Dear Reader,
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting very excited! Change is in the air. Family Empowerment Day 2 is gathering momentum. Parole Chairman Dennison is telling all at Beacon; the Class Action Lawsuit against Parole is going into Discovery; Courts are ruling against parole decisions; Pataki is on his way out and a new Governor (hopefully with fresh ideas) is coming in. It’s up to us to send a loud, clear, unwavering message at FED2, where media, advocates and politicians will be in attendance. It looks like we’re going to have a huge crowd, so get there early to be sure you get a seat. The Coalition has lined up some truly amazing people to talk to us about what they’ve accomplished and to help us get involved in the movement toward Justice. [See next to last article for details.] Parole is the main issue, but the most important thing is learning how to work together to create the changes that we all want. United we stand, divided we fall. We cannot let ourselves be divided. We must come together to work for what will improve life for all of us. If you’re reading this from your prison cell, encourage your loved ones to skip their visit on Sat 10/21 and attend Family Empowerment Day 2 instead. If you’re reading this from home, your loved one needs you to be out here working to improve conditions for him or her. We’ll have a great day together! This is a chance to give hope a chance, and to be renewed in the struggle for justice and freedom.
Articles:
1. ALBANY VIGILS FOR THE VICTIMS OF PRISON ABUSE - “Those now incarcerated will one day be released and will need to readjust and contribute to our communities.” Show that you care.
2. CHURCH TO PRISON PROJECT - “thanks to you who wrote in response to the article last month”
3. FEDERAL PAROLE BILL H.R.3072 - Support the restoration of federal parole.
4. FROM INSIDE (WILLIAM CLANTON, DENIS MARVIN) - WC: “As much as I am in agreement with Chief Judge Judith Kaye’s Commission on the Future of Indigent Defense Services, I must ponder on the sincerity of the recommendations.”, DM: “I am a 61 year old man serving a 25 years to life sentence... a story changed my life.”
5. HOW TO GET SECTION 8 OR PUBLIC HOUSING, EVEN WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD - “This guide tells people how they can get into Section 8 and public housing even if they – or someone in their household – has a criminal record or is in recovery from a drug or alcohol problem.”
6. MEETINGS - for those recently released, on parole, or with an incarcerated loved one; in Albany, Poughkeepsie, Buffalo.
7. PRISON RADIO PROGRAMS - Hudson River communities have 3 to choose from.
8. SEEKING CASES OF ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAW ABUSES - “The NYC Bar Association is working to put together a portfolio of cases that show a pattern of people being unfairly treated by the Rockefeller drug laws”
9. SHERRY BABY. A FILM ABOUT REENTRY - “Three years after entering prison for robbery as a 19-year-old heroin addict, Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) begins her first day of freedom, clean and sober.”
10. SHU BILL VETOED BY PATAKI - Headlines from around the State.
11. TELEPHONE JUSTICE CAMPAIGN - “With families in the forefront, we CAN achieve the reform that is so urgently needed to end the existing Verizon/MCI contract and to ensure proper oversight of future telephone service contracts in the prison system.”
12. TRANSPORTATION TO PRISONS - Find a ride: NEST Shuttle, Free Rides, Ride Board [NEW this month; find a ride or give one].or support those riding the DOCS free bus.
Last: FAMILY EMPOWERMENT DAY 2 - “WE HAVE A WONDERFUL SLATE OF SPEAKERS AND DISCUSSION LEADERS!:”
LATE BREAKING NEWS: PATAKI APPOINTS ACTING DOCS COMMISSIONER
1. ALBANY VIGILS FOR THE VICTIMS OF PRISON ABUSE
1. Every Monday at 12 noon, State Street at the entrance to the Legislative Building
2. Every Tuesday at 5:30pm, corner of Washington Avenue and Lark Street
Those now incarcerated will one day be released and will need to readjust and contribute to our communities. Show that you care. Join us. For information call 518 727 4335 or 917 656 8046 or email, courtney920@hotmail.com
2. CHURCH TO PRISON PROJECT
The Justice Committee of FUUSA thanks those who wrote in response to the article last month describing their project to match NYS UU churches with persons incarcerated in NYS to engage in an issues-focused correspondence. The group will be reviewing those letters at their next meeting on Sept 17, as they begin their new season of work on the project.
3. FEDERAL PAROLE BILL H.R.3072
Would restore parole for federal prisoners.
For details of the bill, or for petition, visit www.fedcure.org, or write to FedCURE Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
4. FROM INSIDE (WILLIAM CLANTON, MARVIN DENIS)
Greetings to the Prison Action Network:
My prayers and condolences for the loss of Ms. Janet Elizabeth Lippincott Lugo. Anyone who sacrifices as she did deserves to be acknowledged and remembered. I’d like to find out how I can purchase the book she was co-author of. [“Instead of Prisons: A Handbook for Abolitionists (1976)” can be ordered from: PREAP, 3049 East Genesee Street , Syracuse, New York 13224 , Single copy ..$6.50 + $.50 postage & handling (Enclose payment for single orders) Ed.]
As much as I am in agreement with Chief Judge Judith Kaye’s Commission on the Future of Indigent Defense Services, I must ponder on the sincerity of the recommendations. Its findings are obvious as thousands of men and women have and remain to suffer from the very poor representation they received. Perhaps something should be done for those of us who have already suffered the ramifications of this injustice.
Not in any way to down play this issue of legal representation reform but let’s bear in mind the many politics surrounding some of the recent issues arising. If addressing the injustices is truly an issue then let’s begin in the many impoverished areas where minorities are being disproportionately targeted and sent to prison, by creating more jobs, and giving children in city schools equal education. Let’s not wait until they need equal and quality legal representation!
A few months ago I wrote that prisoners here in Coxsackie were trying to start a program called . C.H.I.S.E.L., an empowerment program to deal with emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of being in prison and returning back into society. According to the administration here we are in need of support from an outside organization. I humbly request the help of established organizations on the outside to assist in this needed endeavor which will address the impact of incarceration. Please send all letters to me at Coxsackie C.F., PO Box 999, Coxsackie NY 12051.
Sincerely, William Clanton 03A4400
This I Believe:
I am a 61 year old man serving a 25 years to life sentence in a NYS prison. As a result, I have lost my wife, children, home and the comforts that 38 years of hard work enabled me to accumulate. Awakening each day I found myself mired in a swamp of dysfunction and violence that typifies life in a maximum security prison. As my world constricted around me, it suffocated my desire to go on living. There was no way I was going to survive until age 82 and my first parole board hearing. I felt like I had been thrown away and had been buried in a deep hole.
In our lives, if we are truly lucky, our soul is touched by another very special soul. For me that person has been my wife, Hohdel, whose support sustained me. She saw what was happening and sent me a copy of a story that has changed my life.
It was about a farmer whose old donkey had fallen into an abandoned well in a field. After locating the animal, the farmer decided that the well was too deep and the animal was not worth saving. He called his neighbors who all came with their shovels to help fill in the hole. As they started shoveling, the dirt rained down on the donkey and it kicked and brayed loudly in protest to being buried. I felt just like that donkey as the miseries of prison life rained down on me.
Then something strange happened. It became quiet at the bottom of the well. The farmer glanced over the edge and there was the donkey just standing there. As the dirt rained down on its back to bury him, he would shake it off his back and step up; shake it off his back and step up. As the well filled in, he got closer and closer to the top until he was able to step out and walk away.
What I believe is that I can be just like that donkey. If I kept shaking off the horrors associated with my prison environment, I too can step up and someday walk away. The same method that works everywhere else will work for me in prison. To accomplish this, I have surrounded myself with positive people. Yes! There are positive people even in prison and they reside in a self help, inmate run program called Network at the Clinton Correctional Facility Annex in upstate NY.
We voluntarily meet every day of the year for up to six hours to develop and practice new attitudes and behaviors needed to replace the ones that lead us to come to prison. Our programs deal with such things as decision making, overcoming all types of addiction, living a life without violence, learning to be assertive, and mastering parenting skills.
I’ve learned that prison doesn’t have to be a grave for my any more than it was for that donkey.
---Marvin Denis, 99B2409
5. HOW TO GET SECTION 8 OR PUBLIC HOUSING, EVEN WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD
From the Legal Action Center: A Guide for New York City Housing Authority Applicants and their Advocates
This guide tells people in New York City how they can get into Section 8 and public housing even if they – or someone in their household – has a criminal record or is in recovery from a drug or alcohol problem. It contains:
• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) admissions policies for people with criminal records and recent illegal drug use,
• an explanation of the NYCHA appeals process,
• step-by-step suggestions for how to gather the evidence of rehabilitation necessary to gain housing, and
• sample letters of reference – the type that have proven useful in convincing housing authorities to admit people with criminal records and/or drug histories.
Though the manual focuses on New York City Housing Authority policies, its chapter on How Can You Win Your Hearing? can help people applying to any local housing authority. Its thorough advice for how to marshal evidence of rehabilitation applies equally to housing, employment, or occupational licenses.
This guide is a must-have for case workers, social workers, counselors, paralegals, and others who are helping individuals with criminal records and/or drug histories access public housing.
Go to the Center’s web site, www.lac.org, then click “ publications,” then "free publications" then “criminal justice”, and scroll down to the name of the guide) to download a free copy of the guide. If you can’t do that, Building Bridges will do it for you, but we’ll have to charge you $10. for printing and postage (it’s 80 pages long...)
Also note that through the Legal Action Center’s partnership with the major law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton, the Center can get legal representation for some individuals who have been denied public housing or Section 8 due to a criminal record or drug history. To see if you are eligible for assistance, call the Center at (212) 243-1313 on Tuesdays and Fridays and ask to speak with a paralegal. The Center has additional funding for individuals with HIV, so if you (or your client) is HIV positive, you can mention that and speak to a paralegal any day of the week.
Visit Legal Action Center’s web sites: www.lac.org, www.hirenetwork.org
Legal Action Center
225 Varick Street New York, New York 10014
Phone: 212-243-1313 Fax: 212-675-0286
E-mail: lacinfo@lac.org
6. MEETINGS:
A. Prison Families of New York groups:
ALBANY
7-8:30 pm every Monday at The Womens Bldg. 79 Central Ave, Albany. Ring the bell for the library and lounge to get in. Alison at 518 453 6659.
POUGHKEEPSIE
7 - 8:30 pm Monday Sept 11 and Sept 25 at the Family Partnership Building 29 North Hamilton Street. Deb at 845-616-9698, dabboz@aol.com
B. Other Advocacy/Self-Help Groups:
CITIZENS FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. Thur. Sept 7 at the Family Partnership building at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. Deb at 845-616-9698 or dabboz@aol.com
COALITION OF FAMILIES OF NYS LIFERS: Any family member or friend of a prisoner with life at the end of their sentence is invited to contact the Coalition of Families of New York State Lifers, PO Box 1314, Wappinger Falls, New York 12590 or liferfamilies@yahoo.com
. If you know anyone who is a family member or friend of a prisoner, please encourage them to write.
SURVIVING THE CITY: A support group for formerly incarcerated people in Albany - Sept 9 and 23 and every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month - 11:30 am
176 Sheridan Ave, at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Bldg.
Together, we're working to advance ourselves far beyond the walls that incarcerate us!!!
All formerly incarcerated individuals are welcome to come and share their hopes, inspirations, and experiences.
Call Nathan at 518 368 3480 for more information.
"PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO!" will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, September 25, 2006 at the Pratt Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street in Buffalo, NY, from 6:30-9:00 pm. Programs feature a documentary film on some prison-related issue, guest speakers and a follow-up discussion. The final 30 minutes offers some time for networking, community building, action organizing and camaraderie. Light refreshments are always provided. This program is sponsored by "The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders" and "Friends of Baba Eng." For more information, call Karima Amin 716-834-8438.
"THE CONTINUUM OF CRIMINAL INJUSTICE," is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 28, 2006 at the Pratt Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street in Buffalo, NY, from 6:00-9:00pm. The goal of the symposium is to take "an insightful look at the death sentence, wrongful arrests and convictions, excessive charges, and wrongful sentences." The keynote speaker will be David Kaczynski, director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty. Featured presenters include: William Babbitt, board member of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights; John Walker, who served 23 years for a crime he didn't commit, and who is now on lifetime parole; Gary Beamon, who spent time on death row for a crime for which he was later acquitted; and Evangelist Nora Massey, mother of Terrol Massey, who was recently found guilty of murder, a crime he allegedly committed at age 16. This program is being sponsored by the Community Action Organization, the Buffalo Local Action Committee, and Prisoners Are People Too! For more information, call Linda Williams at 716-881-5150, ext. 4410.
7. PRISON RADIO PROGRAMS
VOICES FROM THE PRISON ACTION NETWORK will be heard at 5:00pm on Tuesdays at WRPI Troy, 91.5 FM, until Sept 18, and probably at a new time after that, more than likely in the early morning . For those outside broadcast range, you can listen live at www.wrpi.org. Voices from the Prison Action Network is part of the Indymedia Radio Program which currently starts at 3 and ends at 6. Preceding Indymedia Radio, from 12-2 on Tuesdays, you can hear Wild Style Breaks hosted by DJ Sho' Nuf. Democracy Now! is also heard on WRPI Troy, every day at 9am.
THE FANCY BROCCOLI SHOW airs on somewhat alternate Sundays from 3 - 6pm on Independent Radio WVKR 91.3 FM, Poughkeepsie NY. WVKR streams online - go to www.live365.comand search for WVKR.
ON THE COUNT! WBAI 99.5 FM - Pacifica Radio in NYC 10:30 a.m.-12:00 N Saturdays
8. SEEKING CASES OF ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAW ABUSES:
This is from a letter sent to Joe Rudd, who forwarded it to Building Bridges:
My name is Michael Silverstein and I work for the NYC Bar Association. We’re a public interest organization engaged in public interest advocacy in Albany, including reform of the Rockefeller drug laws.
We are working to put together a portfolio of cases that show a pattern of people being unfairly treated by the Rockefeller drug laws; cases that highlight the injustice of its extreme sentences that are not helped by existing reforms. If you could describe any cases that you know of, or could point me in the direction of people who may be able to help further, please let me know.
It’s always a long road to reform in Albany, but we can make progress on this issue. I thank you greatly for whatever assistance you may be able to provide.
Please write to me at: Michael Silverstein, msilverstein@nycbar.org
or 42 W 44th St., Third Floor, NY NY 10036.
9. SHERRY BABY. A FILM ABOUT REENTRY
From the movie’s website: Three years after entering prison for robbery as a 19-year-old heroin addict, Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) begins her first day of freedom, clean and sober. A model prisoner who has undergone personal transformation, she immediately sets out to regain custody of her young daughter Alexis (Ryan Simpkins), who has been cared for in her absence by her brother Bobby (Brad Henke) and his wife Lynn (Bridget Barkan).
Unprepared for the demands of the world she's stepped back into, Sherry's hopes of staying clean, getting a job, and becoming a responsible mother are challenged by the realities of unemployment, halfway houses, and parole restrictions. Bobby and Lynn's concerns about Sherry's ability to care for Alexis, and her inability to prove them wrong, threaten to destroy the already delicate relationship she has with her daughter, as well as her newfound sobriety.
Disillusioned and haunted by wounds from her childhood, Sherry is eventually confronted with life-altering questions about her own survival and what it means to be a good mother. Ultimately she learns that as the harsh realities of life often get in the way of her best intentions, sometimes it's best to take life one small step at a time.
It’s opening at the Landmark in NYC on September 8th. If you see it and would like to write a review, we’d be glad to publish it.
You can see the trailer at: www.sherrybaby-film/
10. SHU BILL VETOED BY PATAKI:
Alternatives to Solitary Confinement for Incarcerated Individuals with Severe Mental Illness
A.3926/S.2207
New York State Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubrey D-Queens, and Senator Nozzolio introduced A.3926/S.2207, making it illegal to place people with psychiatric disabilities in SHUs, and creating alternative therapeutic housing areas for people with psychiatric disabilities who are having difficulties functioning in prison. It provides for the creation of psychiatric correctional facilities and transitional services programs for state prison inmates with severe mental illness. This legislation would also provide for psychiatric correctional facilities to be jointly operated by the Department of Corrections and the Office of Mental Health.
06/23/06: PASSED SENATE, 08/04/06: Delivered to governor, 8/17/06: VETOED by Pataki
"In all, Pataki vetoed more than 70 bills on Thursday, many of them passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-controlled Senate and Democrat-controlled Assembly. That raises the possibility that the chambers could override some or all of the vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber in special sessions this fall." Michael Gormley, Associated Press August 17, 2006
PATAKI'S NO-CARE PACKAGE GOV'S MOVE WILL KEEP MENTALLY ILL INMATES IN SOLITARY AND IS SURE TO END MORE LIVES by Errol Louis New York Daily News August 18, 2006: ....It looks like Gov. Pataki won't be running for President as a compassionate conservative. A few days after hobnobbing with potential voters at the Iowa State Fair - a well-known early stop for White House hopefuls - Pataki flew back home and this week vetoed a bill, overwhelmingly approved by the New York State Legislature, that would ban state prisons from putting mentally ill inmates in solitary confinement.
EFFORT TO BAN SOLITARY FOR MENTALLY ILL PRISONERS FAILS by MICHAEL GORMLEY Associated Press Writer August 17, 2006 ALBANY, N.Y. .... A bill that would have banned solitary confinement for dangerous mentally ill prisoners was vetoed Thursday by Gov. George Pataki. In his veto message, Pataki said prisons need to be able to impose disciplinary segregation to protect inmates and staff "from those who are unwilling to adhere to even the most minimum levels of civilized behavior." ... "While we work to ensure that prison inmates receive appropriate mental health services, we must do so in a way that is consistent with our obligation to ensure the continued preservation of the safety, security and order of the state's correctional facilities," Pataki said.
PATAKI VETOES PRISON BILL REGARDING MENTALLY ILL INMATES By: John Milgrim Ottaway News Service August 18, 2006 ALBANY- “Gov. George Pataki vetoed legislation meant to end the placement of mentally ill prison inmates into solitary confinement and to provide them with new treatment facilities....’It's a bitter disappointment,’ said Harvey Rosenthal, executive director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. ‘He (Pataki) missed a great opportunity to make New York state a national leader. It's a terrible thing.’....’Besides being inhumane, placing a mentally ill inmate in solitary confinement makes a bad situation worse,’ said state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, D-Brooklyn. ‘It creates prisoners who are more disruptive, more disturbed and more likely to hurt themselves or others.’ ...It could not be determined Thursday whether the Legislature planned to override the veto. “[emphasis added]
11. TELEPHONE JUSTICE
Every week on Wednesday encourage everyone you know to call Governor Pataki (212) 681-4580 or (518) 474-8390 and Verizon (800) 621-9900 from 8 am to 5 pm weekdays to say "I’m calling in support of the NY Campaign for Telephone Justice to ask that you put an end to the prison phone contract between Verizon/MCI and DOCS."
The New York Campaign for Telephone Justice is a project of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Prison Families Community Forum and Prison Families of NY, Inc. Each year, New York State receives 57.5% of Verizon/MCI’s prison telephone profits in the form of commissions, which the state uses to fund basic prisoner services such as health care. Each year, these commissions equal more than $20 million from the pockets of our families. Through lawsuits, legislative reform, public education and grassroots organizing, the campaign works to mobilize opposition against this foul partnership between Verizon/MCI and the New York State Department of Corrections (NYDOCS) that collects millions of dollars in profits each year from families maintaining telephone contact with their loved ones in prison by charging them 630% more than the average consumer ($3.00 connection fee and $0.16 per minute). The NY Campaign for Telephone Justice brings this injustice to the attention of the broader public through a range of media, events, legislative advocacy and direct actions. With families in the forefront, help from you to get the word out and by continuing to apply public pressure, we CAN achieve the reform that is so urgently needed to end the existing Verizon/MCI contract and to ensure proper oversight of future telephone service contracts in the prison system. If you are as outraged as I am -- I urge you to take action.
In solidarity and struggle, Marion Rodriguez, Organizer, NY Campaign for Telephone Justice
12. TRANSPORTATION TO PRISONS
A. PRISON ACTION NETWORK AND THE SRC JUSTICE COMMITTEE WILL MEET DOCS FREE BUS at the Albany bus terminal, 5:15AM on Saturday morning September 9. The bus will be traveling to Green Haven and Fishkill, and if needed to Mid-State. We will meet on Friday afternoon [Sept. 8] to prepare packets. Please call 518 253-7533 for location.
B. THE SRC JUSTICE COMMITTEE OFFERS RIDES: CALL 518 253-7533 IF YOU NEED A RIDE FROM ALBANY TO VISIT YOUR INCARCERATED LOVED ONE [there is no charge for this service]. Drivers are available only on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
C. THE NEST PRISON SHUTTLE leaves Oakwood Ave Presbyt. Church parking lot, Troy, at 7 AM, and Albany Greyhound Bus station at 7:15 AM: Mt. McGregor, Washington, and Great Meadow Facilities on Sat, Sept 2 ($30 adults, $20 children), Coxsackie, Greene, Hudson Facilities, Sat, Sept. 9 and Sat, Sept. 23 ($15 adults and $10 children). Trip to the Utica Hub (Midstate, Marcy, Mohawk, Oneida) Sat, Sept. 16 leaving Troy at 5 AM ($40 adults, $25 children). Call for reservations and information: Linda O'Malley 518- 273-5199.
D. RIDE BOARD - If you would like to share a ride to the prison where you visit, please send us a note with where to, where from, and your contact info. We'll post it here. Here are the first requests:
To Bedford Hills from Albany - Qasim - freeb2beme@yahoo.com
To Gt. Meadow from Albany - Qasim - freeb2beme@yahoo.com
To Malone (Franklin C.F.) from NYC - Safiya Bandele - ibnk@aol.com
To Otisville from Albany - 9/3, lv’g 7am - Judith - 518 482 2029
To Sullivan from Albany - N. Johnson - 518 472 0217
FAMILY EMPOWERMENT DAY 2
October 21, 2006, 11 am - 3:00 pm
Enter at 50 East 7th Street (near Second Avenue, Manhattan)
Middle Collegiate Church
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PAROLE REFORM
Family Empowerment Day 2 will be an event where families and supporters can meet one another to discuss ways to make things better for ourselves and our incarcerated loved ones.
AGENDA: KEYNOTE SPEECHES, DISCUSSION GROUPS, NETWORKING, REFRESHMENTS, INFORMATION TABLES, PETITIONS, LETTER WRITING
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL SLATE OF SPEAKERS AND DISCUSSION LEADERS!:
Karima Amin, Dir. “Prisoners Are People Too!”, educator, storyteller, community organizer
Safiya Bandele, Director, Women's Center, Medgar Evers College CUNY, Performance artist
Deb Bozydaj, Mother of a Lifer
Mark Chapman, Chair of African and African-American Studies At Fordham Univ. and Adjunct Professor of Theology and Ethics in the NYTS MPS Program at Sing Sing
Robert Isseks, Esq., Lead Attorney in the pending class action suit against Parole
Cheryl L. Kates, Esq., Dir. “Edge of Justice”, private attorney
Willie Thomas, 29+ yrs a prisoner,denied parole 7X
Stacey Thompson, CWP Outreach Coordinator
Rima Vesely-Flad, Dir. “ICARE” (Interfaith Coalition of Advocates for Re-entry and Employment).
DISCUSSION GROUPS:
Successful Organizing (Karima Amin),
Re-Entry Issues for Mothers and Wives (Safiya Bandele),
Special Needs of Lifers’ Families (Deb Bozydaj),
Prison Education (Mark Chapman),
Legal Tactics (Robert N. Isseks, Esq.),
Parole Appeals (Cheryl L. Kates, Esq.),
Parole Board Hearings (Willie Thomas, M.A.)
Leadership Development (Stacey Thompson),
Legislative Advocacy (Rima Vesely-Flad)
For more information or to volunteer your help, please email prisonaction@hotmail.com or call:
Western NY: 716-834-8438
Capital District: 518 253-7533
Poughkeepsie Area: 845 616-9698
Be There to Show You Care!
REMEMBER: OUR DISENFRANCHISED LOVED ONES IN PRISON NEED US TO DO 2 THINGS FOR THEM:
1. VOTE!
[If you have never registered or you have moved since you last voted, you will need to fill out a voter registration form and mail it before October 13, or hand deliver it to a Board of Elections by October 18. To be eligible to vote, you must be a US citizen and not serving a sentence for a felony, or on parole. People on probation ARE entitled to vote, as is anyone who has been discharged from parole. - Election Law 5-106.]
2. ATTEND FAMILY EMPOWERMENT DAY 2!
LATE BREAKING NEWS:
NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR PATAKI PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 29, 2006
GOVERNOR PATAKI NAMES LECLAIRE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ACTING COMMISSIONER
Governor George E. Pataki has named Deputy Commissioner for Correctional Facilities Lucien J. Leclaire, Jr. as Acting Commissioner. Mr. Leclaire will replace Commissioner Glenn S. Goord, who is retiring after 32 years of service.
“I’m proud of the work accomplished with Glenn Goord at the helm of our correctional facilities,” Governor Pataki said. “Mr. Goord’s service has resulted in the creation, implementation and oversight of some of the Department's best innovations and improvements: including the Shock Incarceration Program and ensuring each prison meets nationally-accepted standards, operating at the safest level in 25 years.”
“I'm confident that Lucien Leclaire, Jr. will ensure that New York State’s prisons will continue to maintain the highest of standards that has been this systems’ hallmark for the past 11 years. His vast experience as a member of the Department for close to 30 years demonstrates that he can oversee and manage the 31,500 employees and 63,400 inmates held at our 69 state correctional facilities.”
Mr. Leclaire began his career with the Department as a Correction Officer in March 1977. He rose through the security ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain at various facilities until September of 1994 when he was appointed Director of Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) operations. In April of 1998, Mr. Leclaire was promoted to Assistant Commissioner for Facility Operations followed by his appointment to his current position of Deputy Commissioner for Correctional Facilities on April 15, 1999.
Glenn S. Goord, who began as a prison drug counselor and worked to become Commissioner of the New York State Department of Correctional Services - the fourth largest state prison system in the nation - will retire effective August 30, 2006. Mr. Goord's commitment to security contributes to the fact that inmate-on-staff and inmate-on-inmate assaults in recent years were the fewest in nearly a quarter-century. In 1997, Mr. Goord’s outstanding contributions to furthering excellence in corrections has earned him many awards, including the E.R. Cass Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Correctional Association (ACA).
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
C.U.R.E. Justice Charter Updated
The Justice Charter has been updated. It contains 18 key steps to NYS criminal justice reform, along with rationales for each and savings estimates for some.
The Justice Charter can be found at the CURE-NY website, www.users.bestweb.net.
A limited number of hard copies of the Justice Charter can be obtained from CURE-NY.
A very limited number of CDs, containing a Power-Point presentation of the Justice Charter, can be obtained from CURE-NY by those able to make such a slideshow presentation to a least ten people.
The Justice Charter also contains: Chilling Facts Regarding Our Present System, A very troubling litany of problems in the U.S. and New York State criminal justice systems, and
Faith Communities Call for Justice, A measured indictment of NYS justice, grounded in the tenets of many faiths.
Please consider making good use of the Justice Charter, Rudy Cypser, cureny@bestweb.net
The Justice Charter can be found at the CURE-NY website, www.users.bestweb.net.
A limited number of hard copies of the Justice Charter can be obtained from CURE-NY.
A very limited number of CDs, containing a Power-Point presentation of the Justice Charter, can be obtained from CURE-NY by those able to make such a slideshow presentation to a least ten people.
The Justice Charter also contains: Chilling Facts Regarding Our Present System, A very troubling litany of problems in the U.S. and New York State criminal justice systems, and
Faith Communities Call for Justice, A measured indictment of NYS justice, grounded in the tenets of many faiths.
Please consider making good use of the Justice Charter, Rudy Cypser, cureny@bestweb.net
Saturday, July 01, 2006
July 2006 Edition
Dear Readers,
IF YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE WHO’S BEEN DENIED PAROLE, or is eligible for parole, or you care about the issue for some other reason, you’re invited to a meeting that is only a few months away. Family Empowerment Day 2 on Oct 21, which is described in Article 5 of this issue, is all about coming together to plan what we can do to end parole denials to community-ready individuals.
It’s exciting to learn about the growing interest in the event. The Coalition of Families and Community has heard from many people, and we know each one of them is also spreading the word. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE EXPECTING TO ATTEND? If you are, please let us know. If you’ve been inviting your friends and family to attend, please let us know how many have accepted the invitation, with their names and contact info if possible. The Coalition needs this information to be able to create an event that is pleasant as well as effective. Send the information to any of the following: prisonaction@hotmail.com; PAN, H-M IMC, PO Box 35, Troy NY 12181; in the Capital District: 518-253 7533; in the Buffalo area: 716-834-8438, in Poughkeepsie area: 845-616-9698.
Together we CAN make a difference!
Articles:
1. Additional Bills pass in State Legislature!
2. Buddhism Text Denied to Prisoner
3. Chairperson of Parole, Robert Dennison, Visits Beacon Prison
4. Convict Nation, by Silja J. A. Talvi
5. Family Empowerment Day 2 Updates
6. From the Inside: Jehan Abdur-Raheem, Chas Ransome
7. From Other Media: ‘Jail Jam’ OK, Pataki Appoints 7 to Parole Board
8. Legal Battle Won by Prison Legal News
9. Locked Down for More than a Lifetime - Seth Hayes
10. Meetings
11. Radio Programs
12. Transportation to Prisons
1. Additional Bills Pass in State Legislature
S7588/A10832, was signed into law by the governor on June 7, 2006! NYS penal law now reorients the focus of incarceration to promote reentry while an individual is being sentenced and is in prison, and the corrections law now clarifies the process for applicants seeking Certificates of Relief from Disabilities, thus enabling job seekers to find employment or gain occupational licenses more quickly. To look up the text of this bill, go to www.communityalternatives.org. Thanks to ICARE for all their work on this bill. For more information about ICARE, you can visit www.nyicare.org.
A11562 passed in the Assembly on June 21. It requires that both the Department of Correctional Services and the Division of Parole notify all persons who reach their maximum sentence of imprisonment about their right to vote in writing. The legislation also requires that in addition to notifying a person released from prison or discharged from parole about their right to vote, each such person be provided with a voter registration form together with information about the importance and mechanics of voting.
Finally, the legislation requires that the State Board of Elections be notified about all persons who are again eligible to vote because they have reached their maximum imprisonment date, been discharged from parole, conditional release, or presumptive release, or completed a period of post-release supervision. The State Board of Elections must then transmit this information to all local boards of elections.
S.5934-A/A.6179-A is now at the governor's office. The Senate and Assembly passed the licensing bill sponsored by Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblymember Michael Benjamin that states that men and women who are trained to practice cosmetology and barbering in prison can no longer be denied a license simply because of their criminal conviction/s. Cosmetology training is offered to women incarcerated at Taconic, Bedford Hills and Albion Correctional Facilities. Barbering training is available to male inmates at Hudson, Green Haven, Auburn and Mid-State Correctional Facilities.
Senator Montgomery calls on criminal justice advocates statewide to join her in urging Governor PATAKI, ph: 518 474-8390, to sign this bill into law. PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR TO URGE HIS SUPPORT FOR BILL S.5934- A/A.6179-A!
SHU Bill
A bill to prohibit placing mentally ill inmates in solitary confinement passed the State Legislature. It now goes to Gov. George Pataki.
According to Paul Grondahl, Staff writer, Albany Times Union, in his Wednesday, June 28, 2006 column, [Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Seneca Falls, chairman of the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections and sponsor of the bill]. “said the bill's unanimous passage in the Senate came about because it not only would offer more humane treatment for mentally ill prisoners placed in Special Housing Units (SHUs), also known as The Box, but would make prisons safer for correction officers, too. Support from the correction officer union and others representing prison employees was crucial, Nozzolio said.”
In that same article, Paul mentioned PFNY, an organization to which many of our readers belong: “’Two dozen women who are wives, sisters and mothers of prisoners praised passage of the bill at the fourth annual retreat of Prison Families of New York, held last week in Lake George’, the group's director said. ‘Their loved ones with mental illness were being criminalized, and they had no business being in the SHUs,’ Alison Coleman said.”
2. Access to Book on Zen Buddhism Denied
at Gowanda Correctional Facility, Gowanda, New York USA
by Kooi Fong Lim, The Buddhist Channel, June 5, 2006 - Excerpts from original article, posted at www.buddhistchannel.tv
Gowanda, New York (USA) -- A prisoner at the Gowanda Correctional Facility in New York State; William "Red" Graham has been denied access to a basic introductory text on Zen Buddhism entitled "Prison Chaplaincy Guidelines for Zen Buddhism" authored by Venerable Kobutsu Malone.
The facility's "Media Review Committee" will not allow William to receive a copy of the book due to a non-existent regulation which it lists as "Depicts/describes procedures to be implemented solely by Administration"........A comprehensive review of the directive's guidelines reveals nothing that substantiates a justification for the ban, as none of the content in the book contradicts in any way whatsoever what the State lists as "standards for media evaluation.".........To date, only Gowanda Correctional Facility in New York has objected to the book. No other correctional facilities within New York State, The Federal Bureau of Prisons, or prisons and jails in any other state have taken similar action.
3. Chairperson of Parole, Robert Dennison, Visits Beacon Prison
On February 27, 2006, at the request of women in prison at Beacon Prison, Robert Dennison, Chairperson of the New York State Division of Parole, visited Beacon to talk about parole. The following is a excerpt from a “fact sheet” of said visit, reported by someone who was there and presumably unable to take notes or have recording equipment, so it cannot be verified. It was first published in May 2006 Deuce Club, the newsletter of The Coalition for Parole Restoration (CPR ). We publish a few paragraphs to attract your interest. To read the entire article please send your request to CPR, PO Box 1379, NY NY 10013-0877, call 888 590 9212, or email: parolecpr@yahoo.com.
Dennison admitted that the commissioners are more likely to let people convicted of nonviolent crimes go, even though they know that their recidivism rate is much higher that people convicted of violent felony offenses.
............Dennison admitted women do better in prison than men, and much better on parole. The likelihood of a woman convicted of a violent crime to return to prison is less than one percent. In fact, statistics are practically non-available concerning this. Dennison also admitted that since 2001, only 28 people convicted of class A-1 felonies have been paroled.
..........Dennison denied that the stats in the New York Law Journal article, “Parole Release Rates Plunge Under Pataki’s Tough Policy” [01/31/06], were correct. When questioned about the “correct” stats, he said he didn’t know.
...........Dennison also stated that he would repeat everything he said in front of the women in Beacon in front of the media.
..........When asked if he believed in rehabilitation, Dennison clearly answered “Yes.”
..........Dennison further stated that parole decisions were not made in advance, contrary to what some people in prison might believe.
If a person was sentenced to 20 years to life, obviously the judge must have been of the opinion that 20 years was appropriate, if indeed the person had done all he/she could do. When posed this question, as to why people in this situation were repeatedly denied parole, Dennison simply answered: “The parole board has the discretion to increase that sentence.”
We can change our attitude, our outlook on life, we can do programs and be in counseling for years, but we cannot change the nature of the crime. How do you expect us to go up against that? The answer by Dennison was, “You can’t.”
4. Convict Nation, By Silja J. A. Talvi, senior editor, In These Times
June 1, 2006 - In These Times (US) [full article available at www.inthesetimes.com]
In May, I traveled to McNeil Island Corrections Center, a medium-custody men's prison in Washington state. I made the journey out there because I had been invited to experience the Native American prisoners' annual Pow Wow, which brings together spiritual elders, prisoners and their families, for a powerfully intense four-hour ceremony.
The biggest challenge, as I quickly discovered, wasn't taking in all of the emotion surrounding the event, but having even the briefest moment of privacy for thinking, taking notes, or talking to prisoners. Increasingly, American prison life doesn't allow for privacy -- not even for outsiders like myself. I could discern no possible security risk from a small-statured woman with a pen and a notepad at an island prison, surrounded by barbed wire and frigid waters. Regardless, for four hours, my every move and word was followed, intercepted and occasionally interjected upon. I could barely endure it for the half a day I was there. Millions of Americans don't have that choice.
Of course, many prisoners are indeed guilty of precisely the crimes they've been charged with -- or some version of the crime for which they've been sentenced. And some are absolutely innocent, doing time on trumped up charges, or because a snitch got out of prison time by "rolling" on some of his friends. But assessing the consequences of our country's soaring imprisonment rates has less to do with the question of guilt versus innocence than it does with the question of who, among us, truly deserves to go to prison and face the restrictive -- and sometimes brutally repressive -- conditions found there.
5. Family Empowerment Day 2 Updates:
The G.E.O. at Mid-Orange is promoting Family Empowerment Day 2 by giving each person on a housing unit a copy of the following information sheet, with a request that each person send a copy to his family and friends. The information sheet reads as follows:,
Dear _____, On October 21, 2006 there will be a Family Empowerment Day 2 event held. I need you (or alternatively, you and our family members) to attend this very important meeting as my representative/s because I don’t have a voice without you speaking for me.
The topic will be PAROLE. The day will consist of speakers, discussion groups, and deciding on a plan of action. Free food and childcare will be provided. Please attend this event for me, it will be held at the following time and address: October 21, 2006, 11 am to 3:30 PM, Middle Collegiate Church, Second Avenue and 7th Street, NYC 10003, 212 477-0666.
Remember you are my connection to the outside so please attend this meeting on October 21, 2006, it’s a Saturday.
[The G.E.O. will also be encouraging reentry organizations to support “this very important event.”]
****************
The Latest Information on FED2:
Date: October 21, 2006
Time: 11 am - 3:30 pm
Topic: Parole Policies in NYS (and what can be done to change them).
Location: Middle Collegiate Church, Second Avenue at 7th Street in Manhattan,.212 477-0666.
Presented by the COALITION OF FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY:
Individuals who have loved ones in NYS prisons
Interfaith Coalition of Advocates for Reentry and Employment (ICARE)
Citizens for Restorative Justice (CRJ)
Coalition of Families of NYS Lifers
Coalition for Parole Restoration (CPR)
Prison Action Network (PAN)
Prisoners Are People Too!
Your organization is invited to join the coalition....
PAROLE IS THE ISSUE....how to End Parole Denials to Community Ready Individuals
Family Empowerment Day 2 will be a day where family and supporters meet, greet and decide what we can do to end parole denials to community-ready individuals.
Tentative program schedule:
11:00 Registration and Refreshments
11:30: Welcoming Remarks and Introduction
11:45 - 12:45 Opening Keynote Speaker/s (15-30 minutes each, depending ...)
12:45 - 1:15 Networking/Tabling break with buffet /refreshments.
1:15 - 2:45 Individual breakout groups led by each available speaker
3:00 Closing remarks and Call to Action
3:15 Time to Network and sign petitions, etc.
3:30 Break down.
History of the event:
The first Family Empowerment Day was held on May 21, 2005. It was the brainchild of the Otisville Correctional Facility’s Lifers Group, who involved their families and supporters in organizing a day of consciousness; a day of strength through diversity; a day of hope. The following was written by the men in the group:
Every year parole denials are served out in large numbers amongst violent felony offenders. To many this is a disheartening experience, psychologically shattering. That experience is shared by prisoners and their loved ones who must, once again, be told: “I don’t know when I’m coming home.” Husbands and wives worry about their continued future as single parents and providers, children weep and ask: “How come Daddy/Mommy is not coming home?”. Elderly parents must be comforted, if for nothing else than their fear of dying alone.
Like ripples in a pond, so many other lives were (and are) affected. For every community-ready person denied parole a heavy toll is exacted on the social, political and moral fiber of society. Families and communities are destabilized, needed funding for healthcare, childcare, housing, education, job training and community institutions is shifted to support already overburdened State Correctional budgets.
Many men and women throughout the State are losing hope. Hope is the one thing which holds many together in the period between parole appearances and parole denials. Family Empowerment Day renewed hope for a lot of the people in attendance last year, who believed those eminently qualified were being denied because they were doing something wrong. This was (and is) not the case, and 5/21 raised consciousness among families and supporters to that fact. That day’s events helped them to understand that they are the pillars of strength for their incarcerated loved ones; they are their foundation and that if they crumble those inside most assuredly will as well.
Family Empowerment Day 2, on October 21, 2006 will be a day where family and supporters meet, greet and learn what steps can be taken together to shed light on what has gone on in the dark for far too long. It is a day that, like the incredibly diverse yet solidly united men in the Otisville Lifers Group who conceived the event, can move us forward as one family which can begin to think and act together rather than continue as a disunified, politically unempowered group scattered across the state, in separate enclaves, divided by race, social class, ethnicity and religion.
We believe in education, faith and transformation. Theses principles guide us to fight for those who won’t fight, those who have given up hope, and those who because of death, can no longer fight. We also fight for the families and supporters who do not understand why community-ready men and women are not being released. Please do not let them down.
*****************
Film Fundraiser raises $170 for Family Empowerment Day 2:
The screening of “Favela Rising” on June 14, followed with a Q & A session led by PAN board member Nathan Hamlin, raised $170 for Family Empowerment Day 2. Thanks to all supporters who came out and were rewarded by an inspiring film and provocative discussion afterward.
*****************
6. From the Inside
Editor’s Note: last month we omitted the names of the prisoners at Gt Meadow who wrote a collective statement of condemnation and outrage at the murder of Sister Karen Klimczak. We apologize to the men whose heartfelt words were published without giving them individual credit:
George Baba Eng, 77A4777;
John Standley, 84B1584;
James Gardiner, 86A0323;
Jimmie Lee Allen, 80A1633;
Shawnon Bolden, 90T4601;
Victor Bolling, 93A4570;
Ashton Nedrick, 87A3212.
[From now on the Building Bridges policy will be to publish the name and DIN of all those in prison whose submissions are printed. If you do not want that information published please make sure we know.]
I read the June 2006 Building Bridges with a sense of pride and accomplishment. I’m both elated and heartened by the momentum building up as a result of persons on both sides of the wall.
Over recent years I noticed a decline in positive legitimate activities by incarcerated individuals as gang fighting and drug use dominated the minds of those behind the walls. Now there seems to be a new awakening, and it’s good to see so many getting back aboard. I’m glad to see Elmira’s PAC organization back in full swing. Their enthusiasm is commendable.
Thanks for publishing the expose of Rush Limbaugh’s hypocrisy (May 2006 issue, from the Internet, by A. Papa) and for honorably mentioning Sister Karen Klimczak. We laugh at phonies like Limbaugh, and we weep at losing a helper and supporter like Sis Karen.
My thanks to the families and friends of prisoners conscious enough to realize that no significant changes will come without their participation. Justice will not come without effort.
--Jehan Abdur-Raheem, 77A1180
*****************************************************
It was a great loss when Grandpa Al Lewis passed on February 3, 2006. However, he only asked that we be the best at whatever it was we did in life. He gave so much to prisoners and their loved ones that it’s only right that we continue on in his absence. The Al Lewis Live Show is hosted by Karen Lewis on WBAI from 12 noon to 2 PM after On The Count. If anyone wishes to give a donation to honor his spirit, his life and his contributions, they may do so by sending them to either: KPFK/California, Attn: Sue Welsh, 3729 Cahuenga Blvd West, No Hollywood, Cal 91604 or WBAI, NYC, PO Box 11445, Church St Station, NY NY 10277-2071.
Grandpa Al always wanted us to remember that no matter how seemingly good it gets: ‘The struggle goes on. The victory is in the struggle, for me. And, I accepted that a long time ago.’ He will always be, for me and many others, a guiding force to honor, recognize and respect as we follow his beacon to greatness. May he rest in peace and his family find peace of mind from knowing that he was great in all he did!
-- Chas Ransome DIN 85A16436
Chas Ransome is a Creative Program Developer and Special Event Coordinator who has been instrumental in getting fellow inmates to write letters to the Assembly and Senate on both the MCI Contract and Parole. Many more than he expected wrote their own letters. Building Bridges congratulates people on both sides of the wall who are becoming involved in the political process! Remember, your vote is only a small part. Becoming informed and letting our representatives know where you stand makes a real difference. Working on campaigns, going door to door and making phone calls can actually get your candidate elected. We may not have money, but we’ve got the numbers!
**********************
I’d like to share these words of wisdom with those men and women that are changing for the better: “The journey in between what we once were and who we are now becoming is where the dance of Life really takes place. Life is a journey, travel light.” -- Mika’il Muwakil DIN 77A2639
7. From Other Media Sources
‘Jail Jam’ OK, Assoc Press: Albany
A federal judge has tossed out a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of NYS prisoners forced to share cells with other inmates, ruling the practice does not violate the U. S. Constitution.
US District Judge Gerard Lynch, in a decision dated May 26, said that simply putting two convicts in a cell designed for one “is a far cry from the ‘wanton and unnecessary infliction of pain’ against which the Eighth amendment protects.”
[Thanks to Mika’il Muwakil for forwarding this article]
Pataki Appoints 7 to Parole Board
The 7 new appointees and their expiration dates:
Jennifer Arena, June 16, 2008;
Alan J.Croce, June 18, 2009;
James Ferguson, July 6, 2011;
Gerald J. Greenan III, June 18, 2012;
Christina Hernandez, June 02, 2011;
G. Kevin Ludlow, June 18, 2011;
Chris Ortloff, June 18, 2012
June 24, 2006 -- ALBANY - Lame-duck Gov. Pataki's patronage machine shifted into high gear yesterday as the names of dozens more politically connected friends and associates - including the wife of CNBC host Lawrence Kudlow - were sent to the GOP-controlled Senate for appointment to high-level jobs and prestigious boards. Democrats challenged some of the moves, which came on the last day of the legislative session, and even some Republicans were aghast, with one saying of the appointments: "With few exceptions, a parade of hacks." Democrats pounced on the qualifications of Jennifer Arena, a longtime Pataki administration spokeswoman, for a two-year term - at $101,600 a year - on the state Board of Parole. Senate Minority Leader David Paterson (D-Manhattan) said Arena failed to meet the state law's requirement that board members have at least five years' experience in such fields as criminology, law, psychology and law enforcement. "There are reasons the law makes this requirement and it is to preserve some integrity to the appointments process," said Paterson. Arena's résumé lists her as a 1990 Michigan State University graduate in journalism who has held two journalism-related jobs, in Florida and Buffalo, and three public-relations jobs working for Pataki and former Republican Attorney General Dennis Vacco. Pataki spokesman Michael Marr contended Arena's experiences as a spokeswoman were sufficient to meet the legal requirement. [Most of this came from a recent New York Post article by Fredrick U. Dicker.]
8. Legal Battle Won by PLN
June 27: Prison Legal news won an important press freedom case by obtaining a federal court ruling that we are entitled to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' information on the amount of money it has spent on all litigation over a multi year period. The BOP had claimed they lacked the information in one location and wanted $7K to look. The court held PLN is entitled to a fee waiver as provided for by the Freedom of Information Act. This practice, of charging public interest groups outrageous "search fees" has been a long standing government policy under the Bush administration which was denounced by the New York Times in an editorial on February 4, 2006. PLN's case is among the first to obtain a win for the press and other public interest organizations.
Many thanks to Ed Elder, PLN's attorney in the case and a member of the National Lawyer's Guild.
[For a complete report on this victory, you can write PLN at 2400 NW 80th St. #148, Seattle WA 98117,
or call them at: 206/ 246-1022].
9. Locked Down for More than a Lifetime
A letter from the Robert Seth Hayes Support Committee -
www.sethhayes.org l info@ssethhayes.org
Robert “Seth” Hayes is a U.S. political prisoner and former member of the Black Panther Party who has been imprisoned in New York state for more than three decades. When Seth was convicted in 1974, his sentence was 25 years to life. The implicit understanding at the time of his sentencing was that Seth would serve 25 years as a minimum, after which time he would be eligible for release based on his record and conduct in prison. In July, 2006, Seth will be going before the parole board for the fourth time. At each of Seth’s previous parole hearings, he was denied release due to the serious nature of the crime he was convicted for and given another two years in jail. The refusal of parole for the serious nature of the crime seems contrary to the spirit of the law, for it is something that a prisoner can never change, and the giving of parole is based upon the prisoner's behavior while behind bars. Seth is not the only one being subjected to these unfair rules. This has become common practice for the New York state parole board, who, by denying parole based on the seriousness of the conviction, are defacto re-sentencing many prisoners to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Seth’s prison record is exemplary, and if a decision about Seth’s parole were to be based on his conduct and personal growth, he would have rejoined his family and his community years ago.
Please write a letter to the parole board to let them know that you think Seth deserves to be released. All letters should be mailed or faxed to Seth’s lawyer, Susan Tipograph, immediately, as Seth's parole hearing is taking place on July 15, 2006. Susan Tipograph, Attorney At Law, 350 Broadway, New York, NY 10013, fax (212) 625-3939. For more information, visit www.sethhayes.org.
Robert Seth Hayes Parole Support Events:
7PM, Sunday, July 2, 271 Grant Street, West Side, Buffalo, NY
7PM, Monday, July 3, 118 East Utica Street,East Side, Buffalo, NY
Arissa - Buffalo Chapter P.O. Box 84 Buffalo, NY 14213 Tel: (716) 796-5460 or email leslie@arissa.org
10. Meetings
A. Prison Families of New York groups:
ALBANY
7-8:30 pm every Monday at The Womens Bldg. 79 Central Ave, Albany . Ring the bell for the library and lounge to get in. Alison at 518 453 6659.
POUGHKEEPSIE
7 - 8:30 pm Monday July 10 and July 24 at the Family Partnership Building 29 North Hamilton Street. Deb at 845-616-9698, dabboz@aol.com.
B. Other Advocacy/Self-Help Groups:
Citizens for Restorative Justice. Thur. July 6th at the Family Partnership building at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. Deb at 845-619-9698 or dabboz@aol.com.
Coalition of Families of NYS Lifers: Any family member or friend of a prisoner with life at the end of their sentence is invited to contact the Coalition of Families of New York State Lifers, PO Box 1314, Wappinger Falls, New York 12590 or . If you know anyone who is a family member or friend of a prisoner, please encourage them to write.
Surviving The City: A prison release support group in Albany
Every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month - 11:30 am (next meeting July 8)
176 Sheridan Ave, at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Bldg.
Together, we're working to advance ourselves far beyond the walls that incarcerate us!!! All formerly incarcerated individuals are welcome to come and share their hopes,inspirations, and experiences. Call Nathan at 518 368 3480 for more information.
11. Radio Programs
Voices from the Prison Action Network is now heard at 5:30pm on Tuesdays at WRPI Troy, 91.5 FM, and for those outside broadcast range, live at www.wrpi.org. It’s part of the Indymedia Radio Program which starts at 3 and ends at 6. WRPI, Troy has a lot of worthwhile programming, including Democracy Now! at 9am every weekday. Preceding Voices from the Prison Action Network, from 12-2 on Tuesdays is Wild Style Breaks hosted by DJ Sho' Nuf.
The Fancy Broccoli Show airs on somewhat alternate Sundays from 3 - 6pm on Independent Radio WVKR 91.3 FM, Poughkeepsie NY. WVKR streams online - go to www.Live365.com and search for WVKR
On the Count! WBAI 99.5 FM - Pacifica Radio in NYC 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon Saturdays
12. Transportation to Prisons
A. Please join Prison Action Network when we meet the DOCS free bus at the Albany bus terminal, 12:45 AM on Sunday morning July 9. The bus will be traveling to Gowanda - Collins - Groveland - Livingston. We will meet on Friday afternoon [July 8] to prepare packets, and we need help. Please call 518 253-7533 for location.
B. Prison Action Network offers Rides: Call 518 253-7533 if you need a ride to visit your incarcerated loved one [there is no charge for this service]:
Rides are available from Albany, with the following limitations. Please contact PAN to be connected to your driver.
the prison must be within 150 miles of Albany [300 miles round trip].
driver is willing to wait 2-3 hours for visit to be concluded.
driver is willing to start, from the visitor's residence, as early as 8:00 A.M.
driver is willing to get back home as late as 6:00 P.M.
driver is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
car seats 5, though, for a trip of 150 miles, sitting in the middle of the back seat would be a tight squeeze.
C. The NEST prison shuttle schedule: Mt. McGregor, Washington, and Great Meadow Facilities on Sat, July 1 ($30 adults, $20 children), July 22 ($15 adults and $10 children), leaving Oakwood Ave Presbyt. Church parking lot, Troy at 7 AM, and Albany Greyhound Bus station at 7:15. Trip to the Utica Hub (Midstate, Marcy, Mohawk, Oneida) Sat, July 15 leaving at 5 AM ($40 adults, $25 children). Call for reservations and information: Linda O'Malley 518- 273-5199.
Readers are invited to submit notices or articles of interest for publication in this newsletter.
We invite you to write or call Building Bridges, a project of the Prison Action Network:
PAN, c/o H-M IMC
PO Box 35
Troy, NY 12181
518 253 7533
prisonaction@hotmail.com
www.prisonaction.blogspot.com
Request for help:
Prison Action Network receives many requests from prisoners for legal assistance. We have no legal staff. Currently we have in hand a letter asking for help with a class action suit in regard to asbestos, unsanitary mess-hall/kitchen and second-hand smoke. If you can advise, please contact PAN and we’ll forward your response.
Thanks to the AJ Muste Memorial Institute for their generous support.
IF YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE WHO’S BEEN DENIED PAROLE, or is eligible for parole, or you care about the issue for some other reason, you’re invited to a meeting that is only a few months away. Family Empowerment Day 2 on Oct 21, which is described in Article 5 of this issue, is all about coming together to plan what we can do to end parole denials to community-ready individuals.
It’s exciting to learn about the growing interest in the event. The Coalition of Families and Community has heard from many people, and we know each one of them is also spreading the word. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE EXPECTING TO ATTEND? If you are, please let us know. If you’ve been inviting your friends and family to attend, please let us know how many have accepted the invitation, with their names and contact info if possible. The Coalition needs this information to be able to create an event that is pleasant as well as effective. Send the information to any of the following: prisonaction@hotmail.com; PAN, H-M IMC, PO Box 35, Troy NY 12181; in the Capital District: 518-253 7533; in the Buffalo area: 716-834-8438, in Poughkeepsie area: 845-616-9698.
Together we CAN make a difference!
Articles:
1. Additional Bills pass in State Legislature!
2. Buddhism Text Denied to Prisoner
3. Chairperson of Parole, Robert Dennison, Visits Beacon Prison
4. Convict Nation, by Silja J. A. Talvi
5. Family Empowerment Day 2 Updates
6. From the Inside: Jehan Abdur-Raheem, Chas Ransome
7. From Other Media: ‘Jail Jam’ OK, Pataki Appoints 7 to Parole Board
8. Legal Battle Won by Prison Legal News
9. Locked Down for More than a Lifetime - Seth Hayes
10. Meetings
11. Radio Programs
12. Transportation to Prisons
1. Additional Bills Pass in State Legislature
S7588/A10832, was signed into law by the governor on June 7, 2006! NYS penal law now reorients the focus of incarceration to promote reentry while an individual is being sentenced and is in prison, and the corrections law now clarifies the process for applicants seeking Certificates of Relief from Disabilities, thus enabling job seekers to find employment or gain occupational licenses more quickly. To look up the text of this bill, go to www.communityalternatives.org. Thanks to ICARE for all their work on this bill. For more information about ICARE, you can visit www.nyicare.org.
A11562 passed in the Assembly on June 21. It requires that both the Department of Correctional Services and the Division of Parole notify all persons who reach their maximum sentence of imprisonment about their right to vote in writing. The legislation also requires that in addition to notifying a person released from prison or discharged from parole about their right to vote, each such person be provided with a voter registration form together with information about the importance and mechanics of voting.
Finally, the legislation requires that the State Board of Elections be notified about all persons who are again eligible to vote because they have reached their maximum imprisonment date, been discharged from parole, conditional release, or presumptive release, or completed a period of post-release supervision. The State Board of Elections must then transmit this information to all local boards of elections.
S.5934-A/A.6179-A is now at the governor's office. The Senate and Assembly passed the licensing bill sponsored by Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblymember Michael Benjamin that states that men and women who are trained to practice cosmetology and barbering in prison can no longer be denied a license simply because of their criminal conviction/s. Cosmetology training is offered to women incarcerated at Taconic, Bedford Hills and Albion Correctional Facilities. Barbering training is available to male inmates at Hudson, Green Haven, Auburn and Mid-State Correctional Facilities.
Senator Montgomery calls on criminal justice advocates statewide to join her in urging Governor PATAKI, ph: 518 474-8390, to sign this bill into law. PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR TO URGE HIS SUPPORT FOR BILL S.5934- A/A.6179-A!
SHU Bill
A bill to prohibit placing mentally ill inmates in solitary confinement passed the State Legislature. It now goes to Gov. George Pataki.
According to Paul Grondahl, Staff writer, Albany Times Union, in his Wednesday, June 28, 2006 column, [Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Seneca Falls, chairman of the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections and sponsor of the bill]. “said the bill's unanimous passage in the Senate came about because it not only would offer more humane treatment for mentally ill prisoners placed in Special Housing Units (SHUs), also known as The Box, but would make prisons safer for correction officers, too. Support from the correction officer union and others representing prison employees was crucial, Nozzolio said.”
In that same article, Paul mentioned PFNY, an organization to which many of our readers belong: “’Two dozen women who are wives, sisters and mothers of prisoners praised passage of the bill at the fourth annual retreat of Prison Families of New York, held last week in Lake George’, the group's director said. ‘Their loved ones with mental illness were being criminalized, and they had no business being in the SHUs,’ Alison Coleman said.”
2. Access to Book on Zen Buddhism Denied
at Gowanda Correctional Facility, Gowanda, New York USA
by Kooi Fong Lim, The Buddhist Channel, June 5, 2006 - Excerpts from original article, posted at www.buddhistchannel.tv
Gowanda, New York (USA) -- A prisoner at the Gowanda Correctional Facility in New York State; William "Red" Graham has been denied access to a basic introductory text on Zen Buddhism entitled "Prison Chaplaincy Guidelines for Zen Buddhism" authored by Venerable Kobutsu Malone.
The facility's "Media Review Committee" will not allow William to receive a copy of the book due to a non-existent regulation which it lists as "Depicts/describes procedures to be implemented solely by Administration"........A comprehensive review of the directive's guidelines reveals nothing that substantiates a justification for the ban, as none of the content in the book contradicts in any way whatsoever what the State lists as "standards for media evaluation.".........To date, only Gowanda Correctional Facility in New York has objected to the book. No other correctional facilities within New York State, The Federal Bureau of Prisons, or prisons and jails in any other state have taken similar action.
3. Chairperson of Parole, Robert Dennison, Visits Beacon Prison
On February 27, 2006, at the request of women in prison at Beacon Prison, Robert Dennison, Chairperson of the New York State Division of Parole, visited Beacon to talk about parole. The following is a excerpt from a “fact sheet” of said visit, reported by someone who was there and presumably unable to take notes or have recording equipment, so it cannot be verified. It was first published in May 2006 Deuce Club, the newsletter of The Coalition for Parole Restoration (CPR ). We publish a few paragraphs to attract your interest. To read the entire article please send your request to CPR, PO Box 1379, NY NY 10013-0877, call 888 590 9212, or email: parolecpr@yahoo.com.
Dennison admitted that the commissioners are more likely to let people convicted of nonviolent crimes go, even though they know that their recidivism rate is much higher that people convicted of violent felony offenses.
............Dennison admitted women do better in prison than men, and much better on parole. The likelihood of a woman convicted of a violent crime to return to prison is less than one percent. In fact, statistics are practically non-available concerning this. Dennison also admitted that since 2001, only 28 people convicted of class A-1 felonies have been paroled.
..........Dennison denied that the stats in the New York Law Journal article, “Parole Release Rates Plunge Under Pataki’s Tough Policy” [01/31/06], were correct. When questioned about the “correct” stats, he said he didn’t know.
...........Dennison also stated that he would repeat everything he said in front of the women in Beacon in front of the media.
..........When asked if he believed in rehabilitation, Dennison clearly answered “Yes.”
..........Dennison further stated that parole decisions were not made in advance, contrary to what some people in prison might believe.
If a person was sentenced to 20 years to life, obviously the judge must have been of the opinion that 20 years was appropriate, if indeed the person had done all he/she could do. When posed this question, as to why people in this situation were repeatedly denied parole, Dennison simply answered: “The parole board has the discretion to increase that sentence.”
We can change our attitude, our outlook on life, we can do programs and be in counseling for years, but we cannot change the nature of the crime. How do you expect us to go up against that? The answer by Dennison was, “You can’t.”
4. Convict Nation, By Silja J. A. Talvi, senior editor, In These Times
June 1, 2006 - In These Times (US) [full article available at www.inthesetimes.com]
In May, I traveled to McNeil Island Corrections Center, a medium-custody men's prison in Washington state. I made the journey out there because I had been invited to experience the Native American prisoners' annual Pow Wow, which brings together spiritual elders, prisoners and their families, for a powerfully intense four-hour ceremony.
The biggest challenge, as I quickly discovered, wasn't taking in all of the emotion surrounding the event, but having even the briefest moment of privacy for thinking, taking notes, or talking to prisoners. Increasingly, American prison life doesn't allow for privacy -- not even for outsiders like myself. I could discern no possible security risk from a small-statured woman with a pen and a notepad at an island prison, surrounded by barbed wire and frigid waters. Regardless, for four hours, my every move and word was followed, intercepted and occasionally interjected upon. I could barely endure it for the half a day I was there. Millions of Americans don't have that choice.
Of course, many prisoners are indeed guilty of precisely the crimes they've been charged with -- or some version of the crime for which they've been sentenced. And some are absolutely innocent, doing time on trumped up charges, or because a snitch got out of prison time by "rolling" on some of his friends. But assessing the consequences of our country's soaring imprisonment rates has less to do with the question of guilt versus innocence than it does with the question of who, among us, truly deserves to go to prison and face the restrictive -- and sometimes brutally repressive -- conditions found there.
5. Family Empowerment Day 2 Updates:
The G.E.O. at Mid-Orange is promoting Family Empowerment Day 2 by giving each person on a housing unit a copy of the following information sheet, with a request that each person send a copy to his family and friends. The information sheet reads as follows:,
Dear _____, On October 21, 2006 there will be a Family Empowerment Day 2 event held. I need you (or alternatively, you and our family members) to attend this very important meeting as my representative/s because I don’t have a voice without you speaking for me.
The topic will be PAROLE. The day will consist of speakers, discussion groups, and deciding on a plan of action. Free food and childcare will be provided. Please attend this event for me, it will be held at the following time and address: October 21, 2006, 11 am to 3:30 PM, Middle Collegiate Church, Second Avenue and 7th Street, NYC 10003, 212 477-0666.
Remember you are my connection to the outside so please attend this meeting on October 21, 2006, it’s a Saturday.
[The G.E.O. will also be encouraging reentry organizations to support “this very important event.”]
****************
The Latest Information on FED2:
Date: October 21, 2006
Time: 11 am - 3:30 pm
Topic: Parole Policies in NYS (and what can be done to change them).
Location: Middle Collegiate Church, Second Avenue at 7th Street in Manhattan,.212 477-0666.
Presented by the COALITION OF FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY:
Individuals who have loved ones in NYS prisons
Interfaith Coalition of Advocates for Reentry and Employment (ICARE)
Citizens for Restorative Justice (CRJ)
Coalition of Families of NYS Lifers
Coalition for Parole Restoration (CPR)
Prison Action Network (PAN)
Prisoners Are People Too!
Your organization is invited to join the coalition....
PAROLE IS THE ISSUE....how to End Parole Denials to Community Ready Individuals
Family Empowerment Day 2 will be a day where family and supporters meet, greet and decide what we can do to end parole denials to community-ready individuals.
Tentative program schedule:
11:00 Registration and Refreshments
11:30: Welcoming Remarks and Introduction
11:45 - 12:45 Opening Keynote Speaker/s (15-30 minutes each, depending ...)
12:45 - 1:15 Networking/Tabling break with buffet /refreshments.
1:15 - 2:45 Individual breakout groups led by each available speaker
3:00 Closing remarks and Call to Action
3:15 Time to Network and sign petitions, etc.
3:30 Break down.
History of the event:
The first Family Empowerment Day was held on May 21, 2005. It was the brainchild of the Otisville Correctional Facility’s Lifers Group, who involved their families and supporters in organizing a day of consciousness; a day of strength through diversity; a day of hope. The following was written by the men in the group:
Every year parole denials are served out in large numbers amongst violent felony offenders. To many this is a disheartening experience, psychologically shattering. That experience is shared by prisoners and their loved ones who must, once again, be told: “I don’t know when I’m coming home.” Husbands and wives worry about their continued future as single parents and providers, children weep and ask: “How come Daddy/Mommy is not coming home?”. Elderly parents must be comforted, if for nothing else than their fear of dying alone.
Like ripples in a pond, so many other lives were (and are) affected. For every community-ready person denied parole a heavy toll is exacted on the social, political and moral fiber of society. Families and communities are destabilized, needed funding for healthcare, childcare, housing, education, job training and community institutions is shifted to support already overburdened State Correctional budgets.
Many men and women throughout the State are losing hope. Hope is the one thing which holds many together in the period between parole appearances and parole denials. Family Empowerment Day renewed hope for a lot of the people in attendance last year, who believed those eminently qualified were being denied because they were doing something wrong. This was (and is) not the case, and 5/21 raised consciousness among families and supporters to that fact. That day’s events helped them to understand that they are the pillars of strength for their incarcerated loved ones; they are their foundation and that if they crumble those inside most assuredly will as well.
Family Empowerment Day 2, on October 21, 2006 will be a day where family and supporters meet, greet and learn what steps can be taken together to shed light on what has gone on in the dark for far too long. It is a day that, like the incredibly diverse yet solidly united men in the Otisville Lifers Group who conceived the event, can move us forward as one family which can begin to think and act together rather than continue as a disunified, politically unempowered group scattered across the state, in separate enclaves, divided by race, social class, ethnicity and religion.
We believe in education, faith and transformation. Theses principles guide us to fight for those who won’t fight, those who have given up hope, and those who because of death, can no longer fight. We also fight for the families and supporters who do not understand why community-ready men and women are not being released. Please do not let them down.
*****************
Film Fundraiser raises $170 for Family Empowerment Day 2:
The screening of “Favela Rising” on June 14, followed with a Q & A session led by PAN board member Nathan Hamlin, raised $170 for Family Empowerment Day 2. Thanks to all supporters who came out and were rewarded by an inspiring film and provocative discussion afterward.
*****************
6. From the Inside
Editor’s Note: last month we omitted the names of the prisoners at Gt Meadow who wrote a collective statement of condemnation and outrage at the murder of Sister Karen Klimczak. We apologize to the men whose heartfelt words were published without giving them individual credit:
George Baba Eng, 77A4777;
John Standley, 84B1584;
James Gardiner, 86A0323;
Jimmie Lee Allen, 80A1633;
Shawnon Bolden, 90T4601;
Victor Bolling, 93A4570;
Ashton Nedrick, 87A3212.
[From now on the Building Bridges policy will be to publish the name and DIN of all those in prison whose submissions are printed. If you do not want that information published please make sure we know.]
I read the June 2006 Building Bridges with a sense of pride and accomplishment. I’m both elated and heartened by the momentum building up as a result of persons on both sides of the wall.
Over recent years I noticed a decline in positive legitimate activities by incarcerated individuals as gang fighting and drug use dominated the minds of those behind the walls. Now there seems to be a new awakening, and it’s good to see so many getting back aboard. I’m glad to see Elmira’s PAC organization back in full swing. Their enthusiasm is commendable.
Thanks for publishing the expose of Rush Limbaugh’s hypocrisy (May 2006 issue, from the Internet, by A. Papa) and for honorably mentioning Sister Karen Klimczak. We laugh at phonies like Limbaugh, and we weep at losing a helper and supporter like Sis Karen.
My thanks to the families and friends of prisoners conscious enough to realize that no significant changes will come without their participation. Justice will not come without effort.
--Jehan Abdur-Raheem, 77A1180
*****************************************************
It was a great loss when Grandpa Al Lewis passed on February 3, 2006. However, he only asked that we be the best at whatever it was we did in life. He gave so much to prisoners and their loved ones that it’s only right that we continue on in his absence. The Al Lewis Live Show is hosted by Karen Lewis on WBAI from 12 noon to 2 PM after On The Count. If anyone wishes to give a donation to honor his spirit, his life and his contributions, they may do so by sending them to either: KPFK/California, Attn: Sue Welsh, 3729 Cahuenga Blvd West, No Hollywood, Cal 91604 or WBAI, NYC, PO Box 11445, Church St Station, NY NY 10277-2071.
Grandpa Al always wanted us to remember that no matter how seemingly good it gets: ‘The struggle goes on. The victory is in the struggle, for me. And, I accepted that a long time ago.’ He will always be, for me and many others, a guiding force to honor, recognize and respect as we follow his beacon to greatness. May he rest in peace and his family find peace of mind from knowing that he was great in all he did!
-- Chas Ransome DIN 85A16436
Chas Ransome is a Creative Program Developer and Special Event Coordinator who has been instrumental in getting fellow inmates to write letters to the Assembly and Senate on both the MCI Contract and Parole. Many more than he expected wrote their own letters. Building Bridges congratulates people on both sides of the wall who are becoming involved in the political process! Remember, your vote is only a small part. Becoming informed and letting our representatives know where you stand makes a real difference. Working on campaigns, going door to door and making phone calls can actually get your candidate elected. We may not have money, but we’ve got the numbers!
**********************
I’d like to share these words of wisdom with those men and women that are changing for the better: “The journey in between what we once were and who we are now becoming is where the dance of Life really takes place. Life is a journey, travel light.” -- Mika’il Muwakil DIN 77A2639
7. From Other Media Sources
‘Jail Jam’ OK, Assoc Press: Albany
A federal judge has tossed out a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of NYS prisoners forced to share cells with other inmates, ruling the practice does not violate the U. S. Constitution.
US District Judge Gerard Lynch, in a decision dated May 26, said that simply putting two convicts in a cell designed for one “is a far cry from the ‘wanton and unnecessary infliction of pain’ against which the Eighth amendment protects.”
[Thanks to Mika’il Muwakil for forwarding this article]
Pataki Appoints 7 to Parole Board
The 7 new appointees and their expiration dates:
Jennifer Arena, June 16, 2008;
Alan J.Croce, June 18, 2009;
James Ferguson, July 6, 2011;
Gerald J. Greenan III, June 18, 2012;
Christina Hernandez, June 02, 2011;
G. Kevin Ludlow, June 18, 2011;
Chris Ortloff, June 18, 2012
June 24, 2006 -- ALBANY - Lame-duck Gov. Pataki's patronage machine shifted into high gear yesterday as the names of dozens more politically connected friends and associates - including the wife of CNBC host Lawrence Kudlow - were sent to the GOP-controlled Senate for appointment to high-level jobs and prestigious boards. Democrats challenged some of the moves, which came on the last day of the legislative session, and even some Republicans were aghast, with one saying of the appointments: "With few exceptions, a parade of hacks." Democrats pounced on the qualifications of Jennifer Arena, a longtime Pataki administration spokeswoman, for a two-year term - at $101,600 a year - on the state Board of Parole. Senate Minority Leader David Paterson (D-Manhattan) said Arena failed to meet the state law's requirement that board members have at least five years' experience in such fields as criminology, law, psychology and law enforcement. "There are reasons the law makes this requirement and it is to preserve some integrity to the appointments process," said Paterson. Arena's résumé lists her as a 1990 Michigan State University graduate in journalism who has held two journalism-related jobs, in Florida and Buffalo, and three public-relations jobs working for Pataki and former Republican Attorney General Dennis Vacco. Pataki spokesman Michael Marr contended Arena's experiences as a spokeswoman were sufficient to meet the legal requirement. [Most of this came from a recent New York Post article by Fredrick U. Dicker.]
8. Legal Battle Won by PLN
June 27: Prison Legal news won an important press freedom case by obtaining a federal court ruling that we are entitled to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' information on the amount of money it has spent on all litigation over a multi year period. The BOP had claimed they lacked the information in one location and wanted $7K to look. The court held PLN is entitled to a fee waiver as provided for by the Freedom of Information Act. This practice, of charging public interest groups outrageous "search fees" has been a long standing government policy under the Bush administration which was denounced by the New York Times in an editorial on February 4, 2006. PLN's case is among the first to obtain a win for the press and other public interest organizations.
Many thanks to Ed Elder, PLN's attorney in the case and a member of the National Lawyer's Guild.
[For a complete report on this victory, you can write PLN at 2400 NW 80th St. #148, Seattle WA 98117,
or call them at: 206/ 246-1022].
9. Locked Down for More than a Lifetime
A letter from the Robert Seth Hayes Support Committee -
www.sethhayes.org l info@ssethhayes.org
Robert “Seth” Hayes is a U.S. political prisoner and former member of the Black Panther Party who has been imprisoned in New York state for more than three decades. When Seth was convicted in 1974, his sentence was 25 years to life. The implicit understanding at the time of his sentencing was that Seth would serve 25 years as a minimum, after which time he would be eligible for release based on his record and conduct in prison. In July, 2006, Seth will be going before the parole board for the fourth time. At each of Seth’s previous parole hearings, he was denied release due to the serious nature of the crime he was convicted for and given another two years in jail. The refusal of parole for the serious nature of the crime seems contrary to the spirit of the law, for it is something that a prisoner can never change, and the giving of parole is based upon the prisoner's behavior while behind bars. Seth is not the only one being subjected to these unfair rules. This has become common practice for the New York state parole board, who, by denying parole based on the seriousness of the conviction, are defacto re-sentencing many prisoners to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Seth’s prison record is exemplary, and if a decision about Seth’s parole were to be based on his conduct and personal growth, he would have rejoined his family and his community years ago.
Please write a letter to the parole board to let them know that you think Seth deserves to be released. All letters should be mailed or faxed to Seth’s lawyer, Susan Tipograph, immediately, as Seth's parole hearing is taking place on July 15, 2006. Susan Tipograph, Attorney At Law, 350 Broadway, New York, NY 10013, fax (212) 625-3939. For more information, visit www.sethhayes.org.
Robert Seth Hayes Parole Support Events:
7PM, Sunday, July 2, 271 Grant Street, West Side, Buffalo, NY
7PM, Monday, July 3, 118 East Utica Street,East Side, Buffalo, NY
Arissa - Buffalo Chapter P.O. Box 84 Buffalo, NY 14213 Tel: (716) 796-5460 or email leslie@arissa.org
10. Meetings
A. Prison Families of New York groups:
ALBANY
7-8:30 pm every Monday at The Womens Bldg. 79 Central Ave, Albany . Ring the bell for the library and lounge to get in. Alison at 518 453 6659.
POUGHKEEPSIE
7 - 8:30 pm Monday July 10 and July 24 at the Family Partnership Building 29 North Hamilton Street. Deb at 845-616-9698, dabboz@aol.com.
B. Other Advocacy/Self-Help Groups:
Citizens for Restorative Justice. Thur. July 6th at the Family Partnership building at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. Deb at 845-619-9698 or dabboz@aol.com.
Coalition of Families of NYS Lifers: Any family member or friend of a prisoner with life at the end of their sentence is invited to contact the Coalition of Families of New York State Lifers, PO Box 1314, Wappinger Falls, New York 12590 or . If you know anyone who is a family member or friend of a prisoner, please encourage them to write.
Surviving The City: A prison release support group in Albany
Every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month - 11:30 am (next meeting July 8)
176 Sheridan Ave, at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Bldg.
Together, we're working to advance ourselves far beyond the walls that incarcerate us!!! All formerly incarcerated individuals are welcome to come and share their hopes,inspirations, and experiences. Call Nathan at 518 368 3480 for more information.
11. Radio Programs
Voices from the Prison Action Network is now heard at 5:30pm on Tuesdays at WRPI Troy, 91.5 FM, and for those outside broadcast range, live at www.wrpi.org. It’s part of the Indymedia Radio Program which starts at 3 and ends at 6. WRPI, Troy has a lot of worthwhile programming, including Democracy Now! at 9am every weekday. Preceding Voices from the Prison Action Network, from 12-2 on Tuesdays is Wild Style Breaks hosted by DJ Sho' Nuf.
The Fancy Broccoli Show airs on somewhat alternate Sundays from 3 - 6pm on Independent Radio WVKR 91.3 FM, Poughkeepsie NY. WVKR streams online - go to www.Live365.com and search for WVKR
On the Count! WBAI 99.5 FM - Pacifica Radio in NYC 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon Saturdays
12. Transportation to Prisons
A. Please join Prison Action Network when we meet the DOCS free bus at the Albany bus terminal, 12:45 AM on Sunday morning July 9. The bus will be traveling to Gowanda - Collins - Groveland - Livingston. We will meet on Friday afternoon [July 8] to prepare packets, and we need help. Please call 518 253-7533 for location.
B. Prison Action Network offers Rides: Call 518 253-7533 if you need a ride to visit your incarcerated loved one [there is no charge for this service]:
Rides are available from Albany, with the following limitations. Please contact PAN to be connected to your driver.
the prison must be within 150 miles of Albany [300 miles round trip].
driver is willing to wait 2-3 hours for visit to be concluded.
driver is willing to start, from the visitor's residence, as early as 8:00 A.M.
driver is willing to get back home as late as 6:00 P.M.
driver is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
car seats 5, though, for a trip of 150 miles, sitting in the middle of the back seat would be a tight squeeze.
C. The NEST prison shuttle schedule: Mt. McGregor, Washington, and Great Meadow Facilities on Sat, July 1 ($30 adults, $20 children), July 22 ($15 adults and $10 children), leaving Oakwood Ave Presbyt. Church parking lot, Troy at 7 AM, and Albany Greyhound Bus station at 7:15. Trip to the Utica Hub (Midstate, Marcy, Mohawk, Oneida) Sat, July 15 leaving at 5 AM ($40 adults, $25 children). Call for reservations and information: Linda O'Malley 518- 273-5199.
Readers are invited to submit notices or articles of interest for publication in this newsletter.
We invite you to write or call Building Bridges, a project of the Prison Action Network:
PAN, c/o H-M IMC
PO Box 35
Troy, NY 12181
518 253 7533
prisonaction@hotmail.com
www.prisonaction.blogspot.com
Request for help:
Prison Action Network receives many requests from prisoners for legal assistance. We have no legal staff. Currently we have in hand a letter asking for help with a class action suit in regard to asbestos, unsanitary mess-hall/kitchen and second-hand smoke. If you can advise, please contact PAN and we’ll forward your response.
Thanks to the AJ Muste Memorial Institute for their generous support.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Pataki Appoints 7 to Parole Board
The 7 new appointees and their expiration dates:
Jennifer Arena, June 16, 2008;
Alan J.Croce, June 18, 2009;
James Ferguson, July 6, 2011;
Gerald J. Greenan III, June 18, 2012;
Christina Hernandez, June 02, 2011;
G. Kevin Ludlow, June 18, 2011;
Chris Ortloff, June 18, 2012
Anyone having information on any of these people, please contact PAN.
Jennifer Arena, June 16, 2008;
Alan J.Croce, June 18, 2009;
James Ferguson, July 6, 2011;
Gerald J. Greenan III, June 18, 2012;
Christina Hernandez, June 02, 2011;
G. Kevin Ludlow, June 18, 2011;
Chris Ortloff, June 18, 2012
Anyone having information on any of these people, please contact PAN.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Albany Prison Release Support Group
1. Albany Prison Release Support Group:
SURVIVING THE CITY,
A prison release support group
Every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month - 11:30 am (next meeting June 10)
176 Sheridan Ave, at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Bldg.
Together, we're working to advance ourselves far beyond the walls that incarcerate us!!!
All formerly incarcerated individuals are welcome to come and share their hopes, inspirations, and
experiences.
Call Nathan at 518 368 3480 for more information.
SURVIVING THE CITY,
A prison release support group
Every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month - 11:30 am (next meeting June 10)
176 Sheridan Ave, at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Bldg.
Together, we're working to advance ourselves far beyond the walls that incarcerate us!!!
All formerly incarcerated individuals are welcome to come and share their hopes, inspirations, and
experiences.
Call Nathan at 518 368 3480 for more information.
Muntaqim-Hayden Voting Rights Cases Dismissed
May 4, 2006, Disenfranchisement: News
"Court Dismisses Muntaqim-Hayden Voting Rights Cases"
Both felony disenfranchisement cases, Muntaqim v. Coombe and Hayden v. Pataki, consolidated in February 2005, were dismissed today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Muntaqim-Hayden challenged New York's disenfranchisement law that bars people with felony convictions from voting while they are in prison or on parole. Because Blacks and Latinos are disproportionately arrested and convicted of felonies, the plaintiffs charged that the law dilutes the voting power of Black and Latino communities, and in doing so, violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because of its denial of the right to vote on account of race.
In the first of two decisions, the Second Circuit today dismissed Muntaqim v. Coombe arguing that because Muntaqim was a resident of California before his incarceration and was never eligible to vote nor did he ever vote in New York, he lacks standing and consequently, the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. The Court contends: "Because [Muntaqim's] inability to vote in New York arises from the fact that he was a resident of California, not because he was a convicted felon subject to the application of New York Election Law...he has suffered no 'invasion of legally protected interest.' ... [A] favorable decision of this Court on his claim that New York Election Law...violates the VRA would do nothing to enfranchise him."
The Second Circuit also dismissed Hayden v. Pataki concluding that "Congress did not intend the Voting Rights Act to cover such [felon disenfranchisement] provisions" and that such an application "would alter the constitutional balance between the States and the Federal Government."
The decisions can be downloaded from the Decisions section of the Second Circuit's home page at www.ca2.uscourts.gov/.
"Court Dismisses Muntaqim-Hayden Voting Rights Cases"
Both felony disenfranchisement cases, Muntaqim v. Coombe and Hayden v. Pataki, consolidated in February 2005, were dismissed today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Muntaqim-Hayden challenged New York's disenfranchisement law that bars people with felony convictions from voting while they are in prison or on parole. Because Blacks and Latinos are disproportionately arrested and convicted of felonies, the plaintiffs charged that the law dilutes the voting power of Black and Latino communities, and in doing so, violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because of its denial of the right to vote on account of race.
In the first of two decisions, the Second Circuit today dismissed Muntaqim v. Coombe arguing that because Muntaqim was a resident of California before his incarceration and was never eligible to vote nor did he ever vote in New York, he lacks standing and consequently, the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. The Court contends: "Because [Muntaqim's] inability to vote in New York arises from the fact that he was a resident of California, not because he was a convicted felon subject to the application of New York Election Law...he has suffered no 'invasion of legally protected interest.' ... [A] favorable decision of this Court on his claim that New York Election Law...violates the VRA would do nothing to enfranchise him."
The Second Circuit also dismissed Hayden v. Pataki concluding that "Congress did not intend the Voting Rights Act to cover such [felon disenfranchisement] provisions" and that such an application "would alter the constitutional balance between the States and the Federal Government."
The decisions can be downloaded from the Decisions section of the Second Circuit's home page at www.ca2.uscourts.gov/.
Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook available at no charge
The Center for Constitutional Rights, in alliance with the National Lawyers Guild, has just released “The Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook: How to Bring a Federal Lawsuit to Challenge Violations of Your Rights in Prison.” The handbook is a free resource for prisoners and their family members who wish to learn about legal options to challenge mistreatment in prison. It can be downloaded at www.ccr-ny.org, or you can request a copy by writing to the following address:
Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook, c/o The Center for Constitutional Rights, 666 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10012
Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook, c/o The Center for Constitutional Rights, 666 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10012
Parole Policies Letter to Candidates
Anyone who would like copies of the following to mail out to the individual Candidates running for NYS Governor: Spitzer, Suozzi, Weld, Faso, please let Kathy know and she will e-mail these to you. Anyone who would like their name added please send her your full name, city and state. For those who are from out of state just list the city where your loved one is incarcerated.
Here is the copy of what will be sent to each candidate. Please respond directly to liferfamilies@yahoo.com
Letter:
We, the members of the Coalition of Families of New York State Lifers (CFNYSL), represent over 13,000 families who struggle daily with the burden of having a loved one incarcerated in the state of New York with the word life in their sentence.
We are concerned with the parole commission’s stance as it now stands and with your plans for the commission if you become governor. As you are no doubt aware, the parole boards routinely denies parole to eligible men and women with good records and many years of incarceration because of “the severity of instant offense.” Unfortunately, this creates a sense of hopelessness since the nature of the crime is the one thing that can never be changed.
Many of our loved ones have served far over the 15, 20 or 25 years their minimum sentence called for. Many have completed all the programs that DOCS has to offer and are just being warehoused for the political benefit of our current administration.
Statistics show that the current administration has managed to control the parole board and to cause men and women sentenced when parole was a realistic prospect, to be constantly re-sentenced to longer and longer terms in prison. We hope that if you become Governor, you will actively seek to reestablish fairness in parole board behavior. We want you to be smart on crime, but keeping an aging population in prison long past their eligibility for parole is not accomplishing that. It is simply ruining family’s lives, creating a sense of hopelessness in men and women who believed they needed to reform and redeem their lives; and echoes vast injustices from the very system that theoretically delivers justice to ALL its citizens.
We seek your response to these concerns prior to our having to make a decision in the voting booth in November.
Thank you.
Here is the copy of what will be sent to each candidate. Please respond directly to liferfamilies@yahoo.com
Letter:
We, the members of the Coalition of Families of New York State Lifers (CFNYSL), represent over 13,000 families who struggle daily with the burden of having a loved one incarcerated in the state of New York with the word life in their sentence.
We are concerned with the parole commission’s stance as it now stands and with your plans for the commission if you become governor. As you are no doubt aware, the parole boards routinely denies parole to eligible men and women with good records and many years of incarceration because of “the severity of instant offense.” Unfortunately, this creates a sense of hopelessness since the nature of the crime is the one thing that can never be changed.
Many of our loved ones have served far over the 15, 20 or 25 years their minimum sentence called for. Many have completed all the programs that DOCS has to offer and are just being warehoused for the political benefit of our current administration.
Statistics show that the current administration has managed to control the parole board and to cause men and women sentenced when parole was a realistic prospect, to be constantly re-sentenced to longer and longer terms in prison. We hope that if you become Governor, you will actively seek to reestablish fairness in parole board behavior. We want you to be smart on crime, but keeping an aging population in prison long past their eligibility for parole is not accomplishing that. It is simply ruining family’s lives, creating a sense of hopelessness in men and women who believed they needed to reform and redeem their lives; and echoes vast injustices from the very system that theoretically delivers justice to ALL its citizens.
We seek your response to these concerns prior to our having to make a decision in the voting booth in November.
Thank you.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
May 2006
Dear Members,
This issue is packed full of interesting and useful information, and we hope you’ll take some time to read it all. From now until October, Building Bridges will be giving a lot of attention to promoting and publicizing Family Empowerment Day II , which is a growing focus for many members of the network. We need your help to spread the word and assist with the planning. More on that in the pages to follow....
Together, we CAN make a difference!
Articles:
1. CURE-NY Annual Meeting and Lobby Day
2. Coalition for Women Prisoners
3. from Inside
4. from Karima Amin, Director of Prisoners Are People Too!
5. Getting the Best From Your Public Defender in Court
6. Getting Free, continued [from April issue]
7. Help for Rockefeller Drug Law Prisoners
8. Meetings
9. Merit Time Bill Status
10. Telephone Justice/Justicia Telefonica
11. Transportation to Prisons
12. Words from Ramon
1. CURE-NY Annual Meeting and Lobby Day:
May 9, 2006
In the Knickerbocker Room,
Capitol Hill Deli, 42 Eagle St., Albany, NY
Reminder: Kindly email your intentions to attend (to cureny@bestweb.net) so they can complete arrangements for the breakfast, lunch, and meeting. (If you don’t have internet access, contact PAN and we will forward your information.) Formerly incarcerated persons and families of persons still incarcerated are free; others are invited to offer a donation, suggested at $20.
Agenda
Continental Breakfast and Social
Speakers: JIM MURPHY, President of CURE-NY, SENATOR TOM DUANE, Senior Minority Member of the NYS Senate Codes Committee and the NYS Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, ALICE GREEN, President of the Center for Law and Justice., JOHN CAHER, Albany Bureau Chief for the New York Law Journal.
Lunch and Lobbying Team explanation
Lobbying (appointments at 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 3:00, and 3:30)
Bills of Interest to CURE-NY in legislative visits:
Family Connections (Telephone Justice): A.7231; S.5299-C
Merit Time A.3230-B, S.1701-B
Mentally ill and Solitary Confinement: S.2207, A.3926
2005 Geriatric: A.01513; S.104
Parole Board Members: A. 03802; S.1499
Justice Reinvestment Fund: A.6546; S.01063
Voting in Local Jails: A.06182, S.1174
Drug Law Repeal: A.06796
Dept. of Health Oversight: A.03544
Inmate Residence and Redistricting: A. 6409
Vote while on Parole: A.00731
Higher Education: A.02756, S.1480
Termination of Parole: S.6013
Public Defense Commission: A.6908
2. Coalition for Women Prisoners
The next Coalition for Women Prisoners meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 17th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Legal Aid Society, 1st Floor Conference Room, 49 Thomas St., between Church and West Broadway. Contact Jaya Vasandani at 212 254 5700.
During CWP’s Lobby Day April 4, 30 groups of from 3-6 people each visited NYS legislators to promote the following 5 key reform proposals. Many of the legislators signed a statement of support for these proposals (a full report of who signed which, will be published when finalized):
1. Further reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.
2. Allowing incarcerated survivors of domestic violence to be eligible for early release.
3. Requiring prison officials to file Medicaid applications for inmates before release.
4. Increased funding for programs that keep families connected when a mother is in prison.
5. Expand the scope and number of vocational programs in women’s prisons.
3. from Inside:
1. Just to let you know what I am doing here in Coxsackie. I run groups for the pre-release center, prepare those who are soon re-entering society by setting them up with available resources for housing, employment, treatment and other needed resources, and also in these groups we discuss issues of empowerment like self-worth, skills, family, education, etc.
I also sit with men who are dying from terminal illnesses in the Hospice program, which is far more emotional. We comfort them and do what we can to see to it that they understand that they aren’t alone and that someone cares.
Presently I am also working on beginning an empowerment program called Chisel, which will deal with emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of being in prison and returning back into society. Here in this facility we lack any independent progressive programs and I seek any help from the readers who may have information on starting programs, as it is desperately needed.
I am with our brother Ramon, and all the others who join in this struggle, hand in hand, heart to heart. Know you aren’t alone in the struggle.
William Clanton, 03A4400 PS: I am seeking a copy of the entire article, Distorting Political Reality, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial March 17, 2006.
2. I would like to compliment Building Bridges on the April 2006 edition. They have all been good, and they are getting better. “Good, Better, Best, Never let it rest, until Good is better, and Better is best!”
I agree with Ramon Gonzalez on p.10. There are Lifers that have become complacent, but we must remember, “as the going gets tough, the tough get going; tough times never last, but tough people do!” Keep up the good work!
Mika’il Muwakil, Warwick, NY
April 4 2006
3. Attention: All readers of Building Bridges: In September of 2006, one of the Otisville Lifers’ own eminently qualified, community-ready men will be appearing before his second parole board. Most of you know Bryce Rudert (85A4359) as “Big Sonny” or through his writings. We believe he has demonstrated, far above and beyond the legal criteria, that he is qualified for release to parole supervision.
Throughout his time in prison he has not only worked hard at turning his life around, he has worked just as hard helping others to do the same. In fact, he is always willing to lend others a helping hand. Now it is our turn to lend Sonny a helping hand. We strongly urge you to join us by showing your support.
To find out what you can do to aid in the Otisville Broadband Parole Support Initiative, write or call PAN and request Sonny’s Parole Profile complete with information and instructions. Sonny needs all your support, and YOUR voice will make a difference!
Thank you, The Otisville Lifers’ Group
4. The Clinton Lifers and Long-Termers Organization is reaching out to legislators, prisoner advocacy groups, criminal justice reform organizations, and government officials for support and assistance in our call for the creation of a task force on long-term prisoners.
Two of the most pressing concerns of prisoners serving long-term sentences in NY are: 1] the increasing amount of time they are required to serve in prison, and 2] the lack of programs designed to address the unique needs of those serving long-term sentences. Both concerns are the result of changes in state policies. The one-size-fits-all policy for both long-term and short-term prisoners continues under the current DOCS administration, and long-term offenders receive no guidance or direction regarding their adjustment and coping needs.
We propose the creation of a “Task Force” on Long-term prisoners that would: 1] study the conditions mentioned above and recommend a state strategy involving the prison and parole agencies, with other partners as appropriate, and 2] study the acclaimed “Life Line Program” currently operating under the Canadian Correctional system as a model for replication in NYS.
--Clinton Lifers & Long-Termers Org, Clinton C.F., PO Box 2001, Dannemora, NY 12929
5. Building Bridges received a letter from a man who has been incarcerated since August 1991 for committing a sex offense. He says, “My scheduled Conditional Release Date was July 2003. My parole officer has indicated that I am to propose a residence/program where there are responsible adults willing to provide adult collateral monitoring. I am unable to find such a residence/program from within prison. My charges are Rape 1 (2 counts). I do not have a history besides the above charge with regard to sex offenses, and I have never harmed a child.” He goes on to list programs he has successfully completed, and ends by saying, “All I need is the opportunity to be placed in a structured environment where I can continue on my road to success. Can you please provide me with that opportunity? I promise I will not let you down.” He provides his mother’s phone number for further information. If you would like more information or if you have any information which could be helpful to him, please contact PAN and we will pass it on.
4. from Karima Amin, Director of Prisoners Are People Too!
IN SYMPATHY:
Sr. Karen Klimczak, founder of Hope House (Bissonette House), a transitional home for male parolees in Buffalo NY, was found dead about 5 miles from the house. A resident of Bissonette House has confessed. "Mad Dads" President Dwayne Ferguson echoed the sentiments of many when he told WBEN, "she's going to be really missed in our community." Klimczak was behind a "Non-Violence Begins With Me" campaign. In an interview with WBEN, Sister Mary Johnice of the Response To Love Center on Buffalo's East Side said of her close friend, "She was a gift for us; she was our hope...she was our Jesus." Sister Karen Klimczak was 62.
SUPPORT REQUEST:
Artelia "Tia" Lewis is a formerly incarcerated individual who is a student at D'Youville College and a Peer Support Specialist with the WNY Independent Living Project, Inc. She is also engaged in an internship with Cazenovia Recovery Systems.
Tia has a daughter who is serving a 23 year prison sentence. She is currently in a SHU ("special housing unit") for prisoners with psychiatric disabilities. Recently, Tia went to Albany to speak out in favor of a law which would require alternatives to the inhumane solitary confinement of the SHU.
Tia and her daughter, Katisha, could both benefit from our prayers and words of comfort and encouragement. You may contact Tia's daughter at the following address: Katisha R. Beaty
DIN 01G0328, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, P. O. Box 1000, Bedford Hills, NY 10507
You can reach Artelia "Tia" Lewis at: Artelia Lewis, Peer Support Specialist, Mental Health Peer Connection, WNY Independent living Project, Inc., 3108 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14214
FALSE CONFESSION, WRONGFUL CONVICTION, EYEWITNESS ERROR: Several PRP2! members traveled to Albany NY from Buffalo and Niagara Falls NY to present at the Prison Forum of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, on Sunday, March 26, 2006.
The topic was false confession, wrongful conviction, eyewitness error, and the speakers were: Sis. Nora Massey, Sis. Laila (Louise) Piromalli, Sis. Dwyonna Drayton, and Mr. Bill Bradberry, Esq. They shared valuable information and related the stories of Terroll Massey, Valentino Dixon, John H. Walker, Jr., and Vishnu Persad respectively.
Mr. Bradberry has good news to give us about Vishnu. There was to be a hearing on April 18, 2006 at which the issue of Vishnu's POTENTIAL RELEASE pending a NEW TRIAL may be resolved. Keep Vishnu Persad and his family in your prayers.
Visit http://prisonaction.blogspot.com to read a Palm Beach Post article for details. If you don’t have Internet access, please call or write PAN and we’ll send you a copy.
5. Getting the Best From Your Public Defender in Court
by John V. Elmore — from April 2006 The Francis Report http://www.thefrancisreport.com.
Most people charged with crimes in American Courts are poor and cannot afford an attorney to represent them. Many indigent defendants want to know how they can receive justice in court when they have a lawyer who is paid by the State. They think that their lawyer is working with the prosecutor and judge to railroad them.
In some instances the perception that an indigent defendant, who is represented by a lawyer paid by the State, will be railroaded is true. However, the overwhelming number of public defenders and court assigned lawyers are extremely competent and committed legal advocates who take pride in the quality of their work. Despite the inherent advantages the system gives the police and the prosecution, an indigent defendant armed with the right attitude and knowledge can have a realistic chance in his fight for justice.
Many indigent defendants do not trust their lawyers. They erroneously believe that it is a good idea to lie to their lawyers by creating false evidence, protecting their friends, or by minimizing their role in the incident. Lying to your lawyer can lead to disastrous results. If the lies are believed by the attorney, he may give poor advice or reject a favorable plea bargain. Investigative resources are wasted when an attorney tries to corroborate the misinformation. Even worse is a situation where a defense lawyer unknowingly presents false evidence to the jury, which the prosecutor later disproves. The defense lawyer then loses all credibility with the jury and even truthful evidence of a defendant’s innocence is not believed.
I once represented a defendant who was accused of a murder. His attempts to create false evidence led to the police to discover evidence that he actually committed a crime. In this particular case, the defendant claimed to have an alibi that he was with his girlfriend at the time the murder was committed. In an effort to collaborate the alibi I interviewed a cab driver and the cab company dispatcher to determine the time that my client arrived at his girlfriend’s house. After I reviewed the cab dispatch records and interviewed his girlfriend, I concluded that the purported alibi evidence would put my client in close proximity to the scene of the crime at the time the murder occurred. I suspect that after I met with the cab driver and the dispatcher, one of them became aware that my client was connected to the murder. Most likely one of them alerted the police of the possible connection. Both the driver and the dispatcher were called by the prosecution as witnesses and gave very damaging testimony. The defendant’s attempt to create an alibi provided prosecutors key evidence that led to a conviction.
The following tidbits of advice will help an indigent defendant get the best results when represented by a public defender.
1. Always tell your attorney the whole truth. You are the best source of information about what happened. Your lawyer needs this information to properly defend you and to properly advise you whether or not to accept a plea bargain.
2. When you have an appointment to see your attorney, show up and be on time. Public Defenders have very busy caseloads. They will not have adequate time to prepare your case if you are late or miss appointments.
3. If you know the identity of your witnesses provide your attorney with their names, addresses, and phone numbers. Bring your witnesses to court with you. Do not assume that the public defender will subpoena your witnesses or remind them when they are needed in court.
4. Come to court dressed like a professional. While in court control your emotions and be polite and courteous all of the time.
5. Treat your attorney with respect and he will respect you. Never accuse him or her of working with the prosecution or trying to railroad you. Why would you want to insult someone when your life is in their hands?
6. When deciding whether or not to accept a plea bargain, make your decision based upon logic and not emotion. Take a realistic look at the evidence that a jury will hear against you. If you rationally and logically conclude that you can win the case and are willing to risk the consequences if you lose, then proceed to trial. If you logically conclude that you cannot win, then ask your attorney to negotiate the best possible plea bargain. When it comes to plea bargaining you must know “when to hold them and when to fold them.”
7. If you are in custody while awaiting trial, do not discuss your case with other inmates. Your attorney is smarter than any jailhouse lawyer. Think about it. If your jailhouse attorney is so smart, then why is he in jail? Many jailhouse lawyers are actually jailhouse informants. Many of them end up being government witnesses to a “jailhouse confession.”
6. Getting Free, continued [from April issue]
This piece was wrongly attributed last month. It should have been credited to:
James E. Morse, Stormville, NY
“A white man with a criminal record has a better chance of getting an entry-level job in New York than a black man with a squeaky-clean record, a study has found.”[The New York Post, 17 June 2005]
This study, as outlined in the article, establishes a direct relationship between current penal practices and joblessness among men of color released from captivity. The devious nexus between race-based disparities in criminal justice so-called and joblessness is readily apparent; it is a social affliction that this author calls Malus Chronos, that is Bad Times of the manufactured variety. Since this devious social practice fuels the engines of recidivism among ex-offenders, and is not likely to be cured by persons who feed off of it, people of color serving time in New York’s penal realms should be encouraged to commit suicide -- that is, political suicide.
“Greater than armies is an idea whose time has come.” -- Victor Hugo
Prisoners of color (mainly citizens born and raised in the U.S.A.) should be encouraged to commit political suicide for the purpose of putting an end to the racial injustice characterizing New York’s judicial and penal systems. For “demographics” (the official rationale for a Jim Crow penal system) is a transparent falsehood concocted by the beneficiaries of Bread and Power. Political suicide is accomplished by prisoners of color having their voting rights restored - before encountering recidivistic joblessness, and other post-release traps and pitfalls. For only the vote can countervail Bread and Power’s vital interest in the maintenance of the status quo.
Article II, 3, of the New York State Constitution mandates political disenfranchisement (loss of voting rights) for individuals convicted of “infamous crime.” Though, on its face, Article II is racially neutral, in 1991, the Judicial Commission on Minorities conceded that the courts (via racial disparities in convictions and sentence type) are using Article II as an instrument of political discrimination that adversely affects the voting power of all people of color. [Over 80% of all state prisoners hail from NYC Assembly Districts that are largely nonwhite, including Harlem, Brownsville, E. New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Lower East South Bronx, Jamaica.]
In a recent decision [See Locke v. Farrakhan, WL 2058775 (U.S. Nov. 8, 2004.)], the Supreme Court declined to review a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case that allowed Washington State prisoners to challenge a felon disenfranchisement statue that, like New York’s, violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act. However, the Court did let stand a decision by the New York’s Second Circuit Court of Appeals, holding that the “results test” of the Voting Rights Act cannot be applied to challenge the validity of New York’s disenfranchisement statute, because the Act is “silent” regarding said statues.
However, since the Second Circuit judges have voted on their own motion to review their decision, if the Supreme Court declined to review the Washington State case, this circumstance has prompted an increasing number of persons (free and imprisoned) to write letters to Second Circuit judges, expressing their desire to have the voting rights of state prisoners restored. Once said voting rights are restored, one of the first duties that we re-enfranchised voters will assign to our legislative representatives is the task of changing the current laws governing census taking. Currently, prisoners are counted, not as members of the political districts from which we hail, but as a part of the district wherein our prison is located. Thus, as the census is now conducted, each felony conviction in New York City deletes from communities of color increments of economic power and transfers it to the communities surrounding the penal realms. Secondly, our restored voting power will insure that state government, for the first time, possesses a direct economic stake in preventing ex-offenders from returning to prison. While some prisoners will remain in prison, vote or no, the present economic trend is to “swell the ranks of sinners” for the benefit of Bread and Power, long after imprisonment stops making sense.
“Twist about, turn about
Jump Jim Crow
Every time I wheel about,
I do just so.”
-- The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book
Obviously, Jim Crow (racial injustice) was not legislated out of existence by the Voting Rights Act of 1965; he simply changed his name to Malus Chronos and relocated to the bounded spaces of the penal realms. There Malus Chronos touts the deception that racial segregation in a totalitarian order is somehow reformative of character; there he has people of color twisting, turning, wheeling about -- doing the recidivistic shuffle unto death. The cemeteries within the penal realms are swollen with prisoners not sentenced to death, but who died waiting to be freed.
Wherefore, the political suicide of state prisoners -- this voting of his/her surplus numbers out of existence -- is, in fact, a noble Testimony of Freedom that must be encouraged by persons (on both sides of prison walls) who support racial justice -- not only in words, but in deeds too.
Your letter to the Chief Judge of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals is word and deed combined.
7. Removed due to irrelevance after 30 days.
8. Meetings:
A. Prison Families of New York groups:
ALBANY
7-8:30 pm every Monday at The Womens Bldg. 79 Central Ave, Albany . Ring the bell for the library and lounge to get in. Alison at 518 453 6659.
POUGHKEEPSIE
7 - 8:30 pm Monday May 8 and May 22 at the Family Partnership building, 29 North Hamilton Street. Deb at 845-616-9698, dabboz@aol.com.
B. Other Advocacy/Self-Help Groups:
Citizens for Restorative Justice. We have our next CRJ meeting on Thurs. May 4th. I'm sure we will be preparing for the CURE meeting and lobby day on May 9th. At the Family Partnership building at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. Anyone is welcome to join us in anything that we do. Deb at 845-616-9698 or dabboz@aol.com.
Justice Committee of FUUSA. Next meeting at 12 noon on May 28. For individuals desiring to get involved in prison and criminal justice reform. FUUSA, 405 Washington Ave., Albany. Contact Thayer Heath at 518 861 0035 or thayer1923@aol.com..
Coalition of Families of NYS Lifers: No meeting scheduled yet, but we’ve defined our vision and our mission:
VISION: To establish and maintain a working relationship with NYS DOCS in order to facilitate an understanding of the need of the families of those who are incarcerated with life as a part of their sentence.
MISSION: Educate and facilitate dialog between DOCS and the families of Lifers in order to strengthen family bonds.
For more info: PO Box 1314, Wappinger Falls, NY 12590, or liferfamilies@yahoo.com
9. Merit Time Bill Status:
In response to those who have asked:
S1701-B MONTGOMERY
Correction Law
TITLE....Provides for accumulation of merit time allowance
02/01/05 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
01/04/06 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
01/25/06 - AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
01/25/06 - PRINT NUMBER 1701A
03/08/06 - AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
03/08/06 - PRINT NUMBER 1701B
10. Telephone Justice/Justicia Telefonica
Participate in our monthly family member conference call: Once a month, we have a state-wide conference call for prison family members from throughout the State to call in to stay involved with the progress of the campaign, and to share their input. The next conference call is Tuesday, May 16th at 7 pm (Eastern Standard Time). Call 212.614.6459 or email info@telephonejustice.org for the TOLL FREE CALL IN NUMBER.
A lot of you have been asking about the MCI/DOCS contract's expiration date of March 30, 2006. DOCS has exercised its option of the first one-year renewal. So the contract which is now with Verizon Business (MCI) is still in effect. That is why we are working through political and legislative means to get the legislation passed so that the contract can be voided! Here's how you can continue to help:
Every week on Wednesday encourage everyone you know to call Governor Pataki (212) 681-4580 or (518) 474-8390 and Verizon (800) 621 9900 from 8 am to 5 pm to say "I’m calling in support of the NY Campaign for Telephone Justice to ask that you put an end to the prison phone contract between Verizon/MCI and DOCS."
CADA MIERCOLES pidales a su familia y a sus amigos que llamen al Gobernador Pataki al (212) 681-4580 o al (518) 474-8390 y a Verizon (800) 621-9900 entre las horas ocho (8) de la manana hasta las cinco (5) de la tarde, lunes a viernes. Digales, "Llamo para apoyar La Campana Neoyorquina para Justicia Telefonica (NYCTJ) para pedir que acaben con el contracto telefónico de prisiones entre Verizon/MCI y el Departamento de Servicios de Correción.
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, May 12, 2006. Please let us know your availability for a noon time vigil in Manhattan. Call Marion at 212 614 6421 for more information.
11. Transportation to Prisons:
A. Prison Action Network will meet DOCS free bus to COLLINS/GOWANDA on Saturday, 5/13 at 1:00 AM. To join us at the Albany bus terminal on the 13th or to help put together information packets and snacks and toys for the children on Friday May 12, please call 253-7533.
B. Prison Action Network: Call 518 253-7533 if you need a ride to visit your incarcerated loved one [there is no charge for this service]:
.
Rides are available from Albany by a PAN volunteer. If you and/or your family need transportation to visit your loved one in prison, and the following limitations work for you, please contact PAN at the address on your envelope or at the email address or phone number in this letter, and we will connect you to your driver
the prison must be within 150 miles of Albany [300 miles round trip].
driver is willing to wait 2-3 hours for visit to be concluded.
driver is willing to start, from the visitor's residence, as early as 8:00 A.M.
driver is willing to get back home as late as 6:00 P.M.
driver is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays [and, in a pinch, on Fridays].
car seats 5, though, for a trip of 150 miles, sitting in the middle of the back seat would be a tight squeeze.
12. Words from Ramon:
Call for Attendance:
I am calling on all of you to join PAN and FUUSA’s Social Responsibility Council (SRC) and the Otisville Lifers Core Committee to a round table Think Tank on July 6 from 6:15 - 9:15 PM at Otisville C.F., to plan Family Empowerment Day II. To confirm your participation, contact PAN at 518 253-7533 or email: prisonaction@hotmail.com.
As most Building Bridges readers know, I am chairman and social interaction director of the Otisville Lifers, and in that capacity I work alongside many dedicated brothers entrenched in our struggle for fair parole policies. However, we aren’t working alone - PAN and members of FUUSA’s SRC join in our meetings to conceptualize and formulate strategies to address our plight. Our current project is Family Empowerment Day II, under the auspices of The Coalition of Family and Community. The venue is Middle Collegiate Church located in New York City on Second Avenue at 7th Street. October 21, 2006 is the date. All are welcome to attend; family members, friends, groups, organizations, ministry, academic, legal, even members of the political community. So “Save The Date”!
What will come out of this year’s Family Empowerment Day event? In order to answer this question all organizations - CPR, CURE-NY, CRJ, PFNY, NYIF, CFNYSL, Family Members and Friends of People Incarcerated, Citizens against Recidivism, PRP2!, and all others who are reading this, will need to decide the tasks that will be undertaken collectively. Together, “we, the people must decide.” Again, please contact PAN to arrange to join us on July 6.
The only thing we hold on to is Hope. When that hope is resurrected, there is new life. When there is new life there is possibility. And when there is possibility change occurs. This is the same change that the Division of Parole fails to recognize in each and every one of us. By supporting our initiatives you allow us to show society the power of collective, rehabilitated minds, not stagnated by the subliminal chains of DOCS or the Division of Parole.
Through our networking this day - 7/6/06 - by finalizing the families’ and community's tasks, we can ensure that “We” the People will be heard as a result of Family Empowerment Day. Our collective networking will be the crucial factor that stimulates the vital cross pollination which will in turn, breathe true creative life into the Family Empowerment Day event, and thereafter, in our march for fair parole policies.
R. Gonzalez
Readers are invited to submit notices or articles of interest for publication in this newsletter.
This issue is packed full of interesting and useful information, and we hope you’ll take some time to read it all. From now until October, Building Bridges will be giving a lot of attention to promoting and publicizing Family Empowerment Day II , which is a growing focus for many members of the network. We need your help to spread the word and assist with the planning. More on that in the pages to follow....
Together, we CAN make a difference!
Articles:
1. CURE-NY Annual Meeting and Lobby Day
2. Coalition for Women Prisoners
3. from Inside
4. from Karima Amin, Director of Prisoners Are People Too!
5. Getting the Best From Your Public Defender in Court
6. Getting Free, continued [from April issue]
7. Help for Rockefeller Drug Law Prisoners
8. Meetings
9. Merit Time Bill Status
10. Telephone Justice/Justicia Telefonica
11. Transportation to Prisons
12. Words from Ramon
1. CURE-NY Annual Meeting and Lobby Day:
May 9, 2006
In the Knickerbocker Room,
Capitol Hill Deli, 42 Eagle St., Albany, NY
Reminder: Kindly email your intentions to attend (to cureny@bestweb.net) so they can complete arrangements for the breakfast, lunch, and meeting. (If you don’t have internet access, contact PAN and we will forward your information.) Formerly incarcerated persons and families of persons still incarcerated are free; others are invited to offer a donation, suggested at $20.
Agenda
Continental Breakfast and Social
Speakers: JIM MURPHY, President of CURE-NY, SENATOR TOM DUANE, Senior Minority Member of the NYS Senate Codes Committee and the NYS Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, ALICE GREEN, President of the Center for Law and Justice., JOHN CAHER, Albany Bureau Chief for the New York Law Journal.
Lunch and Lobbying Team explanation
Lobbying (appointments at 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 3:00, and 3:30)
Bills of Interest to CURE-NY in legislative visits:
Family Connections (Telephone Justice): A.7231; S.5299-C
Merit Time A.3230-B, S.1701-B
Mentally ill and Solitary Confinement: S.2207, A.3926
2005 Geriatric: A.01513; S.104
Parole Board Members: A. 03802; S.1499
Justice Reinvestment Fund: A.6546; S.01063
Voting in Local Jails: A.06182, S.1174
Drug Law Repeal: A.06796
Dept. of Health Oversight: A.03544
Inmate Residence and Redistricting: A. 6409
Vote while on Parole: A.00731
Higher Education: A.02756, S.1480
Termination of Parole: S.6013
Public Defense Commission: A.6908
2. Coalition for Women Prisoners
The next Coalition for Women Prisoners meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 17th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Legal Aid Society, 1st Floor Conference Room, 49 Thomas St., between Church and West Broadway. Contact Jaya Vasandani at 212 254 5700.
During CWP’s Lobby Day April 4, 30 groups of from 3-6 people each visited NYS legislators to promote the following 5 key reform proposals. Many of the legislators signed a statement of support for these proposals (a full report of who signed which, will be published when finalized):
1. Further reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.
2. Allowing incarcerated survivors of domestic violence to be eligible for early release.
3. Requiring prison officials to file Medicaid applications for inmates before release.
4. Increased funding for programs that keep families connected when a mother is in prison.
5. Expand the scope and number of vocational programs in women’s prisons.
3. from Inside:
1. Just to let you know what I am doing here in Coxsackie. I run groups for the pre-release center, prepare those who are soon re-entering society by setting them up with available resources for housing, employment, treatment and other needed resources, and also in these groups we discuss issues of empowerment like self-worth, skills, family, education, etc.
I also sit with men who are dying from terminal illnesses in the Hospice program, which is far more emotional. We comfort them and do what we can to see to it that they understand that they aren’t alone and that someone cares.
Presently I am also working on beginning an empowerment program called Chisel, which will deal with emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of being in prison and returning back into society. Here in this facility we lack any independent progressive programs and I seek any help from the readers who may have information on starting programs, as it is desperately needed.
I am with our brother Ramon, and all the others who join in this struggle, hand in hand, heart to heart. Know you aren’t alone in the struggle.
William Clanton, 03A4400 PS: I am seeking a copy of the entire article, Distorting Political Reality, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial March 17, 2006.
2. I would like to compliment Building Bridges on the April 2006 edition. They have all been good, and they are getting better. “Good, Better, Best, Never let it rest, until Good is better, and Better is best!”
I agree with Ramon Gonzalez on p.10. There are Lifers that have become complacent, but we must remember, “as the going gets tough, the tough get going; tough times never last, but tough people do!” Keep up the good work!
Mika’il Muwakil, Warwick, NY
April 4 2006
3. Attention: All readers of Building Bridges: In September of 2006, one of the Otisville Lifers’ own eminently qualified, community-ready men will be appearing before his second parole board. Most of you know Bryce Rudert (85A4359) as “Big Sonny” or through his writings. We believe he has demonstrated, far above and beyond the legal criteria, that he is qualified for release to parole supervision.
Throughout his time in prison he has not only worked hard at turning his life around, he has worked just as hard helping others to do the same. In fact, he is always willing to lend others a helping hand. Now it is our turn to lend Sonny a helping hand. We strongly urge you to join us by showing your support.
To find out what you can do to aid in the Otisville Broadband Parole Support Initiative, write or call PAN and request Sonny’s Parole Profile complete with information and instructions. Sonny needs all your support, and YOUR voice will make a difference!
Thank you, The Otisville Lifers’ Group
4. The Clinton Lifers and Long-Termers Organization is reaching out to legislators, prisoner advocacy groups, criminal justice reform organizations, and government officials for support and assistance in our call for the creation of a task force on long-term prisoners.
Two of the most pressing concerns of prisoners serving long-term sentences in NY are: 1] the increasing amount of time they are required to serve in prison, and 2] the lack of programs designed to address the unique needs of those serving long-term sentences. Both concerns are the result of changes in state policies. The one-size-fits-all policy for both long-term and short-term prisoners continues under the current DOCS administration, and long-term offenders receive no guidance or direction regarding their adjustment and coping needs.
We propose the creation of a “Task Force” on Long-term prisoners that would: 1] study the conditions mentioned above and recommend a state strategy involving the prison and parole agencies, with other partners as appropriate, and 2] study the acclaimed “Life Line Program” currently operating under the Canadian Correctional system as a model for replication in NYS.
--Clinton Lifers & Long-Termers Org, Clinton C.F., PO Box 2001, Dannemora, NY 12929
5. Building Bridges received a letter from a man who has been incarcerated since August 1991 for committing a sex offense. He says, “My scheduled Conditional Release Date was July 2003. My parole officer has indicated that I am to propose a residence/program where there are responsible adults willing to provide adult collateral monitoring. I am unable to find such a residence/program from within prison. My charges are Rape 1 (2 counts). I do not have a history besides the above charge with regard to sex offenses, and I have never harmed a child.” He goes on to list programs he has successfully completed, and ends by saying, “All I need is the opportunity to be placed in a structured environment where I can continue on my road to success. Can you please provide me with that opportunity? I promise I will not let you down.” He provides his mother’s phone number for further information. If you would like more information or if you have any information which could be helpful to him, please contact PAN and we will pass it on.
4. from Karima Amin, Director of Prisoners Are People Too!
IN SYMPATHY:
Sr. Karen Klimczak, founder of Hope House (Bissonette House), a transitional home for male parolees in Buffalo NY, was found dead about 5 miles from the house. A resident of Bissonette House has confessed. "Mad Dads" President Dwayne Ferguson echoed the sentiments of many when he told WBEN, "she's going to be really missed in our community." Klimczak was behind a "Non-Violence Begins With Me" campaign. In an interview with WBEN, Sister Mary Johnice of the Response To Love Center on Buffalo's East Side said of her close friend, "She was a gift for us; she was our hope...she was our Jesus." Sister Karen Klimczak was 62.
SUPPORT REQUEST:
Artelia "Tia" Lewis is a formerly incarcerated individual who is a student at D'Youville College and a Peer Support Specialist with the WNY Independent Living Project, Inc. She is also engaged in an internship with Cazenovia Recovery Systems.
Tia has a daughter who is serving a 23 year prison sentence. She is currently in a SHU ("special housing unit") for prisoners with psychiatric disabilities. Recently, Tia went to Albany to speak out in favor of a law which would require alternatives to the inhumane solitary confinement of the SHU.
Tia and her daughter, Katisha, could both benefit from our prayers and words of comfort and encouragement. You may contact Tia's daughter at the following address: Katisha R. Beaty
DIN 01G0328, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, P. O. Box 1000, Bedford Hills, NY 10507
You can reach Artelia "Tia" Lewis at: Artelia Lewis, Peer Support Specialist, Mental Health Peer Connection, WNY Independent living Project, Inc., 3108 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14214
FALSE CONFESSION, WRONGFUL CONVICTION, EYEWITNESS ERROR: Several PRP2! members traveled to Albany NY from Buffalo and Niagara Falls NY to present at the Prison Forum of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, on Sunday, March 26, 2006.
The topic was false confession, wrongful conviction, eyewitness error, and the speakers were: Sis. Nora Massey, Sis. Laila (Louise) Piromalli, Sis. Dwyonna Drayton, and Mr. Bill Bradberry, Esq. They shared valuable information and related the stories of Terroll Massey, Valentino Dixon, John H. Walker, Jr., and Vishnu Persad respectively.
Mr. Bradberry has good news to give us about Vishnu. There was to be a hearing on April 18, 2006 at which the issue of Vishnu's POTENTIAL RELEASE pending a NEW TRIAL may be resolved. Keep Vishnu Persad and his family in your prayers.
Visit http://prisonaction.blogspot.com to read a Palm Beach Post article for details. If you don’t have Internet access, please call or write PAN and we’ll send you a copy.
5. Getting the Best From Your Public Defender in Court
by John V. Elmore — from April 2006 The Francis Report http://www.thefrancisreport.com.
Most people charged with crimes in American Courts are poor and cannot afford an attorney to represent them. Many indigent defendants want to know how they can receive justice in court when they have a lawyer who is paid by the State. They think that their lawyer is working with the prosecutor and judge to railroad them.
In some instances the perception that an indigent defendant, who is represented by a lawyer paid by the State, will be railroaded is true. However, the overwhelming number of public defenders and court assigned lawyers are extremely competent and committed legal advocates who take pride in the quality of their work. Despite the inherent advantages the system gives the police and the prosecution, an indigent defendant armed with the right attitude and knowledge can have a realistic chance in his fight for justice.
Many indigent defendants do not trust their lawyers. They erroneously believe that it is a good idea to lie to their lawyers by creating false evidence, protecting their friends, or by minimizing their role in the incident. Lying to your lawyer can lead to disastrous results. If the lies are believed by the attorney, he may give poor advice or reject a favorable plea bargain. Investigative resources are wasted when an attorney tries to corroborate the misinformation. Even worse is a situation where a defense lawyer unknowingly presents false evidence to the jury, which the prosecutor later disproves. The defense lawyer then loses all credibility with the jury and even truthful evidence of a defendant’s innocence is not believed.
I once represented a defendant who was accused of a murder. His attempts to create false evidence led to the police to discover evidence that he actually committed a crime. In this particular case, the defendant claimed to have an alibi that he was with his girlfriend at the time the murder was committed. In an effort to collaborate the alibi I interviewed a cab driver and the cab company dispatcher to determine the time that my client arrived at his girlfriend’s house. After I reviewed the cab dispatch records and interviewed his girlfriend, I concluded that the purported alibi evidence would put my client in close proximity to the scene of the crime at the time the murder occurred. I suspect that after I met with the cab driver and the dispatcher, one of them became aware that my client was connected to the murder. Most likely one of them alerted the police of the possible connection. Both the driver and the dispatcher were called by the prosecution as witnesses and gave very damaging testimony. The defendant’s attempt to create an alibi provided prosecutors key evidence that led to a conviction.
The following tidbits of advice will help an indigent defendant get the best results when represented by a public defender.
1. Always tell your attorney the whole truth. You are the best source of information about what happened. Your lawyer needs this information to properly defend you and to properly advise you whether or not to accept a plea bargain.
2. When you have an appointment to see your attorney, show up and be on time. Public Defenders have very busy caseloads. They will not have adequate time to prepare your case if you are late or miss appointments.
3. If you know the identity of your witnesses provide your attorney with their names, addresses, and phone numbers. Bring your witnesses to court with you. Do not assume that the public defender will subpoena your witnesses or remind them when they are needed in court.
4. Come to court dressed like a professional. While in court control your emotions and be polite and courteous all of the time.
5. Treat your attorney with respect and he will respect you. Never accuse him or her of working with the prosecution or trying to railroad you. Why would you want to insult someone when your life is in their hands?
6. When deciding whether or not to accept a plea bargain, make your decision based upon logic and not emotion. Take a realistic look at the evidence that a jury will hear against you. If you rationally and logically conclude that you can win the case and are willing to risk the consequences if you lose, then proceed to trial. If you logically conclude that you cannot win, then ask your attorney to negotiate the best possible plea bargain. When it comes to plea bargaining you must know “when to hold them and when to fold them.”
7. If you are in custody while awaiting trial, do not discuss your case with other inmates. Your attorney is smarter than any jailhouse lawyer. Think about it. If your jailhouse attorney is so smart, then why is he in jail? Many jailhouse lawyers are actually jailhouse informants. Many of them end up being government witnesses to a “jailhouse confession.”
6. Getting Free, continued [from April issue]
This piece was wrongly attributed last month. It should have been credited to:
James E. Morse, Stormville, NY
“A white man with a criminal record has a better chance of getting an entry-level job in New York than a black man with a squeaky-clean record, a study has found.”[The New York Post, 17 June 2005]
This study, as outlined in the article, establishes a direct relationship between current penal practices and joblessness among men of color released from captivity. The devious nexus between race-based disparities in criminal justice so-called and joblessness is readily apparent; it is a social affliction that this author calls Malus Chronos, that is Bad Times of the manufactured variety. Since this devious social practice fuels the engines of recidivism among ex-offenders, and is not likely to be cured by persons who feed off of it, people of color serving time in New York’s penal realms should be encouraged to commit suicide -- that is, political suicide.
“Greater than armies is an idea whose time has come.” -- Victor Hugo
Prisoners of color (mainly citizens born and raised in the U.S.A.) should be encouraged to commit political suicide for the purpose of putting an end to the racial injustice characterizing New York’s judicial and penal systems. For “demographics” (the official rationale for a Jim Crow penal system) is a transparent falsehood concocted by the beneficiaries of Bread and Power. Political suicide is accomplished by prisoners of color having their voting rights restored - before encountering recidivistic joblessness, and other post-release traps and pitfalls. For only the vote can countervail Bread and Power’s vital interest in the maintenance of the status quo.
Article II, 3, of the New York State Constitution mandates political disenfranchisement (loss of voting rights) for individuals convicted of “infamous crime.” Though, on its face, Article II is racially neutral, in 1991, the Judicial Commission on Minorities conceded that the courts (via racial disparities in convictions and sentence type) are using Article II as an instrument of political discrimination that adversely affects the voting power of all people of color. [Over 80% of all state prisoners hail from NYC Assembly Districts that are largely nonwhite, including Harlem, Brownsville, E. New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Lower East South Bronx, Jamaica.]
In a recent decision [See Locke v. Farrakhan, WL 2058775 (U.S. Nov. 8, 2004.)], the Supreme Court declined to review a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case that allowed Washington State prisoners to challenge a felon disenfranchisement statue that, like New York’s, violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act. However, the Court did let stand a decision by the New York’s Second Circuit Court of Appeals, holding that the “results test” of the Voting Rights Act cannot be applied to challenge the validity of New York’s disenfranchisement statute, because the Act is “silent” regarding said statues.
However, since the Second Circuit judges have voted on their own motion to review their decision, if the Supreme Court declined to review the Washington State case, this circumstance has prompted an increasing number of persons (free and imprisoned) to write letters to Second Circuit judges, expressing their desire to have the voting rights of state prisoners restored. Once said voting rights are restored, one of the first duties that we re-enfranchised voters will assign to our legislative representatives is the task of changing the current laws governing census taking. Currently, prisoners are counted, not as members of the political districts from which we hail, but as a part of the district wherein our prison is located. Thus, as the census is now conducted, each felony conviction in New York City deletes from communities of color increments of economic power and transfers it to the communities surrounding the penal realms. Secondly, our restored voting power will insure that state government, for the first time, possesses a direct economic stake in preventing ex-offenders from returning to prison. While some prisoners will remain in prison, vote or no, the present economic trend is to “swell the ranks of sinners” for the benefit of Bread and Power, long after imprisonment stops making sense.
“Twist about, turn about
Jump Jim Crow
Every time I wheel about,
I do just so.”
-- The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book
Obviously, Jim Crow (racial injustice) was not legislated out of existence by the Voting Rights Act of 1965; he simply changed his name to Malus Chronos and relocated to the bounded spaces of the penal realms. There Malus Chronos touts the deception that racial segregation in a totalitarian order is somehow reformative of character; there he has people of color twisting, turning, wheeling about -- doing the recidivistic shuffle unto death. The cemeteries within the penal realms are swollen with prisoners not sentenced to death, but who died waiting to be freed.
Wherefore, the political suicide of state prisoners -- this voting of his/her surplus numbers out of existence -- is, in fact, a noble Testimony of Freedom that must be encouraged by persons (on both sides of prison walls) who support racial justice -- not only in words, but in deeds too.
Your letter to the Chief Judge of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals is word and deed combined.
7. Removed due to irrelevance after 30 days.
8. Meetings:
A. Prison Families of New York groups:
ALBANY
7-8:30 pm every Monday at The Womens Bldg. 79 Central Ave, Albany . Ring the bell for the library and lounge to get in. Alison at 518 453 6659.
POUGHKEEPSIE
7 - 8:30 pm Monday May 8 and May 22 at the Family Partnership building, 29 North Hamilton Street. Deb at 845-616-9698, dabboz@aol.com.
B. Other Advocacy/Self-Help Groups:
Citizens for Restorative Justice. We have our next CRJ meeting on Thurs. May 4th. I'm sure we will be preparing for the CURE meeting and lobby day on May 9th. At the Family Partnership building at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. Anyone is welcome to join us in anything that we do. Deb at 845-616-9698 or dabboz@aol.com.
Justice Committee of FUUSA. Next meeting at 12 noon on May 28. For individuals desiring to get involved in prison and criminal justice reform. FUUSA, 405 Washington Ave., Albany. Contact Thayer Heath at 518 861 0035 or thayer1923@aol.com..
Coalition of Families of NYS Lifers: No meeting scheduled yet, but we’ve defined our vision and our mission:
VISION: To establish and maintain a working relationship with NYS DOCS in order to facilitate an understanding of the need of the families of those who are incarcerated with life as a part of their sentence.
MISSION: Educate and facilitate dialog between DOCS and the families of Lifers in order to strengthen family bonds.
For more info: PO Box 1314, Wappinger Falls, NY 12590, or liferfamilies@yahoo.com
9. Merit Time Bill Status:
In response to those who have asked:
S1701-B MONTGOMERY
Correction Law
TITLE....Provides for accumulation of merit time allowance
02/01/05 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
01/04/06 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
01/25/06 - AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
01/25/06 - PRINT NUMBER 1701A
03/08/06 - AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION
03/08/06 - PRINT NUMBER 1701B
10. Telephone Justice/Justicia Telefonica
Participate in our monthly family member conference call: Once a month, we have a state-wide conference call for prison family members from throughout the State to call in to stay involved with the progress of the campaign, and to share their input. The next conference call is Tuesday, May 16th at 7 pm (Eastern Standard Time). Call 212.614.6459 or email info@telephonejustice.org for the TOLL FREE CALL IN NUMBER.
A lot of you have been asking about the MCI/DOCS contract's expiration date of March 30, 2006. DOCS has exercised its option of the first one-year renewal. So the contract which is now with Verizon Business (MCI) is still in effect. That is why we are working through political and legislative means to get the legislation passed so that the contract can be voided! Here's how you can continue to help:
Every week on Wednesday encourage everyone you know to call Governor Pataki (212) 681-4580 or (518) 474-8390 and Verizon (800) 621 9900 from 8 am to 5 pm to say "I’m calling in support of the NY Campaign for Telephone Justice to ask that you put an end to the prison phone contract between Verizon/MCI and DOCS."
CADA MIERCOLES pidales a su familia y a sus amigos que llamen al Gobernador Pataki al (212) 681-4580 o al (518) 474-8390 y a Verizon (800) 621-9900 entre las horas ocho (8) de la manana hasta las cinco (5) de la tarde, lunes a viernes. Digales, "Llamo para apoyar La Campana Neoyorquina para Justicia Telefonica (NYCTJ) para pedir que acaben con el contracto telefónico de prisiones entre Verizon/MCI y el Departamento de Servicios de Correción.
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, May 12, 2006. Please let us know your availability for a noon time vigil in Manhattan. Call Marion at 212 614 6421 for more information.
11. Transportation to Prisons:
A. Prison Action Network will meet DOCS free bus to COLLINS/GOWANDA on Saturday, 5/13 at 1:00 AM. To join us at the Albany bus terminal on the 13th or to help put together information packets and snacks and toys for the children on Friday May 12, please call 253-7533.
B. Prison Action Network: Call 518 253-7533 if you need a ride to visit your incarcerated loved one [there is no charge for this service]:
.
Rides are available from Albany by a PAN volunteer. If you and/or your family need transportation to visit your loved one in prison, and the following limitations work for you, please contact PAN at the address on your envelope or at the email address or phone number in this letter, and we will connect you to your driver
the prison must be within 150 miles of Albany [300 miles round trip].
driver is willing to wait 2-3 hours for visit to be concluded.
driver is willing to start, from the visitor's residence, as early as 8:00 A.M.
driver is willing to get back home as late as 6:00 P.M.
driver is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays [and, in a pinch, on Fridays].
car seats 5, though, for a trip of 150 miles, sitting in the middle of the back seat would be a tight squeeze.
12. Words from Ramon:
Call for Attendance:
I am calling on all of you to join PAN and FUUSA’s Social Responsibility Council (SRC) and the Otisville Lifers Core Committee to a round table Think Tank on July 6 from 6:15 - 9:15 PM at Otisville C.F., to plan Family Empowerment Day II. To confirm your participation, contact PAN at 518 253-7533 or email: prisonaction@hotmail.com.
As most Building Bridges readers know, I am chairman and social interaction director of the Otisville Lifers, and in that capacity I work alongside many dedicated brothers entrenched in our struggle for fair parole policies. However, we aren’t working alone - PAN and members of FUUSA’s SRC join in our meetings to conceptualize and formulate strategies to address our plight. Our current project is Family Empowerment Day II, under the auspices of The Coalition of Family and Community. The venue is Middle Collegiate Church located in New York City on Second Avenue at 7th Street. October 21, 2006 is the date. All are welcome to attend; family members, friends, groups, organizations, ministry, academic, legal, even members of the political community. So “Save The Date”!
What will come out of this year’s Family Empowerment Day event? In order to answer this question all organizations - CPR, CURE-NY, CRJ, PFNY, NYIF, CFNYSL, Family Members and Friends of People Incarcerated, Citizens against Recidivism, PRP2!, and all others who are reading this, will need to decide the tasks that will be undertaken collectively. Together, “we, the people must decide.” Again, please contact PAN to arrange to join us on July 6.
The only thing we hold on to is Hope. When that hope is resurrected, there is new life. When there is new life there is possibility. And when there is possibility change occurs. This is the same change that the Division of Parole fails to recognize in each and every one of us. By supporting our initiatives you allow us to show society the power of collective, rehabilitated minds, not stagnated by the subliminal chains of DOCS or the Division of Parole.
Through our networking this day - 7/6/06 - by finalizing the families’ and community's tasks, we can ensure that “We” the People will be heard as a result of Family Empowerment Day. Our collective networking will be the crucial factor that stimulates the vital cross pollination which will in turn, breathe true creative life into the Family Empowerment Day event, and thereafter, in our march for fair parole policies.
R. Gonzalez
Readers are invited to submit notices or articles of interest for publication in this newsletter.
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