYC’s Attica Is Us event focused on the messages we can take from the 1971 Rebellion; Buffalo engaged in educating the public about the impact of incarceration on individuals and the community, and Mika’il DeVeaux used his memory of the day to write a piece reminding us of the continued politicizing of incarceration, and calls on us to fight back.

2. The Women in Prison Project looks forward to a “day when survivors who act to protect themselves and their children from an abuser’s violence are given support and protection instead of harsh punishment and incarceration—to a day when survivor-defendants are treated with the fairness and dignity they deserve.”

3. Columbia Law School Professor Philip Genty analyzes the potential impact of the policy shift contained in the Governor’s revision of Exec Law § 259-i and concludes that “this addition of an explicit requirement that the Parole Board adopt and be guided by procedures that require it to evaluate "rehabilitation" and "the likelihood of success…upon release" signals a critical reform and modernization of parole practices.”

4. Job Announcement from FACES NY, Inc. Job Title: Re-Entry Case Manager; Hours: 35 hrs/weekly; Salary Range: $30,000 - $35,000/yr Qualifications: BA degree in Social Work or a related human services field and/or 5 years minimum experience.

5. Legislative report dispels the rumor that the SAFE Parole Act has passed. A bill is not a law [please refer to the August issue of Building Bridges for the process]. The NYS Senate and Assembly both need to vote for it during a Legislative Session. The last Legislative Session ended in June 2011, and will not start again, barring an emergency, until January 2012.

6. The NYS Parole Reform Campaign offers video, audio, and literary opportunities to tell your story. We also need data entry and legislative look-up volunteers to help our supporters get the information they need.

7. Parole News: July Statistics for A1VO Parole Releases

8. Places to go: We’ve moved this column to the end; here are some of the highlights:

In ALBANY: watch a screening of Cointelpro with the filmmaker; meet and ask questions of Ed Fraley, dir of NYS Reentry Services, and Diance Buoni, of the Albany Cty Reentry Task Force.
In BUFFALO: attend one of Karima Amin’s inspiring Prisoners Are People Too meetings featuring films and discussion and/or join the vigil outside the Erie County Holding Center.
At LONG ISLAND’s Belmont Lake State Park, attend the annual picnic of Prisoner Families Anonymous.
In MANHATTAN watch a film and join a coalition to free the San Francisco-8, Think Outside the Cell for an entire day by listening to inspiring speeches and speakers, plus lots of networking - formerly incarcerated people are encouraged to attend, as the focus is on a new way of reentering society. You could also say no to prisons, yes to caring communities with the Campaign to end the New Jim Crow and/or help Milk Not Jails plan the next steps of their campaign which includes a brand of dairy products labeled “Milk Not Jails.”

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please send an email to PAN with a request clearly stating the number of the article and the date it appeared. -Ed.]

1. ATTICA: ON THIS 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE ATTICA REBELLION, EVENTS WERE HELD THAT WERE GROUNDED IN DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES. MOST MAINSTREAM MEDIA PAINTED A PICTURE OF VIOLENCE INITIATED BY THE PRISONERS AGAINST GUARDS. TWO MAJOR ALTERNATIVE COMMEMORATIONS, ONE BASED IN NYC, THE OTHER IN BUFFALO AND AN OPEN LETTER FROM MIKA’IL DEVEAUX REFLECT A DIFFERENT STORY, ONE IN WHICH BOTH PRISONERS AND GUARDS WERE THE VICTIMS OF STATE VIOLENCE.

NYC: ATTICA IS ALL OF US SEPT 9 EVENT AT RIVERSIDE CHURCH:
Riverside was filled to overflowing, with close to 3,000 people present to see a painful clip of the horror that was Attica during the early days of Sept 1971 and hear some of the survivors tell their stories. Seven men who lived through the Attica Rebellion: Joseph Harris, Calvin “Hutch” Hutchinson, William Anthony Maynard, Melvin Muhammad, Che Nieves, Arlos Roche, and Al Hajji Sharif, described it from their perspectives and reminded us that we weren’t going to get the whole picture in the few hours of this meeting. The picture they were able to present was harrowing, yet inspiring in terms of the sacrifice and courage they portrayed.
Poet, musician and revolutionary political activist Amiri Baraka read his poem “Somebody Blew Up America”. [available on YouTube]

Six well known activists, with moderator Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! gave us their suggestions for how to take the message of Attica into the future: Asha Bandele, Dhoruba Bin Wahad, Soffiyah Elijah, Elizabeth Fink, Joseph “Jazz” Hayden and Cornel West. Professor West summed it up in a speech from which these lines are excerpted:
“... we live now in revolutionary times, but the counterrevolution is winning. The greedy oligarchs and plutocrats are winning. One out of four corporations don’t pay taxes, been gobbling up billions of dollars. And yet, 42 percent of America’s children live in poverty or near poverty. That is sick. It’s a moral obscenity.” “..when you bring together the Wall Street oligarchs and the corporate plutocrats, and they tell any person or any group, ‘If you speak the truth, we’ll shoot you down like a dog and dehumanize you the way we did to dehumanize the brothers in Attica,’ the only thing that will keep you going is you better have some love in your heart for the people. That’s the only thing that will keep you going...”, “enough love for the people in [your] heart to still tell the truth about poverty, about suffering, about struggle, and be able to look—not just to presidents, because by presidents you’re just talking about the placeholder of the oligarchs and the plutocrats—I don’t care what color they are—to tell that truth. And most people, they hold off on that. They say, "No, I got one life, one life. I saw what they did. I saw what they done." “We’re going to have a new wave of truth telling. We’re going to have a new wave of witness bearing. And we’re going to teach the younger generation that these brothers didn’t struggle in vain, just like John Brown and Nat Turner and Marcus Garvey and Martin King and Myles Horton and the others didn’t.

BUFFALO: ATTICA 40 EVENTS:
The University at Buffalo Law School sponsored a 3-day conference entitled “40 Years After the Attica Uprising: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” It began with a screening of Ghosts of Attica and included the following Attica 40 Community Events:

Commemorative Walk from Buffalo to Attica:
Chuck Culhane, active member of Prisoners Are People Too, Inc., Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition, Western NY Peace Center, and the NYS Defenders Association, envisioned a commemorative rally and a trek from Buffalo to Attica State Prison, which manifested on Friday, September 9, when a small group gathered in the morning at the Sr. Karen Klimczak, SSJ, Peace Garden on Hickory Street. Some were there for the send-off. Some were drivers, who planned to serve as escorts and support. Others were committed walkers: Chuck, Russell Brown, Charley Bowman, Chris Barbera and Vicki Ross, who walked 16 miles to the Village of Marilla. On Saturday, September 10, the dedicated walkers were Chuck, Nate Buckley, and Chris Barbera, who walked from Marilla to Attica State Prison, another 16 miles. The support escorts were Karima Amin, who served for 2 days and Frank Haynes and Valerie Niederhoffer who served for one day each. Charley Bowman and Wayne Alt, from the WNY Peace Center, joined the group at the end for pictures and prayers. Kudos to Chuck Culhane who had the vision, and to Chris Barbera who walked the entire route.

Panel Discussion:
A second community event, sponsored by Prisoners Are People Too, Inc., featured a panel discussion, “Mass Incarceration: Its Impact On Community,” at Bethesda World Harvest International Church. Five ministers were invited to share their thoughts on the value and purpose of remembering the Attica Rebellion of 1971 and their thoughts about the impact of mass incarceration on families in our communities. Rev. Alberto Lanzot and Pastor James Giles were formerly incarcerated; Rev. Eugene Pierce and Rev. Jeff E. Carter were formerly employed as prison administrators. Br. Michael Oberst, once served as the executive director of Cephas Half-way House which came into being as a result of the 1971 Rebellion. Dr. Henry L. Taylor, Jr., Director of UB’s Urban Studies department, served as moderator. Karima Amin, Director of Prisoners Are People Too, was the facilitator. There were approximately 100 attendees.

Both events were informational as well as inspirational.

Open Letter from Mika'il DeVeaux, Exec Dir., Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc.:
Lest we forget Attica

Lest we forget, the business of the criminal justice system deals in lives. Today we should remember the events that ended on September 13, 1971, in Attica New York, when lives were lost and a strong message was sent about the value of the people who are incarcerated and the lives of those that work in prisons as well. Today's (September 13, 2011) New York Times reported that the then Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller told then President Richard M. Nixon, that "They did a fabulous job." "It really was a beautiful operation," when reporting on how the ordeal concluded. When asked about the hostages (guards) that were killed by gunfire, Governor Rockefeller replied "Well you know, this is one of those things, you can't have sharpshooters picking off the prisoners when the hostages are there with them, at a distance with tear gas, without maybe having a few accidents."

President Nixon was of the opinion that trouble in prison was caused byAfrican Americans. He had his views confirmed by Governor Rockefeller during a very brief exchange. "Tell me," Nixon asked, "are these primarily blacks that you're dealing with?" "Oh, yes," Rockefeller replied, "the whole thing was led by the blacks."

As we continue our efforts today, we need to be clear about the ideological battles waged around the issues. The prison expansion that began some four decades ago was fueled by attention given to the construction of a crime wave in the media and the raised voices and political rhetoric of conservative politicians. In fact, since the 1970s, crime rates had been stable and in decline. Moreover, neither crime nor policies to address it were high on the public agenda. Even so, today more than two million number among the incarcerated, five million others labor under parole or probation and some 65 million American are reminded that they have a felony conviction no matter how long after repaying their debt to society.

History clearly reveals the politicization of crime as part of conservative policies to reverse gains made by social activists in the 1960s. As a result of struggles during the civil rights era, overt racist arguments and remarks were no longer suitable for public discourse. As a result "war on crime" became the veiled racist messages to conservative supporter. "In notes taken at an Oval Office meeting shortly after Nixon's election, H.R. Haldeman, his chief of staff, wrote, "[the President] emphasized that you have to face the fact that the whole problem is really the Blacks. The key is to devise a system that recognizes this while not appearing to". On this point, Jean Hardisty observed that during the 1970s: “. . . a conservative backlash began to gain popularity. By the end of the 1970s, the New Right, a growing social and political movement whose central program was to attack liberal ideas and practices, had labeled the liberal model the "coddling" of criminals. The New Right directed its message - that the country appeared to be spinning out of control - to White men, conservative Christians, and White Southerners. "Middle Americans," feeling they were losing status and financial security in a time of social change, were encouraged by rightists to fear "chaos" in the streets and in private life. Subtle messages appealed to racial stereotypes by implying that the reforms of the 1960s and 1970s had strengthened the position of "undeserving" welfare recipients (usually stereotyped as people of color) and criminals at the expense of "good" White people. Soon moderate Democrats and even some liberals began to collaborate in the promotion of the backlash slogan, "tough on crime."

The "war on drugs" took a similar tone. Today's conservative policies of punishment with its use of political rhetoric has its roots in the historical reactions to street activism when African Americans and Hispanics from wrecked and shattered communities began to link with mainly white politically active students and those of privilege in opposition to war and other policies advanced by the status quo. Social problems identified in America were linked to these problem children. They were dubbed disrespectors of law and order. During this time, conservatives argued that what they "shared in common was drugs! Therefore drugs was America's problem! The solution was elegantly suited to the agenda of the political right: a "War On Drugs" (Cahill, 1999).

These political and ideological realities are Attica too. "From the very beginning, like all wars, the War on Drugs has been about politics and economics. And, like all wars, to protect "national security," civil liberties are suspended, atrocities are committed, and health, education, and welfare are dangerously depreciated (Cahill, 1999). We must remember Attica. We must remember all the Atticas and continue to fight back, continue to fight for social justice for all. If we don't Angela Davis warned us "If they come for me in the morning, they will come for you in the night."

2. THE CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION HAS RELEASED THEIR WOMEN IN PRSON PROJECT'S REPORT, 'FROM PROTECTION TO PUNISHMENT: POST-CONVICTION BARRIERS TO JUSTICE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR-DEFENDANTS IN NEW YORK STATE, COAUTHORED WITH THE AVON GLOBAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND JUSTICE AT CORNELL LAW SCHOOL.

This report is part of their campaign to change the criminal justice system’s harsh and unjust response to domestic violence survivors who act to protect themselves from an abuser’s violence. In her foreword, Justice Debra James, Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County Chair, New York Women in Prison Committee, National Association of Women Judges made the following comments: 
“The statistics are heart-wrenching: an estimated 75% of women in New York’s prisons have suffered severe violence at the hands of an intimate partner during adulthood, and more than 9 out of 10 women convicted of killing an intimate partner in New York State were abused by an intimate partner in the past.” ...“As this report illustrates, [current harsh punishments] represent not only failures of policy and practice but also violations of survivor-defendants’ fundamental human rights. I am hopeful that this report will invigorate and inform the efforts of advocates, policymakers, justice system actors, and others to address the injustices identified. With continued dialogue, understanding, and innovation, and with action on the recommendations for reform contained in this report, our State may look forward to a day when survivors who act to protect themselves and their children from an abuser’s violence are given support and protection instead of harsh punishment and incarceration—to a day when survivor-defendants are treated with the fairness and dignity they deserve.”

For more information, contact Tamar Kraft-Stolar, Dir.
Women in Prison Project
212-254-5700, ext. 306. email Tamar
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., Ste 200
 

3. CHANGES TO PAROLE LAWS SIGNAL POTENTIALLY SWEEPING POLICY SHIFT, WRITES PHILIP M. GENTY IN THE PAGES OF THE SEPT 01, 2011 NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL.

.....In his article [condensed here] Prof. Genty holds that the most significant reform in Gov. Cuomo’s revision was the removal of Section 1. In 1978, the Parole Board announced its guidelines for setting the minimum sentence, which Section 1 gave them authority over. The only two factors specified in these guidelines were the seriousness of the offense and the person's prior criminal history. The guidelines were presented as regulations, which set out a grid for calculating the minimum period of imprisonment, i.e., the period of time a person in prison would be required to serve before becoming eligible for parole release:
(3) To derive the guideline time range, the appropriate cell is located on the parole decision making grid where the offense severity and prior criminal history scores intersect. The offense severity score is located on the vertical axis, the prior criminal history score on the horizontal axis. The cell on the guideline grid where the two scores intersect indicates the suggested time to be served, based on these two major factors.

.....No other release guidelines have ever been set forth by the board. In 1980, the Legislature removed the responsibility for setting minimum sentences from the Parole Board and transferred it to the courts. Senator Christopher Mega's memorandum in support of this change described the Parole Board's power to set sentences as "an irrational waste of taxpayer money as well as of criminal justice resources" and observed that "there is nothing on which the Board's decision can be based which was not before the court at the time sentence was imposed…; and most of these factors consist of matters the court is better able to ascertain and evaluate (e.g., seriousness of the offense, mitigating and aggravating factors, etc.). However, despite the Parole Board's loss of the responsibility for setting minimum sentences, Section 259-i(1) of the Executive Law—"Establishment of the Minimum Periods of Imprisonment"—stayed on the books, and the guidelines remained unchanged.

.....The 2011 amendments require the board to adopt procedures that incorporate a growing body of social science research about assessing post-release needs and recidivism risks. These procedures will be designed to measure rehabilitation and facilitate better informed parole release decisions. The amended Section 259-c states that the Parole Board shall:
establish written procedures for its use in making parole decisions as required by law. Such written procedures shall incorporate risk and needs principles to measure the rehabilitation of persons appearing before the board, the likelihood of success of such persons upon release, and assist members of the state board of parole in determining which inmates may be released to parole supervision.

.....This addition of an explicit requirement that the Parole Board adopt and be guided by procedures that require it to evaluate "rehabilitation" and "the likelihood of success…upon release" signals a critical reform and modernization of parole practices. Such procedures, when promulgated, will rationalize parole decision-making by placing the focus primarily on who the person appearing before the Parole Board is today and on whether that person can succeed in the community after release, rather than—as under the previous "guidelines"—on who the person was many years earlier when she or he committed the crime. This is a shift in policy of potentially sweeping significance.

4. JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FROM FACES NY

FACES NY, Inc. a nonprofit agency in Central Harlem, is seeking a full-time staff position for an Office of Minority Health funded re-entry initiative titled HIRE NY (Health Improvement for Re-entering Ex-offenders). The HIRE NY Project will coordinate a system of care for individuals re-entering NYC from State and Federal prisons needing HIV/STI prevention education, HIV/AIDS treatment and care, substance use and mental health, and family reunification support.

Re-Entry Case Manager 35 hrs/weekly $30,000 - $35,000/yr

Qualifications: BA degree in Social Work or a related human services field and/or 5 years minimum experience in substance abuse/mental health counseling or related field, strong knowledge of chemical dependency issues, familiarity with MICA, homelessness, entitlements, HIV/AIDS and co-occurring conditions and criminal justice system. Bilingual skills preferred.

Please submit your resumes with cover letters to: Antonio Rivera, Director of Education & Client Services, Fax #: 212 864-1614 or via email
FACES NY, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.   

5. LEGISLATION: STATUS OF THE SAFE PAROLE ACT, SENATE BILL S5374, SAME AS ASSEMBLY BILL A7939:
[Note: the Bill is the same in both houses but it has different numbers]

Rumors that the SAFE Parole Act has passed are unfounded. A bill is not a law [please refer to the August issue of Building Bridges for the process]. The NYS Senate and Assembly both need to vote for it during a Legislative Session. The last Legislative Session ended in June 2011, and will not start again, barring an emergency, until January 2012.

S5374: The Senate will have to reintroduce the SAFE Parole Act in January when they go back into session. It will get a new Senate number. At the end of last session it had 4 Senate sponsors: Senator Tom Duane and three co-sponsors: Senators Velmanette Montgomery, Bill Perkins, and Gustavo Rivera.
When Sen. Nozzolio chooses, the SAFE Parole Act will be introduced to the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, which he chairs, for a vote. A majority of the members will have to vote for it in order for it to move out to the Senate floor for a vote. If a majority vote against it, it will be dead unless and until someone reintroduces it at the next Session (Jan. 2013).

A7939: The Assembly retains bills for 2 sessions, so it will keep this number and its 7 Assembly sponsors: Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry, two co-sponsors: Assembly Members Andrew Hevesi and Eric A. Stevenson, and three Multi-sponsors: Assembly Members Herman D. Farrell, Jr., Richard N. Gottfried and John J. McEneny.
Assembly Member Jeff Aubry (who is also the head of the Assembly’s Corrections Committee) probably will wait until he feels it has enough support to pass before he introduces it to the committee. Like the Senate, if the committee passes it, it goes to the Assembly floor for discussion and a vote.

You are probably sick of hearing me say it, but you need to get your State Senator and Assembly Member to vote for it if we have any hope of this bill becoming a law. The longer you take to get involved, the longer it will take. It won’t happen without all of us doing everything possible to win their support.

6. NYS PAROLE CAMPAIGN: CHANGE THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE IN PRISON AND THEIR FAMILIES. GO PUBLIC WITH YOUR STORIES! VIDEO, AUDIO, AND LITERARY OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE. [WE ALSO NEED A VOLUNTEER TO HELP ORGANIZE THE LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR WE’VE RECEIVED.]

WWW.PAROLEREFORM.ORG Family members and friends and advocates of people who have appeared -or will appear- before the NYS Parole Board, are invited to tell their stories on video or audio recording, and hopefully by doing so open the eyes of those who know nothing of the injustices we experience. When people learn the truth we hope they will support the SAFE Parole Act and vote for legislators who also do.

There are 4 ways to do this:

1. arrange a video interview by contacting Judith at 518 253 7533;
2. tell or read your story or that of a family member by calling 877 518 0606 to record it;
3. post your writing on the blog at www.parolereform.org. Register and sign in, then click on the Blog tab, and type or cut and paste your story. Incarcerated persons can have friends on the outside do it for them. Please restrict your stories to the impact parole hearings have had.
4. attend a training session on story gathering for the Parole Reform website. Must have a computer and be comfortable using it. Interested people may call Judith at 518 253 7533.

Volunteer Needed: We need help organizing the letters to the Governor that we’ve received. If you have a computer and are comfortable using it, please send an email to parolereform@gmail.com.

7. PAROLE NEWS: JULY STATS AND COMMISSIONERS BY FACILITY

JULY 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database

Total Interviews..........................# Released....... # Denied.... Rate
17 initials..................................... 0................... 17................ 0%
61 reappearances....................... 17................... 44............... 28%
78 interviews.............................. 17................... 61............... 22%

July Initial Releases: none

July Reappearances
Facility................. Sentence.....................Offense.... # of Board
Adirondack.............15-Life.....................Kidnap 1....... 2nd
Fishkill...................15-Life..................... Murder 2....... 2nd
Fishkill...................15-Life..................... Murder 2....... 3rd
Fishkill...................15-Life..................... Murder 2....... 6th
Green Haven........... 5-Life..................... M pre-74...... 8th
Groveland.............. 25-Life.....................Murder 2....... 4th
Groveland.............. 25-Life.....................Murder 2....... 7th
Mid-Orange............15-Life.....................Murder 2....... 2nd
Mid-Orange............15-Life.....................Murder 2....... 5th
Mid-Orange............17-Life.....................Murder 2....... 3rd
Otisville...................15-Life....................Att Mur 1....... 3rd
Otisville...................15-Life.....................Murder 2....... 6th
Otisville.................. 20-Life.....................Murder 2....... 4th
Otisville.................. 25-Life.....................Murder 2...... 2nd
Shawangunk.......... 15-Life..................... Murder 2....... 2nd
Woodbourne...........15-Life..................... Murder 2...... .8th

PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS BY FACILITY:
CAYUGA: Ferguson and Greenan
GREEN HAVEN: Smith and Lemons

8. PLACES TO GO: ACTIONS, EVENTS AND MEETINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH

ACTIONS:
BUFFALO VIGIL: Every Wed from 5-6 pm Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. Stand for ending abuse.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EVENTS:
ALBANY

SUNDAY OCTOBER 16TH, 6:00 PM SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTER FILM SPECIAL!!
COINTELPRO 101, WITH FILMMAKER CLAUDE MARKS.

In the 1960s-1970s, the FBI ran a secret program of repression, disruption, incarceration, and assassination against Black Panthers, Puerto Rican independentistas, the Chicano/a movement, the American Indian Movement, and white solidarity activists. In this remarkable documentary, the program, called Cointelpro (for Counter Intelligence Program), is unmasked by some of the activists who survived it.

Filmmaker Claude Marks will be present and will talk with the audience about the legacy of Cointelpro today:
Some of Cointelpro's targeted activists and revolutionaries are STILL IN PRISON TODAY! After 30 years they are among the longest held political prisoners in the world. How can we support them? What are today's forms of Cointelpro-type repression and how can we challenge them?

Sponsored by the Social Justice Center of Albany, the Albany Political Prisoner Support Committee, and the Capital District Solidarity Committee. $4 donation at the door to cover expenses requested but not required. The Social Justice Center is wheelchair accessible.

Location: Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LONG ISLAND event

SUNDAY SEPT 18, 8AM on PRISONER FAMILIES ANONYMOUS PICNIC [Rain date Sunday, Sept 25]

Annual picnic at Belmont Lake State Park

Last year’s picnic was a huge success and lots of fun. Take time out from worry and stress and enjoy each other’s company. Talk, network and just have a good time for yourself. We realize that some of you will be coming from great distances, so don’t worry about bringing perishables. We will all bring more than enough for ourselves and others to put on the BBQ, last year was a testament to that! So much food and not enough stomachs. If you can do the same, great. If not, don’t worry.

Our committee will be there as early as 8 am and as late as the park will let us stay, so come any time.

Bring your family – mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, kids, grandkids – anyone you would like to see enjoy the day at our picnic. Playgrounds are stationed all around the park.

Location: Belmont Lake State Park is located at exit 38 off the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon, LI, NY. Look for the “PFA” signs. Unfortunately, parking is $8.00 so try to carpool if you can.

For more information email or call 631.943.0441
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MANHATTAN events

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 6:15 PM FREE THE SAN FRANCISCO 8

Speakers: Larry White, Riverside Prison Ministry, Fortune Society, Prison Action Network, and ex-prisoner; Ramona Africa , MOVE Org, ex-prisoner; Anne Pruden, Angola 3 organizer; Raquibah Fatimah Basir; recently released after 27 years in prison.

Film: In the Land of the Free, a documentary featuring Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, and Robert King, known as the Angola 3. Light refreshments from 5:30-6:15.

Presented by the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC), PO Box 16, College Station, NY NY 10030, hotline:212 330.8029, email: info@freemumia.com.

Location: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 521 W. 126th St.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 7:30AM-5:30PM "THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL: A NEW DAY, A NEW WAY,"

Last chance to register for this national symposium on issues affecting the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and their families that will bring together an impressive array of well-known speakers. This event was created to educate and motivate anyone who has ever been incarcerated, as well as the families of those in prison or who have come home. Please plan to spend the day being fed - both physically and mentally.

Speakers: AL SHARPTON, CORY BOOKER, SOLEDAD O'BRIEN; RANDALL ROBINSON, JEREMY TRAVIS, "CHEF JEFF" HENDERSON, ROSSANA ROSADO, KHALIL MUHAMMAD, ALAN ROSENTHAL, TERRIE WILLIAMS, BYRON PITTS; and MARC LAMONT HILL.

Free and open to the public; free breakfast and lunch Register NOW!

Location: The Riverside Church, W. 120th St and Riverside Drive

SATURDAY OCTOBER 1, 1-4PM THE CAMPAIGN TO END THE NEW JIM CROW

A movement building event for those committed to the call: “No to Prisons, Yes to Caring Communities”
For more information, call 212 501 2112

Location: The Riverside Church Assembly Hall, 490 Riverside Drive [enter on Claremont Ave]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MEETINGS

ALBANY
Monday September 19, 7 - 8:30PM Prison Families of New York, Albany Support Group
Guest Speakers: Ed Fraley NYS Reentry Services/Parole and Diane Buoni, Albany County Reentry Task Force

Location: 373 Central Ave, Albany, NY.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BUFFALO
Monday September 26, 6:30-8:30PM Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. Monthly meeting.
Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. is a justice advocacy initiative focused on issues of prison reform. Meetings usually consist of a prison related movie and a lively interactive discussion afterwards.

September’s Meeting details are not currently available. Details will be posted by Wednesday, Sept. 21 at: prp2.org or you may send an e-mail .

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2, Inc. programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or send her an email.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MANHATTAN
Tuesday, September 20, 6:30-8:30pm MILK NOT JAILS Planning Meeting

With the State Fair and a successful Kickstarter fundraiser among the many successes MILK NOT JAILS can claim this Summer, we're looking forward to lots of next steps with the campaign this Fall. Join us for our monthly meeting to plug into our milk business planning, policy platform outreach and advocacy, and to set goals for the rest of the year. Light refreshments will be served.

Location: 666 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City
Take the B/D/F/V/6 to Broadway-Lafayette
Not in NYC? You can call into the meeting by dialing (712) 775-7200; Access Code 257779#
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SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:

ALBANY: Every Monday 7-8:30 pm Prison Families of NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
Every Tuesday at 6 pm P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now)
Malik at 518-445-5487.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BROOKLYN:
Every Wednesday 5:30pm VOCAL Parolees Organizing Project For more info call 917 676-8041
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LONG ISLAND:
Wednesdays September 27 and October 11, 7:30pm Prison Families Anonymous meetings The Community Presbyterian Church 1843 Deer Park Avenue

Tuesday October 4 (& all first Tuesdays), 7:30pm at St Brigids Catholic Church, 75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.
For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903

Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as a way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please send a note.

AUGUST 2011

2011-08-15T11:31:00.024-04:00

Latebreaking Announcements follow; please scroll down if you want to bypass and go directly to the August issue of Building Bridges.

POSTED AUGUST 30 BY ATTICA IS ALL OF US

Friday, September 9, 2011 is the 40th Anniversary of the Attica Rebellion and Massacre

Join us for an evening of conversation, performances, and music to mark this occasion and address current prison struggles in this country.

Guest Speakers: Attica Brothers: represented by Joseph Harris, Calvin "Hutch" Hutchinson, William Anthony Maynard, Melvin Muhammad, Carlos Roche and Al Hajji Sharif· asha bandele: Writer, Poet, Activist; Drug Policy Alliance · Amiri Baraka: Poet, Playwright, Activist · Dhoruba Al-Mujahid Bin-Wahad: Consultant, Institute for Development of Pan African Policy (Ghana, W. Africa) · Soffiyah Elijah: Executive Director, Correctional Association · Elizabeth Fink: Attica Brothers Legal Defense · Amy Goodman: Journalist, Author; Host and Executive Director, Democracy Now! · Joseph "Jazz" Hayden: Campaign to End the New Jim Crow · Jamal Joseph: Former Black Panther; Chair, Columbia University's School of the Arts Film Division · Dr. Cornel West: Professor, Princeton; Public Intellectual and Activist

"ATTICA IS ALL OF US"
Friday, September 9, 2011, 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Doors open at 6:30 pm
Free and open to the public

Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027
Enter at 91 Claremont Avenue, between 120th and 122nd Street
Subway: Take the 1 train to 116th Street, Columbia University

Please RSVP at 347.788.0275.
"Attica Is All of Us" is presented in collaboration with The Campaign to End the New Jim Crow, Drug Policy Alliance, The Culture Project, The Nation, and The Brecht Forum.

POSTED 8/29 BY CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION

Some important and disturbing information about NYC's lack of an emergency evacuation plan for the roughly 12,000 people housed on Rikers Island.

Article on the situation: CLICK HERE

Page with actions you can easily take: CLICK HERE

POSTED 8/29 BY MILK NOT JAILS

We have raised 70% toward our total goal on Kickstarter. Please help us make our goal by this Wednesday, August 31st!

You'll be receive fresh rewards for your pledge; Check out the $100 pledge reward - you'll get a great basket of farm fresh products (vegetables, fruit, ice cream, sauces, tinctures and more!) with a market value greater than $100 and you'll have some choice in what we send your way! Check out more details at http://kck.st/nM0QPc.

This is a critical component to that campaign that, if financed, will allow us to dramatically increase the number of farmers we mobilize as strategic allies for criminal justice reform. These strategic allies are being cultivated by us to directly support campaigns challenging the prison system in NY. The purchase of a truck and marketing materials allows us to move the campaign from an "interesting idea" to a real working model of an alternative economic relationship between and among communities impacted by incarceration.

We also know you have a your own friends and family who will most likely be interested in what we're doing, and we would really really appreciate it if you could help us reach out to them. Please consider doing at least one of the following:

1. Forward this email to your friends and family
2. Post a link to the Kickstarter page on your Facebook page. The link is http://kck.st/nM0QPc
3. Select "I'm attending" for the Facebook fundraiser reminder event (at this address). Then invite all your Facebook friends. This event will stay on all your friend's calendars until the fundraiser deadline - August 31, 2011.
4. Call 10 friends and ask them to make a pledge.

MILK NOT JAILS hasn't asked anyone for money before. In fact, we've been throwing free, public events throughout the state over the past year and a half. Please help us make it to the next stage of our organizing work by making a contribution today.

Make a pledge

Lauren Melodia, 718.783.8443, MILK NOT JAILS

POSTED 8/17: by Prison Action Network

Popular radio program Fancy Broccoli hosted Judith Brink, Dir. of Prison Action Network on Sunday August 28.

The show will be archived on the Fancy Broccoli Show website, www.fancybroccoli.org, in the near future. I had a great time talking with the show's hosts, Ernest Henry and Anthony Lucky, about Prison Action Network, past Family Empowerment Days, and the SAFE Parole Act's position within the context of a broader Reintegrative Justice framework, starting with arrest and continuing until reintegration.

WVKR-FM 91.3 FM, Fancy Broccoli Show www.fancybroccoli.org.

POSTED 8/17: by Prison Action Network

Senator Bill Perkins is concerned about reports he's received about retaliation by correctional officers against prisoners who've written grievances, appeals or Art. 448's. If you know someone who is a victim of relatiliation please write: Senator Bill Perkins,163 W.125 ST. Suite 912, NY NY 10027, and include as much documentation as possible. Or call 212-222-7315 to speak to him or Mr.Berrien.

BUILDING BRIDGES, AUGUST 15, 2011

Dear Reader,

This Building Bridges on your computer screen is the quickest way we respond to the questions and suggestions we hear most frequently. Article 4 on the legislative process is in response to many questions we've gotten, and the letter at the end is in response to people who ask the NYS Parole Reform Campaign what to say to the governor.

We have to prioritize because we just don't have the time to be up to speed on every important issue. That's why we start each Building Bridges with a long list of events, meetings, and activities presented by other members of the network who focus directly on some of those other important issues. We encourage you to contact them for more information.

We try to represent our members and therefore we need to hear your stories and understand your needs. When we visit legislators and DOCCS officials we like to be able to say, "we've gotten lots of mail on this...". So even though you may not hear back from us directly, don't doubt your importance to us. It keeps us VERY busy.

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and get involved!

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES:
1. Activism: most of this issue is devoted to letting you know about all the interesting things going on this month; lots of picnics, parades, and less business meetings than usual. A great way to get comfortable with other people who share your situation and your interests.

2. Citizens Against Recidivism is gearing up for its annual Award Dinner coming up this October 29th, and the deadline for nominating someone for an award is September 1.

3. The Legislative report this month attempts to explain the legislative process in terms most of us can understand. Feel free to send us your comments and questions.

4. Mayor Bloomberg is removing one of the obstacles facing formerly-incarcerated people looking for jobs, by ordering city agencies not to ask about criminal histories until after the interview process.

5. The NYS Parole Reform Campaign is moving forward in a spirit of hope and enthusiasm. We've been having meaningful visits with legislators and commissioners. Let us know if you would like to join us in the future.

6. Parole News covers June's releases of A1VOs, discusses the composition of the parole board, and reports on a parole applicant's 11th parole hearing.

7. The last article is a letter to Governor Cuomo supporting the SAFE Parole Act which you can sign if you don't want to write your own.

ACTIVISM: ACTIONS, CLASSES, EVENTS AND MEETINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH

We sometimes publish things that have happened by the time you read this. While it may be too late for you to attend them, you might still be pleased to know such opportunities exist, and you might want to ask the organization to put you on their mailing list.
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ACTIONS:

BUFFALO VIGIL: EVERY WED FROM 5-6 PM ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION
Demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. Stand for ending abuse.
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CLASSES/WORKSHOPS:

ON-LINE SEMINAR

TUES. AUGUST 23, 3:00-4:00 P.M. BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE (BJA)
Offender Reentry in Indian Country & Native Communities: Transition from Jail to the Community

Nearly 40 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives incarcerated on any given day are in jail, whether operated by tribes or other local jurisdictions. Therefore, attending to the unique challenges and opportunities of jail-based reentry is essential to any tribal reentry strategy. This webinar will present the work of the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative. The presenters will discuss the implications of the TJC model both for (a) tribes that operate jail facilities and for (b) tribes seeking to improve reentry for members in jails operated outside of tribal jurisdiction. Presenters will discuss resources to assist tribal leaders in both types of work.
Presenters:
• Jim Barbee (moderator), Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections Jails Division
• Jesse Jannetta, Transition from Jail to Community Initiative Project Director, Urban Institute
• Kevin Warwick, President, Alternative Solutions Associates
• Janeen Buck-Willison, Transition from Jail to Community Initiative Evaluation Director, Urban Institute

Click here to register and then click on “Register” next to the August 23 “Transition from Jail to the Community.” Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with information to access the webinar. If you do not receive the confirmation, please notify Jim Barbee, 202-514-0100, jbarbee@bop.gov.
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EVENTS
BUFFALO event

THURSDAY AUGUST 25, 10AM-2PM W.N.Y. PRISONER REENTRY COALITION, INC.
Reentry Conference 2011, Making It Happen - Getting It Done

Schedule:
10:30 - 11:30 am JEFF CONRAD, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO )
11:30 - 12:30 pm KENYATTA COBB, Hananiah Lutheran Church
Lunch Spkr 12:30-1pm BEVERLY NEWKIRK, It Takes A Village
1-2pm TRACY FLEMMING, Buffalo Urban League

Free and Open to the Public; Includes Free Lunch
Registration required: click here or call 716 908 5401

Location: Crucial Community Center, 230 Moselle St. Buffalo NY 14211

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CHATHAM event

TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 10AM - 4PM MILK NOT JAILS

Columbia County Fair outreach
Join us at the Columbia County Fair to reach out to the public about MILK NOT JAILS and our policy agenda. We will be doing outreach from 10am - 4pm. RSVP here or call 718-783-8443, and we will give you specific details on where to join us for any part of the day!

Location: Route 66, Chatham, NY
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LONG ISLAND events

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 8AM - ? PRISONER FAMILIES ANONYMOUS [Rain date Sunday, Sept 25]

Annual picnic at Belmont Lake State Park

Last year’s picnic was a huge success and lots of fun. Take time out from worry and stress and enjoy each other’s company. Talk, network and just have a good time for yourself. We realize that some of you will be coming from great distances, so don’t worry about bringing perishables. We will all bring more than enough for ourselves and others to put on the BBQ, last year was a testament to that! So much food and not enough stomachs. If you can do the same, great. if not, don’t worry.

Our committee will be there as early as 8 am and as late as the park will let us stay, so come any time.

Bring your family – mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, kids, grandkids – anyone you would like to see enjoy the day at our picnic. Playgrounds are stationed all around the park.

Location: Belmont Lake State Park is located at exit 38 off the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon, LI, NY. Look for the “PFA” signs.
Unfortunately, parking is $8.00 so try to carpool if you can.

For more information email or call 631 943 0441
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MANHATTAN events

WED. AUGUST 17, 5:30 PM MARCUS GARVEY DAY IN HARLEM
HARLEM'S DAY OF HEALING

Stop Killing Each Other!! Come in memory of those who died from gun violence.
Wear a white T Shirt, bring a candle

Location: Adam Clayton Powell State Office Bldg.
Corner of 125th st. & 7th ave.
For more info: hasksnyc@aol.com

SAT. AUGUST 20, 12 PM – 5 PM NEW YORK STATE PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK
SUMMERTIME BBQ

Come out and join us in New York City to build community, trust, and move forward in our work together! Come and relax, play, and socialize in a tranquil setting. This is a family friendly event. Bring something for the grill, something to drink, something to play, or just your awesome self.

Location: Riverside Park Recreation Area W. 145th St, Hudson River
Directions:
Take the Bx19 bus to Riverbank State Park, walk down the stairs to Riverside park
Take the 1 train to 145th street and walk west over the bridge that crosses the highway into Riverbank State Park, take the stairs down to Riverside park.
Take the ABCD train to 145th Street and walk or take the Bx19.

Questions? Call Shoshana 718.207.4486 or shoshanabrwn@gmail.com

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 7-10PM (DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM) ATTICA IS ALL OF US

An evening of music, performances and conversation to mark the 40th anniversary of the Attica Rebellion and Massacre and address current prison struggles.

With: ATTICA BROTHERS; ASHA BANDELE, Drug Policy Alliance, Journalist, Poet; BABA AMIRI BARAKA, African-American Poet Laureate, Pan-African Elder Statesman, & Community Activist; DHORUBA AL-MUJAHID BIN-WAHAD, Consultant, Institute For Development of Pan-African Policy, Ghana, W. Africa; SOFFIYAH ELIJAH, Executive Director, Correctional Association; ELIZABETH FINK, Attica Brothers Legal Defense; AMY GOODMAN, Host, Democracy Now! ; JOSEPH “JAZZ” HAYDEN, Campaign to End the New Jim Crow; JAMAL JOSEPH, former Black Panther; Chair, Columbia University’s School of the Arts Film division; CORNEL WEST, Professor, Public Intellectual & Activist

Free and open to the public. Register here

Location: 490 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10027 (Enter at 91 Claremont Avenue)

Presented by Attica is All of Us and The Riverside Church Prison Ministry in collaboration with the The Culture Project, the Nation, Drug Policy Alliance, the Brecht Forum, and the Campaign to End the New Jim Crow

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2-5PM DAY TWO OF ATTICA IS ALL OF US
A Message from the Grassroots: Attica is Now

Special Guests: Herman & Iyaluua Ferguson, Authors of “An Unlikely Warrior
Herman Ferguson: Evolution of a Black Nationalist Revolutionary”

Speakers and Cultural Presentations include:
Africa Bambatta (Zulu Nation), Glen Ford (Black Agenda Report), Africa (International Concerned Family & Friends for Mumia Abu-Jamal), Hamm (People’s Organization for Progress), Attorney Gibbs, Edward Tait (Harlem Poet Laureate), Artist Eric III, Former Political Prisoner Laura Whitehorn, Poynter (Lynne Stewart Defense Committee), Messages from Lynne Stewart, Mumia Abu Jamal, and Assata Shakur.

Location: The Riverside Church Assembly Hall
Claremont Ave.(120th & 121st Streets)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1-3 PM NEW YORK REENTRY ROUNDTABLE

I wish you all a safe and happy summer. We do not convene in the month of August due to the fact that many people go on vacation. I look forward to seeing you at the September Roundtable.

Gabriel Torres Rivera, J.D. Director, Reentry Initiatives Legal Department
212-614-5306 www.cssny.org

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 7:30AM - 5:30PM "THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL: A NEW DAY, A NEW WAY,"

A national symposium on issues affecting the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and their families that will bring together an impressive array of well-known speakers:

Rev. AL SHARPTON; Newark, NJ Mayor CORY BOOKER, named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People; CNN journalist SOLEDAD O'BRIEN; RANDALL ROBINSON, best-selling author and social justice advocate; JEREMY TRAVIS, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice; "CHEF JEFF" HENDERSON, formerly incarcerated motivational speaker, author and star of the Food Network; ROSSANA ROSADO, CEO of El Diario La Prensa, one of the nation's top Spanish-language newspapers; KHALIL MUHAMMAD, noted historian and new director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; ALAN ROSENTHAL, co-director, Justice Strategies, Center for Community Alternatives; TERRIE WILLIAMS, youth advocate and author of the book, Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting, CBS national correspondent BYRON PITTS; and MARC LAMONT HILL, a leading hip-hop generation intellectual and host of the nationally syndicated television program, Our World with Black Enterprise.

Free and open to the public; free breakfast and lunch
Register NOW

Location: The Riverside Church, W. 120th St & Riverside Dr. NYC

The "Think Outside the Cell: A New Day, A New Way," symposium is made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation to the Think Outside the Cell Foundation, which was founded by Sheila Rule. It is being presented in partnership with the Fortune Society’s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy, the College and Community Fellowship and the Riverside Church Prison Ministry.
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RHINEBECK event

SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 10AM - 6PM MILK NOT JAILS
Dutchess County Fair Outreach

Join us at the Dutchess County Fair to reach out to the public about MILK NOT JAILS and our policy agenda. We will be doing outreach from 10am - 2pm and then we will try to participate in the 3pm parade that day as well. RSVP to MilkNotJails@gmail.com or 718-783-8443, and we will give you specific details on where to join us for any part of the day!

Location: 6550 Spring Brook Avenue, Rhinebeck, NY
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SYRACUSE events

SATURDAY AUGUST 27 THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES (CCA)
Second Annual Second Chances Walk/Run for Justice!

A 5K (3.1 miles) event at Onondaga Lake Park/Bay View Area. In addition to the participation of serious runners, this event is a great opportunity for those who are new to runs and those who are interested in a healthy walk, for a great cause along the beautiful shore of Onondaga Lake.

Center for Community Alternatives, 115 East Jefferson Street, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202

For questions, call Ann Usborne at 315-422-5638 ext. 233.
Registration materials available at www.communityalternatives.org
or write cca@communityalternatives.org

MONDAY, AUGUST 29TH 10AM - 6PM MILK NOT JAILS
NY State Fair Outreach & Parade

Join us at the NY State Fair to reach out to the public about MILK NOT JAILS and our policy agenda. We will be doing outreach from 10am - 4pm and then we are officially entering the Dairy Parade at 6pm.

RSVP to MilkNotJails@gmail.com or 718-783-8443, and we will give you specific details on where to join us for any part of the day!

Location: Empire Expo Center, Route 690, Syracuse, NY
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MEETINGS

BUFFALO
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO, INC.
Monthly meeting.

We will examine COINTELPRO, what it was and what it is now, as the PATRIOT ACT and HOMELAND SECURITY. Following the screening of the film “COINTELPRO 101,” from Freedom Archives, the history will be shared by a panel of five speakers, including Sheila Hayes, wife of Robert “Seth” Hayes, a Black Panther Party member who has been incarcerated for more than three decades; Brooke Reynolds, an advocate for justice who supports Jalil Muntaqim, another member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army; and Mike Kuzma, a Buffalo attorney who has been a longtime advocate for Leonard Peltier, a political prisoner like Hayes and Muntaqim, and member of the American Indian Movement, incarcerated since 1977. Other speakers will speak briefly about COINTELPRO’s impact on Puerto Rican independence, the Earth Liberation Front, and the anti-war effort.

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2, Inc. programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or mailto:karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo

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SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:

ALBANY: EVERY MONDAY 7-8:30 PM PRISON FAMILIES OF NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
EVERY TUESDAY AT 6 PM P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now) Malik at 518-445-5487.

BROOKLYN:
EVERY WEDNESDAY 5:30PM VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT For more info call 917 676-8041

LONG ISLAND:
WEDNESDAYS AUG 10 & 24 7:30PM PRISON FAMILIES ANONYMOUS meetings
The Community Presbyterian Church 1843 Deer Park Avenue

TUESDAY SEPT 6 (& all first Tuesdays), 7:30pm at St Brigids Catholic Church, 75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.
For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903
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2. CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM, INC. SEEKS CANDIDATES FOR THE 2011 CITIZENS AWARDS

These awards, presented at the world renowned Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz Education Center, are awarded to deserving formerly incarcerated individuals who have been out of prison for at least three years (exceptional cases will be considered) and whose work contributes to the advancement of social justice issues or issues related to persons impacted by the criminal justice system. Words and phrases that would describe a successful nominee include leader, catalyst for positive change, pioneer, founder, collaborator, innovator, strategist, or initiator. (Only five awards will be presented.)

The awards ceremony will be held on October 29, 2011. Nominate your candidate before the 1st of September, 2011. Full information on the award selection guidelines and nomination applications are available at www.citizensinc.org.

3. LEGISLATIVE REPORT: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS BUT THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER MAKE SENSE OF IT. THE MAIN THING TO KNOW: THIS TAKES TIME AND EXPERIENCE TO UNDERSTAND, BUT IF YOU FOLLOW A BILL YOU'LL CATCH ON.

New York State has a Legislature with two 'houses', the Senate and the Assembly. Each of us is represented by a State Senator and a State Assembly Member. Prison Action Network is primarily concerned with our state legislators because they are the ones responsible for making the laws that pertain to our state's prison, probation, and parole policies and control the process from arrest through reentry. The easiest way to find out who represents you, if you have a computer, is to go to www.congress.org/congressorg/officials/congress/. If you don't have a computer find a friend (or you can call PAN at 518 253 7533) who does and give them your street address and ask them to go to that website for you. After you enter your address you will see a list of your representatives. Note that the ones on the left are your United States representatives and the ones on the right are your New York State representatives. [You also have representatives at several local levels, depending on where you live, so don't confuse them with these.]

The bills you may be interested in, like the SAFE Parole Act and the FRP bill, began as proposals, which can be written by anyone, including you and me or our representatives. Once a senator or an assembly person agrees to sponsor it, it becomes a bill and gets a number. If the number begins with S it was sponsored by a Senator; if it starts with A, it was sponsored by an Assembly Member. PAN proposed the SAFE Parole Act and Sen. Duane and A.M. Aubrey sponsored it: S5374 and A7939. Senator Nozzolio sponsored (and probably wrote) the FRP Bill and A.M. Giglio then sponsored it: S3747 and A8478.

A bill has to have a sponsor in both houses in order to be passed into law. This is the first step. Once it has a sponsor and a number, it is sent to the committee in charge of its type of law. Most of our legislation starts out in the Senate's Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee and the Assembly’s Correction Committee. Once in a Committee it is no longer under the control of the person or group who wrote it. It sits in the Committee until the Chair of the committee decides to submit it to the rest of the committee for a vote. It appears that if the chair likes it s/he will wait until s/he knows a majority of the committee will vote for it and if s/he doesn't like it, s/he will either never introduce it or s/he will introduce it knowing it will be voted down. If the majority of the committee approves it, it is sent to the whole house for their vote. If the majority of a committee oppose it (as happened in the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee when the S338 Merit Time Bill was brought up) the bill is dead in that house (the Senate in this case) until, or if, it is resubmitted during the next session. And without two houses it cannot pass.

To sum that up: A bill needs to have a sponsor in both the Senate and the Assembly, be approved by both committees, be approved by a majority of the whole Senate and the whole Assembly, and then be signed by the governor before it is a law. This can take weeks, months, or years.

Next month we will go into a little more detail. But by now it should be obvious how important it is for you to let your representative know how you feel about a bill. It can be difficult to get a majority, so every vote counts. Legislators pay most attention to their constituents, so talking to members of the committees unless they are also your representatives does not make as much of an impact. When the Senate and the Assembly vote on the bill, you want to be sure your senator and assembly member know the way you want them to vote. [If they don't vote in your interest, then you might not want to vote for them in the next election.] Unless a majority of the legislators agree with you, a bill you like won't get passed, or a bill you oppose will get passed. Most people do not get this involved, so when you do your representatives will pay attention.

Our Legislature is not in session now. (Session is when they all gather to vote on bills.) They won't go into session again until January 2012 unless the governor calls them back. They are meeting with their constituents now however, so it's a good time to write them, call them, and visit them. They are also raising money for their reelection campaigns, so they are even more than usually sensitive to voters' opinions.

4. MAYOR BLOOMBERG BANS THE BOX IN NYC - THE ONE ON JOB APPLICATIONS THAT ASKS IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY .

A $127 million initiative, toward which Mayor Bloomberg contributed $30 million of his own money, will boost the prospects of underemployed black and Latino men, including those who were formerly-incarcerated. The mayor ordered city agencies not to ask about a person's criminal history until after the interview process is completed. In a New York Post article , dated 8/6/11, he was quoted as saying, "I believe that as long as you have served your time and stayed clean, and the crime you committed isn't related to the job your seeking or a threat to public safety, you deserve a second chance just like everyone else." The article also reports that the city is going to clean up rap sheets since so many of them contain errors that can be a hurdle to employment.

5. THE NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN

We've been spending the summer months visiting with people we hope will become supporters of the SAFE Parole Act. A group of constituents and supporters met with Sen. Edward Maziarz in his district office in Lockport NY. Joining us was former head of Parole, George Alexander, representing the Saving Grace Ministry Parole (half-way house) program where he serves as an assistant director. (He sends his greeting to to all of you.) Sen. Maziarz appeared impressed by the personal stories he heard at our meeting. If you're in his district and would like to share yours, it could make a difference

We also had a productive visit with Andrea Evan, chair of the Parole Board. We went into the meeting assuring her we would keep our discussion confidential but we do want you to know we were representing your interests, which of course are in everyone's best interest, so there's no conflict there.

If you want to join the campaign’s efforts, please contact us. By phone or email if possible; by letter if not (NYS Parole Reform Campaign, 518 253 7533, parolereform@gmailcom, PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206). We especially encourage families to get together in support of the SAFE Parole Act. One of you can represent the group in corresponding with us. We need to present a united front, so let's make sure our outreach carries the same message, and goes to the most strategic places.

6. PAROLE NEWS: JUNE A1 RELEASES, BOARD COMPOSITION, AND THE WINCHELL SAGA

JUNE 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database

TOTAL INTERVIEWS.....# RELEASED...# DENIED...RATE OF RELEASE
15 Initials........................3................12...............20%
87 reappearances............19..............68...............22%
102 interviews.................22..............80...............12%

JUNE INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY...SENTENCE.........OFFENSE..
Clinton.........15-Life.........Murder 2
Fishkill.........29-Life.........Murder 2
Fishkill.........25-Life.........Murder 2

JUNE REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY.........SENTENCE........OFFENSE........# OF BOARD
Arthurkill............23-Life........Murder 2.................3rd
Arthurkil.............15-Life........Murder 2.................3rd
Attica..................25-Life........Kidnap 1.................4th
Clinton................25-Life.......Murder pre-74........7th
Clinton................18-Life.......Murder 2.................3rd
Fishkill................22-Life.......Murder 2.................2nd
Fishkill................15-Life.......Murder 2.................3rd
Fishkill................18-Life.......Kidnap 1.................2nd
Fishkill................20-Life.......Murder 2.................7th
Fishkill................25-Life.......Murder 2.................3rd *for deportation only
Fishkill................20-Life.......Murder 2.................4th
Groveland...........18-Life.......Murder 2.................7th
Sing Sing.............27 1/3-L....Murder 2.................2nd
Wallkill.................5-Life........Murder 2.................11th
Woodbourne.......15-Life.......Murder 2..................3rd
Woodbourne.......20-Life.......Murder 2..................2nd
Woodbourne.......25-Life.......Murder 2..................3rd
Woodbourne.......15-Life.......Murder 2.................12th
Woodbourne.......20-Life.......Murder 2..................4th

PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS IN JUNE BY FACILITY: CAYUGA: Ludlow, Hagler; GROVELAND: Lemons, Thompson; MID-ORANGE: Ferguson, Thompson. Thank you to our reporters, who will receive a free subscription. We'd like to hear about more facilities.

THE COMPOSITION OF THE PAROLE BOARD NEEDS CHANGING. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY COMMISSIONERS WHOSE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN PROSECUTING.
The Board consists of up to 19 members. Currently (due to the economy we're told), there are 13 members, including Chair Andrea Evans. Six of those commissioners don’t have prosecutorial backgrounds, at least technically, and as far as we’ve been able to discover. They are Jared Brown, of whom we know little; Joseph Crangle, former probation officer; Gerald J. Greenan III, deputy commissioner of Liquor Authority; Christina Hernandez, former commissioner of Crime Victim’s Board; Mary Ross former staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society in Queens, and Andrea Evans who worked for the Division of Parole for many years..

But there are these 7 who are experienced law enforcers: Lisa Beth Elovich, lawyer in the Attorney General’s Office and in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; James Ferguson, former Bx ADA; Michael A. Hagler: more than 30 years in law enforcement; Henry Lemons, Deputy Chief Investigator for the New York State Attorney General; Walter Smith, senior investigator for the state's Crime Victims Board, Sally A. Thompson, 20 years with the NYC Police Department. All we know about G. Kevin Ludlow is that he’s a lawyer.

With the exception of Mary Ross, who also was executive director of Providence House, a nonprofit corporation that provides transitional and permanent housing for female ex-offenders, homeless women and their children; and the campus minister at Queens College, most of the Board members were not trained or experienced in evaluating a person’s character, transformation, or mental status. Beyond looking for broader ethnic and class diversity in his choice of candidates, we strongly encourage Governor Cuomo to add to the qualifications for the job, experience in the field of sociology, psychology, counseling, or ministry. This Board is weighed down with people who are experienced in creating a case for conviction, not at all the same thing as evaluating a person’s rehabilitation or transformation.

MOST OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD THAT CRAIG WINCHELL HAS BEEN RELEASED TO PAROLE SUPERVISION AFTER 10 DENIALS.
It’s been quite a sensational journey for Mr. Winchell, who has been incarcerated for 29 years even though the judge set his sentence to a minimum of 18 years. Since his crime, Craig turned his life around, married, has two children, now 18 1nd 17, and has worked outside (special outside clearance) for the past 3 years. In the last 6 years he had one split decision resulting in a rehearing the next time the Board met, got hit for 2 years at that hearing, appealed and got a de novo (a new) hearing. On the panel of the de novo hearing was the commissioner who voted to release him in the first split decision. This time the commissioner voted not to release him and he got hit with 2 more years. Mr. Winchell appealed again, and that’s when Judge Frank J. La Buda not only ordered another de novo and stipulated that an entirely new Board had to review the case but also added that if the case came before him again, he’d consider other options. This time Craig Winchell was released. "I think it just all came together. It was the right thing for the board to do," said attorney David Lenefsky, who has represented Mr. Winchell pro bono for the last seven years.

7. WE'VE BEEN ASKED FOR A LETTER TO SIGN ASKING THE GOVERNOR TO SUPPORT THE SAFE PAROLE ACT. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS IN RESPONSE. FOR A BETTER FORMATTED LETTER, PLEASE SEND YOUR REQUEST TO ParoleReform@gmail.com.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
State Capitol
Albany NY 12224

Re: The SAFE Parole Act - S5374 /A7939

Dear Governor Cuomo:

I appreciate your attempts to make the parole process fairer with the provisions you included in the 2011 budget bill. But I don’t think you went far enough. Each parole applicant should be evaluated for current dangerousness, and those who present evidence that they are ready to rejoin society should be released and those who are determined to be not ready need to be given the reasons and told what to do in order to be released. Almost every incarcerated person will be released someday. The nature of the crime will be the same then as it is now and was at the completion of the minimum sentence. Why waste money, approximately $40,000 a year, and cause suffering for the family, by keeping a person in prison when they're rehabilitated? The SAFE Parole Act makes safe and fair evaluations more likely.

The current practice of parole commissioners is to deny release to A1 violent offenders who have the lowest recidivism rates and to release those with less serious crimes who may still be a threat to society. The SAFE Parole Act changes that by giving the Parole Board tested criteria for making their decisions and requiring them to provide a list of steps the parole applicant can take to gain release in the future. Every body wins! Society can feel safer, families can have happy reunions, and New York State can save money

Please consider the SAFE Parole Act for a program bill or for inclusion in next year's budget.

I look forward to hearing your intentions in this regard.
Thank you,

_______________________________________
Signature

Printed Name_______________________________________

Street Address_________________________________________

City and ZIP___________________________________________________

Date____/______/______

Please return to NYS Parole Reform Campaign, PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206

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Building Bridges is the newsletter of the Prison Action Network. Please send a note if you'd like to become a member.

JULY 2011

2011-07-13T20:00:00.015-04:00

Latebreaking Announcements follow; please scroll down to bypass and go directly to the July issue of Building Bridges.

POSTED JULY 24: NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND REAPPORTIONMENT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

PURPOSE:
To gather public input regarding congressional and state legislative districts following the Census of 2010. Meetings are scheduled in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and White Plains. You must sign up if you wish to speak. Click here for details.

The Task Force will be deciding the boundaries of our legislator’s districts. It could change who represents you. More importantly it could lessen the weight of your vote if they do not abide by Part XX, which you probably know as the Prison Gerrymandering Bill, that passed into law and mandates that prisoners be counted in their home districts, not in the communities where they are incarcerated.

A member of the task force has publically stated that they will not be applying that law to their decisions, since it is being appealed. Until a judge rules on the appeal, they are obligated to follow the law. Please come to the meeting near you to make sure they understand we are paying attention and want our vote to count as much as anyone else’s vote.

POSTED JULY 23 -CIRCLE OF LOVE FORUM CANCELLED

A COMMUNITY FORUM, HOSTED BY THE CIRCLE OF LOVE PRISON SUPPORT GROUP HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE DISCUSSION WAS TO BE ABOUT THE CLOSING OF ARTHURKILL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND MY CONTROL THE FORUM HAS BEEN CANCELLED......
IF YOU ALL WOULD BE SO KIND TO LET ANYONE THAT YOU MAY OF CONTACTED ABOUT THE FORUM, PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE OR LET THEM KNOW.
THANK YOU, RUTH HANEY

I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED.........................FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ME RUTH HANEY @ (718) 813-2324 OR E-MAIL ME.

POSTED JULY 22 - NEWS ON PELIKAN BAY PRISON HUNGER STRIKE

California Prison hunger strike ends after 20 days; advocates say strike raised awareness about prison conditions
Thadeus Greenson and Kaci Poor/The Times-Standard

California prison officials and prison advocacy groups announced Thursday the end of a three-week hunger strike that saw thousands of inmates at more than a dozen institutions refuse meals.

Dorsey Nunn, a mediator between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the striking prisoners, said he spoke with Pelican Bay State Prison inmates over the phone Thursday who confirmed the news.

”The choices they were confronted with were torture or death,” Nunn said. “Those really aren't choices. I think they chose to live to fight (for) justice another day.”

To read the entire report please
click here.

BUILDING BRIDGES, JULY 15

Dear Reader,

This edition focuses heavily on legislative reports and prison closures. There are lots of other important issues but current events have brought these topics to the forefront. Of course Prison Action Network’s main concern is the passage of the SAFE Parole Act, and we won't cut back on that! But some of the harmful bills introduced in the Senate get our blood pressure up, and the prison closings, which of course we wanted, couldn’t have been much more threatening to our ultimate goal. See article 2 for updates on significant criminal justice bills and article 5, which analyzes the prison closures from 4 different perspectives. Hopefully these reports will encourage you to remain vigilant and engaged.

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone's sake, get involved!

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES:

1. Activism: actions, classes, events and meetings happening around the state this month

2. Legislation introduced this year. Twenty-six bills, some good, some bad. None passed.

3. The NYS Parole Reform Campaign is planning group District Visits during the summer. If you know who your legislators are, perhaps we can plan to visit them at their district offices.

4. Parole News: May releases and May Board Members (as known)

5. Commentary on closures of four minimum-security facilities for men: Buffalo Work Release; Camp Georgetown; Summit Shock; and Fulton Work Release, in addition to three medium-security facilities for men: Arthur Kill; Mid-Orange; and Oneida.

6. Risk and Needs Assessments - what we know about them is they’re in the law, and we’ve seen a copy used for reentry purposes. We don’t know how they’re scored, nor how they’re applied to parole board decisions.

7. Registration is now open for "Think Outside the Cell: A New Day, A New Way,". Anyone who wants to attend the free, day-long symposium is urged to register immediately, since space is limited. Free breakfast and lunch will be available at the event, which is funded by the Ford Foundation.

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please send an email to PAN with a request clearly stating number of the article and the date it appeared -Ed.]

1. ACTIVISM: ACTIONS, CLASSES, EVENTS AND MEETINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH
We sometimes publish things that have happened by the time you get this. While it may be too late for you to attend them, you might still be pleased to know such opportunities exist. And you might want to ask the organization to put you on their mailing list.

ACTIONS:
BUFFALO VIGIL: Every Wed from 5-6 pm Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. Stand for ending abuse.
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CLASSES/WORKSHOPS:

QUEENS workshop:
SATURDAY AUGUST 6, 12:00PM-1:30 PM CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM
The first in a 13 week series of classes for adults who recognize they have difficulty managing their anger
Contact us to register or to make a referral: P. 347.626.7233 – F. 347.626.7743
website - information
Location: 137-58 Thurston Street, Springfield Gardens, New York 11413
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EVENTS:

MANHATTAN events
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1-3PM NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
Justice for Domestic Violence Survivors in the Criminal Justice System
Presented by Coalition for Women Prisoners’ Violence Against Women Committee
The film, Strength of a Women, followed by a panel discussion.
Guest speakers: Jaya Vasandani, Sr. Mary Nerney, Jesenia Santana, LaDeamMa McMorre, Sharon Richardson

Please RSVP to Gabriel Torres Rivera, by email, 212-614-5306, website
Location: The Community Service Society of New York (CSS)
105 East 22nd St corner of Park Ave So. Conf Rm 4A
Take the 6 or N/R trains to 23rd Street

FRIDAY JULY 22, 9:30 PM. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN 58TH ST BUS MEETUP
Join us to hand out flyers about the SAFE Parole Act and enlist people to take action on the campaign’s website. Call Judith 518 253 7533 or Maria 917 885 2541 to sign up so we can bring enough flyers for you.
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MEETINGS

BUFFALO
MONDAY, JULY 25, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO, INC. MONTHLY MEETING.
Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. is a justice advocacy initiative focused on issues of prison reform.

The next meeting will explore juvenile justice by taking a look at what Erie County has to offer. We will attempt to get a better understanding of what the Office of Child and Family Services delivers through its Office of Youth Development. Our guest speakers will be Mr. David Rust who is the Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services and the Director of Erie County’s Secure Youth Detention Center in Buffalo. Our second speaker will be Mr. Otis Barker who is the Executive Director of Buffalo’s Division for Youth. (Documentary film TBA.)

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2, Inc. programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or email Karima.

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street
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SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:

ALBANY: EVERY MONDAY 7-8:30 PM Prison Families of NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
EVERY TUESDAY AT 6 PM P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now) Malik at 518-445-5487.

BROOKLYN:
EVERY WEDNESDAY 5:30PM VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT For more info call 917 676-8041

LONG ISLAND:
WEDNESDAYS JULY 13, JULY 27 7:30PM PRISON FAMILIES ANONYMOUS MEETINGS (note change to Wednesdays)
The Community Presbyterian Church 1843 Deer Park Avenue

TUESDAY AUG 2 (& ALL FIRST TUESDAYS), 7:30PM AT ST BRIGIDS CATHOLIC CHURCH,
75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.
For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903
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2. LEGISLATIVE REPORT: STATUS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILLS THAT AFFECT OUR MEMBERS:

NOTE: These are the bills that were introduced this year in the Assembly’s Correction Committee and/or the Senate’s Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee. None of them became law. Several of the worst have no Assembly sponsorship, and the editor is tempted to think they are only meant to give us high blood pressure. Two bills we support were voted down in Committee: Merit Time and Educational Opportunities. Two we oppose were passed in the Senate,one of which* has a sponsor in the Assembly: *FRP and VFO Registry

Assembly bills are reintroduced every 2 years. So this year’s Assembly bills will still be there next session. Senate bills need to be reintroduced every year and get a new number. Both houses of the State Legislature go back into session in January 2012. It will be an election year.

2011 BILLS:
A3658 - AUBRY -NO SENATE BILL
CERTIFICATE OF RESTORATION
Cospnsrs: Lentol, Wright, Glick, Lopez V, Camara, Jaffee, Boyland, Robinson, Jeffries
Mltspnsrs: Cahill, Clark, Gottfried, Heastie, Hikind, Maisel, Markey, McEneny, Peoples-Stokes, Reilly, Rivera P, Titone, Weisenberg
Establishes a certificate of restoration (to replace the certificate of good conduct and certificate of relief from disabilities) and streamlines the process to obtain such certificate.

A3809/S5428 - AUBRY / HASSELL-THOMPSON
CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT
Assembly cospnsrs: Wright, Gottfried, Camara, Boyland, Lopez V, Millman, Jaffee, Kavanagh, O'Donnell, Robinson, Jeffries
Assembly mltspnsrs: Clark, Dinowitz, Glick, Heastie, Hevesi, Maisel, McEneny, Peoples-Stokes, Pretlow, Reilly, Rivera P, Schimel, Weisenberg
Establishes it shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any prospective employer to make an inquiry about, or to act upon adversely to the individual involved based upon, any criminal conviction of such individual unless such employer first makes a conditional offer of employment to such individual.

A5357/S969 - AUBRY / HASSELL-THOMPSON
DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BILL
Assembly cospnsr: Rivera P.
Senate cospnsr: Diaz, Duane, Krueger, Montgomery, Parker
Amends the correction law to change the definition of "direct relationship" and provides that in order to deny a person employment or a license based on a criminal record, there must be a connection between the specific duties or responsibilities of the job or license and the nature of the criminal conviction and such connection must create an unreasonable risk to property or public safety.

A7282 - AUBRY -NO SENATE BILL
CONFORMING CERTIFICATES
The correction law provides that a certificate of good conduct shall be issued where the Parole Board is satisfied that the applicant is eligible, the relief to be granted by the certificate is consistent with the rehabilitation of the applicant and is consistent with the public interest. This bill conforms the provisions of the correction law governing certificates of relief from disabilities to provide for the same standard.

A7782/S5427 - AUBRY / HASSELL-THOMPSON
BAN THE BOX BILL
Amends the executive law, in relation to requiring employers to make a conditional offer of employment before inquiring about any criminal convictions of a prospective employee

A7813 - ERIC A. STEVENSON -NO SENATE BILL
CONFORMING TWO CERTIFICATES
Conforms the requirements for a certificate of relief from disabilities to the requirements for a certificate of good conduct. The department shall issue a certificate of relief from disabilities WHEN the department is satisfied that the Board is satisfied that the person is an eligible offender, the relief is consistent with the rehabilitation of the offender, and the relief is consistent with the public interest. The process for acquiring both certificates will be the same.

A7874/ S5436 - AUBRY / HASSELL-THOMPSON
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL
Assem.cospnsr: Rivera N, Clark, Perry, Lifton, Peoples-Stokes, Boyland, Titone
Assem mltspnsr: Cook, Goodell, Markey, Rivera P, Weisenberg
Expands upon the existing provisions of alternative sentencing for domestic violence cases and to allow judges the opportunity to re-sentence currently incarcerated persons for offenses in which certain domestic violence criteria was a significant element of the offense.

S0107 / A5355 - MONTGOMERY/AUBRY
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Senate cospnsr: Hassell-Thompson
Assembly cospnsrs: Colton, Rivera P
Assembly mltspnsrs: Abinanti, McEneny
Provides inmates the opportunity to obtain a general equivalency diploma; instructs the department of corrections to ensure that academic education programs provide the appropriate curriculum and certified academic staff for GED instruction.
3/29/11 Defeated: Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee vote:
Ayes (3): Montgomery, Kruger, Kennedy
Ayes W/R (3): Rivera, Hassell-Thompson, Peralta
Nays (8): Nozzolio, DeFrancisco, Gallivan, Griffo, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie

S0311 - MONTGOMERY -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
MEDICAID APPLICATIONS
cospnsr(s): Adams, Duane, Hassell-Thompson, Huntley, Krueger, Parker, Perkins, Sampson, Savino, Serrano
Provides that correctional institution officials shall provide instruction to and assist certain prisoners, at least ninety days prior to their release, to apply to receive Medicaid after their release.

S0338/A0154 - MONTGOMERY / AUBRY
MERIT TIME BILL
Mar 29, 2011: Defeated in Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections
Ayes (3): Rivera, Hassell-Thompson, Montgomery
Ayes W/R* (2): Kruger, Peralta *with reservations
Nays (9): Nozzolio, DeFrancisco, Gallivan, Griffo, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Kennedy

S0470 - NOZZOLIO -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
TAX ON INMATE COMMISSARY PURCHASES
Cospnsrs: Francisco, Johnson, Larkin, Maziarz, Ritchie
Authorizes the head of any correctional institution to charge taxes on sales of commissaries and canteens.

S0476-A/A7870 - NOZZOLIO / TEDISCO
$7 CO-PAYMENTS FOR PRISON MEDICAL CARE
Senate cospnsrs: Larkin, Maziarz, O'mara, Ritchie
Assembly cospnsr: Murray
Assembly mltspnsr: Kolb
Requires state and county inmates to make medical co-payments of seven dollars upon receipt of medical treatment; provides that an inmate shall not be refused treatment for lack of ability to pay co-payment charges; directs all moneys collected to be made available for the operation of such correctional facility.

S1885 - OPPENHEIMER -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
ABUSE BY VICTIM/S
cospnsr(s): Diaz, Sampson
Requires guidelines for setting minimum period of imprisonment to include any history of violence or abuse directed at sentenced person by the victim to assure that the parole board considers a history of violence or abuse directed at a criminal by the crime victim as a mitigating circumstance when making parole determinations.

S1986 - GOLDEN -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
INCREASES PENALTIES FOR VFOs
cospnsr(s): Defrancisco, Griffo, Johnson, Larkin, Lavalle, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Saland, Young
Relates to prohibiting good behavior allowances for violent felony offenses and increasing penalties for aggravated assault against a police or a peace officer to life without parole when the person convicted has two prior violent felonies.

S1993 - GOLDEN -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
PAROLE BOARD MUST BE UNANIMOUS
cospnsr(s): Bonacic, Defrancisco, Griffo, Larkin, Lavalle, Little, Maziarz, Nozzolio, Ranzenhofer, Saland, Young
An act to amend the executive law, to add a requirement that decisions of the Parole Board to release an inmate be unanimous.

S2057 - KRUGER -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
85% OF MINIMUM MUST BE SERVED
Amends Corrections Law Section 803 to require every prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence, except prisoners serving a sentence with a maximum term of life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 85% of their sentence as imposed by law.

S2184 - GOLDEN NO ASSEMBLY BILL
POLICE CHIEFS MAY TESTIFY AT PAROLE HEARINGS
cospnsr(s): Bonacic, Defrancisco, Griffo, Larkin, Lavalle, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Saland, Seward, Young
Provides for the appearance or written statement of police chiefs to speak at parole hearings.

S3537/A07015 NOZZOLIO / SPANO
FIVE MEMBER BOARDS FOR VO's
Senate Cospnsrs: DeFrancisco, Golden, Kennedy, Larkin, Little, Martins, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Seward, Zeldin
Assembly cospnsr: Kolb, Gabryszak, Rivera P, Colton, Roberts, Stevenson, Burling, Saladino, Ceretto, Blankenbush, Markey, Gunther, Hooper
Assembly mltspnsrs: Abbate, Barclay, Conte, Crouch, Duprey, Giglio, Hawley, Tenney,Weisenberg
Prohibits parole for any inmates convicted of homicide unless five members of the parole board are present at the hearing Amends Executive Law, S259-C
S3537 Actions
• Jun. 24, 2011: committed to rules
• Jun. 1, 2011: advanced to third reading
• May 25, 2011: 2nd report cal.
• May 24, 2011: 1st report cal.853
• Mar 8, 2011: reported and committed to finance
• Feb. 24, 2011: referred to crime victims, crime and correction
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE: - May 24, 2011
Ayes (23): DeFrancisco, Johnson, Alesi, Bonacic, Farley, Flanagan, Fuschillo, Golden, Griffo, Hannon, Lanza, Larkin, LaValle, Little, Marcellino, Nozzolio, Robach, Saland, Seward, Young, Dilan, Gianaris, Perkins
Ayes W/R (5): Breslin, Duane, Oppenheimer, Peralta, Stavisky
Nays (7): Krueger, Diaz, Kruger, Montgomery, Parker, Rivera, Stewart-Cousins
CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION COMMITTEE VOTE - Mar 8, 2011
Ayes (9): Nozzolio, DeFrancisco, Gallivan, Griffo, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Kennedy
Ayes W/R (2): Kruger, Peralta
Nays (3): Rivera, Hassell-Thompson, Montgomery

S3645-C/A 7015-B - GRIFFO / SPANO
“BRITTANY’S LAW” VFO REGISTRY
Senate cospnsrs: Nozzolio, Defrancisco, Gallivan, Golden, Kennedy, Larkin, Little, Martins, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Robach, Seward, Zeldin
Assembly cospnsrs: Kolb, Gabryszak, Rivera P, Colton, Roberts, Stevenson, Burling, Saladino, Ceretto, Blankenbush, Markey, Gunther, Hooper
Assembly mltspnsrs: Abbate, Barclay, Conte, Crouch, Duprey, Giglio, Hawley, Tenney,Weisenberg
Amends the correction law to require violent felony offenders to register with DCJS upon discharge, parole or release from any state or local facility, hospital or institution and to allow dissemination of and access to certain information to the general public. Annual registration requirements and corresponding procedural guidelines are established to allow local law enforcement agencies and the state to monitor the whereabouts of violent felony offenders.
05/17/11 Passed in Senate (4 Senators voted against: Perkins, Serrano, Parker, Duane. Montgomery was excused), all others voted in favor

S3694 - ADAMS -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Establishes a general education equivalency and higher education program in state correctional facilities. Education can reduce recidivism and provide the necessary tools to improve an inmate's quality of life, once he or she is released.

S3747/A8478 - NOZZOLIO / GIGLIO
FRP BILL
Senate cospnsrs: Bonacic, Larkin, Maziarz, O'mara, Ranzenhofer
Requires the commissioner of correctional services to permanently terminate the conjugal visit program, commonly known as the family reunion program; further directs such commissioner to prohibit the establishment of any program designed to provide selected inmates and their families the opportunity to privately meet for an extended period of time.
05/03/11 PASSED: - CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION COMMITTEE VOTE:
Ayes (9): Nozzolio, DeFrancisco, Gallivan, Griffo, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Kennedy
Ayes W/R* (2): Kruger, Peralta * with reservations
Nays (3): Rivera, Hassell-Thompson, Montgomery
6/16/11 PASSED: SENATE
Ayes (38): Alesi, Ball, Bonacic, Carlucci, DeFrancisco, Diaz, Farley, Flanagan, Gallivan, Golden, Griffo, Grisanti, Hannon, Johnson, Kennedy, Klein, Kruger, Lanza, Larkin, LaValle, Libous, Little, Marcellino, Martins, Maziarz, McDonald, Nozzolio, O'Mara, Peralta, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Robach, Saland, Seward, Skelos, Valesky, Young, Zeldin
Nays (22): Adams, Addabbo, Avella, Breslin, Dilan, Duane, Espaillat, Gianaris, Hassell-Thompson, Huntley, Krueger, Montgomery, Oppenheimer, Parker, Perkins, Rivera, Sampson, Savino, Serrano, Squadron, Stavisky, Stewart-Cousins
Abstains (2): Fuschillo, Smith

S3913 - HASSELL-THOMPSON -NO ASSEMBLY BILL
EQUAL PROGRAMS FOR MALES AND FEMALES
Cospnsr: Savino
Requires that rehabilitation programs for female inmates in state correctional facilities be equivalent to those provided to male inmates elsewhere in the state; provides that such rehabilitation programs shall include, but not be limited to, vocational, academic and industrial programs.

S4160/A5433 - SAVINO/DENDEKKER
VICTIMS MAY VIEW PAROLE HEARINGS
Assembly cospnsr(s): Rivera N, Galef, Montesano, Markey, Robinson, Castro, Weprin
Assembly mltspnsr(s): Abbate, Boyland, Burling, Crouch, Gibson, Gottfried, Jeffries, McDonough, McEneny, McKevitt, Pheffer, Scarborough
Enables victims to view parole hearings via closed circuit television or a secure online website.

S5374/A7939 - DUANE / AUBRY
THE SAFE PAROLE ACT
Senate cospnsrs: Montgomery, Rivera
Assem. cospnsr: Hevesi
Assem. mltspnsr: McEneny
Relates to the modification of the procedure for interviews of parole applicants and to the disclosure of parole applicant records; requires the Parole Board to determine whether there is or is not reasonable cause to believe that the release of the parole applicant would create a present danger to society using specified criteria to arrive at such determination, and if parole is denied list the steps the parole applicant can take to be released at the next hearing.

S5428/A3809 - HASSELL-THOMPSON / AUBRY
UNLAWFUL EMPLOYER DISCRIMINATION
Assembly cospnsr(s): Wright, Gottfried, Camara, Boyland, Lopez V, Millman, Jaffee, Kavanagh, O'Donnell, Robinson, Jeffries
Assembly mltspnsr(s): Clark, Dinowitz, Glick, Heastie, Hevesi, Maisel, McEneny, Peoples-Stokes, Pretlow, Reilly, Rivera P, Schimel, Weisenberg
Establishes it shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any prospective employer to make an inquiry about, or to act upon adversely to the individual involved based upon, any criminal conviction of such individual unless such employer first makes a conditional offer of employment to such individual.

S5473/A7931 MONTGOMERY / AUBRY
CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS
Senate cospnsr(s): Hassell-Thompson, Perkins, Rivera
Requires that inmates be notified of their right to seek modification of child support orders; provides a 180 day stay of enforcement following release; makes provisions permitting modification applicable to inmates incarcerated prior to effective date of such amendments.

[Please email us with your request, including the bill number, for a copy of any bill.]

3. THE NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN IS PLANNING GROUP DISTRICT VISITS DURING THE SUMMER WHEN LEGISLATORS ARE SPENDING MORE TIME IN THEIR COMMUNITY OFFICES. WHO ARE YOUR LEGISLATORS? PERHAPS WE CAN PLAN TO VISIT THEM.

WANT TO JOIN IN SUPPORTING THE SAFE PAROLE ACT, BILL S5374 SPONSORED BY SENATOR DUANE, AND A7939 SPONSORED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER JEFFRION AUBRY? NOT SURE WHO YOUR LEGISLATORS ARE? At www.ParoleReform.org all you have to do is click on "take action", enter your street address (it will be kept confidential) and a letter will appear with a photo of your two state representatives and their names and phone numbers. Before you submit the letter, please write down their names and phone numbers to use later to call for their addresses or with your concerns about any legislative matter. You may sign the prewritten letter or replace it with your own.

WE'LL HELP YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE:
1. We can help you find your legislative representatives if we know your zip+4, (if you don’t know the +4 part it’s on any bill you’ve received) otherwise your street address is needed. We will look up the information for anyone who calls us: Judith at 518 253 7533, or Maria at 917 885 2651 or gladly talk you through the website process if you’re near a computer.
2. You could also visit your public library’s computer room and get help from the librarians. Or ask someone who is experienced (younger folks usually). If you are experienced, please help your inexperienced friends.

STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO TRY
[Once You Learn, Please Show Others]:
1. Go to www.ParoleReform.org. In the middle of the screen will be a video screen with the face of a woman testifying to the injustice of the parole system. Below and to the left of the screen are the words “Take Action”. Click on those words.
2. A screen with 3 yellow circles labeled 1,2,3 appears. Circle 1 says Sign pledge. The pledge is on the same page as the circles, so you need to scroll down to see it. Once you sign, you automatically are taken to the second circle (Send legislators’ letter)..
3. You again enter your address or zip+4, and immediately a photo of both legislators appears with their names and phone and fax numbers. You can add to or even replace the letter with your own. When you’re ready, click “Submit”.
4. Once the letter is submitted, you will be taken to the third circle, the Governor’s letter page, which only asks for the name of your city. After signing you will be shown a link to listen to other people’s stories. Please consider leaving one of your own.
Trust us, this is the EASIEST way to help pass the SAFE Parole Act .
Call Judith at 518 253 7533 or Maria at 917 885 2651

If you visit www.ParoleReform.org and send a letter to your legislators we will be able to contact you when we plan visits to the district offices of your legislator, and if you won't be available, we can give the legislator your name and remind him/her that you, a constituent, sent a letter.

4.. PAROLE NEWS: MAY PAROLE RELEASES, MEMBERS OF BOARDS

MAY 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database

Total Interviews......... # Released # Denied Rate of Release
20 Initials................................ 5......... 15................... 25%
82 reappearances..................... 12....... 70................... 15%
102 interviews......................... 17....... 85................... 17%

MAY Initial Release
Facility........... Sentence......... Offense
Fishkill........... 27-Life............ Att Murder 1
Fishkill........... 25-Life............ Murder 2
Fishkill........... 15-Life............ Murder 2
Green Haven.. 21-Life............ Murder 2
Wyoming....... 20-Life............ Murder 2

MAY Reappearances
Facility........... Sentence......... Offense.......... # of Board
Cayuga........... 20-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th
Cayuga........... 16-Life............ Murder 2........ 3rd
Fishkill........... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 7th
Groveland...... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 2nd
Mid Orange.... 17 ?-Lfe........... Murder 2........ 7th
Mid Orange.... 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th
Mid Orange.... 6 ?-Life............ Murder 2........ 3rd
Otisville.......... 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 3rd *for deportation only *
Otisville.......... 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 3rd
Wende............ 20-Life............ Murder 2........ 5th
Woodbourne... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 5th
Woodbourne... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 2nd

Parole Board Members in May by facility:
Cayuga: Ross and Ludlow
Fishkill: Hagler, Hernandez
Mid Orange: Ferguson, Ross

If you send us a monthly report of the Parole Board members at the facility where your loved one is situated, we will send them a free subscription to Building Bridges. Call us to sign up: 518 253 7533

5. PRISON CLOSURES: THREE HIGHLY RESPECTED ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS WEIGH IN, AS DOES A FATHER WHO'S CONCERNED FOR HIS SON INCARCERATED AT ARTHUR KILL

THE CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK applauds Governor Cuomo for his announcement to close seven prisons, the most significant commitment to prison reduction since the prison building boom of the 1980s. The plan includes four minimum-security facilities for men: Buffalo Work Release; Camp Georgetown; Summit Shock; and Fulton Work Release, in addition to three medium-security facilities for men: Arthur Kill; Mid-Orange; and Oneida.

Closing prisons is long overdue: New York’s prison population has dropped by over 15,500 people in the past decade and the state system has nearly 8,000 empty beds maintained at enormous cost. These closures will eliminate 3,800 empty prison beds and save taxpayers $72 million in 2011-12 and $112 million in 2012-13.

While we commend the Governor for his commitment to eliminating excess prison beds, we are concerned that approximately 50% of these beds are located in or near New York City, even though New York City prisons only house 25% of the total state prison population. Therefore the closures affect downstate prisons at a rate three times greater than prisons upstate. More than 60% of the state’s prison population is from New York City and its suburbs. Closing downstate prisons will result in incarcerating even more people far from their homes and prevent them from maintaining family and community ties, which lessen the trauma of parental incarceration on children and lead to greater success post-release. The closure of Arthur Kill, an effectively run prison with numerous programs and one of the few facilities where lifers and long termers from New York City can be housed close to their loved ones, is particularly troubling.

It is also significant that these prison closures will eliminate one-third of the state’s work release beds – an already underutilized program. Work release helps people in prison gain critical employment skills to prepare them for a smooth transition back to their communities; however, the number of participants in New York’s work release programs has already dropped by over 25,000 over the course of 12 years to only 1,900 in 2010.

We are hopeful that yesterday’s announcement is merely the beginning, and that the Governor will build on these positive steps by further downsizing prison beds in New York State. We urge the Governor to consider the following critical criteria in making future downsizing decisions: (1) the existence and quality of rehabilitative programs and specialized services in the facility; (2) the existence and quality of medical and mental health services in the facility; (3) the proximity of the facility to the geographic area in which the majority of incarcerated people lived prior to their incarceration and where they will likely return; and (4) the ability of the facility to keep incarcerated people and staff safe. We also expect that maximum-security and women’s prisonswill be included in future closures.

The Governor can take additional measures to further reduce the prison population without sacrificing public safety, including: diverting some individuals from prison into alternative to incarceration programs; releasing inmates earlier in their sentences after participation in prison programs that have better prepared them for successful reintegration into their communities; and reducing the number of formerly incarcerated individuals who are returned to prison for technical parole violations.

We commend Governor Cuomo for his dedication to eliminating excess prison capacity, moving away from an unjust overreliance on prisons as fuel for economic growth and ensuring more efficient use of taxpayer funds. We urge the Governor, along with New York State policymakers, to build on these significant steps and further reduce the state’s prison population and capacity. By doing so, we can reduce the state’s continued costly and misguided overuse of incarceration and free up much-needed funds to support in-prison programs, alternative to incarceration programs and other community-based services that build healthy, safe and productive individuals, families and communities.

Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director, Correctional Association of NY, 163 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027-4436
212-254-5700 x305, email

FROM THE FATHER OF A MAN INCARCERATED AT ARTHUR KILL: My son is at Arthur Kill,one of the seven prisons closing. I have some concerns which I wish the Governor had considered:

1. The DMV call center for NYC is at Arthur Kill. Where will the new call center be?
2. There will be no more special needs units in medium facilities. Is this legal?
3. The local elected officials were not informed until it was to late.
4. The CO's had the best integrated staff of all the prisons I have seen.
5. John Jay was planning to start a college course in August and 35 people passed the CUNY entrance exam. John Jay was going to accept 8. My son is one of the 35.

I am drafting a letter for my Democratic Club to send to Governor Cuomo against the closing. I tell people all the time to get to know their elected officials and write, call, email or go visit their district office besides helping them at election time. This helps when I have problems with my son. Luckily they’ve been minor problems and I was able to contact my Senator and get help instead of calling the facility up which might have resulted in my son being punished.

I am concerned about the people who have a conditional release date in the near future. The people who would have made the decision for my son know him. How will the new people get to know the real person? Arthur Kill made sure when released the men have all the benefits they are legally allowed to have. I hope the new prison will be as responsible.

We should think about protesting Governor Cuomo's office in Manhattan.

THE NYS JUSTICE COALITION RESPONDS:
Can Closing Prisons Make Mass Incarceration Worse?
Yes, if they are the wrong prisons closed for the wrong reasons.

Governor Cuomo’s announcement that he is closing seven prisons in New York State should have come as welcome news to New York’s prison justice advocates, who say that New York’s prisons over-incarcerate, sentences are too long, conditions too harsh, and the system is based on vengeance rather than healing.

However, it would be hard to imagine a way to close prisons less helpful to a model of justice than the one just announced by the Governor.

(1) Not one less person will be incarcerated. The 3,800 bed reduction does not even close the gap of existing over-capacity.
(2) The prisons that will be closed are nearly all prisons in close proximity to urban areas, where most prisoners come from, while the vast web of prisons in the rural, distant far north has not been touched. Intrepid New York City families who try to stay in contact with their loved ones in places like Dannemora have to ride an overnight bus for eight hours, wait for three more, visit for four or five hours, then get back on the bus for the long ride home.
(3) The prisons that were closed had some of the too-few programs allowing prisoners a chance to shorten their sentences through rehabilitation: two work release and one shock incarceration program. Advocates have argued for many more of such programs, instead of fewer.
(4) No maximum security facilities have been closed. Maximums, which have the harshest conditions, were “off the table” for closure because they have no excess capacity. Why are the maximums full? Because prisoners are classified as maximum security unnecessarily, for example, for minor disciplinary infractions. Closing mediums and minimums creates more pressure to classify prisoners into the maxes.

Governor Cuomo once said incarceration is not a jobs program. These prison closings, based solely on budget considerations, belie his words.

New York State Prisoner Justice Coalition, 33 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12210
518-434-4037 email

MILK NOT JAILS says Cuomo needs to better understand that farms, not prisons, are our state’s hope: On Friday, July 1, 2011 Governor Cuomo announced the specific prisons that his administration will close in the coming year. These closures comply with the 2011 Budget requirement that the state close 3,800 prison beds due to a declining inmate population and in an effort to reduce state spending.

The state’s closure plan includes four male minimum security facilities and three male medium security facilities. These facilities are either in close proximity to urban areas, where the majority of people in prison call home, or provide programs that reduce recidivism.

Many more obsolete correctional facilities are ready to be converted into savings for New York’s taxpayers. The Governor not only missed the urgent opportunity to close more prisons, but he failed to meet the challenge he so strongly gave himself in his 2011 State of the State Address, “Incarceration is not a jobs program.” If he had closed just one North County prison, he would have acknowledged the truth of his January speech.

What Cuomo needs to better understand is that farms, not prisons, are our state’s hope. New York is a place where agriculture and economies can grow. The Governor cannot tie our rural communities to a backwards, doomed corrections system. He must promote viable industries that will help the North Country put healthy food on tables not downstate people in cages.

The numbers of people in New York’s prisons are declining. The number of people ready to work in New York is not. Let’s put the unemployed to work building a robust food economy.

Communities affected by the closures will be able to request economic development assistance from the state, which includes money from a $50 million fund as well as additional tax credits available to help end the reliance on prisons as the major source of employment and economic sustainability. This fund would make much more of an impact if it is applied to rural areas where prisons dominate a small, undiversified, local economy.

Governor Cuomo’s closure plan reinforces the importance of MILK NOT JAILS’s work to build a new urban-rural relationship. We hope that our new line of dairy products will demonstrate the growth potential of other economic sectors and make a case for more rural, distant prisons to be closed in the future. And we’ll be watching that $50 million reinvestment fund to see if there are opportunities for MILK NOT JAILS to apply for those tax dollars and build a new urban-rural relationship.

Milk Not Jails can be reached at milknotjails@gmail.com.

6. RISK AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS - WHAT WE KNOW, AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW

1) Correction Law § 112 (4):
4. The commissioner and the chair of the parole board shall work jointly to develop and implement, as soon as practicable, a risk and needs assessment instrument or instruments, which shall be empirically validated, that would be administered to inmates upon reception into a correctional facility, and throughout their incarceration and release to community supervision, to facilitate appropriate programming both during an inmate's incarceration and community supervision, and designed to facilitate the successful integration of inmates into the community.

2) Executive Law § 259-c(4):
* 4. establish written procedures for its use in making parole decisions as required by law. Such written procedures shall incorporate risk and needs principles to measure the rehabilitation of persons appearing before the board, the likelihood of success of such persons upon release, and assist members of the state board of parole in determining which inmates may be released to parole supervision; * NB Effective September 30, 2011

Building Bridges has in our possession a copy of a Risk and Needs Assessment used in reentry programs in 2010. We hope it is NOT what will be used to make parole decisions. We've asked Parole for a copy of the one used by the Parole Board, but they have not provided one so far. The one we have is very disturbing. For instance: under Work and Financial, the person administering the test is asked if “this person (the parole applicant) faces employability problems upon release?” Well, yes, that’s true of 99% of all the people getting released! The system is rigged against finding employment. In a self efficacy section, the subject is asked if it will "be difficult to find a steady job?” “Will money be a problem for you when released?” Almost anyone who said no to either of those questions would be seriously out of touch with reality, yet no is probably the answer that will get the better score. But the reality is that in New York, a criminal record follows a person for their entire lifetime and creates barriers to employment, as well as housing and educational opportunities. More than 60% of employers report that they would not knowingly hire someone with a criminal record. Employment prospects of formerly-incarcerated individuals in New York State are further circumscribed by a myriad of occupational licensing laws that exclude them from participating in many trades. New York State has struggled to lessen the negative effects of a criminal record by developing certificates of rehabilitation, and by requiring employers to show a "direct relationship" between one or more criminal offenses and the specific license or employment sought (see Article 23-A of the Correction Law). Approximately half of persons released from prison are precluded from even applying for a certificate of rehabilitation until they have been in the community for a period of three years or more. While many persons leaving prison have participated in prison programming and have earned early release, they are still ineligible for a certificate of rehabilitation at the time of their transition back into the community.

Much of this information is found in the justifications for bills reported in Article 2: A3658, A3809, A5357, A7782, A7813. When those bills are passed it will be much easier to get a good score on the Risk and Needs Assessment tool - if our assumptions are correct.

7. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR "THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL: A NEW DAY, A NEW WAY,"A MAJOR NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM THAT WILL BRING TOGETHER AN IMPRESSIVE ARRAY OF WELL-KNOWN SPEAKERS ON SEPT. 24TH AT RIVERSIDE CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY FOR A RARE HIGH-PROFILE CONVERSATION ON IMPORTANT ISSUES AFFECTING THE INCARCERATED, THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED AND THEIR LOVED ONES.

Anyone who wants to attend the free, day-long symposium is urged to register immediately at www.thinkoutsidethecell.org, since space is limited. Free breakfast and lunch will be available at the event, which is funded by the Ford Foundation.

Participants will include the Rev. Al Sharpton; Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker, named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People; CNN journalist Soledad O'Brien; Randall Robinson, best-selling author and social justice advocate; Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice; "Chef Jeff" Henderson, formerly incarcerated motivational speaker, author and star of the Food Network; Rossana Rosado, CEO of El Diario La Prensa, one of the nation's top Spanish-language newspapers; Khalil Muhammad, noted historian and new director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; Alan Rosenthal, co-director, Justice Strategies, Center for Community Alternatives; Terrie Williams, youth advocate and author of the book, Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting, CBS national correspondent Byron Pitts; and Marc Lamont Hill, a leading hip-hop generation intellectual and host of the nationally syndicated television program, Our World with Black Enterprise.

The symposium is made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation to the Think Outside the Cell Foundation, which was founded by Sheila Rule. It is being presented in partnership with the Fortune Society’s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy, the College and Community Fellowship and the Riverside Church Prison Ministry.

Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as our way of communicating with our members.
If you'd like to become a member, please email or call us at 518 253 7533.

JUNE 2011

2011-06-14T21:54:00.008-04:00

LATEBREAKING NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE POSTED HERE BETWEEN ISSUES. IF YOU WANT TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE JUNE ISSUE, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN.

POSTED 6/19 BY Prison Action Network Re: FRP bill and $7 medical co-pay bill

FRP Bill #S3747 now has sponsorship in the Assembly

Assembly member Giglio introduced a same-as bill in the Assembly on Friday, Bill #8478. It's been sent to the Corrections Committee. A.M. Giglio represents the 149th Assembly District which includes all of Cattaraugus County, thirteen towns in southern Allegany County and seven towns in eastern Chautauqua County. In total, there are 52 towns, 20 villages, two cities and parts of three Seneca Nation of Indians reservations. It is one of the largest in the State in terms of size.

Make sure the Assembly member who represents you knows you don't want him/her to vote for it, and tell them why you feel so strongly about it. Do it NOW because today could be the last session until January.

S476A- $7 Medical Co-pay Bill

If your representative voted FOR it, and you wish they hadn’t, you might want to send them a note or call them. Alternatively, if your representative voted AGAINST it, and that makes you happy, they need to hear that as well.

VOTE: FLOOR VOTE: - Jun 15, 2011
Yes (34): Addabbo, Alesi, Ball, Carlucci, DeFrancisco, Farley, Flanagan, Fuschillo, Gallivan, Golden, Griffo, Grisanti, Hannon, Johnson, Kennedy, Lanza, Larkin, LaValle, Libous, Little, Marcellino, Martins, Maziarz, Nozzolio, O'Mara, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Robach, Saland, Seward, Skelos, Valesky, Young, Zeldin

No (22): Adams, Avella, Breslin, Diaz, Dilan, Duane, Espaillat, Gianaris, Hassell-Thompson, Klein, Krueger, Montgomery, Oppenheimer, Parker, Perkins, Rivera, Sampson, Savino, Serrano, Squadron, Stavisky, Stewart-Cousins
Abstains (6): Bonacic, Huntley, Kruger, McDonald, Peralta, Smith

S3747 The FRP Bill. The same applies to this bill as to S476 above. Check the list below, and let your representative know how you feel about his/her vote.

VOTE: FLOOR VOTE: - Jun 16, 2011
Yes (38): Alesi, Ball, Bonacic, Carlucci, DeFrancisco, Diaz, Farley, Flanagan, Gallivan, Golden, Griffo, Grisanti, Hannon, Johnson, Kennedy, Klein, Kruger, Lanza, Larkin, LaValle, Libous, Little, Marcellino, Martins, Maziarz, McDonald, Nozzolio, O'Mara, Peralta, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Robach, Saland, Seward, Skelos, Valesky, Young, Zeldin

No (22): Adams, Addabbo, Avella, Breslin, Dilan, Duane, Espaillat, Gianaris, Hassell-Thompson, Huntley, Krueger, Montgomery, Oppenheimer, Parker, Perkins, Rivera, Sampson, Savino, Serrano, Squadron, Stavisky, Stewart-Cousins
Abstains (2): Fuschillo, Smith

For more details please call: Prison Action Network: 518 253 7533 or email PAN

BUILDING BRIDGES JUNE 15, 2011

HEADLINES:

THE SAFE PAROLE ACT S5374 NOW HAS SPONSORS IN BOTH HOUSES:
ASSEMBLY MBR JEFFRION AUBRY HAS INTRODUCED IT AS BILL A7939
A.M. McENENY SIGNED ON

Dear Reader,

Building Bridges can now be translated into Spanish, and a few other languages by clicking on the Google translate box in the upper left. If you have friends or family who would benefit from this service, please tell them about it.

You probably are weary of hearing me say this every month, but everyone reading this will have to help if we are going to get The Safe Parole Act, S5473, A7939 passed into law. These are not idle words. We get calls and letters all the time asking for help to get a loved one’s parole denial reversed. Well, some of our members drafted a bill proposal and now everyone needs to help to get this bill passed. The SAFE Parole Act is a great bill! If passed a lot of the men and women whose stories we hear would come home on their next board. But their families and communities have to want them home, and have to work hard to make it happen. We need to persuade our legislators to support the SAFE Parole Act. We need to talk to neighbors and friends and persuade them to call their legislative representatives also.

The NYS Parole Reform Campaign has a great tool that makes it easier. www.parolereform.org is an interactive website (developed and managed by Thousand Kites Narrative Campaigns) where it takes only minutes to send letters in support. All of us need to go to that website and join the other 190 people who have already done so.

If you are willing to share your story, you can post it by calling the free, 24/7 story phone: 877 518 0606. Your story will be added to those already available on the site.

This is the age of visuals; even more people will hear you if you appear in a video. We have volunteer videographers in Albany, Buffalo, and NYC who will make a short one, like those already on the website, of you telling your story. Please email us to arrange a 5-minute taping. Your stories have the ability to inspire others to take the actions available on the site.

The website also keeps track of how many letters have been sent. 133 people have sent letters to their legislators; 108 also sent a letter to the governor. 162 have signed the on-line petition. When you send a letter, you will see the phone # of your legislators. It’s time to give them a call. All you have to do is say “I want you to vote for The SAFE Parole Act, S5374 (if it’s your senator) or A7939 (if it’s your assembly member). Hurry, the legislative session is over on June 20!

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone's sake, get involved!

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES:

Article 1. NINE ACTIONS, EVENTS AND MEETINGS YOU CAN ATTEND TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION:

Buffalo weekly demonstration at the Erie County Jail in protest of abuses
Rally for Justice for the wrongfully convicted -at Manhattan’s City Hall
WORTH Roundtable and Vigil honoring lives lost in the War on Drugs, Manh.
Forum on Solitary Confinement in NY State Prisons, Manh
Think Outside the Cell event in Sept that you won’t want to miss, Manh
The next NYS Prisoner Justice Network meeting in Albany and by phone
Buffalo’s 6th anniversary celebration of Prisoners are People Too
The next Coalition for Women Prisoners general meeting at the Correctional Association
Receive and give support, at groups in Albany, Brooklyn and Long Island

Article 2. CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM offers 13-week program for adults who want help with their anger problem

Article 3. LEGISLATIVE REPORT on a good bill that was vetoed, 2 bad bills that were passed, and bills that are in process; 12 bills in all that are important to members of Prison Action Network

Article 4. MEDIA COVERAGE OF OUR ISSUES; Charles Blow in NYTimes OpEd speaks eloquently on the racial disparities of the War on Drugs; Bob Gangi addresses the same issue at Alternet.org.

Article 5. THE NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN encourages use of interactive website: www.parolereform.org, to contact legislators and record your stories; house parties to organize for the SAFE Parole Act.

Article 6. PAROLE NEWS reports only one A1VO initial release in April and one rescission of a March release. Readers have begun to report which commissioners were at each facility.

Article 7. PRISONERS OF THE CENSUS: Civil Rights Organizations File Motion to Defend Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering.

Article 8. THE SAFE PAROLE ACT: what a ‘markup’ bill is, and another way to vote beside the ballot box.

Article 9. On Sept. 24th at the Riverside Church in New York City, "THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL - A NEW DAY, A NEW WAY,” will feature a range of well-known speakers together with hundreds of formerly incarcerated men and women and their loved ones to grapple with issues affecting those who live in the long shadow of prison .

Article 10. VOCAL-NY's PAROLEE ORGANIZING PROJECT is demanding voting rights for parolees. PAN is one of 22 organizations who signed a letter urging Governor Cuomo to restore the vote for approximately 41,000 New Yorkers currently on parole. (Next step, PAN hopes, is to expand the right to vote to people in prison.)

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please contact PAN with a request clearly stating number of the article and the date it appeared -Ed.]

1. ACTIVISM: ACTIONS, EVENTS AND MEETINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH

BUFFALO VIGIL: Every Wed from 5-6 pm Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. Stand for ending abuse.
____________________________________________________________________________
EVENTS:

MANHATTAN events
JUNE 16, 9AM RALLY FOR JUSTICE

The NYS Justice system has acknowledged that there are men and women in prison for crimes they did not commit. Yet no resolution has been reached. Join the family and friends of the wrongfully convicted as they bring their plight to NYC City Hall. Justice delayed is justice denied!
Contact James: 910 868 9936, nickmickron@yahoo.com
Location: NY City Hall, 260 Broadway
By Subway: 2,3 to Park Pl; A,C to Broadway-Nassau St; J,M to Fulton St; R to City Hall j
4,5,6 train to the Brooklyn Bridge station or Fulton Street station

FRIDAY JUNE 17, 1:00PM: WORTH ROUNDTABLE AND VIGIL honoring lives lost in the War on Drugs

Join the women of WORTH, community leaders, organizations, churches, and many more for a Roundtable discussion and a Vigil honoring the lives lost.
Location Harlem State Office Bldg, 8th flr, 163 West 125th St
For more info: Mercedes Smith, 646 918 6858, msmith@weareworthit.org

TUESDAY JUNE 21, 7:00PM: FORUM ON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN NY STATE PRISONS hosted by The Metro New York Religious Campaign Against Torture.

A public event on the use of solitary confinement and other forms of torture and abuse within the New York State Prison System.
Speakers:
Mary Beth Pfeiffer, a reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal
Jack Beck, director of the Visiting Project for the Correctional Association of New York
and a third speaker from Riverside Church’s Prison Ministry talking about the ministry’s work inside NYS prisons
Location: Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Avenue (above 120th Street)

SAVE THE DATE: SAT. SEPT. 24 AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH: The Rev. Al Sharpton, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien will be among the participants at the upcoming national Think Outside the Cell symposium on issues affecting the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and their loved ones. FOR MORE DETAILS SEE ARTICLE 9

_____________________________________________________________________________

MEETINGS:

ALBANY meeting
SUNDAY JUNE 26, 7:00 PM. THE NEXT NYS PRISONER JUSTICE MEETING. Agenda: strategy, legislative follow-up, outreach
Location: Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave
by conference call: 712-432-0111 access 106 007 #

_____________________________________________________________________________

BUFFALO meeting
MONDAY, JUNE 27, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO, INC. MONTHLY MEETING.

Six Good Years for Prisoners Are People Too, Inc.
by Karima Amin

This last year has had an abundance of ups and downs but we have continued to move forward in our quest for justice for prisoners and formerly incarcerated people. The roadblocks have been incredible as they are of long-standing and have government support. Yet, we have honored our mission to help as many as we can and we have worked hard to dismantle those rules, regulations, and laws that deny the humanity of those who have suffered incarceration.

Since July of 2010, eleven monthly meetings and programs have been held, covering a variety of topics, including: “The Realities of Reentry,” “Family Court Crisis,” and “The Psychology of Imprisonment.” Our outreach activities have involved us in several local community and statewide campaigns: “Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated People” (with the NYCLU); “Milk Not Jails” (a consumer-driven campaign, mobilizing NYS residents to support the dairy industry and not the prison industrial complex); “Seeking Justice at the Erie County Holding Center” (with the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition); and “Fighting for NYS Parole Reform” (with the NYS Prisoner Justice Network and the Prison Action Network). Prisoners Are People Too is also a member of the “National Fuel Gas Accountability Coalition.” This past year has seen more members of Prisoners Are People Too speak out for justice in the media, both broadcast and print, and at county legislative meetings, conferences, and forums. This year, sixteen of us went to Albany on May 3 to speak to our state senators and assembly members about our deepest concerns regarding prisoner rights issues.

Finally, after many months of petitioning, we had the first of several meetings with Sheriff Timothy Howard and Undersheriff Mark Wipperman in December of 2010. Finally, after many months of advocacy, we have an Erie County Community Corrections Advisory Board, which held its first meeting on February 15. Finally after several years of doing the “peoples’ work,” Prisoners Are People Too incorporated on April 21, 2011. The following individuals comprise the board: Karima Amin, Director; George “BaBa” Eng, Program Director; Artelia “Tia” Lewis; Charles “Chuck” Culhane; and Lesley Haynes. Rev. Eugene L. Pierce will chair the Advisory Board.

At this month’s meeting of Prisoners Are People Too, we will meet on June 27, at the Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street in Buffalo, 6:30-8:30pm. This meeting will be a celebration of six years of programming. There will be an overview of our accomplishments; an update and report from Lesley Haynes regarding Legislative Awareness Day; and a brief report from our summer intern, Sahil Jain. Sahil is a student at Cornell University who is interning with Prisoners Are People Too. He will describe his work and what he has learned so far from his summer interning experience. Our documentary film that evening will be a 35-minute “rough cut” DVD produced by Rev. Eugene L. Pierce. He will highlight the mission of the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition.

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2, Inc. programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street
_____________________________________________________________________________

MANHATTAN meeting
FRIDAY JUNE 17, 10AM-NOON COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS GENERAL MEETING at the Correctional Association.

For info: Jaya Vasandani Tel: 212-254-5700 x334, or email Jaya
Location: 2090 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. Suite 200
_____________________________________________________________________________

SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:
ALBANY: EVERY MONDAY 7-8:30 PM PRISON FAMILIES OF NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
EVERY TUESDAY AT 6 PM P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now) For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.

BROOKLYN:
EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5:30PM VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT For more info call 917 676-8041

LONG ISLAND:
PRISON FAMILIES ANONYMOUS meetings changed to Wednesdays at 7:30pm
June 15, June 29, July 13, July 28
We will still be meeting at the Community Presbyterian Church, 1843 Deer Park Avenue
Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. As prison families we should be used to unexpected transfers.

TUESDAY JUNE 7 (& ALL FIRST TUESDAYS), 7:30pm at St Brigids Catholic Church, 75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.
For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903
_____________________________________________________________________________

2. DO YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY MANAGING YOUR ANGER?
Citizens Against Recidivism is offering a 13-week program for adults who recognize they have anger problems:
Gaining Control of Ourselves: A Complete Guide to Anger Management
With a focus on Stress Management, Emotional Intelligence & Communication skills

Next Cycle Begins Wednesday June 22, 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Call to register or to make a referral
137-58 Thurston Street, Springfield Gardens, New York 11413
Ph. 347.626.7233 website or email

3. LEGISLATIVE REPORT: STATUS OF BILLS IMPORTANT TO US:

Please note that NONE OF THE BILLS LISTED BELOW HAVE YET BECOME LAW. A bill needs a sponsor in BOTH the Senate and the Assembly in order to be viable. It then needs to be voted on by the committee/s where it has been sent. Most of the bills you will read about in Building Bridges start out in the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee (CVC&CC) and the Assembly’s Correction Committee. If a bill is approved by a majority of the committee, it is ready to be presented to the entire Senate or Assembly. Two bills in the following list were passed by the committee and one was presented to the the Senate, where it was passed. The one that passed is the Felon Registry Bill S3645 , which will not become a law unless it attains a sponsor in the Assembly, is passed out of the Corrections Committee, approved by the Assembly, and finally signed by the governor. The FRP bill was passed by the committee, but not yet voted on by the Senate. There are 4 more days when both houses are in session. Anything could happen! The SAFE Parole Act has not yet been introduced to the committee. The Merit Time Bill was defeated at the 3/29 CVC&CC meeting.

S0338/A0154 - Montgomery/Aubry MERIT TIME BILL
Mar 29, 2011: Defeated in Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections
Ayes (3): Rivera, Hassell-Thompson, Montgomery
Ayes W/R* (2): Kruger, Peralta *with reservations
Nays (9): Nozzolio, DeFrancisco, Gallivan, Griffo, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Kennedy

A5457/S969 - Aubry/Hassell-Thompson DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BILL
Amends the correction law to change the definition of "direct relationship" and provide that in order to deny a person employment or a license based on a criminal record, there must be a connection between the specific duties or responsibilities of the job or license and the nature of the criminal conviction and such connection must create an unreasonable risk to property or public safety.

A7782/S5427 - Aubry/Hassell-Thompson BAN THE BOX BILL
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring employers to make a conditional offer of employment before inquiring about any criminal convictions of a prospective employee

A7813 Eric A. Stevenson - no Senate bill CONFORMING TWO CERTIFICATES
This bill conforms the requirements for a certificate of relief from disabilities to the requirements for a certificate of good conduct. The department shall issue a certificate of relief from disabilities WHEN the department is satisfied that the Board is satisfied that the person is an eligible offender, the relief is consistent with the rehabilitation of the offender, and the relief is consistent with the public interest. The process for acquiring both certificates will be the same.

A07874/ S 5436 - Aubry/Hassell-Thompson DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL
To expand upon the existing provisions of alternative sentencing for domestic violence cases and to allow judges the opportunity to re-sentence currently incarcerated persons for offenses in which certain domestic violence criteria was a significant element of the offense.

S470 Nozzolio no Assembly bill TAXES INMATE COMMISSARY PURCHASES
01/05/11 Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
03/08/11 Reported and committed to finance
Authorizes the head of any correctional institution to charge taxes on sales of commissaries and canteens

S476-A/A7870 Nozzolio/Tedisco $7 CO-PAYMENTS FOR PRISON MEDICAL CARE
Requires state and county inmates to make medical co-payments of seven dollars upon receipt of medical treatment; provides that an inmate shall not be refused treatment for lack of ability to pay co-payment charges; directs all moneys collected to be made available for the operation of such correctional facility

S3537 Nozzolio no Assembly bill REQUIRES 5-MBR PAROLE BOARDS FOR HOMICIDE CRIMES
Amends Executive Law, S259-C Prohibits parole for any inmates convicted of homicide unless five members of the parole board are present at the hearing

S3645-C no Assembly bill GRIFFO “BRITTANY’S LAW”
Amends the correction law to require violent felony offenders to register with DCJS upon discharge, parole or release from any state or local facility, hospital or institution and to allow dissemination of and access to certain information to the general public. Annual registration requirements and corresponding procedural guidelines are established to allow local law enforcement agencies and the state to monitor the whereabouts of violent felony offenders.
05/17/11 PASSED IN SENATE (4 Senators voted against: Perkins, Serrano, Parker, Duane. Montgomery was excused), all others voted in favor

S3747 Nozzolio, no Assembly bill FRP Bill
Requires the commissioner of correctional services to permanently terminate the conjugal visit program, commonly known as the family reunion program; further directs such commissioner to prohibit the establishment of any program designed to provide selected inmates and their families the opportunity to privately meet for an extended period of time.
COMMITTEE VOTE: - Crime Victims, Crime and Correction - May 3, 2011
Ayes (9): Nozzolio, DeFrancisco, Gallivan, Griffo, Little, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Kennedy
Ayes W/R* (2): Kruger, Peralta * with reservations
Nays (3): Rivera, Hassell-Thompson, Montgomery

S5374/A7939 - Duane/Aubry THE SAFE PAROLE ACT
Relates to the modification of the procedure for interviews of parole applicants and to the disclosure of parole applicant records; requires the Parole Board to determine whether there is or is not reasonable cause to believe that the release of the parole applicant would create a present danger to society using specified criteria to arrive at such determination.

S5473/A7931 Montgomery/Aubry CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS
Requires that inmates be notified of their right to seek modification of child support orders; provides a 180 day stay of enforcement following release; makes provisions permitting modification applicable to inmates incarcerated prior to effective date of such amendments.

[Please send an email request, including the bill number, for a copy of any listed bills.]

4. MEDIA COVERAGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUES: DRUG BUST, BY CHARLES M. BLOW, NY TIMES OP ED, TYRANNY IN NYC, BY ROBERT GANGI, ALTERNET [Condensed versions of both]

DRUG BUST, CHARLES M. BLOW, NY TIMES JUNE 10 www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/opinion/11blow.html
[June 10] marks the 40th anniversary of one of the biggest, most expensive, most destructive social policy experiments in American history: the war on drugs

(Since 1971, more than 40 million arrests have been conducted for drug-related offenses.) And no group has been more targeted and suffered more damage than the black community. As the A.C.L.U. pointed out last week*, “The racial disparities are staggering: despite the fact that whites engage in drug offenses at a higher rate than African-Americans, African-Americans are incarcerated for drug offenses at a rate that is 10 times greater than that of whites.”
*Posted by Vanita Gupta, director of the ACLU's Center for Justice on the ACLU Blog of Rights, June 1.

An effort meant to save us from a form of moral decay became its own insidious brand of moral perversion — turning people who should have been patients into prisoners, criminalizing victimless behavior, targeting those whose first offense was entering the world wrapped in the wrong skin. It feeds our achingly contradictory tendency toward prudery and our overwhelming thirst for punishment.

Last week, the Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy declared that: “The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. Fifty years after the initiation of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and 40 years after President Nixon launched the U.S. government’s war on drugs, fundamental reforms in national and global drug control policies are urgently needed.”

The White House immediately shot back: no dice. The Obama administration presented a collection of statistics that compared current drug use and demand with the peak of the late 1970s, although a direct correlation between those declines and the drug war are highly debatable. In doing so, it completely sidestepped the human, economic and societal toll of the mass incarceration of millions of Americans, many for simple possession.

No need to put a human face on 40 years of folly when you can swaddle its inefficacy in a patchwork quilt of self-serving statistics.

TYRANNY IN NYC: THE NYPD'S WASTEFUL, INEFFECTIVE, ILLEGAL, AND UNJUST TARGETING OF BLACKS AND LATINOS, BY ROBERT GANGI, ALTERNET
Posted on June 9, 2011, www.alternet.org/module/printversion/151260, Printed on June 13, 2011

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has escaped criticism where it is long overdue, with a truly objectionable practice of the Police Department, namely our city’s wasteful, ineffective, unjust, illegal and starkly racially biased arrest methods.

The vast majority of arrests in New York City are for low-level offenses, such as misdemeanors like possessing a small amount of marijuana or violations like selling umbrellas or flowers on the street without a license. By any criteria, almost none of these activities could be considered dangerous or predatory. At worst, most city residents would view them as public nuisances.

Last year, for example, the city’s police made over 370,000 arrests. Most of these arrests occurred in New York’s low-income communities of color, although the majority of people who use marijuana are white, 86 percent of the individuals arrested for marijuana possession last year were black or Latino.

Common sense tells us, as does more and more social science research into the perceptions of “procedural justice,” that the extent to which arrested people see and experience the criminal justice process as fair, respectful, consistent and impartial will determine their willingness in the future to respect the police and to comply with the rule of law.

According to accounts heard over and over from people in different communities and who do not know each other, police often stop individuals, usually young black or brown men, for no apparent reason -- the persons involved are not engaged in what could be considered furtive or suspicious activity; they may have been walking to or from their school or workplace or been on a personal errand. The police confiscate the hidden marijuana and later claim to the court that the substance was open to public view, the condition necessary to charging the individual with a misdemeanor -- under state law, simple possession only rises to the level of a violation, which is not by legal standards even considered a crime.

Most victims choose not to contest these illegal practices -- it would usually take 8 to 10 separate appearances at court to fight the charges. They usually accept a plea to a lesser offense, a violation instead of a misdemeanor, and thereby achieve their freedom until the next time the police stop and frisk them on the street.

However, bad consequences can, and often do, result from convictions for a misdemeanor or even a violation, including limiting access to housing, education, immigration (one misdemeanor conviction can lead to deportation), employment (even where arrests do not legally or technically prohibit employment, employers will always prefer job candidates who have had no contact with the criminal justice system), driving, and public assistance.

Many recently gathered statistics point to the undeniable conclusion that New York City’s aggressive arrest-driven policing is marked by stark racial bias. Experience tells us that the general public, and especially the people who live in disadvantaged inner city communities, know this fundamental sorry truth about local policing: white people can possess marijuana with virtual impunity; if you are a person of color, however, then you must regularly look over your shoulder and watch out for the long harsh arm of the law.

Such a racial disparity -- not merely disproportionate but virtually exclusive -- is not an accident. It is a function of the policies and practices of the New York City Police Department.

At this historical moment, the New York City Police Department is a revered, sacrosanct and politically untouchable agency. It is effectively accountable to no political figure including the city’s current mayor, or any government or civic body. Its commissioner is, for better or worse, an iconic figure; he and his policy setting team have to report or account to no one when they set arrest priorities or any other policy for the Police Department. Such unlimited power is dangerous, and should be unacceptable, to all New Yorkers, not just the black and brown residents of our inner city communities who bear the brunt of the Police Department’s harsh current policies.

It is way past time that the New York City Police Department stop its wasteful, ineffective, illegal, unjust, and racially biased arrest practices. It is way past time that the city’s citizens and elected officials demand transparency from Police Department leaders. New York City should take a page out of the Boston or San Diego Police Departments’ book and engage in collaborative problem-solving policing that cuts crime while stabilizing rather than disrupting communities and fosters adherence to social norms while building positive rather then hostile relationships with local residents. Such an approach would help provide New Yorkers of every race and income level with the chance to fully experience a more safe, livable, and inclusive city.

5. THE NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN - PLEASE VISIT www.parolereform.org AND TAKE ACTION, CALL THE TOLL FREE STORYLINE 1 877 518 0606 TO TELL YOUR STORY

If you want to do more, here are some suggestions: invite everyone you know to visit www.parolereform.org to take action - to send a letter to their representatives and to the governor and follow up with a phone call in a week (the numbers are listed when anyone signs on to send a letter). For people without a computer, let them use yours or take them to their local library and show them how to go online and explore the website for information, listen to the stories, record their own. Scores of people have done this already; lets make it thousands by this time next month!

If you find yourself in a group of people who are complaining about their loved ones' past parole board denials, encourage them to tell the story to the toll free Campaign Storyline at 1 877 518 0606. Not only will it feel better to tell their story, but it will be posted where it might move other people to get involved.

Thousand Kites offered free copies of The Visitors to the first 10 applicants among the people who have taken action on the website. They had to agree to show it to other people and encourage them to join our campaign also. More people applied than there were copies! Just think, if every screening encourages 10 people to get involved, we'll easily have a hundred more letters sent, and if they each .... you get the picture: 10x10x10x10 =10,000!

We also need volunteer videographers in the Ithaca, Syracuse, and Binghamton areas. 1000 Kites supplies the cameras and the training, please email parole.reform@gmail.com if interested.

6. PAROLE NEWS: APRIL PAROLE RELEASES, MEMBERS OF BOARDS

APRIL 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999 unofficial research from parole database

Total Interviews......... # Released...... # Denied........ Rate of Release
13 initials................................ 1......... 12................... 8%
65 reappearances..................... 12....... 53................... 18%
78 interviews.......................... 13....... 65................... 17%

APRIL Initial Releases (still none in the Elmira or Watertown Hubs, which makes 0 for Elmira, 2 in Watertown in the last 4 years. ??? why is that?)
Facility....................... Sentence......... Offense.........
Mid Orange................ 15-Life............ Murder 2.......

APRIL RESCISSION
Bayview....................... 18-Life............. Murder 2........ *Last month was Initial hearing – her release has been rescinded

APRIL Reappearances
Facility....................... Sentence......... Offense.......... # of Board
Arthur kill................... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th
Attica.......................... 17-Life............ Murder 2........ 8th (
Auburn...................... 12 ?-Lfe........... Murder 2 JO.... 8th
Bayview..................... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 2nd
Fishkill....................... 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th?
Fishkill....................... 7-Life.............. Murder 2........ 6th
Mid Orange................ 20-Life............ Murder 2........ 5th
Otisville..................... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 3rd
Otisville..................... 20-Life............ Murder 2........ 2nd
Marcy......................... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th *for deportation only
Mid Orange................ 11-Life............ Murder 2 JO.... 10th
Woodbourne............... 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 10th

[If all of these people have been getting 2 year hits, then 4 of them have served at least 2x their minimum sentence! This appears drastically unjust, unless they were incorrigibly violent for most ot the time. Kudos to the Commissioners who finally released them! Ed.]

Parole Board Members in April by facility:
Cayuga: Ferguson, Thompson
Otisville: Hernandez, Lemons, Smith
Thank you to our reporters, many of whom sent May info which will be posted next month.

7. PRISONERS OF THE CENSUS - VOTERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS INTERVENING IN SUIT TO ENSURE THAT ALL NEW YORKERS ARE EQUALLY REPRESENTED IN STATE AND LOCAL LEGISLATURES

Top civil rights organizations filed a motion in New York Supreme Court asking to intervene to help defend New York's new law allocating people in prison to their home communities for redistricting and reapportionment.

The Brennan Center for Justice, the Center for Law and Social Justice, Demos, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and the Prison Policy Initiative, representing fifteen rural and urban voters and three statewide nonprofit organizations, are seeking to defend the new law against a legal challenge brought by New York State Senator Elizabeth Little and others. The lawsuit, titled Little v. LATFOR, names the New York State Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) and the Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) as defendants.

The new law requires that incarcerated persons be counted as residents of their home communities, in accordance with the New York State Constitution's provision that incarceration does not change one's residence. The legislation applies to state and local legislative redistricting, and would not affect federal funding distributions.

Previously, legislative districts with prisons were credited with the population of the disenfranchised people temporarily incarcerated there. This practice, often called prison-based gerrymandering, gives extra influence to voters who live in the district with the most prisons, and dilutes the votes of every resident of a district with no (or fewer) prisons. The new law corrects this bias and assures that all communities in New York have equal representation in our government.

Sen. Little's lawsuit seeks to have the new legislation struck down, the effect of which would require legislative districts - most notably her own, which contains 12,000 incarcerated persons - to include prison populations in their apportionment counts to the detriment of all other districts without prisons. Returning to this practice would not only unfairly inflate the districts of those with prisons at the expense of those without but also violate the New York State Constitution.

The organizations seeking to intervene include: The NAACP New York State Conference, Common Cause-NY and Voices of Community Activists and Leaders - New York , or VOCAL -NY.

8. THE SAFE PAROLE ACT, THE CURRENT PAROLE STATUTE, AND ANOTHER WAY TO VOTE

Some readers reported confusion about the markup copy of Bill S5374/A7919, the SAFE Parole Act, which appeared in last month’s Building Bridges. The markup is the current legislation created by the Governor’s Budget Bill, with changes proposed by the new bill. Some of the changes are in the form of deletions from the law [in brackets] and some are additions (in CAPS). Until the SAFE Parole Act becomes law, parole board decisions will continue to follow the law as it currently stands - which is seen in the parts within brackets and the parts that are in lower case.

Do you vote? Going to www.parolereform.org is another way to cast a vote, only here you get to say why you want what you want. First you can sign a petition. Then there’s a page where you can send a prewritten letter - which you may personalize - to your legislators, without even having to look them up; the computer does it for you. And because your story might convince a visitor to the site to join us in our campaign for parole reform, there’s the toll free 24/7 storyline 1-877-518-0606 where you can describe - into a recorder - how the parole denial of your loved one affects you and your whole family. Within a day or two it will be available for others to hear on the website. We need these stories to put a human face on the misery our unjust criminal justice policies cause. It will take a change in the public perception of the criminal justice system to change the system. Please help!

9. “THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL: A NEW DAY, A NEW WAY,” IS A MAJOR SYMPOSIUM PLANNED FOR SEPT. 24TH AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY TO GRAPPLE WITH ISSUES AFFECTING THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE LONG SHADOW OF PRISON.

A range of well-known speakers will come together with hundreds of formerly incarcerated men and women and their loved ones to grapple with issues affecting those who live in the long shadow of prison.

Participants will include the Rev. Al Sharpton; Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker, recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People; Michelle Alexander, author of the groundbreaking book, The New Jim Crow; CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien; Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Rossana Rosado, CEO and publisher of El Diario La Prensa, one of the nation’s top Spanish-language newspapers; Khalil Muhammad, noted historian and new director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; Alan Rosenthal, co-director, Justice Strategies, Center for Community Alternatives; Terrie Williams, youth advocate and author of the book, Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting, and “Chef Jeff” Henderson, formerly incarcerated motivational speaker, author and star of the Food Network.

“America’s incarceration policies are exacting a crushing human cost,” said Sheila Rule, founder of the Think Outside the Cell Foundation, which received funding from the Ford Foundation to organize the symposium. “ If we don’t have an informed national conversation about this critical issue now, society as a whole will pay an even greater price. The symposium will bring people together for that kind of conversation. “

The symposium is free and open to the public. Registration by email will begin on Monday, June 20, or by calling 877-267-2303. People are urged to register early, since space is limited.

The Think Outside the Cell Foundation is presenting the event in partnership with the Fortune Society’s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy, the College and Community Fellowship and the Riverside Church Prison Ministry.

10. VOCAL-NY PAROLEE ORGANIZING PROJECT IS DEMANDING VOTING RIGHTS FOR PAROLEES

No More Jim Crow in NY: We Demand Voting Rights for Parolees!

On June 9th, the NYS Black, Hispanic, Puerto Rican and Asian legislative Caucus began circulating a letter urging Governor Cuomo to restore the to vote for approximately 41,000 New Yorkers currently on parole. We also began circulating a similar statewide, community sign-on letter. We hope to deliver both letters at a strategic moment after the legislative session.
For more information about VOCAL-NY's Parolee Organizing Project, contact Alfredo Carrasquillo at alfredo@vocal-ny.org or (718) 415-9254.

BACKGROUND
Voter disenfranchisement laws are used to keep people of color from voting around the country, violating a fundamental right and undermining our democracy. For example, 8% of African Americans nationwide (2 million) cannot vote because they are incarcerated, on parole or otherwise disenfranchised by the criminal justice system. This is one of the clearest examples of how the criminal justice system has created a new system of racial control, similar to Jim Crow laws yet supposedly colorblind, that author and activist Michelle Alexander has described.

The letter:

Dear Governor Cuomo,

We, the undersigned, urge you to issue an executive order that would restore voting rights for New Yorkers who have completed their prison sentence and are currently on parole. We are grateful you have prioritized reforming our criminal justice system in your administration and feel this policy change is well aligned with your vision for a more just New York.

About 41,000 New Yorkers on parole, nearly 80% of who are African American or Latino, are currently denied the right to vote in New York. Voting is a fundamental civic duty and should be an essential part of the re-entry process for someone returning to their community. Law enforcement officials and criminal justice experts across the nation, including the American Correctional Association, American Probation and Parole Association, Association of Paroling Authorities International, and the National Black Police Association, agree that restoring the right to vote after completion of a sentence builds community ties, reduces recidivism, and protects public safety. These renowned organizations view civic engagement, including voting, as a crucial tool in preventing recidivism. We strongly believe that people who are back in our communities, working and paying taxes, taking care of their families, and participating in religious and community activities should also be part of our civic life by helping choose our elected representatives.

There is a strong and bipartisan movement to expand voting rights for people with criminal records nationally. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia currently allow people on parole to vote and nearly half of all U.S. states have enacted reforms to felony disenfranchisement laws since 1997, according to an analysis by the Sentencing Project. New York should maintain its progressive tradition by joining other states that have restored voting rights to people on parole.

The current policy of disenfranchising New Yorkers on parole disproportionately prevents people of color from voting. According to a report by the Brennan Center for Justice, New York's criminal disenfranchisement provisions were historically rooted in a concerted effort to exclude African Americans from participating in the political process. Now is time to end this history of discrimination and restore the right to vote to New York citizens who are out of prison and living in our communities.

As Governor, you have a unique opportunity to reverse this injustice. The New York Constitution gives the Governor unlimited and unreviewable clemency powers, including the power to grant a partial pardon restoring voting rights. Individuals on parole currently have only one obstacle-ridden avenue for the restoration of their right to vote: a lengthy and cumbersome application to the Board of Parole. With an executive order, you could reaffirm your commitment to voting rights, racial equality, and criminal justice by restoring voting rights to the tens of thousands of New Yorkers on parole who are living and working in our communities.

[Prison Action Network proudly signed onto this letter.]

Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as our way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please call us at 518 253 7533 or send an email

MAY 2011

2011-05-15T21:11:00.013-04:00

We publish latebreaking announcements and news here every month between editions. To go directly to the May issue of Building Bridges, please scroll down.

POSTED TUESDAY MAY 26 - BY ALL THINGS HARLEM

Rally and Press Conference held by VOCAL in support of ending the stop and frisk policies of the NYPD and for restoring the right to vote to all people upon release from prison. Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, is one of the speakers.

If you missed Michelle Alexander's appearance at Riverside Church in NYC last Saturday May 21, or even if you were there but missed the press conference outside, here's a link to video coverage of the press conference: click here

POSTED MAY 23

Rally to “Award” Bloomberg for making NYC #1 in Marijuana Arrests: Racial Bias, Illegal Searches, Fiscal Waste

When: Wednesday May 25, 2011 – 10 a.m.

Who: Community Leaders, Legal Experts, People Directly Impacted by These Arrests, and
City Council Members Letitia James, Melissa Mark-Viverito and Jumaane Williams.

Where: Mayor Bloomberg’s Upper East Side Apartment 17 East 79th Street, between 5th and Madison

Why: New York City is #1: Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, NYC is the marijuana arrest capital of the world.

Marijuana possession arrests are the number one arrest in NYC, making up 15% of all arrests
Over 50,000 marijuana possession arrests in 2010, despite marijuana possession being decriminalized in 1977.
Extreme racial bias: 86% of those arrested are Black and Latino despite whites smoking at higher rates.
Targeting Youth of Color: Over 55% of those arrested are between 16 – 24 years old, mostly young Black and Latino men.
Illegal searches and false charges: the NYPD is illegally searching people or “tricking” people to show them the marijuana in their pockets so they can arrest them for public possession

Fiscal Waste: $75 Million a year being spent on these marijuana arrests, while essential social services are being cut or eliminated.

The Hypocrisy of Mayor Bloomberg: He said he smoked marijuana and enjoyed it, but has overseen 100,000’s of arrests of young people of color.

POSTED MAY 20

Wednesday, May 25, 12 noon-2 pm Judicial Process Commission's (JPC's) 39th Annual Luncheon

2011 Founders' Award Recipient
Donald Thompson, Easton Thompson Kasperek Shiffrin, LLP
Speaking on:
When Innocent People go to Prison: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice"

Justicia Awards
Jane Coons, Volunteer and Board Member, JPC; Ed Johnson, Volunteer, JPC; Rasheema Renee Vick, Counselor, Rochester Correctional Facility

Outstanding Mentor Award
Veronica Sanders, Faith Community Adult Mentoring Project

Mail-in Registration Form
Send checks payable to Judicial Process Commission at 285 Ormond St., Rochester, NY 14605
Name(s) ___________________________________
Organization Affiliation_________________________
Email ______________________________________

Levels of support
Guest $30___   Supporter $50___ Sustainer $75 __ Sponsor $100 ___   Other ___

Location: Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. Rochester

BUILDING BRIDGES MAY 15 2011

HEADLINES: SENATOR TOM DUANE SPONSORS THE SAFE PAROLE ACT, BILL S5374
NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN UNVEILS NEW INTERACTIVE WEBSITE

Dear Reader,

I've been waiting to write those headlines for a long time! What a credit it is to all the people who brought us to this point! Those people include the 2005 Lifer's Group at Otisville who started us down this path, the families who attended four Family Empowerment Days and then went on to form the Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Polices which provided the direction: change the law so our loved ones don't keep being denied parole solely on the basis of their crime. Thanks to the Policy Group who spent the next two years revising Exec. law Sec. 259-i, the Sentencing Project who helped us form a strategy team which, among other things, has brought 60 advocacy organizations on board and all the families and advocates who wrote and called their legislators. Thanks to the organizations who have put the SAFE Parole Act on their legislative agendas. There is strength in numbers, and already we're so many that I'm worried I'm leaving some out.

Special thanks to 1000 Kites (http://www.kitescampaigns.org/) for building us an interactive website (www.parolereform.org) which will make the rest of our struggle a little easier. Please use it to tell your stories, take action, and learn more.

We especially thank Senator Duane for sharing our vision and introducing it. Please join us in thanking him: duane@senate.state.ny.us, Room 711-B Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12247, (518) 455-2451 and 322 Eighth Avenue Suite 1700, New York, NY 10001 (212) 633-8052.

IT'S TIME TO STOP - FOR A LITTLE MINUTE - TO BREATHE IN THAT FEELING OF SUCCESS AND HOPE; GIVE A WHOOP AND A HOLLER FOR PERSEVERANCE, AND REAFFIRM OUR FAITH THAT TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS!

OK! Now it's time to get back to work. We have passed our first hurdle but there's a rocky road ahead before our bill becomes law. It will need to be passed by the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee chaired by Sen. Nozzolio, who has a history of opposing our issues and drafting bills we feel would send us back to the middle ages. Once passed out of that committee it will be presented for a vote by the entire Senate. Should they see the wisdom in voting for it (for one thing it would win our votes on election day!), it would then require the same to happen in the Assembly. (see a list of members on both committees in article #5) Even passage by the both houses will not be a certain victory. The Governor's signature would still be required, and take a 2/3 majority in both houses to override if he vetoed it. We do not currently have that much support. It is up to everyone reading this, and your family members, to let your legislators know how important parole board decisions are to you, and how much your welfare depends on the passage of S5374, the SAFE Parole Act. You can do that at (www.parolereform.org) and then follow up with a personal phone call or visit. [Your legislator's home number will be on the website (when you take action) and you can use it to call to schedule an appointment.]

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone's sake, get involved!

Summaries of Articles

1. Actions, Event and Meetings include Coalition for Women Prisoners Advocacy Day in Albany on behalf of the the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. [with dates for NYC and phone pre-trainings]; Presentation of the SAFE Parole Act on March 19 at the Chelsea Reform Dem Club, with Tom Duane; March 21 appearance of Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow at Riverside Church; Buffalo PRP2! meeting on May 23, Manhattan meetings on May 17 (Milk Not Jails), May 18 (NY Reentry Roundtable), and May 19 (Coalition for Women Prisoners) as well as regularly scheduled support group meetings. You can keep busy working for justice almost any day!

2. The Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies is passionate about bringing deserving men and women home from prison through better parole policies, but the question throughout the process from arrest through sentencing, potential incarceration, and parole release should be: where do we want this person to end up? This is called Reintegrative Justice.

3. Legislation: S 338/A 154 expands Merit Time eligibility to include violent crimes (with some exceptions) and the list of criteria for receiving merit time has also been expanded.

4. DOCS and the Div. of Parole have merged into DOCCS (Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision); The Parole Board will maintain its independence.

5. NYS Parole Reform Campaign is now at WWW.PAROLEREFORM.ORG. Visit this new interactive website where you can view people speaking about their parole experiences, leave your parole story on the storyline phone, and take several actions, including sending Senator Duane a thank you letter. It includes a list of members of both committees in the legislature who have to pass it before it can move to a vote of each house.

6. Parole News - 134 interviews, 30 released, 4 on initial hearings. (Still none in the Elmira or Watertown hubs.)

7. A link to The SAFE Parole Bill S.5374 in its entirety, plus what we know about TAP and risk and needs assessments. Called a “mark-up”, the bill S5374 shows the changes that constitute the SAFE Parole Act. It contains all the language in the governor’s revision. The SAFE Parole Act removes all the crossed out language and adds the CAPITALIZED words.

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please send an email to PAN with a request clearly stating number of the article and the date it appeared -Ed.]

1. ACTIVISM: ADVOCACY, EVENTS AND MEETINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH

ADVOCACY DAY
TUESDAY JUNE 7 COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS ADVOCACY DAY
Get on the bus with the Coalition for Women Prisoners! We will be traveling to Albany to speak to legislators about the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. This bill would provide much needed relief for domestic violence survivors whose abuse was a significant contributing factor to their involvement in the criminal justice system. By giving discretion to judges in the sentencing phase, and allowing currently incarcerated survivors to apply for re-sentencing, this bill would allow New York to take a significant step toward addressing the years of injustice faced by DV survivor-defendants whose lives have been shattered by abuse.

If you are in NYC, you can attend one of the following trainings which will be held at the Correctional Association (2090 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd., New York, NY 10027)    Friday, May 20th 10:00am-12 Noon Friday, May 27th 4:30-6:00pm,    Saturday, May 28th 1:00-3:00pm,   Thursday, June 2nd 10:30am-12 Noon. If you are outside of NYC, there will be an Advocacy Day training conference call on Friday, June 3rd at 10:00am. Dial In: 888-387-8686 Conference ID: 9424797

Contact Jacqueline Velez, to register for the bus at 212-254-5700 or jvelez@correctionalassociation.org.

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BUFFALO VIGIL: Every Wed from 5-6 pm Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. Stand for ending abuse.
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EVENTS:
MANHATTAN events
THURSDAY MAY 19, 7 - 9 PM CHELSEA REFORM DEMOCRATIC CLUB discussion on Prison and Parole Reform
Speaking will be Judith Brink of Prison Action Network, Leah Gitter of NAMI NYC, and Senator Tom Duane. Maria Reyes and Linda King from PAN will also attend. The meeting is open to the public. The SAFE Parole Act will be on the agenda.
Location: Hudson Guild, Elliot Center, 441 W. 26th St. (bet 9 & 10th Ave)

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 12:30 - 4 PM THE CAMPAIGN TO END THE NEW JIM CROW presents:
Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Round table panel discussion with Ms. Alexander to follow, with panelists Glenn Ford (Black Agenda Report), Annette Dickerson (Center for Constitutional Rights), Gabriel Sayegh (Drug Policy Alliance), Neil Franklin (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), and Tina Reynolds (WORTH), moderated by Glenn Martin (David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy)

This half day conference **Free and Open to the Public** will also feature an art exhibit, film, resource information tables, Q & A, book signing

A Reception for Donors and Supporters: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Admission: $50 donation, 50% off The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness Food, Drink & Guest Speakers

Location: Riverside Church South Hall, 490 Riverside Drive, N.Y., NY 10027
(enter between 120th and 122nd St. on Claremont Ave)

Visit our website at www.newjimcrow.org/register to register for the free event and to reserve your place at the VIP reception. Space at the reception is limited; your spot is confirmed upon receipt of payment
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SAVE THE DATE: SAT. SEPT. 24 AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH: THE REV. AL SHARPTON, NEWARK MAYOR CORY BOOKER, AND CNN JOURNALIST SOLEDAD O’BRIEN will be among the participants at the upcoming national Think Outside the Cell symposium on issues affecting the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and their loved ones. www.thinkoutsidethecell.org for more info.
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MEETINGS:
ALBANY meeting and STATEWIDE conference call
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 7:00 P.M. NEW YORK STATE PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK
Post advocacy day discussion: what does it all mean for the direction of the New York State Prisoner Justice Network? Join in the next series of meetings as we discuss and analyze the day and figure out the Network's priorities!
Location: 33 Central Ave, Albany NY 12210
call-in: 712-432-0111 code 106007#
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BUFFALO meetings
MONDAY, MAY 23, 6:30-8:30PM. PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO considers the psychology of imprisonment.
In the summer of 1971, at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, a group of 24 college students, U.S. and Canadian males, participated in an experiment which was designed to discover information about the “psychology of imprisonment.” In the basement of the Psychology Department Building, several classrooms had doors removed and replaced with bars and numbers. A hallway served as “the yard” and a closet was “The Hole” for “solitary confinement.” A coin toss determined which students would be prisoners and which would be guards. There were no clocks and no view of the outside world. The experiment, planned for two weeks, only lasted for six days. What happened? Most of the guards became sadistic and some of the prisoners began to exhibit various pathologies, such as depression and a willingness to be victimized.

Prisoners Are People Too, Inc., usually screens documentary films. There is a documentary film about the Stanford Prison Experiment, “Quiet Rage,” but it is unavailable at this time. In lieu of the documentary, PRP2, Inc. will show a 2010 Hollywood film, entitled “The Experiment,” featuring Forest Whitaker and Adrien Brody. Much like the Stanford Prison Experiment of forty years ago, the men in this film find themselves in a simulated prison environment that spirals out of control. This film is rated R.

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2 programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
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MANHATTAN meetings
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 6:30PM-8:30PM MILK NOT JAILS planning meeting/conference call

We dressed up in an ice cream cone costume and met with elected officials during the NY State Prisoners Justice Advocacy Day; we had a whirlwind tour of farms in the Capitol Region and Hudson Valley who want to work with us; we are in the midst of designing marketing materials for farmers who want to work with us, an action plan for DAIRY DAY (June 4), coffee shop pledge drive, an ice cream social at the HOT FESTIVAL in July in NYC, and an August tour to Central and Western NY. Things are moving, but we need your help to make it happen! Light refreshments will be served.

Location: 666 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City
Take the B/D/F/V/6 to Broadway-Lafayette
Not in NYC? You can call into the meeting by dialing (712) 775-7200; Access Code 257779#

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1 - 3PM NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
Dr. Robert Fullilove from Columbia U’s Mailman School of Public Health
Speaking on the public health consequences of mass incarceration.

Hosted by Community Service Society of NY (CSS); Kindly RSVP to Gabriel
Location: 105 E.22 St., at Park Ave So., Rm. 4A
6 or N/R train to 23rd St.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 5-7 PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS IMPORTANT MEETING
Discussion on Families, Incarceration & the new ASFA Law
A new law was passed in June 2010 that helps protect the rights of parents who are or were incarcerated, or in a residential drug treatment program, and have children in foster care.

The Incarcerated Mothers Committee will make a special presentation. Fathers welcome too! Contact: Stacey Thompson: 212-254-5700 Ext. 333, or email

Location: 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. (between W. 124 and 125 Streets, Suite 200
2/3 to 125 St. and walk 1 block west or A/B/C/D to 125 St. and walk 2 blocks east
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SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:
ALBANY: Every Monday 7-8:30 pm PRISON FAMILIES OF NY Support Group Meetings Alison 518-453-6659
Every Tuesday at 6pm P-MOTIONS (Progressive Men Operating Towards Initiating Opportunities Now) For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.

BROOKLYN:
Every Wednesday at 5:30pm VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT For more info call 917 676-8041

LONG ISLAND:
Tuesdays May 24 and June 14 (second and fourth Tuesdays) at 7:30pm PRISON FAMILIES ANONYMOUS SUPPORT GROUP at: Community Presbyterian Church, 1843 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park, NY.
Tuesday June 7 (first Tuesday) at 7:30pm at St Brigids Catholic Church, 75 Post Ave, Westbury, NY.
For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903
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2. THE COALITION FOR FAIR CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES EMBRACES REINTEGRATIVE JUSTICE

Until the public understands that punishment doesn’t produce positive outcomes, the best laws in the world won’t make a difference. Although the Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies is passionate about bringing deserving men and women home from prison through better parole policies, our ultimate goal is a system for dealing with crime that works for everyone. We envision policies that bring the arrested person back into his or her community as quickly as possible. We call that Reintegrative Justice. The question throughout the process from arrest through sentencing, potential incarceration, and parole release, should be: where do we want this person to end up? Looked at that way, it seems obvious that we want them returned to their families and communities as healthy and whole people who are able to contribute to society.

Long punishments don't prevent crime or encourage loving behavior, they are more likely to stir up anger and a desire for retribution on the part of victims, community and offender alike. Especially in light of the fact that prisons today have all but abandoned rehabilitative ideals.

At the core of the punitive culture we live in is the concept that a violent monster lives inside of us and only punishment can keep it under control. We say that’s hogwash!

The real truth is that much of behavior is situational. Treated violently for long enough and we become violent ourselves. Surrounded with love and support, provided with adequate housing, food, healthcare and education, everyone is capable of being or becoming a good person. Not a perfect person; there don’t seem to be any of them, but a person who can contribute to, rather than drain, our communities.

This is not a new concept. At their core most religions espouse the values of justice and mercy, forgiveness and redemption. Yet our society seems more toxic than ever with violence, retribution, punishment and suspicion. So what can we do to change it? How can we help people see that Reintegrative Justice is a win-win response to wrongdoing? Please contact us with your ideas, questions, invitations to meet. Let's brain storm about our terms, our strategies, and how to spread the word. The Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies calls on you to unite behind Reintegrative Justice as the way everyone wins!

3. LEGISLATION STATUS:

MERIT TIME BILL # S 338/A 154 Sen. Montgomery/AM Aubry Introduced January 5, 2011
Expands Merit Time eligibility to include violent crimes except for crimes of incest, Murder 1, terrorism, aggravated harassment of a DOCCS employee by an inmate, or conspiracy to commit such offenses.
The list of criteria for receiving merit time has also been expanded:
(1)complete general equivalency diploma, educational requirements as determined by the department, or satisfactorily complete the equivalent of a semester of coursework sponsored by an institution of higher learning
(2) complete an alcohol and substance abuse treatment program, or a comparable program of a different type, including, but not limited to, anger management, family violence, or parenting
(3) complete a vocational training program or a comparable and equivalent training program
(4) perform satisfactorily for at least six months a skilled job assignment, including but not limited to, inmate program aide (ipa), law library clerk, medical/infirmary aide, children's center aide, food service worker; or
(5) complete at least four hundred hours of service as part of a community work crew

[We'll post short descriptions of relevant bills as they are introduced and keep you posted on their progress. Please email PAN, including the bill number, for a copy of the complete bill.]

4. MERGER OF THE DEPT. OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND THE DIV. OF PAROLE

The merger creates the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). The Parole Board will function as an independent body and maintain its existing functions (release decisions, setting conditions for parole, etc.) Up to 19 members will still be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. They will continue to be led by an appointed Chairperson, who currently is Andrea Evans. Although the Parole Board will function separately, with no change in the way it makes release decisions, it will be considered an operational component of DOCCS, and both will provide all appropriate services for all offenders, from entry to release, and from release through discharge.

DOCCS will be responsible for the care, custody, treatment and supervision of the individual, both in a facility and in the community. Community supervision will be the responsibility of a Deputy Commissioner who reports to the Commissioner (currently Brian Fischer).

The Parole Board will review and decide applications for 3-year discharge from parole supervision for indeterminately sentenced individuals, and will have the added responsibility of reviewing and deciding 5 year discharges for sex offenders with determinate sentences.

DOCCS will grant merit terminations from presumptive release, parole, conditional release and release to post-release supervisions for certain non-violent offenses. Also the department will take on mandatory and discretionary terminations of sentence for certain drug offenders and issue certificates of relief and certificates of good conduct.

Clemency and interstate transfers will continue to be processed as in the past. Reentry will be the responsibility of DOCCS and the Parole Board.

5. THE NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN REPORTS THAT SENATOR TOM DUANE IS SPONSORING THE SAFE PAROLE ACT, S 5374.

Now that the SAFE Parole Act has a bill number and a sponsor, it's time for the heavy lifting. Not in the weight room but in the legislature. We need to build a strong grassroots base that will put pressure on legislators who will have to be convinced that sponsoring Senate Bill 5374, or at least to vote for it, is the smart thing to do. Personal stories are very important. They connect the words in the SAFE Parole Bill with human beings who are suffering under the weight of unfair parole board decisions. The good news is that now there's an easy way to get started!

This week we are inaugurating our new interactive website, www.parolereform.org where you can learn more about the SAFE Parole Bill, sign a petition, send a letter to your legislators and to the governor, and download materials to pass out where ever you go. There's much more at www.parolereform.org; you can tell your story on the 24/7 storyline and watch videos of others telling how they've been affected by unfair parole policies [to see more than one, click on the channel tab]. You can even use it to find out your legislator's phone #. When you take action and send the form letter on the site, you will see the name, photo, and phone # of each of your representatives in the state legislature.

It's important to start working right now, since this legislative session is over at the end of June. Plan to visit the site www.parolereform.org regularly. Tell everyone you know about it and invite them to do the same.

[Thanks to Thousand Kites who have done all the work of creating the website and who will continue to help us improve it and move it out into the public arena. Your feedback will help us. Let us know if you experience any difficulties. But most importantly, please use it. ]

(We need videographers in the Ithaca, Syracuse, and Binghamton areas. 1000 Kites supplies the cameras and the training, please email parole.reform@gmail.com if interested.)

FOLLOWING ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEES WHERE OUR BILL WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE CHAIRS OF EACH RELEASE IT FOR A VOTE. We still need a sponsor in the Assembly. These committees have to pass our bill before it can be voted on by the respective full house. If one of them represents you and you want to change the Parole Board’s policies, you need to convince him or her to vote yes to pass the SAFE Parole Bill, S.5374.. It is now in the Senate Committee.

NYS ASSEMBLY CORRECTION COMMITTEE
Chair: Jeffrion Aubry
William Colton
Janet Duprey
Joe Giglio
Hakeem Jeffries
Tom Kirwan
Alan Maisel
Félix Ortiz
Teresa Sayward
Eric Stevenson
Harvey Weisenberg
Keith L.T. Wright

SENATE CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE
Chair: Sen. Michael F. Nozzolio
John A. DeFrancisco
Patrick M. Gallivan
Joseph A. Griffo
Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Timothy M. Kennedy
Betty Little
George D. Maziarz
Velmanette Montgomery
José Peralta
Michael H. Ranzenhofer
Patty Ritchie
Gustavo Rivera

6. PAROLE NEWS: MARCH PAROLE RELEASES: 134 INTERVIEWS, 30 RELEASED, 4 ON INITIAL HEARINGS

MARCH 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999 unofficial research from parole database.

[We've stopped publishing data sent by facilities, since we get that info (eventually) off the website. However the parole website doesn't list the parole commissioners who were at each hearing and it takes several months to get that information from the Parole Board. If you know which commissioners were at a given facility in a given month, starting with April, we would like it, and return the favor with a free membership in PAN for the reporter.]

MARCH TOTAL INTERVIEWS......# RELEASED. # DENIED..RATE OF RELEASE
27 initials.............................. 4..................... 23................ 15%
107 reappearances................ 26................... 81................ 24%
134 interviews...................... 30................... 104......................22%

MARCH INITIAL RELEASES (still none in the Elmira or Watertown Hubs, which have the worst records; 0 for Elmira, 2 in Watertown, in over 4 years)

FACILITY.........SENTENCE...........OFFENSE
Livingston.... 20-Life.......... Murder 2
Bayview........ 18-Life........... Murder 2
Wyoming...... 15-Life........... Murder 2
Collins......... 1-Life**.......... Murder 2 *
**received an additional sentence for attempted promotion of contraband 1, hence the 1 added on
*for deportation only

MARCH REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY.........SENTENCE................. OFFENSE........ # OF BOARD
Arthurkill................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 4th
Arthurkill................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2 . 6th
Arthurkill................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 8th
Arthurkill................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 10th
Auburn..................... 25-Life.......... Murder 2....... 5th
Bare Hill................... 25-Life.......... Murder 2....... 3rd
Fishkill..................... 17-Life.......... Murder 2....... 3rd
Fishkill..................... 17?-Life........ Murder 2....... 5th
Fishkill..................... 9-Life............ Murder 2....... 6th
Fishkill..................... 25-Life.......... Kidnap 1....... 10th
Franklin.................... 20-Life.......... Murder 2....... 4th
Franklin.................... 15-Life.......... Att Mur 1........ 10th
Gouverneur............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 6th
Gouverneur............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 7th
Green Haven.......... 20-Life.......... Murder 2....... 8th
Midstate................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 8th
Orleans.................... 25-Life.......... Mur pre-74.... 7th
Otisville.................... 18-Life.......... Murder 2....... 3rd
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 5th
Shawangunk.......... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 5th *
Shawangunk.......... 25-Life.......... Murder 2....... 5th
Southport................ 25-Life.......... Murder 2....... 3rd *
Sullivan.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2....... 2nd
Wende..................... 20-Life.......... Murder 2....... 3rd
Woodbourne........... 17-Life.......... Murder 2....... 2nd
Woodbourne........... 25-Life.......... Murder 2....... 4th

*for deportation only

7. THE SAFE PAROLE ACT; AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TAP AND RISK AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS

Click here for a copy of the The SAFE Parole Act, S.7354. Deletions are crossed out; CAPITALS are the new language; all else is the original language of the current 259-i as rewritten by the governor.

DOCCS is required by law to implement an OFFENDER TRANSITION ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN (TAP) that includes an integrated team case management plan based on a research-based risk assessment tool.

What TAP instrument they will be using is not known, nor is the risk and needs assessment tool, but in 2009 the Division of Criminal Justice Services adopted a plan that may give us some idea of what we can expect. Click here to read NY’s Transition from Prison to the Community Model, essentially a TAP instrument, a plan that follows a person from arrest to discharge from state supervision.

Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as our way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please give us a call at 518 253 7533 or send a note.

APRIL 2011

2011-04-14T19:57:00.015-04:00

Late-breaking news or announcements are posted here between the monthly editions of Building Bridges. To go directly to the newsletter, please scroll down.

POSTED 5/11 by Prison Action Network

This little zine captures the essence of the criminal justice well, we think.
click here to see

POSTED 4/28 by Prison Action Network
from the DOCCS website

MERGER OF DEPT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND DIVISION OF PAROLE

Mission Statement: To improve public safety by providing a continuity of appropriate treatment services in safe and secure facilities where offenders’ needs are addressed and they are prepared for release, followed by supportive services under community supervision to facilitate a successful completion of their sentence.

Overview: Enacted by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) and the Division of Parole (DOP) have been merged to form the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).

As envisioned by Governor Cuomo, this merger will streamline departmental functions, eliminate duplication of effort, achieve better outcomes for more offenders and enhance public safety, while simultaneously reducing expenditures and saving taxpayer dollars.

A primary goal of the new agency will be to create a more seamless, more comprehensive operation through a continuum of care from the moment an offender enters the correctional system until he or she successfully completes the required period of community supervision.
Parole Board

The Parole Board will continue as an independent body, with Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) and the Board’s Counsel’s Office answering directly to the Parole Board.

The Parole Board will maintain its existing functions (e.g., release decisions, set conditions, etc).

The Parole Board, with a membership of up to 19 members will continue to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate; they will not be hired by the Commissioner of DOCCS and will continue to be led by an appointed Chairperson.

Changing Role of Parole and Corrections:Starting in 1995, the Legislature authorized determinate sentences for repeat violent felons and later for all violent offenders. In 2005, the use of determinate sentences was further expanded to include drug offenders and in 2007 was expanded again to include most sex offenders. Beginning in 1998, Community Supervision (Field Parole) was made a mandatory requirement of all offenders released under a determinate sentence.

DOCS and Parole have historically worked collaboratively on many fronts, such as the Willard Drug Treatment Campus, the Edgecombe Residential Treatment Facility, working with county re-entry taskforces, assisting offenders with Medicaid applications upon release, providing voter information to released offenders, and assisting in post release placement in treatment programs as appropriate.

More details will be found on the DOCCS website

BUILDING BRIDGES APRIL 2011

Dear Reader,

Events are happening at such a rapid speed I can barely keep up. Let me tell you about just one. On March 28, the day before I left for a 10 day vacation (the longest I can remember), I had the privilege of meeting with Liz Glazer, the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety (the position Denise O'Donnell held under Spitzer and Paterson), Mary Kavaney, her Assistant, and Robin Forshaw, Assistant Counsel to the Governor. It was the day after the budget was passed and I doubt they had had any sleep, but they gave their complete attention to our conversation. Though we did not agree on everything, notably whether the nature of the crime could be ignored in Parole decisions, I left feeling I had met allies and not adversaries. I was told that the best this administration felt it could do in the current political climate was merge the two agencies, Parole and DOCS. They feel the merger will maximize the possibility of lower recidivism rates and more successful reintegration. They were optimistic about the use of risk assessment tools and TAP (see article 9 for more on those). I told them about a typical parole denial based on documents sent by many of our members, and left Ms. Glazer - who assured me she would read them - an impressive parole packet, and a parole denial plus a paper about Redemption written by another. I also provided two decisions handed down by Judge Frank J. LaBuda which support our arguments. I hope these documents convince the Deputy Secretary and her colleagues of the failure of the current system to rehabilitate and promote successful and productive reentry and reintegration into society upon release. Time will tell.

So now we have to mobilize our members to convince the people who represent them in the State Senate and Assembly to support the SAFE Parole Act. In the first article below you will see two major May advocacy events which have put the SAFE Parole Act on their agendas. If you want a chance at a fair parole hearing for yourself or an incarcerated loved one, please make sure members of your family register for at least one of them. We CANNOT do this without support from the people who are most directly affected!

Please be well, keep the faith, share the news, and for everyone's sake, get involved!

SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES

1. Actions, events, and meetings are listed geographically and chronologically, so you can easily check for those in your area at times you are free. Two important Advocacy Days are featured.

2. The Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People’s Movement understands and declares very clearly: the criminal justice system does NOT work. It is no more than a destructive force in our communities now and for future generations. As activists, the participants at an Alabama gathering have been to their share of conferences and rallies, yet before many of them left home, they knew this one was different.

3. Help prisoners with disabilities. A pro bono project is preparing a pamphlet for prisoners on how to apply for modifications and accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

4. The Hudson Link documentary " Zero Percent," just won the first ever Silver Heart Award at the Dallas International Film Festival “for their dedication to fighting injustices and creating social change for the improvement of humanity."

5. Senator Betty Little has filed suit to bring back prison-based gerrymandering. Senator Little's attempt to inflate the population of her district with more than 10,000 incarcerated, non-voting residents from other parts of the state will dilute the votes cast in all other districts.

6. Milk Not Jails has been hard at work this winter, and needs your help to build a vision into a real model for change.

7. The NYS Parole Campaign has attracted 4 more organizations who support the SAFE Parole Act.: Center for Nuleadership on Urban Solutions, Institute for Juvenile Justice Reform and Alternatives, Greenhope Services for Women, Inc., and the Morningside Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Legislative Advocacy efforts will start in earnest in May.

8. NYS Prisoner Justice Network tells us what’s wrong with New York’s prison system...and what we can do about it: New York’s prison system is spending $3 billion on “corrections” – that don’t correct anything – while cutting education, health care, and other social programs to the bone. This system of mass incarceration is inhumane, unnecessary, uneconomical, and ineffective. Read the article to find out what you can do!

9. Parole News - Of the 84 parole hearings in February, 2 applicants were released at their initial hearings and 14 were released at a reappearance. DOCS and Parole have been merged into one Department, while the Parole Board remains independent. Two tools have been added for Parole Commissioners to use in making their determinations.

10. Poetry, Prisons & Power: a mixed media event highlighting the prison industrial complex, the on-going struggle of america’s political prisoners and related current events took place in Ithaca NY on April 9.

11. Think Outside the Cell - In “Prisons, Crime and Budgets: Time for a New Paradigm” posted on the Huffington Post, March 10, by author and publisher Sheila R. Rule, she writes, “The hard-line tough-on-crime positions that were instrumental in bringing on the current fiscal woes in state after state are now being replaced by talk that is more nuanced, and even smart, on crime.”

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or condensed, in this issue, please email us with a request clearly stating number of the article and the date it appeared -Ed.]

1. ACTIVISM: ADVOCACY, EVENTS AND MEETINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH

ADVOCACY DAYS (2)
ALBANY WITH TRANSPORTATION FROM WHEREVER YOU LIVE

TUESDAY MAY 3, 9:00AM TO 5:00PM NYS PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK
LEGISLATIVE AWARENESS DAY FOR PRISONER JUSTICE: MORE JUSTICE, LESS PRISONS
100 Swan Street, Albany. Please register online.

Prisoner justice activists from around the state will talk with legislators and their staffs about issues including parole reform, the implementation of the SHU bill, prison closures, and others. Participants will network with each other, be briefed on the issues, and go in delegations to pre-arranged meetings with legislators.

Join in this effort to show legislators and all New Yorkers that there is an alternative to the current culture of punishment and vengeance which keeps more than 57,000 people behind bars. It will demonstrate that there is a statewide constituency to change New York's harsh and unjust criminal justice policies. It will strengthen the statewide movement for prisoner justice by giving participants information about each others' issues and a chance to learn about and support each others' campaigns.

THE DAY IS FREE and everyone concerned about New York's prison system is invited to attend.  Buses will be leaving from NYC. We need your reservation before we can plan the pick up locations so please go to www.nysprisonerjustice.org right now to register and reserve your seat. Call the Albany Social Justice Center at 518-434-4037, e-mail nysprisonerjustice@gmail.com, or write to NYSPJN, 33 Central Ave, Albany NY 12210 for more info. (see article #8 for more)

TUESDAY MAY 10 COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY (CSS-NY) ALBANY ADVOCACY DAY.
The SAFE Parole Act will be on the legislative agenda, so members of Prison Action Network, the Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies, and the NYS Parole Reform Campaign can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity organized by CSS-NY. If you can't make the May 3 date, this is your 2nd chance. BETTER STILL YOU CAN DO BOTH. Practice makes perfect, and maybe will drive the message home more strongly.

The Correctional Association will be traveling to Albany for Advocacy Day and if you would like to leave on their bus, please contact Jaya Vasandani by clicking here.

The Fortune Society will also. To travel on their bus, contact Barry Campbell at bcampbell@fortunesociety.org.

It is important that those of you who are planning to travel with CSS-NY attend the Roundtable on April 20th at which they will present a draft of the legislative agenda and respond to your questions and comments. Please send the name of your district representative or your address and CSS will do their best to set up appropriate meetings in Albany. Kindly RSVP to Gabriel Torres-Rivera at grivera@cssny.org or call 212.614.5306
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BUFFALO VIGIL: Every Wed from 5-6 pm Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. Stand for ending abuse.
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EVENTS:
FLUSHING events
Wednesday, April 20th from 1:30pm-3pm MILK NOT JAILS Ice Cream Social
Join us for our ice cream social at CUNY School of Law. We need your help with set-up, so please call Sam at 718.783.8443 if you are available to come early (as early as 10am) to help with the event.
Location: CUNY School of Law Garden
65-21 Main Street (Flushing, NY)
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MANHATTAN events
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 9:00AM – 10:30AM* OCCASIONAL SERIES ON REENTRY RESEARCH
THE USE OF CRIMINAL RECORDS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS RECONSIDERED
Marsha Weissman, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Community Alternatives
Discussants representing the worlds of policy and practice to be announced. RSVP to pri@jjay.cuny.edu
*Event will also be webcast live via the National Reentry Resource Center website.

“Generating conversation between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in an effort to improve policy and practice.”
Location: Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
899 Tenth Avenue (b/w W. 58th and 59th Streets), Room 630.

SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY MAY 21, 12:30 - 2 PM
THE COALITION TO END THE NEW JIM CROW
PRESENTING MICHELLE ALEXANDER, AUTHOR
"The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness"

Round table panel discussion with Ms. Alexander to follow, with panelists Glenn Ford (Black Agenda Report), Annette Dickerson (Center for Constitutional Rights), Gabriel Sayegh (Drug Policy Alliance), Neil Franklin (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), and Tina Reynolds (WORTH). Moderated by Glenn Martin (David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy) . This half day conference will feature an art exhibit, film, resource information tables, Q & A, book signing

Location: Riverside Church
490 Riverside Drive (enter between 120th and 122nd St. on Claremont Ave)
Free and Open to the Public

Reception for Donors and Supporters: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Admission: $50 donation, 50% off The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness Food, Drink & Guest Speakers
Visit our website to reserve a free seat.

SAVE THE DATE: SAT. SEPT. 24 AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH: THE REV. AL SHARPTON, NEWARK MAYOR CORY BOOKER, AND CNN JOURNALIST SOLEDAD O’BRIEN will be among the participants at the upcoming national Think Outside the Cell symposium on issues affecting the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and their loved ones.
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MEETINGS:
BUFFALO meetings
MONDAY, APRIL 25, 6:30-8:30PM. PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO

It’s amazing that some people fail to see the value of performing arts and literary arts in the prison environment. Writing in particular has been a vehicle for instilling hope, pride, and self-esteem. At this meeting our special guest speakers will be three women who were participants in a writing project several years ago in a Buffalo, NY halfway house. Paradise House, on Buffalo’s Eastside, promoted a writing project that has had a lasting, positive impact for several women who found themselves in “paradise” as an alternative to incarceration. Joining us will be: Rev. Anne Paris, founder/director of Paradise House; Dr. Sharon Amos, Professor of English at the University of Buffalo’s Educational Opportunity Center; and Ms. Raquel Fairfax. They will be reflecting on the project’s effectiveness.

The documentary film being screened will be “Freedom Road” by filmmaker Lorna Ann Johnson. It takes a look at a highly successful writing project at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for women (Women Make Movies, 2004), in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo

The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2 programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
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MANHATTAN meetings
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 10:00AM-12 NOON. WOMEN IN PRISON PROJECT MEETING
Come and learn about our new legislation, “The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act,” as we prepare for our Advocacy Day on June 7, 2011.
Location: Correctional Association of NY.
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., between 124th and 125th streets, Suite 200.
Take the 2/3/A/C/B/D to 125th St.

For more information: Stacey Thompson, Coalition Associate, Women In Prison Project
Correctional Association of New York (P) 212.254-5700 Ext. 333 or sthompson@correctionalassociation.org

TUESDAY, APRIL 26TH FROM 6:30PM-8:30PM MILK NOT JAILS CAMPAIGN PLANNING MEETING
Location: 666 Broadway 7th Floor (New York, NY)
[Not in NYC? Join the meeting by phone! Dial (712) 775-7200; The Access Code is 257779#.]
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SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS:
ALBANY: EVERY MONDAY 7-8:30 PM PRISON FAMILIES OF NY SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS Alison 518-453-6659
EVERY TUESDAY AT 6PM P-MOTIONS (PROGRESSIVE MEN OPERATING TOWARDS INITIATING OPPORTUNITIES NOW) For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.

BROOKLYN:
EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5:30PM VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT
For more info call 917 676-8041

LONG ISLAND:
TUESDAYS APRIL 26, MAY 10 AND MAY 24 7:30PM PRISON FAMILIES ANONYMOUS SUPPORT GROUP. For information, please contact: Barbara: 631-943-0441 or Sue: 631-806-3903
Location: Community Presbyterian Church 1843 Deer Park Ave. Deer Park, NY.
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2. ALABAMA – ANSWERING A CLARION CALL, BY THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED & CONVICTED PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT STEERING COMMITTEE (excerpts, part 1):

This is a call that speaks to us in our own voice; clear, loud and urgent. A voice that speaks to our identity and emanates from the soul, ringing true both in the head and the heart, as we gathered fifty people from across the nation to engage in a conversation about the need to build a Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People’s Movement. We understand and declare very clearly: the criminal justice system does NOT work. It is no more than a destructive force in our communities now and for future generations.

... As activists, we have been to our share of conferences and rallies, yet before many of us left our homes, we knew this invitation was different.

The first exercise was to introduce ourselves to each other not simply by our names or the many great struggles that we were currently engaged in, but by who we embraced as our heroes. We wrote our names and the name of our hero on a piece of paper and we taped those to the front of the table where we sat. We were quickly able to see the right people were in the room. ... Knowing where we came from made it easier to find our vision which we agreed was “The Fight for the Full Restoration of Our Civil and Human Rights.”

... Agreeing on a vision was an essential and amazing accomplishment in light of the fact that time was short, and with so many leaders in the room egos could easily have gotten in the way. ... Twenty people volunteered to join the steering committee, providing us greater diversity in both geography and gender. We decided we would do regular conference calls to move forward with the agenda and coordinate the Los Angeles convening.

The Steering Committee planned to kick off the beginning of this Movement by walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, in Selma. Days before any of us hopped in a plane, bus, train, or car, we were informed that we would have stay on the sidewalk if we were going to march across the bridge. Over 247 people called the mayor of Selma and let him know we were coming to march over the bridge, and not on the sidewalk. Some of us consciously considered going to jail again, and some of us even emptied our bank accounts just in case we needed bail. We didn’t anticipate Mayor George Evans of Selma would ask to speak with us after our march, or agree to read our statement at the 46-year Jubilee marking Bloody Sunday. Nor did we anticipate that our march across the bridge would be headlines on one of the largest papers in Alabama, with over twenty photos online. Our own Tina Reynolds was photographed carrying a sign proclaiming that “Democracy Starts At Home.” We should be allowed to vote and exercise our civil rights regardless of where we live in the United States.

[to be continued next month]

3. HELP PRISONERS WITH DISABILITIES
Kayleigh Gekakis, an Albany Law Student, is conducting a pro bono project to prepare a pamphlet for prisoners on how to apply for modifications and accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She is currently making a list of advocacy groups that can help these individuals. If you have any information or know of any organizations that can contribute please contact her at KGekakis@albanylaw.edu.

4 THE HUDSON LINK DOCUMENTARY " ZERO PERCENT," WHICH FOCUSES ON HUDSON LINK’S COLLEGE PROGRAM INSIDE THE SING SING CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, JUST WON THE FIRST EVER SILVER HEART AWARD AT THE DALLAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

The award, which is a tremendous honor, was granted by the Embrey Family Foundation and rewards "a film for their dedication to fighting injustices and creating social change for the improvement of humanity." Prior to announcing the award, the presenter gave " Zero Percent" high praise and talked about the resonating themes of redemption and the power of education throughout the film. It was an amazing evening.
Hudson Link will be scheduling screenings of " Zero Percent" in New York City and Westchester this summer.   Building Bridges will keep you informed about the scheduled dates.
Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, PO BOx 862, Ossining NY 10562

Here's a review of "Zero Percent" from: blog.bestoftexas.com

...Zero Percent proved to be the best kind of film. Balanced, heartbreaking, hopeful, and best of all, real.
Director Tim Skousen takes the viewer inside the Hudson Link program - a privately funded, educational outlet for inmates in New York’s Sing Sing maximum security prison to receive a valuable college degree. From the beginning of the film, we learn that these inmate students are not white-collar criminals simply biding their short sentence time, but violent offenders who indeed recognize the impact of their life-destroying crimes. And even though they understand they may never see life outside of their prison walls, the handful of inmates we get to know understand that their only hope for a redemptive, productive life is through dedication to improving themselves, inwardly and then outwardly.

Creating an even more impressive picture of the Hudson Link program, we learn that the driving forces behind the program’s creation are in fact men who were once inmates themselves, and who were able to experience first-hand, the impact that true, mental and emotional rehabilitation can have on themselves, and society at-large.

Thanks to choosing relateable and likeable principals, Skousen was able to simply let the cameras roll, and seemingly wasn’t forced to sculpt the film into a message that would veer to the politically left, or the to the right. The film does tend to offer a somewhat sympathetic look into the lives of the featured inmates. But that’s the result of the seeming depth of the individual inmates and their families likeability and real table story-lines, and not Skousin’s manipulation of the narrative. When, near the end of the film, a warm, fuzzy vibe that had the sunny glow of a “feel-good story” began to envelope things, brutal, abrupt reality took hold in the form of the inmates being separated from their loved ones at the end of the graduation ceremony by a blaring, abrasive bullhorn-enhanced command from the prison guards. Yes, at this point, the students are indeed more than mere criminals, but as the film allows, they occupy those roles (artists, poets, leaders, etc…) inside of the guarded walls that they themselves will admit, rightfully belong in.

Of course, there’s the issue of the film’s title. “Zero Percent” refers to the amount of recidivism that inmates who have completed the Hudson Link program, and later released, have experienced. With a national recidivism rate of 60%, such a low percentage is sterling proof that the Hudson Link program has far reaching, positive effects.

Redemption, the gray areas of life’s moral code and how to handle those who violate such a code, heartbreak and reality that simply can not be scripted were the real stars of this film. As was stated earlier: Zero Percent is the best kind of documentary – honest.
************

Some additional information: www.hudsonlink.org
46 Hudson Link graduates have been released: zero (0) have returned to prison. 32 men graduated at Sing Sing; 18 men received their Bachelor of Science degree and 14 men earned Associate degrees. The New York Times published an article about the graduation titled "After Graduation, Back to Sing Sing Cellblock, With Hope".

Hudson Link now offers college credit courses at Taconic Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, NY and 61 women are enrolled [more on that in May], and through a partnership with NYACK College, is now offering a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Leadership at Fishkill Correctional Facility in Fishkill, NY.

5. LITIGATION FILED IN NY TO BRING BACK PRISON-BASED GERRYMANDERING

EXCERPT: April 6, 2011--Demos and the Prison Policy Initiative, two national pro-democracy groups, expressed serious objections today to a lawsuit filed in state court that seeks to reinstate the discredited policy of miscounting incarcerated New Yorkers when state and local legislative districts are redrawn this year.

Landmark legislation, signed into law by Governor Paterson last August, corrected a long-standing miscount of incarcerated populations and directed that these individuals be counted as residents of their home communities for redistricting purposes.

The prior practice of padding legislative districts with prison populations artificially enhanced the weight of a vote cast in those districts at the expense of all districts that did not contain a prison. The lead plaintiff, Senator Betty Little, has 12 prisons in her district.

"Senator Betty Little filed suit this week to revive a legal fiction, claiming that individuals imprisoned in her district are members of the local community and should be counted there when it comes to drawing state and local legislative districts. Senator Little's attempt to inflate the population of her district with more than 10,000 incarcerated, non-voting residents from other parts of the state will dilute the votes cast in all other districts." said Peter Wagner, Executive Director of the Prison Policy Initiative.

"The senator's action also flies in the face of local practice. For many years, all of the counties represented by Senator Little, and most of the counties represented by her co-plaintiffs, have removed the prison population when drawing local legislative districts. This lawsuit threatens to overturn this common sense practice and force local county governments to draw incredibility distorted districts."

"The arguments in this lawsuit are clearly wrong. Incarcerated persons do not make their 'home' in the prison town in any meaningful sense; they are not permitted to interact with the prison town and they almost always return to their pre-incarceration community upon completion of sentence, on average within 34 months," said Brenda Wright, Director of the Democracy Program at Demos.

"The miscount of incarcerated individuals called for in the lawsuit violates the fundamental one-person, one vote principle of our democracy and contradicts the New York Constitution, which clearly states that a prison is not a residence," said Wright. "The plaintiffs here are wrong on the facts and wrong on the law. Their suit should be dismissed.

Peter Wagner, Prison Policy Initiative, (413) 527-0845, (413) 923-8478
Tim Rusch, Demos, 212 389-1307
Anna Pycior, Demos, (212) 389-1408

6. MILK NOT JAILS HAS BEEN HARD AT WORK THIS WINTER, AND NEEDS YOUR HELP TO BUILD A VISION INTO A REAL MODEL FOR CHANGE.

We have spent the last couple of months researching the complicated dairy industry in hopes of finding a clear way criminal justice activists can forge a new alliance with these dairy farmers. Today, we ask you to help us in two specific ways:
1. Help us map dairy products statewide. We are trying to sort out which brands you see on your supermarket shelves and what dairy farms those products come from. Please email milknotjails@gmail.com to let us know what brand labels you find on the dairy products in your fridge and/or local supermarket, farmers market, and/or food cooperative.
2. Join us for an upcoming event/activity. We have a lot going on this month, so join us! (See Article 1, Events)

7. THE NEW YORK STATE PAROLE CAMPAIGN

Four more names have been added to the list of organizations who support the SAFE Parole Act: Center for Nuleadership on Urban Solutions, Institute for Juvenile Justice Reform and Alternatives, Greenhope Services for Women, Inc., and the Morningside Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. We are pleased to have their support! Advocacy efforts will start in earnest in May. We will be joining with a team from ICARE on 3 Tuesdays between May first and the end of June to target specific legislators for sponsorship, and hope to be joined by dozens of PAN members for the two Advocacy days mentioned in article 1.

8. NEW YORK STATE PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK What’s Wrong with New York’s Prison System...and what we can do about it. (see article 1 for details of our Legislative Awareness Day for Prisoner Justice: More Justice, Less Prisons)

WHAT’S WRONG:
New York’s prison system is a vast, harsh, expensive, race-based gulag. New York has more than 90,000 people behind bars in prisons and jails. 80% are people of color. It is spending $3 billion on “corrections” – that don’t correct anything – while cutting education, health care, and other social programs to the bone. This system of mass incarceration is inhumane, unnecessary, uneconomical, and ineffective.

The system is fundamentally wrong. It throws away the lives of thousands of people. Some are innocent, some are punished way beyond what their crime deserves, some have mental health and substance abuse problems that require public health support, some did one stupid thing and are paying with their lives, and some could change and benefit society with a different kind of intervention. The communities that most prisoners come from, predominantly poor, urban, and of color, need services, education, and jobs. Astronomical rates of imprisonment marginalize, impoverish, and disenfranchise the whole community. And prison doesn’t protect our communities from crime because prison itself is part of the cycle of violence.

THE CHANGE STARTS HERE:
(1) Implement Parole Reform
How does the parole system work now? If a person is sentenced to an indeterminate sentence (for example, 5 to 10, or 25 to life) instead of a determinate sentence (a specific number of years), he or she has a parole hearing after serving the minimum term. A small group of parole commissioners (usually 3), appointed by the governor, decides whether to release the person on parole, or to deny parole and set another hearing date, usually in two years. The board can keep giving these 2-year “hits” until the person’s maximum term is up, or for life if the sentence ends with “life.”
What’s wrong with the parole system? The parole system keeps thousands of people behind bars unnecessarily and arbitrarily, in sync with the “get tough on crime” hysteria generated by ambitious politicians, over-powerful law enforcement, and hate-mongering media. The parole board operates as prosecutor, judge, and jury, but is not bound by any of the rules of the judicial system. A parole board can and does spend only minutes on each case. The commissioners may barely glance at the person’s prison record of accomplishments, behavior, and re-entry readiness, and deny parole (impose a 2-year sentence) based on the original crime.

The popular stereotype, riddled with racist undertones, is of violent predators panting to get out to kill again. The stereotype is wrong: people convicted for murder have the lowest recidivism rate of all parolees. In a 1999-2003 study, 0% of 368 people convicted of murder and paroled in New York State were returned to prison for a new violent felony within three years.

What changes would help? The New York State Parole Reform Campaign, a member organization of the New York State Prisoner Justice Network, has developed a proposal called the SAFE Parole Act to change the job of the parole board from sentencing to evaluation. Under this proposal, the board would be mandated to base its decision on the person’s post-conviction prison record and other criteria of readiness for re-entry; to explain its decision in detail; and to give the incarcerated person steps he or she can take to gain parole.

(2) Challenge abusive prison conditions.
Abusive treatment in prison. Abusive treatment is rampant in New York’s prisons: beatings (including to death), years of solitary confinement, denial of medical care, food deprivation, humiliation, arbitrary punishment, and more.

Solitary confinement is a form of torture. There is a growing movement recognizing that solitary confinement for anyone is a form of torture. New York State has several levels of 23-hour-a-day lockdown, the most common being Special Housing Units (SHUs). They are called 23-hour lockdowns because the 24th hour is for legally mandated exercise outside of the cell. In practice, the 24th hour is merely a different cage. There is no limit to the amount of time a person can spend in SHU, usually for prison disciplinary infractions. New York has one of the highest SHU confinement rates in the nation.

Solitary confinement of people with mental illness is an example of the abusive treatment of people in prison. A coalition of organizations including formerly imprisoned people with mental illness and their families successfully campaigned for and won a law mandating alternatives to SHU (solitary) for prisoners with serious mental illness. The law was enacted in 2008 and is supposed to be fully implemented by July, 2011. Under the new law, only people with serious mental illness are eligible for removal from SHU, and even a prisoner who meets these criteria can be held in SHU under “exceptional circumstances.” For this law to result in meaningful reform, oversight of the implementing agencies to ensure the provision of adequate mental health assessment and treatment is key. One of the demands of the New York State Prisoner Justice Legislative Awareness Day is full implementation of this hard-won, limited victory. It is a first step toward demanding fairer and more humane treatment, and an end to abuse, for all people in prison.

(3) Close prisons by reducing the incarceration rate and promoting successful re-entry.
There are short-term and long-term ways to reduce incarceration. Short term: a better public defender system would put fewer innocent people behind bars; parole reform would let people out who are ready for re-entry; changes in sentencing law would reduce disproportionately harsh sentences. Long term: investment in social programs, education, jobs, communities would prevent crime; community based alternatives, public health responses, and restorative justice models would be a healthier way to deal with social problems.

The existing proposals to close prisons are a drop in the bucket. The governor’s proposal to eliminate 3700 prison beds does not even match existing over-capacity; it doesn’t even reduce the corrections budget by the 10% hit of every other sector; it does nothing at all to reduce incarceration. Worse, upstate legislators are proposing to close downstate and upstate prisons equally, when the overwhelming majority of New York’s prisons are upstate, far away from the friends and family members of the majority of prisoners.

WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT IT:
Uniting the voices for change. The New York State Prisoner Justice Network bridges organizations and individuals working for change across different regions, strategies, issues, and ideologies. It unites activists and organizations campaigning for prevention, restorative justice, and reintegration instead of prison. We are challenging specific injustices in the system, in the context of exposing its fundamentally wrong assumptions.

Creating a vision of a world without prisons. When the New York State Prisoner Justice Network comes to Albany on May 3, 2011 to bring this message to legislators and the wider public, we will advocate for specific changes, and above and beyond these, we will present a vision for a different, community-based approach to social problems in place of reliance on incarceration.

The New York State Prisoner Justice Network 33 Central Ave., Albany NY 12210
www.nysprisonerjustice.org 518-434-4037

9. PAROLE NEWS: FEBRUARY STATS, REPORT ON CHANGES IN THE LAW,

Building Bridges would like to publish the names of the commissioners who appear at each facility each month. Anyone with that information, please send it to parole.reform@gmail.com

FEBRUARY 2011 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999 unofficial research from parole database

(As usual we cannot format the following any better than the following. If anyone can help us with this, please contact us at .

TOTAL INTERVIEWS..... # RELEASED..# DENIED....RATE OF RELEASE
22 initials.............................2..........20............9%
62 reappearances...............14..........48...........23%
84 interviews......................16..........68...........19%

INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY........... SENTENCE.................OFFENSE
Fishkill........... 20-Life...................Murder 2
Otisville.......... 15-Life..................Murder 2 *

REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY........... SENTENCE.........OFFENSE.....# OF BOARD
Auburn............... 15-Life..........Murder 2........9th?
Bare Hill............. 15-Life...........Murder 2........6th
Cape Vincent.........6 ?-Life.........Murder 2........8th
Clinton............... 25-Life..........Murder 2........3rd
Fishkill............... 17 ?-Life........Murder 2........3rd
Great Meadow.....25-Life..........Murder 2........6th
Mid Orange.........25-Life..........Murder 2........3rd
Mid Orange.........26 ?-Life........Murder 2........2nd
Otisville.............. 15-Life..........Murder 2........2nd
Otisville.............. 25-Life..........Murder 2........2nd
Orleans............... 15-Life..........Murder 2........6th
Sing Sing............. 25-Life..........Att Murder 1....2nd **
Woodbourne.........15-Life..........Murder 2........2nd
Wyoming..............15-Life..........Kidnap 1........2nd
*for deportation only
**special consideration hearing
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THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET BILL CONTAINED SOME CHANGES IN THE PAROLE STATUTE. THE IMPACT ON PAROLE DECISIONS REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

A major change was the merging of DOCS and Parole into one agency headed by one person. In theory it could be a benefit. A seamless process from incarceration through reentry is certainly something to be desired, especially when the goal is successful reintegration. Of course, as with most laws, everything depends on the nature of those implementing them. We have faith that Commissioner Brian Fischer will do his best to promote successful reintegration, but under future administrations who knows? In extreme times, as we can see by Sen. Little’s suit against the new Gerrymandering law (see article 5), when people don’t like a law, they can try to overturn it and often do. In fact that is what we hope to do with Gov. Cuomo’s rewrite of the parole board statute, formerly known as 259-i and now broken up and placed in new locations in NYS laws.

Changes include the removal of section 1 of 259-i more than 20 years after the Board lost the authority to set minimum sentences. Other changes require the Parole Board to use risk and needs assessment principles in the parole release decision, and the use of a Transitional Accountability Plan (TAP) by the newly created Department “to be a comprehensive, dynamic and individualized case management plan based on the programming and treatment needs of the inmate. The purpose of such plan shall be to promote the rehabilitation of the inmate and their successful and productive reentry and reintegration into society upon release.”  [To request a copy of the sections of legislation which contain the above changes please email parole.reform@gmail.com with your request.]

10. POETRY, PRISONS & POWER: A MIXED MEDIA EVENT HIGHLIGHTING THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, THE ON-GOING STRUGGLE OF AMERICA’S POLITICAL PRISONERS AND RELATED CURRENT EVENTS.

May 9, Ithaca NY- Speakers included local musician Jhakeem Holtom of Thousands of One, business owner Eldred Harris, Mayoral Candidate Anthony Gallucci, and local activists Jim Murphy, Brooke Reynolds, Chango B and Nate Buckley gave presentations on the Prison Industrial Complex, the struggle and mission of influential political prisoners and the effects these concepts have on individuals, families, our local community and our nation.

Original music, selected writings of Jalil Muntiqim and Robert Seth Hayes, original poetry, first hand (prison) experience accounts, local resources for currently incarcerated individuals and their families, and ways in which interested community members could learn more about the subjects discussed, were presented. Attica Uprising was screened silently.

The largest prisoner strike in US history took place in Georgia last December, and went largely unreported by US media corporations and therefore went mostly unnoticed by the American public. The purpose of this event was to shed light on this chronically ignored and strategically sheltered segment of the US population and to learn from each other how the power of unity and collaboration can break down walls and move mountains.

11. THINK OUTSIDE THE CELL FOUNDATION - CO-FOUNDER SHEILA RULE WRITES ABOUT A SHIFT IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT PRISON, CRIME AND BUDGETS.

Sheila R. Rule
Posted on the Huffington Post, March 10, 2011

Prisons, Crime and Budgets: Time for a New Paradigm
The volume of tough talk has been ratcheted way up. Governors are talking tough on budget cuts. State workers are protesting threatened rollbacks of their rights and benefits. Ironically, the tough talk dial has been turned way down -- on crime. The hard-line tough-on-crime positions that were instrumental in bringing on the current fiscal woes in state after state are now being replaced by talk that is more nuanced, and even smart, on crime.

In many respects, the states have little choice. In New York, for example, it costs roughly $50,000-$55,000 a year to house each of the state's 56,000 prisoners, almost as much as a year's tuition at Harvard University. It's no wonder that spending on prisons has been a primary cause of many states' fiscal hemorrhaging.

Lock-'em-all-up sentencing and prison policies have resulted in criminal correction spending gobbling up 1 in every 15 state general fund dollars. Spending on prisons has risen by 674 percent in the last 25 years, outstripping the pace of budget expansion in essential areas like education and transportation.

Only Medicaid spending has grown faster. These tough-on-crime policies have led to mass incarceration of such magnitude that instead of being the home of the free, America has become the land of the imprisoned, with more people behind bars -- more than 2 million -- than any other nation in the world.

But with their fiscal futures against the wall, state lawmakers across the country are re-shifting priorities. And they are not stopping at timeworn cost-cutting measures like reducing staff, cutting programs and closing correctional facilities. As prison populations decline in some states and crime rates drop, legislators are turning to such good-sense reforms as alternatives to incarceration, more flexible sentencing guidelines, individual reentry plans, and so-called "earned time" measures that accelerate the release of prisoners who complete programs intended to improve their chances of having successful lives after they are released.

Want more evidence that this nation is pulling away from the unconscionable waste of money wrought by United States prison policies? Listen to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, whose Contract with America in the 1990s pushed for tougher crime laws. Today, Gingrich leads the Right on Crime Campaign, a national movement of conservative leaders who are spreading the message that it is time for states to make sensible criminal justice reforms and stop the revolving doors of recidivism.

It is time, too, for America to turn its attention to another price tag attached to its shortsighted criminal justice policies -- the incalculable human cost. The impact of these policies has reached far beyond prison walls and balance sheets, creating collateral damage in poor neighborhoods of color -- from whence a disproportionate percentage of prisoners come and to which they will return. These policies have conspired with long-held negative attitudes to create the building blocks of modern-day inequality.

The incarcerated -- sometimes when alternatives to incarceration would have been smarter and cheaper -- are crippled when they return home, as 700,000 do each year. The long and uncompromising shadow of their incarceration follows them as they search for necessities like housing and employment, making it hard to get a job even in a good economy. And while they've been away, their families have suffered and sometimes fallen apart; too many of their sons and daughters have become ensnared in the criminal justice system; the communities they call home have been bereft of husbands, wives, parents, tax-paying citizens, potential leaders.

In short, poor neighborhoods have become poorer, in so many ways. And yet, the long shadow of prison continues to so dramatically obscure the humanity of those who have spent time behind walls that the kind of support they need in order to realize their plans of reintegrating into society and building meaningful lives is tantamount to wishful thinking.

Members of this huge population are largely forgotten by society. When society considers them at all, it is as the faceless statistics or frightening stereotypes. They are defined solely by their mistakes and bad choices. But if this nation doesn't develop smart policies for them, there will be another high price to pay.

Sheila R. Rule spent more than 30 years as a journalist at The New York Times. After retiring, she founded Resilience Multimedia to present fairer images of the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and their loved ones. You can contact Sheila Rule at thinkoutsidethecell@verizon.net, 877-267-2303 or the Think Outside the Cell Foundation, 511 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 525, New York, NY 10011. The website is www.thinkoutsidethecell.com.

Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as our way of communicating with our members.
If you would like to join, please give us a call 518 253 7533 or send a note.