THIS MONTH'S HEADLINES:
ELEVEN BILLS PAN SUPPORTED WERE PASSED AND SIGNED! (art. #6)
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE - LESSONS FROM RWANDA (art. #10)
CALL YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS IN SUPPORT OF PAROLE REFORM (art. #2)
Dear Reader:
We need to mobilize. If you care about parole reform and want the laws to reflect a change in the way the parole board makes its decisions, then please, please! get on board and call your State Senator and your State Assembly person and tell them what you want and why you want it. Don't worry about sounding like a legal expert, just speak from your heart about what is important to you. Which we imagine is a fair hearing for parole applicants, one where the Parole Board is looking, as Fr. Lemmert said they should in his statement at Shu'aib Raheem's recission hearing (see #10), "for signs of transformation in the person who committed the crime. If the person has a good institutional record, has taken advantage of educational opportunities to learn a better way of life and made positive contributions within the facility, those are good indications that a major transformation has occurred - and that the person is a good candidate for release.".
In talking to our representatives we've found that personal stories are more important than arguments. Whatever your reason is for being so passionate about parole reform, tell them. Those who believe in "locking 'em up and throwing away the key" are talking to them all the time. It's important our legislators know we also are paying attention and we vote. Let them know we'll have their backs if they have the courage to do the right thing. Which is being smart on crime! (see #2 for more details.)
Please be well, keep the faith, and share the news!
ARTICLES
1. Activities for advocates; statewide
2. Campaign for Parole Reform
3. Castle Gardens
4. Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition
5. Job Op: Director of Reentry Institute
6. Legislation Updates
7. Parole News
8. Prison Media
9. Prisoners of the Census
10.Restorative Justice
[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please email your request, clearly stating name of the document and the date of the Building Bridges in which it was mentioned -Ed.]
1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES
Please call Governor Patterson ASAP. He has only a few more days to decide whether to sign or veto Bill S4687/A8012, the Human Rights Law Bill. Urge him to sign!
Since the July issue of Building Bridges the Legislature approved this bill which will help thousands of New Yorkers with criminal histories fight illegal discrimination! S4687/A8012 gives people with criminal histories who face discrimination from public agencies the same opportunities to seek redress for human rights violations as those facing other forms of discrimination. While this law will help all people with criminal histories find and keep jobs, it will have a particular impact on communities of color: studies have shown that people of color with criminal histories face even higher levels of discrimination in the job market. This bill will also save the state money by giving people the right to file claims administratively at the Division of Human Rights, achieving speedy results at less cost to everyone.
Get Involved! CALL (518) 474-8390.
What to say: Hello, my name is _______, and I strongly urge Governor Paterson to sign S4687/A8012.
ALBANY:
MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 7-8:30PM WHY VOTE? HOSTED BY PRISON FAMILIES OF NY
COME LEARN ABOUT EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITIES ON BEING ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. Did you know that more than 100,000 people are convicted of a felony every year in NY State? 62,300 convicted felons are currently on probation. They can vote.
RSVP: Cleo Oliver coliver@ppefny.org, 518 465 4600 x119, or 518 596-8600
Location: The Womens Building, 373 Central Ave., Albany
FRIDAY AUGUST 20, 5:30PM FAREWELL PARTY FOR CITIZEN ACTION'S SHANNA GOLDMAN
Shanna joined Citizen Action 9 years ago after completing an internship at our Binghamton Chapter. As the Capital District Organizer and then as our Statewide Organizing Director, Shanna has contributed immensely to the growth and development of our organization. We will miss her terribly.
Please RSVP Kathleen Campbell (518) 465-4600 ext. 116 or kathleenmajellacampbell@gmail.com as soon as possible.
Location: Eldas on Lark Street
BUFFALO:
MONDAY, AUGUST 23 26, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO MEETING
We will learn about the "Formerly Incarcerated Program," a reentry program sponsored by the WNY Independent Living Center in Buffalo, which has been in existence since April of this year. The group currently has 7 participants who meet weekly for 2 hours. Although the program is relatively new, interest is growing.
Our guest speaker will be Mr. Ivan Ortiz, a formerly incarcerated person who facilitates the meetings, as a "Community Benefits Peer Advisor." The documentary film being screened is "A Hard Straight," which describes the challenges of reentry faced by parolees who are battling the possibility of recidivism.
PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo
MANHATTAN:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 5-7PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS COMMITTEE
Parole & Probation: What you should know.
Are you on parole or probation? Do you think it is a subject worth talking about? If so, come join us in conversation.
For more information contact Stacey Thompson, Women in Prison Project Coalition Associate at: (212)254-5700 ext. 333 or via email
Location: All meetings are held at the Correctional Association of New York.
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., bet. 124th & 125th Streets, Suite 200.
Take the 2/3/A/C/B/D to 125th Street.
Metro cards available upon request for formerly incarcerated persons
who need help with transportation costs.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 9-5PM PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
The Riverside Church Prison Ministry is spearheading the Prison to Prosperity Fair in order to help the formerly incarcerated reintegrate into society and have the successful lives they deserve. If you are formerly incarcerated, plan to attend this FREE day-long fair which can help you to successfully reintegrate into society!
It will feature free workshops, including: entrepreneurship, employment, education, building social networks, legal protections, battling post-prison depression & stress, dressing for success, strengthening family ties, personal finance, where to find free and cheap stuff in NYC, spirituality. There will also be free books and giveaways, free breakfast and lunch, information booths, plenary session and speakers.
RSVP as soon as possible. Space is limited. Call 877-267-2303 or thinkoutsidethecell@verizon.net.
Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street
SAVE THE DATE
SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010, CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM, INC.
Fourth Annual Citizens Awards program at the historic Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. NYS Senate President Malcolm A. Smith will be the keynote speaker. Nominations for the awards are now being accepted. Please contact Mika'il DeVeaux for details: info@citizensinc.org.
Location: 3940 Broadway (164th and Broadway)
NEW YORK CITY
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24 DROP THE ROCK DISTRICT DAY
Drop the Rock Coalition members will break into teams across the city and meet legislative officials in their district offices. Our aim is to show state legislators that support for closing underutilized and costly prisons is spreading and gaining more traction especially during this time of severe fiscal constraints.
We urge state leaders to:
• Close empty prisons
• Reform parole practices
• Fully repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws
• Expand eligibility for Work Release and Merit Time
• Invest savings in proven prison rehabilitation and community-based alternatives and prevention programs
Will we visit your legislative leader? Register no later than Tuesday Sept 7 by calling Drop the Rock at 212-254-5700. We will work with your schedule if you are only available to take off a portion of the day.
If you have any questions please contact Denise Thomas at dthomas@correctionalassociation.org.
2. CAMPAIGN FOR PAROLE REFORM CALLS FOR ACTION FROM THOSE WHO WISH TO REMOVE THE NATURE OF THE CRIME FROM THE LIST OF REASONS THE PAROLE BOARD CAN USE FOR DENYING PAROLE.
Since it's too late for our proposal (see past Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies columns) to become a bill now that the legislative session is over, we will use the time before the next session, which begins in January 2011, to let our representatives know that there are A LOT of us who support being "smart on crime" and reforming our parole policies.
Instead of asking them to support our specific proposal we suggest sharing our stories about how current practices and policies are affecting us personally.
For instance, two of us from Albany visited our legislative representatives last week. We had very different personal experiences. One of us had a loved one who served time. One of us had first met a person in prison through our work. Both of us were forever changed by the experience, which showed us directly how broken the system is. We assured our representatives that they will not lose our vote by being smart on crime; and we told them about you, the members of Prison Action Network, and how many of us there are who feel the same.
It's up to you to prove we have a lot of members. Your state Senator and Assembly person need to hear your story. You can make a call or send an email if you know who your reps are. We'll be glad to look them up for you, if you don't. All we need is your physical address. Call us at 518 253 7533, or email prisonactionnetwork@gmail.com. We'll put the info in our advocacy data base and if you would prefer to visit as a group, we'll be glad to help organize it.
If you don't do the work, it won't get done! Get your families and friends to join the Campaign for Parole Reform.
3. CASTLE GARDENS, THE FORTUNE SOCIETY'S NEW MIXED-USE, GREEN, SUPPORTIVE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY.
With the opening of Castle Gardens this summer, Fortune is providing affordable housing and essential services at the same site, and creating long-term housing solutions for homeless people with histories of incarceration and their families, as well as low-income individuals and families from West Harlem and the greater New York area. Castle Gardens has 114 apartments available, and features an energy-efficient, green design that yields significant health and environmental benefits, and will result in significant long-term cost savings.
4. THE ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION (ECPRC) DOES NOT GET A VACATION.
On Saturday night, July 31, another inmate was found dead in his cell at the Erie County Holding Center - this time in a section of the jail that was not subject to the suicide prevention upgrades that most of the jail was subject to in the county's recent settlement with the US Justice Dept. In addition, there was an attempted suicide at the holding center on August 4. We do not have any particular action planned in response to this, but several folks in the media and the community have made it known that they expect to see us out IN FORCE at our weekly protests - 5 PM at the corner of Delaware and Church, outside the Holding Center, to respond to this tragedy. Please join us to strengthen our voices.
And as many of you are also aware, our fight to establish a Community Advisory Board continues in earnest after a latest setback two weeks ago, in which our resolution was sent back to committee (meaning, to be further debated by the Public Safety committee) on the day when we expected it would finally come to a vote. Despite these setbacks, we will continue meeting with, lobbying and negotiating with different legislators throughout their summer recess, and we hope that a stronger board will be the result in the fall. New figures on the Legislature have opened their ears, and we may be closer than ever. As the Justice Department continues to file new grievances, and tragedies like Saturday night's continue to unfold, we know that our issues will not be swept under the rug, and that the community's voice will be front and center in crafting solutions. - Karima Amin
5. JOB OP: THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (CUNY) ON BEHALF OF JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS SEEKING A NEW DIRECTOR FOR ITS PRISONER REENTRY INSTITUTE.
As a senior staff member in a large academic or administrative department, division, or school, the new director will manage operations and administration, participate in planning and setting priorities, and oversee related projects to ensure their success. Additionally the person will
Work with management to create short- and long-term business plans, including operational, organization, and financial aspects.
Work with management and others to develop and implement operating policies and procedures.
Manage the ongoing financial, operational, and staffing activities of the department.
Manage operating budget and performs analysis and reporting to support decision-making.
Oversee legal, safety, fiscal, and other compliance requirements.
Oversee facilities, technology, and materials utilized in the department, coordinating with appropriate Campus services.
Work with other Campus or University units to coordinate and plan fund-raising, grants, marketing, communications, and outreach activities.
Independently carrie out a portfolio of responsibilities under the department's purview, such as managing committees, securing approvals, and providing communications.
Perform related duties as assigned.
Prisoner Reentry Institute
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
555 W. 57th Street, Suite 601
New York, NY 10019
www.jjay.cuny.edu/centersinstitutes/pri/x.asp
6. LEGISLATION: AT THE LAST MINUTE ELEVEN OF THE BILLS WE SUPPORTED WERE PASSED AND SIGNED! NEXT YEAR LET'S MAKE SURE OUR PAROLE BILL IS AMONG THOSE PASSED.
A5462 AUBRY/S2233 MONTGOMERY ADOPTION & SAFE FAMILIES ACT (ASFA) EXPANDED DISCRETION BILL: The new law gives discretion to foster care agencies to make decisions on case-by-case bases regarding termination of parental rights when a parent is incarcerated or in a court-ordered drug treatment program.
S5570-A HASSELL-THOMPSON / A8952 WEINSTEIN CHILD SUPPORT BILL – Courts now have the authority to modify a child support order when there is a reduction in income due to incarceration. Up until now, incarceration was considered “willful” unemployment, and therefore not grounds for a reduction in child support payments (despite the obvious reduction in income).
S7945-A ADAMS / A11177-A JEFFRIES LIMITING STOP & FRISK DATA: The bill stops the NYPD from compiling a database of those not even arrested or given a summons after being stopped, questioned, and frisked. They may collect information concerning where a stop and frisk occurs, or generic information about those stopped (race, sex, physical features), but they may not enter into an electronic database any personal information, such as the name, social security number, or address, of INNOCENT individuals who are stopped but released without further action.
EIGHT REENTRY BILLS WERE SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE BUDGET PROCESS:
o VOTER EDUCATION – state criminal justice agencies (like DOCS and Parole) now must notify eligible voters of their right to vote and facilitate registration
o ALCOHOL & BEVERAGE CONTROL BILL – removes the ban on people with felony convictions working in most establishments with liquor licenses (like restaurants, hotels, convention centers, etc.)
o DOCS LOOK-UP BILL – people who have been in DOCS custody will have their names expunged from the “inmate look-up” after five years (till now it’s been 99 years)
o FREE COPY OF RAP SHEET FOR PEOPLE IN PRISON OR JAIL
o FREE COPY OF BIRTH CERTIFICATE to be issued to anyone in DOCS or OCFS custody
o COPY OF PRE-SENTENCE REPORT for People Going Before Parole Board
o CERTIFICATE EQUIVALENCY BILL and FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT DECISIONS ON CERTIFICATES OF RELIEF FROM DISABILITIES – The first fixed a technical problem with Certificates of Relief from Disabilities and Certificates of Good Conduct. The second ensures that the Board of Parole will issue Certificates sought in Federal Court when recommended by the district’s chief probation officer.
o PRISON-BASED GERRYMANDERING BILL -ensures that incarcerated persons will be counted as residents of their home communities when state and local legislative districts are redrawn in New York next year. The measure, already passed by the Assembly, was included in the budget package that Governor Paterson signed
WE DON'T USUALLY COVER FEDERAL LEGISLATION BUT THE FOLLOWING BILL WOULD HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE U.S. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SO IT BEARS WATCHING. THE NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION ACT 2010:
Many criminal justice reform advocates support the passage of Federal Bill S.714 / H.R. 5143, sponsored by Senator Jim D. Webb [VA]. The bill, which passed the U. S. Legislative Judiciary Committee, will establish a blue-ribbon commission to look at every aspect of our criminal justice system with an eye toward reshaping the process from top to bottom. The commission will propose a wide range of reforms designed to responsibly reduce the overall incarceration rate, improve federal and local responses to international and domestic gang violence, and restructure our approach to drug policy. In addition, the commission will propose to improve mental illness treatment and prison administration, and establish a system for reintegrating people post-incarceration.
7. PAROLE NEWS: JUNE AND JULY RELEASES, LCTA RELEASES, BACKGROUNDS OF 3 MORE PAROLE COMMISSIONERS
JUNE AND JULY 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999 unofficial research from parole database
JUNE
TOTAL INTERVIEWS .........# RELEASED.....# DENIED......RATE OF RELEASE
16 initials...........................4.................... 12.................. 25%
132 reappearances....................27.................. 105............... 20%
148 Total............................31.................. 117............... 21%
JUNE INITIAL RELEASE
Facility..................... Sentence................ Offense
Arthurkill............. 17 ?-Life.................. Murder 2
Fishkill................25-Life...................... Murder 2
Mid Orange............. 25-Life...................... Murder 2
Otisville.............. 16 ?-Life.................. Murder 2
JUNE REAPPEARANCES
Facility..................... Sentence.... Offense....... # of Board
Arthurkill.................. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Bare Hill.................. 17-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th or 8th
Bedford Hills........... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Cape Vincent.......... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Cayuga.................... 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Coxsackie............... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Eastern.................... 25-Life.......... Mpre74&K1. 7th? ***
Franklin.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 11th
Gouverneur............. 10-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Gouverneur............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Green Haven.......... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd *
Groveland................ 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Groveland................ 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Groveland................ 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Hudson.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Mid Orange............. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Otisville.................... 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Woodbourne........... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd *
Woodbourne........... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Woodbourne........... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Woodbourne........... 17-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Woodbourne........... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Woodbourne........... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
*For Deportation
***Reinstate
JULY Total Interviews...... # Released............. # Denied...... Rate of Release
14 initials......................................... 0.................... 14.................. 0%
82 reappearances......................... 16.................. 66.................. 20%
96 Total............................................ 16.................. 80.................. 17%
JULY Initial Releases -0-
JULY Reappearances
Facility..................... Sentence.... Offense....... # of Board
Cayuga.................... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Fishkill..................... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 20-Life.......... Murder pre-74...10th??
Groveland................ 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Groveland................ 25-Life.......... Murder pre-74....8th
Groveland................ 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 9th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Mt. McGregor........... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 8th
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Sing Sing................. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Sullivan.................... 25-Life.......... Kidnap 1...... 5th
Walsh Med Ctr........ 17-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Walsh Med Ctr........ 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Walsh Med Ctr........ 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON: (Please note that the following statistics are not limited to people convicted of A1 Violent felonies - but they all are people with indeterminate sentences)
MID ORANGE
July - Brown, Ross, Hagler
Appearances: 23
Releases: 4 (2 A-1s).
LCTA CERTIFICATES: In May, of the 6 releases at their initial hearing, 2 had LCTA certificates.
LAST MONTH WE PUBLISHED THE BACKGROUNDS OF 10 PAROLE COMMISSIONERS. Nine of them had law enforcement backgrounds. Since then we have uncovered the backgrounds of 3 others, bringing the total we know about to 13, 11 of whom have law enforcement backgrounds.
PAT GALLIVAN: a former Erie County Sheriff, appointed by Pataki. He has also been a state trooper, and currently has his own private investigation firm.
GERRY GREENAN: comes from a prominent family in West Seneca; was appointed by Governor George Pataki; is an attorney at the prominent law firm of Harris, Beach in the Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, and Life & Asset Planning Practice Groups. .
WALTER SMITH of Clarence: appointed to two terms by Pataki, was a senior investigator for the state's Crime Victims Board.
8. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM
ALL THINGS HARLEM - I covered a recent Democratic fundraiser in Harlem where I had a chance to get the views of Harlem residents on the ethics charges lodged against Congressman Charlie Rangel. The result is posted on www.youtube.com/allthingsharlem. You can add your comments to this video. Mainstream media has not shown an interest in how we feel about the Congressman, who we elected. Your thoughts are invited. - Jazz
The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887
info@allthingsharlem.com
www.allthingsharlem.com
allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com
www.youtube.com/allthingsharlem.
FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.
ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.
SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email
9. PRISONERS OF THE CENSUS: ON AUG 3, THE NYS LEGISLATURE PASSED A BILL THAT PUTS AN END TO PRISON BASED GERRYMANDERING, WHAT A TERRIFIC WIN!
NEW YORK TO CORRECT MISCOUNT OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE, BY PETER WAGNER
New law caps decade-long effort to improve fairness and accuracy of data used for state and local redistricting.
The New York State Senate passed legislation ensuring that incarcerated persons will be counted as residents of their home communities when state and local legislative districts are redrawn in New York next year. The measure, already passed by the Assembly, was included in the budget package that Governor Paterson signed.
Padding legislative districts with prison populations artificially enhances the weight of a vote cast in those districts at the expense of all districts that do not contain a prison.
The bill would use data from the department of corrections to identify the home addresses of incarcerated persons and include them in the population counts for those areas prior to redistricting. Because the bill does not change the core Census data, no federal funding based on Census data would be affected. The bill will affect state senate, state assembly, county and municipal districting in the state that will begin in 2011.
“New York State has joined Maryland and Delaware in passing legislation to correct a serious deficiency in the way incarcerated people have been counted. These states are ensuring that state, county, and municipal districts will be drawn fairly, and they are sending a powerful message to the Census Bureau that counting incarcerated people as residents of the correctional facility needs to change,” said Peter Wagner, Executive Director of the Prison Policy Initiative.
The problem of prison-based gerrymandering is national. Prison-based gerrymandering was not a serious problem when the prison population was tiny, but the 2010 Census will find five times as many people in prison as it did just three decades ago.
“Prison-based gerrymandering is wrong because incarcerated persons do not make their ‘home’ in the prison town in any meaningful sense; they are not permitted to interact with the prison town and they almost always return to their pre-incarceration community upon completion of sentence, on average within 34 months. New York’s decision to count incarcerated people at home for districting purposes will at last bring the state’s redistricting practices in line with the New York Constitution’s declaration that a prison is not a residence,” said Brenda Wright, Director of the Democracy Program at Demos.
The Prison Policy Initiative and Demos have a national project to end prison-based gerrymandering, advocating for the Census Bureau and state and local governments to count incarcerated persons at their home residences. In 2002, the Prison Policy Initiative published an analysis of prison-based gerrymandering in New York. In 2005, the Second Circuit drew attention to the potential for unlawful vote dilution created by the practice, relying on an amicus brief filed by Demos and the Prison Policy Initiative. That same year, Senator Schneiderman proposed the first bill in New York to count incarcerated people at home.
While it is too late for the Census Bureau to alter its count of incarcerated individuals for the 2010 Census, the Bureau recently announced the accelerated release of national prison count data. Those figures will more
readily allow states to adjust their prisoner counts in time for state and local redistricting efforts in 2011. And the reforms passed in New York, Maryland, and Delaware, as well as the over 100 counties nationwide that already remove prison populations from their population counts for redistricting purposes, should help build momentum for the Census Bureau to alter its count on a nationwide basis prior to the next decennial census.
10. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE - FR. RONALD LEMMERT, THE CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN AT SING SING FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, WRITES ELOQUENTLY OF HIS EXPERIENCE WITH ANOTHER WAY OF DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES.
The following comes from Fr. Lemmert's testimony at Shu'aib Raheem's recission hearing:
I had an opportunity to go with several other NY State Chaplains to Rwanda in Central Africa a few years ago to tour their prisons. While there I met a Prison Warden whose entire family had been slaughtered in the Rwanda Genocide in 1994. The majority of the 6000 people in her prison had participated in the Genocide, including one young man who had raped and killed her sister. One day, that young man asked her if she could possibly forgive him. She said she had to forgive him, because it was the only way she could find any peace. She then summarized her whole prison philosophy by saying "Because these people have committed such atrocious acts, they need to be treated with a lot of love so that they can be transformed."
Their country is too poor to afford the luxury of locking people up forever. Instead they focus on rehabilitation so their criminals can be transformed into productive members of society. When that transformation is complete they are released. I think it is worth noting that their recidivism rate is extremely low, so it must be working!
I think the people of Rwanda have a lot to teach us. When we continually dwell on retribution, we are not doing the victims' families any favors. Instead we serve as "enablers" - prolonging their misery by keeping them locked in the past. I think the victims' impact statements prove that point. If they are still that traumatized after 37 years, perhaps that is because our system doesn't allow them to heal. Stirring them up every 2 years for parole hearings serves to rip old wounds open time after time.
No one can ever change the past. But we don't have to remain prisoners of it. That Prison Warden in Rwanda chose not to remain a prisoner of her past- and now she is free and happy and at peace, in spite of the horrors she experienced when her entire family and extended family were wiped out. It didn't bother her when the person who killed her sister was released from prison, because she was already living in peace.
She was not the only person in Rwanda to make this discovery. Immediately after the genocide, their new government quickly realized that pursuing retaliation would eventually led to more killing, perhaps even to another genocide. Inspired by the example of South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who wrote No Future Without Forgiveness, the government of Rwanda recognized the necessity of forgiveness and reconciliation if they were ever to find peace. I spoke with numerous survivors throughout the country who got tired of feeling miserable from being filled with hatred and bitterness - who eventually found peace through forgiveness .
I think we owe it to our own crime victims' families to show them a better way of dealing with their pain and anger, so they too can find peace and be free. If keeping Shu'aib locked up for the past 37 years has not helped yet, I seriously doubt if more time will ever make any difference. But I do not believe people in such pain are capable of objectively evaluating how much time is required or is appropriate to repay them for their suffering. That's why we have a Parole Board! Instead of focusing on the pain, which never goes away until the person is ready to let go of it, the Parole Board should be looking for signs of transformation in the person who committed the crime. If the person has a good institutional record, has taken advantage of educational opportunities to learn a better way of life and make positive contributions within the facility, those are good indications that a major transformation has occurred - and that the person is a good candidate for release.
Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information about joining, please contact us at PrisonActionNetwork@gmail.com
or call 518 253 7533
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
JULY 2010
POSTED 8/3/10 from the Campaign to End the Death Penalty
TUESDAY, August 2 @ 7 PM
A discussion on "Rampant Racism in the Criminal Justice System" by BILL QUIGLEY (read here:)
Also to be discussed: updates on the death row cases of Mumia Abu-Jamal and Troy Davis
...plus prison visits and other projects
St. Mary's Church of Harlem
521 West 126th Street (btw. Amsterdam & Broadway)
Sign the petition for Mumia! www.thepetitionsite.com/2/stand-with-mumia-abu-jamal.
Building Bridges July 15 2010 Edition
HEADLINES:
4 OUT OF 5 APPOINTMENTS TO PAROLE BOARD HAVE PROSECUTORIAL BACKGROUNDS [see Article #7]
HEAD OF PAROLE MEETS WITH SULLIVAN C.F. SECOND LOOK THINK TANK [see Article #6]
Dear Reader,
We think its time for a change in the makeup of the parole board. Senator Montgomery has already introduced Bill S1268A (see article 5) which would distribute the appointing authority of the state Board of Parole among the Governor, Senate, and Assembly. That's a start, but unless the qualifications for the board are also updated we don't see how things will change much. There must be a more balanced representation. How about a mental health professional with experience or training in post-traumatic stress syndrome, a defense attorney, a former inmate of a correctional facility, a former correction officer, a former resident of a division for youth secure center, a former employee of the division for youth who has directly supervised youth in a secure residential center? How about a parole board with representation from both prisoner and victim's advocacy groups, a psychologist, a doctor, an educator, a public defender... the list goes on. The current preponderance of former police officers and DAs [see article 7] is not conducive to fair and unbiased decisions.
Please be well, keep the faith, and share the news!
CONDOLENCES to all who knew and loved Bill Webber, the former and much loved president of the New York Theological Seminary. Bill died peacefully in his sleep at home on Saturday July 10. The family will hold a private service now, but plans to hold a public memorial service in New York later in the fall. There will also be a celebration of Bill's life in Sorrento, Maine on August 15, for those up in that part of the country.
We have lost a giant in theological education and a good friend of many of our readers. His legacy will be carried in the lives of those he touched while they were in prison and after.
Articles:
1. Activities for Advocates - Statewide
2. Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies: on 259-i progress.
3. Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition
4. ICARE on celebrating independence
5. Legislation; one passed, one to go
6. Longtermers and Lifers' Clearinghouse on visit of Andrea Evans at Sullivan
7. Parole News: stats and bios of new parole board members
8. Prison Media
[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please send a request clearly stating name of the document and in which issue of Building Bridges it appeared]
1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES
CALL AND EMAIL GOVERNOR PATERSON AND URGE HIM TO SIGN S4687/A8012, which gives those with criminal histories the RIGHT TO FIGHT ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION by a public agency. Mention the bill number, S4687/A8012, at the beginning of your phone call, and in the subject line of your letter or email. For more information about the bill, visit the Legal Action Center.
The governor's address: David A. Paterson, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224
Phone: 518-474-8390
Email: Gov. Patterson
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
EMAIL YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER AND ALSO SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER TO URGE THE ASSEMBLY TO VOTE for ReDirect NY, a bill which would allow FUNDING INCENTIVES FOR JUVENILE ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION PROGRAMS (ATI'S). ReDirect NY passed the Senate and must now pass the Assembly before going to Governor Paterson. For more information contact Gabrielle Prisco, Juvenile Justice Project Director, gprisco@correctionalassociation.org.
ALBANY:
SATURDAY JULY 24, NOON - 4PM COALITION FOR PAROLE RESTORATION (CPR) PAROLE WORKSHOP
CPR, in partnership with Prison Action Network and the Albany Social Justice Center will conduct an afternoon workshop on the preparation of a release plan (also called a Parole Packet).
Donation of $20 includes workshop, lunch, CPR's Parole Preparation Manual, a one year membership in CPR and the Deuce Club newsletter.
Registration required: please confirm attendance with Leeannette Ramos at 518-334-8735
Location: One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Ave., Suite 1900, Albany
BUFFALO:
MONDAY, JULY 26, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO MEETING
The next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too will take place on Monday, July 26, 2010. On that date, we will learn about the Altamont Program which has been in existence for more than four decades, helping substance abusers, the jobless, and the homeless across the state of New York. Parolees have also been the benefactors of this wonderfully successful program.
The Altamont Program exists in Buffalo, NY. Most residents are unaware of its presence and yet, the entire community benefits from the transitional housing, addiction treatment, and employment counseling that it provides. Our guest speaker will be Mr. Tom Green who manages Buffalo Altamont. The film being screened is "Free At Last," which describes Altamont's growth and success, under the leadership of its founder, Father Peter Young
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo
PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
FLUSHING, QUEENS
SATURDAY JULY 31 PEOPLE ASSISTING POSITIVE ACTIONS (P.A.P.A. )
Presents “Love Across America”, A family and friend day of unified Love
Objectives:
1) Unify our disenfranchised communities by bringing awareness to the prejudice, brutality and violence in our communities.
2) Bring awareness to the continual destruction in our communities that is committed by residents of that community.
3) Bring awareness to partial practice of our Justice System across America i.e. criminal and family courts decisions that continue to break up the family structure.
4) Change the policies in our social institutions across America that commit actions against the population and communities they were formed to protect and assist.
5) Establish a voting block on community orientated programs geared to build the infrastructure of the inner-city
MANHATTAN:
THURSDAY, JULY 22, 5:30 – 7 PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS COMMITTEE MEETING ON CONDITIONS & REENTRY
No Meetings in August
For more information contact Stacey Thompson, Women in Prison Project Coalition Associate at: (212)254-5700 ext. 333 or via email.
Location: All meetings are held at the Correctional Association of New York.
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., bet. 124th & 125th Streets, Suite 200.
Take the 2/3/A/C/B/D to 125th Street.
Metro cards available upon request for formerly incarcerated persons
who need help with transportation costs.
THURSDAY JULY 15TH AT 4:45PM THE FORTUNE SOCIETY'S DAVID ROTHENBERG CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY (DRCPP) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CERTIFICATE OF RELIEF FROM DISABILITIES AND GOOD CONDUCT CLINIC
For formerly incarcerated people who need assistance with the application process. A Certificate can assist when looking for work or applying for an occupational license. It is considered as evidence of "rehabilitation."
For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Ismael Cedeno at icedeno@fortunesociety.org.
Location: The Fortune Society, 2nd Floor, 29-76 Northern Blvd. Long Island City, NY 11101
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1:00 – 3:00PM NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
GUEST SPEAKER:
VINCENT SCHIRALDI, COMMISSIONER OF THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION
Hosted by The Community Service Society of New York (CSS); kindly RSVP to Gabriel Torres-Rivera at grivera@cssny.org or call 212.614.5306
Location: 105 East 22nd Street , corner Park Avenue So., Conference Room 4A
Take the 6 or W/R trains to 23rd Street
SAVE THE DATES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 9-5PM PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
Are you formerly incarcerated and eager to learn how to build social networks? How to rely on your spirituality and community to get you through hard times? How to meet the challenge of occupational restrictions that are standing in your way? Find out how to tackle these and other issues in a range of informative workshops that will be offered at the Prison to Prosperity Fair.
Also featured will be information booths, plenary sessions on topics relevant to this population, and speakers, including successful formerly incarcerated men and women.
The Riverside Church Prison Ministry is spearheading the Prison to Prosperity Fair in order to help the formerly incarcerated reintegrate into society and have the successful lives they deserve. The fair is being held in collaboration with the Fortune Society, the Osborne Association, Exodus Transitional Community, Inc., and the Think Outside the Cell Foundation.
We encourage corporations, faith-based and community organizations, political leaders, government agencies and the general public to lend their support to this unique and important event with monetary or in-kind contributions.
For more information, to contribute, to sponsor an information table/booth, or to register, please call 877-267-2303 or email resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net.
Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street
SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010, CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM, INC.
FOURTH ANNUAL CITIZENS AWARDS PROGRAM at the historic Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. NYS Senate President Malcolm A. Smith will be the keynote speaker. Nominations for the awards are now being accepted. Please contact Mika'il DeVeaux for details: info@citizensinc.org.
Location: 3940 Broadway (164th and Broadway)
2. COALITION FOR FAIR CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES - REPORT ON PROGRESS OF PROPOSAL TO AMEND EXEC LAW §259-I.
There is no news on the status of our bill proposal. However we're using the time to meet with victim's groups to discuss the ways in which the criminal justice system has failed all of us.
We reached out to victims because we wanted to make sure they understood that it was not our intention to take anything away from the victims of crimes by limiting what content of a victim's impact statement can be used by the Parole Board in making their decisions. We simply want their statements to be based on post sentencing behavior - positive or negative - that the victims have experienced or observed from the offender, or perhaps that they have read about, that affects their safety. Since the beginning of our participation in criminal justice and prison reform work we have been asked by incarcerated men and women to bring victims to visit them in prison so that they can apologize and show their willingness to make restitution. We had never met victims who were interested in doing this. So we asked victims if we could meet with them, in place of the offenders. And in talking to them we've discovered we have more in common than not. Hopefully we will be collaborating with them on further refining our proposal for changing Exec. Law §259-i, the section that regulates Parole Board decisions, so that all of us may receive justice at the hands of the parole system..
Out of these discussions, we've discovered a book which might be a valuable resource for offenders who sincerely want to make amends. Offenders can read about what many victims want in Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime, by Susan Herman, published by The National Center for Victims of Crime, Washington DC, c2010.
Here are some quotes from the book: "first, victims need to be safe; second, they need to recover from the trauma of the crime; and third, they need to regain control of their lives." Just as we work to support offenders' reintegration, so does justice require that victims of crime must also be supported in their reintegration into productive community life. "If we limit our conception of justice for victims to the outcomes of the criminal justice process, the vast majority of crime victims will have no experience of justice." This is because "few victims make it through the courthouse door. Most reports of crime do not result in arrests, fewer lead to prosecutions, and fewer still produce convictions." Here's what offenders can do: "offenders can contribute to a victim's well-being in ways nobody else can, by acknowledging that they committed the crime. Such statements by offenders ...have tremendous value for victims, and are often greatly appreciated even in the absence of any other communication or action. ...a simple acknowledgment of responsibility, in and of itself, is a powerful statement affirming a victim's experience." Ms. Herman states that all victims deserve justice, whether the "crime was committed on the street, in a prison, a mental institution, a nursing home, or a homeless shelter. ...no matter whether the offender is an individual or a corporation, or whether the crime is a mugging or widespread corporate fraud."
3. THE ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION (ECPRC) CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD IN ITS EFFORTS TO SEE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD.
Given the well-documented evidence of county jail mismanagement, a board such as this is both needed and obviously desired by the community.
On May 18, 2010, at a public hearing in Old County Hall, nearly two dozen community groups spoke out in favor of a resolution to establish an advisory board as proposed by the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition. Two individuals spoke in favor of establishing an advisory board as defined by a local law created by Legislator Christina Bove. Bove’s local law failed to include the kind of community representation and input that the public desires.
In an effort to work with county government, the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition has taken the initiative to draft a compromise resolution, which it believes is a marriage of the best of Bove’s local law with the best of the resolution submitted by ECPRC two months ago.
At a meeting of the Legislature’s Community Enrichment Committee on Thursday, July 15 ECPRC advocated for its compromise resolution. Building Bridges will continue to follow this story.
4. ICARE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR JAFAR ABBAS IS STILL QUESTIONING IF THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE FOUGHT FOR IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE IS THE SAME AS THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE HE IS FIGHTING FOR AS A FORMERLY INCARCERATED PERSON.
The Fourth of July is celebrated as a day of freedom and independence from tyranny and oppression. The history behind the dazzling displays of fireworks put on across this country each year tells the stories of brave men and women who suffered, struggled and gave their lives for freedom. As I sat back watching the rockets red glare fill the sky I could not stop thinking about how much freedom has changed since 1776; about how this long awaited and newly won freedom was quickly monopolized (and enjoyed in full) by white males; how all others had to view it like in a museum, from behind thick protected glass. It took a long time to crack and finally break that glass. How beautiful it must have felt to watch freedom spill, soaking the feet of all Americans with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Days after the last celebratory fire cracker has popped, I am still questioning if the freedom and independence fought for in the War of Independence is the same as the freedom and independence I am fighting for as a formerly incarcerated person.
I question this because I have yet to feel the beauty of freedom soaking my feet. As a formerly incarcerated person yearning for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness I imagine the way those newly freed slaves must have felt when they were granted freedom. We both seem to have handled our emancipation in the same way; we celebrated freedom but didn’t feel it because deep inside we knew we were not free.
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with two people who had been on parole at one point in their lives. One had completed two years of parole and the other had been granted early release from life parole. I asked, “How does it feel to be free, to have all the prison and parole stuff behind you?” The silence that filled the once upbeat space made me wish I had not asked the question. The brother who had completed his two year parole term began to speak just as I concluded I had brought up the wrong topic. He said, “It was over for me when I found this job [drug counselor]. It allowed me to do something I had never been able to do - or do right, take care of my daughter.”
The brother who had been granted early parole release said, “When I sat down to see my PO he said, ‘I got good news for you.’ I thought he was approving a travel pass I had requested. ‘You’ve been released from parole as of today.’ I couldn’t say anything. A feeling came over me and as big as I am I cried like a baby. It took thirty-two years for this to come to an end, and the feeling is indescribable.” He took off his glasses, wiped the corners of his eyes and put them back on, saying, “Your turn coming soon, watch what I tell you--indescribable.”
Their stories allowed me to see that for some formerly incarcerated people their independence is tied tightly to their ability to provide for themselves and those who depend on them in a legal and meaningful way. This gives them both reason and meaning. Freedom on the other hand is indescribable and comes not by being granted parole, but instead by being released from it. This is when you are able to start living again.
Consideration for my early release from parole is coming soon. I am ready to live as a free man, which I have never done, and I am holding my breath waiting for the time when I can exhale knowing in my heart it is truly finally over.
[Jafar Abbas is available for speaking engagements. If your organization would like him to make a presentation on reentry issues, please send your request to I.C.A.R.E..]
5. LEGISLATION: ONE BILL HAS PASSED AND ONE IS GETTING CLOSE (WE HOPE)
PASSED: A5462 AUBRY / S 2233 MONTGOMERY: ADOPTION AND SAFE FAMILIES EXPANDED DISCRETION BILL - GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNED IT INTO LAW! (Consider thanking him....see Article 1, first section for contact info.) Relates to the guardianship and custody of destitute or dependent children who have a parent or parents incarcerated or in a court ordered residential substance abuse treatment program. [see June issue for more details of bill]
A9834A AUBRY / S6725-A SCHNEIDERMAN: PRISON-BASED GERRYMANDERING BILL. DIRECTS PRISONER'S HOME ADDRESS BE USED TO DEFINE POLITICAL DISTRICTS. There is positive movement, and hope is still alive that this bill will make it into law this session. However there is no date currently set for the next session meeting. Session has been adjourned "to the call of the Temporary President".
6. LONGTERMERS AND LIFERS CLEARINGHOUSE: ON JUNE 22, 2010, MS. ANDREA W. EVANS, CEO OF THE NYS DIVISION OF PAROLE AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF PAROLE MET WITH THE EIGHT-MEMBER SECOND LOOK THINK TANK AT SULLIVAN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
It’s a New Day, by Joe Robinson
It was the first time that a sitting head of the Division visited a NYS prison to discuss the state of parole—to not only convey the Division’s intentions but, importantly, to seriously listen to the assessments and recommendations put forth by incarcerated men. The Parole Reform Conference was the brainchild of Second Look Think Tank, a Sullivan-based research, analysis and policy group, with coordinating efforts by Larry White, Prison Action Network member and criminal justice reform legend.
Chairwoman Evans was accompanied by Ms. Vanda R. Seward, Director of Statewide Reentry Services; Mr. Timothy O’Brien, Statewide Director of Facilities and PVU; Mrs. Mary Smith, Dep. Director of Field Parole Officers, and Mrs. Doris Cuevas, Special Assistant. Besides the eight Second Look members, those in attendance from Sullivan were the president and an active member of the Lifers & Long-Termers’ Committee; Dep. Supt. of Administration L. Lilley; Acting Dep. Supt. of Programs C. Karson; Facility Parole Officer II P. Johnson; L.U.O. Staff Advisor Father Stan, and at the behest of Supt. Walsh, three members of the Inmate Liaison Committee.
Chairwoman Evans emphasized that her ultimate goal is to change the culture of parole. But she acknowledged that this would not happen overnight. Ms. Seward said that the Division is working hard to achieve Chairwoman Evans’ goal, and that this effort would necessarily involve a range of stakeholders. Mr. O’Brien, who, at the Division level, was responsible for making the conference a reality—echoed his colleagues’ message: the Division is on a different course than it has been in the past.
Stanley Bellamy (Lifers & Long-Termers), the conference moderator, thanked Chairwoman Evans for honoring the group’s invitation to intelligently discuss the issue of parole reform. Second Look made it clear that they were not looking for a “get-out-of-jail-free” card. “We want fairness and objectivity in parole release decisions,” Joe Robinson stated. “And we want to mend the disconnect between how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons—and our loved ones—view the Division, and how the Division wants to be viewed. Essentially, what we’re talking about here is changing the paradigm from Parole as a re-sentencing body to Parole as an evaluative body; from Parole as punisher to Parole as a partner in the successful reintegration of the formerly incarcerated. Our task can only be accomplished by getting buy-in from all stakeholders: facility parole officers, parole board commissioners, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons, and field parole officers.”
Ms. Seward said, “It’s important to remember that the community is also a stakeholder. The community needs to know and understand their role in the reentry equation. All they see is victims. At the end of the day, the community needs to be educated on these issues.”
Mr. O’Brien added that these are tough economic times, but that the Division has already begun to implement new operational procedures, particularly in the area of field parole officers.
Bruce Bryant (Second Look) talked about the duties facility parole officers are supposed to perform versus the reality. He pointed out that incarcerated persons get to sit with a facility parole officer only once during their incarceration - a month or two prior to a parole board appearance. Thus the status reports “prepared” for the board do not reflect a well-rounded profile of the person appearing before the board. In fact, the status reports are often indistinguishable from each other, Mr. Bryant said, and they seldom spell out positive accomplishments.
Chairwoman Evans acknowledged inadequacies in the area of facility parole officers. “I’d love to have ten facility parole officers in each prison,” she said, “but the budget simply doesn’t allow for it. We’re working on implementing a Transition Accountability Plan, which will go a long way in helping FPOs do a more effective job.”
Mr. William Holmes (Second Look) pointed out that “when someone appears before the parole board for whom the general consensus amongst incarcerated persons and DOCS staff alike is that the person is clearly rehabilitated and ought to be released is denied parole, it shakes the faith and confidence that [all of us] have in the Division. This is a fact.”
The conference also explored risk assessments. Joe Robinson pointed out that the perceived risk to public safety posed by an incarcerated person’s release—a perception shaped by the media and some legislators—is too often mistaken for actual risk to public safety. He noted that A-1 VFOs have the lowest recidivism rate of all offenders, and yet the parole board repeatedly denies them parole. “At $50k a year to incarcerate each person in a state prison, each 24-month ‘hit’ costs taxpayers $100k per person,” he said. He suggested that the Division implement a weighted risk assessment tool for parole consideration.
Chairwoman Evans referred to a risk assessment tool called COMPAS that field parole officers are currently using. She said the Division also intends to implement a TAP (Transition Accountability Plan) in the near future, contingent on the 2010-11 FY budget.
Ms. Seward acknowledged that public opinion about crime weighs heavily in parole determinations. “Victimization doesn’t have a dollar sign,” she said. “For some people $50k a year to incarcerate a person convicted of a crime is a worthy investment.” She said that to her knowledge, there’s been no research conducted on how the community as a whole feels about releasing certain VFOs.
Mr. O’Brien mentioned that the Division has in fact instituted a risk assessment tool as a pilot project, at its Erie County Reentry Facility.
On the issue of the Division’s Guidelines Application Manual, Mr. Ometrius Perez (Second Look) highlighted the fact that the manual, which is consulted prior to making parole decisions, hasn’t been revised since 1985. He stressed its static nature: only two factors - one’s instant offense and past criminal history (which cannot change) are to be decisive. He used his personal academic accomplishments, including earning a master’s degree while in prison, to bring home the point that the manual ought to be revised.
Chairwoman Evans acknowledged that the Division needs to work on this area but bluntly said that it would be at least a year before the manual would be revised. Mr. O’Brien agreed, noting that while important, the manual was not a top priority. He said he was very impressed with the white paper based on the manual that was referenced by Mr. Perez, and stated that he would definitely read it in its entirety when he returned to Albany.
Ms. Seward urged people not to give up, to continue building a strong portfolio and release plan. She encouraged the men in attendance to educate the rest of the men incarcerated at Sullivan. Mr. Rafael Torres (Second Look) responded by pointing out that several parole related classes have been offered in the recent past, but because so much confidence has been lost in the Division, many people don’t sign up for such classes.
Some other highlights:
*Reentry: “When does reentry begin?” the Chairwoman asked. Some of the men in attendance responded that it begins at arrest, to which the chairwoman responded, “Reentry begins at sentencing.”
*Parole Board Commissioners: Chairwoman Evans pointed out that she does not appoint parole board commissioners. “The Governor does,” she said. She noted that each commissioner brings to the job their individual beliefs, politics and other characteristics. (The chairwoman cannot direct a commissioner to grant or deny parole; in making release determinations, the commissioners are invested with broad discretion by the state legislature.)
*Language: Ms. Seward stressed that, in describing themselves, incarcerated persons should consciously use language that presents them in the best light. “You need to use language that humanizes you, that emphasizes your accomplishments, your goals and release plans. Presentation is key,” she said.
The conference concluded with a commitment to keep the conversation going between the Division of Parole and the Second Look Think Tank. Indeed, it’s a new day!
7. PAROLE NEWS: SUMMARY OF THE SENATE HEARING TO CONFIRM PAROLE BOARD NOMINEES; BIOS OF FOUR NEWLY APPOINTED MEMBERS AND ONE REAPPOINTMENT (LEMONS), AND OF FIVE CURRENT MEMBERS; MAY 2010 PAROLE RELEASE STATISTICS
What was most disturbing about the hearings was Senator Goldin's behavior, in particular when he asked each nominee if they would vote to release a person who killed a police officer, and then followed it by asking for their personal opinion about ever releasing someone who killed a police officer. Of course all the applicants knew that they would have to say they would follow the law and make their decisions on a case by case basis, and so they all did so. Nevertheless Senator Goldin persisted in trying to get them to say they would never release nor would they want to release a person who had killed a police officer. One can only assume he did this as his way of making a very clear statement that if they do not agree with him that "cop killers" should never be released from prison, he will make sure they get treated by him and his friends at the NY Post and the Daily News in the same abusive manner as they treated Grant and Loomis when they voted twice to release Shu'aib Raheem.
The Senate standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chair confirmed the following members to the parole board; their bios (with the exception of Henry Lemons) come from their self introductions to the Committee (which on the video are difficult to hear so there may be omissions and minor errors), and when available, from the internet:
Richard J. Clarke: Grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx, where he attended high school, went to boro college, majored in business. In 1981 joined NYC police dept. where for 26 years he supervised a task force on gun running. Retired in 2007 to work as head of security for parks and recreation. video of his hearing
Henry Lemons was not present. He was not replaced when his 2007 appointment to fill an unexpired term came to an end in 2008, so he was now formally appointed to serve out the remaining 4 years of the new 6 year term. The parole website tells us he served from 2004 to 2007 as Deputy Chief Investigator for the New York State Attorney General. Prior to that , he was the Assistant Chief Investigator for the Kings County District Attorney. He is a former Sergeant and Detective with the New York City Police Department. He also served for four years of active duty with the United States Air Force. Mr. Lemons earned his bachelor’s in criminal justice and planning from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and his master’s in organizational leadership from Mercy College. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Mr. Lemons was raised in the Bedford – Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn and Queens, where he still resides.
Edward Sharkey: Education: SUNY at Buffalo, B.A., Mathematics, 1968; SUNY at Buffalo, School of Law, J.D., 1977, Employment: District Attorney, 1998-Present; Personal Injury Litigation, 1984- 1997, Olean, NY; Erie County District Attorney's Office, 1977-1984. Appointed by Cattaraugus County Legislature to Criminal Justice Coordinating Advisory Council; served on Cattaraugus County Arson Task Force, the Alternatives to Incarceration Advisory Committee's Sexual Assault Advisory Panel. Served in the Airforce during the Vietnam War. Created a victim's advocacy agency in Cattaraugus County.
Lynn Anne Tabbott: S.I. native, attended Fordham and Bklyn Law School, worked for the Bklyn DA's office. Domestic Violence Coordinator. Worked for the NYS Attorney General's office where she prosecuted white collar crimes and defended Parole Board decisions. Practiced as a Criminal Defense Attorney; served as a local court judge in night court in Orange County.
Seny Taveras, from Brooklyn; attended Hofstra University's School of Law, then John Jay. Worked for NYC Human Resources Dept. as an investigator. Worked for law firm on L.I.; as a legislative aid in a Senate minority office where she dealt with constitutional issues and helped constituents navigate the legal system. Appointed by Spitzer to work as a special assistant to the deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
The Governor has withdrawn a previous recommendation to reduce the number of parole commissioners from 19 to 13. Prior to the new appointments there were 16 commissioners on the Board of Parole, including the Chair, Andrea Evans, who so far has not sat on any Release Boards that we know of.
Grant resigned at the end of his term, Loomis's term has expired but she has not left, four new members have been appointed, and one (Lemons) has been appointed to a second term. If Ms Evans is counted, that will bring us to 19 seated Parole Board Commissioners. In addition to the above bios of the new members, here are the bios of some of the remaining commissioners:
Mary Ross: staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society in Queens, executive director of Providence House, a nonprofit corporation that provides transitional and permanent housing for female ex-offenders, homeless women and their children; the campus minister at Queens College; the director of administrative services at the Diocese of Brooklyn;. She has a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Joseph’s College, master’s in education from Brooklyn College and JD from the City University of New York.
Joseph Crangle: assistant court analyst with the NYS Office of Court Administration, assigned to the Domestic Violence Part of the Buffalo City Court where he monitored defendant’s compliance with court orders; a probation officer with the Genesee County Probation Department, where he oversaw the Pretrial Release Under Supervision program. Mr. Crangle has a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College and his JD from the City University of New York.
Michael A. Hagler: more than 30 years in law enforcement: senior investigator with the Office of the New York State Attorney General, conducting investigations into environmental and computer crimes, money laundering, gambling and narcotics in the Rochester region; member of the Metro Rochester Firearms Suppression Unit (Project Exile), security detail for then Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in upstate NY; investigator sergeant with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office supervising various units within the department’s Criminal Investigation Division, the department’s liaison with all local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as community groups.
Lisa Beth Elovich: administrative law judge at the NYS Office of Children and Family Services; lawyer in the Attorney General’s Office and in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Sally A. Thompson: 20 distinguished years with the NYC Police Department, as a detective in the department, investigating violent crimes and making numerous felony and misdemeanor arrests; five years in the Bronx Narcotics/Major Case Division, conducting complex criminal investigations that included surveillance and undercover operations; active member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Detective Endowment Association.
Out of the 10 whose bios are listed, 9 have prosecutorial backgrounds. We call for balance! The Parole Board is charged with making decisions about rehabilitation and readiness to rejoin society, not to investigate and convict. How does prosecutorial experience prepare them for this responsibility? We can see one or two, but almost 50% is unquestionably excessive. And for all we know the other 9 members have prosecutorial backgrounds as well. [If anyone knows, please share the information].
MAY 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
[unofficial research from parole database]
TOTAL INTERVIEWS........# RELEASED....# DENIED....RATE
19 initials.................................6................13..........32%
127 reappearances...................30..............97..........24%
146 Total.................................36.............110......... 25%
MAY INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY...................SENTENCE............OFFENSE
Fishkill...........................25-Life..........Murder 2
Fishkill...........................20-Life..........Murder 2
Mid Orange....................25-Life..........Murder 2
Mid Orange....................23-Life..........Murder 2
Mid Orange....................20-Life..........Murder 2
Otisville..........................15-Life......... Murder 2
MAY REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY...... SENTENCE............ OFFENSE... # OF BOARD
Elmira...................... 15-Life......... Att M 1........... 2nd
Elmira...................... 25-Life......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Fishkill..................... 15-Life......... Murder 2...... 8th
Fishkill..................... 21-Life......... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 15-Life......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Gouverneur............. 20-Life......... Murder 2...... 5th
Greenhaven............ 25-Life......... Murder pre-74......... 7th
Greenhaven............ 20-Life......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 15-Life......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Mid Orange............. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 8th
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Sing Sing................. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th **
Southport................. 23-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Southport................. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Southport................. 15-Life.......... Att Mur.1....... 2nd
Sullivan.................... 25-Life.......... Murder pre-74......... 3rd
Sullivan.................... 1 ?-Life......... Kidnap 1...... Unknown Rescind & release
Wende..................... 25-Life.......... Murder pre74.......... 7th
Woodbourne........... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Wyoming................. 18-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
**Special Consideration/De Novo hearing
RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON: (Please note that the following statistics are not limited to people convicted of A1 Violent felonies - but they all are people with indeterminate sentences)
CAYUGA
June - Greene, Hagler, Grant (chair)
Appearances: 24 (4 were A1 Lifers)
Releases: 4 (1 was A1 Lifer)
MID ORANGE
June - Grant, Ross, Crangle
Appearances: 21
Releases: 13 (5 were A1 Lifers)
Postponed: 1
A reader asked whether we have any data regarding the release rates for A-1's with and without LCTA certificates. We don't. If there are any readers who do, we'd be happy to publish the information. Please send to Prison Action Network.
8. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM
ALL THINGS HARLEM - Visit us on the websites below.
The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO
Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887
info@allthingsharlem.com
www.allthingsharlem.com
allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com
www.youtube.com/allthingsharlem.
FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.
ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.
SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email
Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information on joining, please call 518 253 7533, or write us at PrisonActionNetwork@gmail.com
TUESDAY, August 2 @ 7 PM
A discussion on "Rampant Racism in the Criminal Justice System" by BILL QUIGLEY (read here:)
Also to be discussed: updates on the death row cases of Mumia Abu-Jamal and Troy Davis
...plus prison visits and other projects
St. Mary's Church of Harlem
521 West 126th Street (btw. Amsterdam & Broadway)
Sign the petition for Mumia! www.thepetitionsite.com/2/stand-with-mumia-abu-jamal.
Building Bridges July 15 2010 Edition
HEADLINES:
4 OUT OF 5 APPOINTMENTS TO PAROLE BOARD HAVE PROSECUTORIAL BACKGROUNDS [see Article #7]
HEAD OF PAROLE MEETS WITH SULLIVAN C.F. SECOND LOOK THINK TANK [see Article #6]
Dear Reader,
We think its time for a change in the makeup of the parole board. Senator Montgomery has already introduced Bill S1268A (see article 5) which would distribute the appointing authority of the state Board of Parole among the Governor, Senate, and Assembly. That's a start, but unless the qualifications for the board are also updated we don't see how things will change much. There must be a more balanced representation. How about a mental health professional with experience or training in post-traumatic stress syndrome, a defense attorney, a former inmate of a correctional facility, a former correction officer, a former resident of a division for youth secure center, a former employee of the division for youth who has directly supervised youth in a secure residential center? How about a parole board with representation from both prisoner and victim's advocacy groups, a psychologist, a doctor, an educator, a public defender... the list goes on. The current preponderance of former police officers and DAs [see article 7] is not conducive to fair and unbiased decisions.
Please be well, keep the faith, and share the news!
CONDOLENCES to all who knew and loved Bill Webber, the former and much loved president of the New York Theological Seminary. Bill died peacefully in his sleep at home on Saturday July 10. The family will hold a private service now, but plans to hold a public memorial service in New York later in the fall. There will also be a celebration of Bill's life in Sorrento, Maine on August 15, for those up in that part of the country.
We have lost a giant in theological education and a good friend of many of our readers. His legacy will be carried in the lives of those he touched while they were in prison and after.
Articles:
1. Activities for Advocates - Statewide
2. Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies: on 259-i progress.
3. Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition
4. ICARE on celebrating independence
5. Legislation; one passed, one to go
6. Longtermers and Lifers' Clearinghouse on visit of Andrea Evans at Sullivan
7. Parole News: stats and bios of new parole board members
8. Prison Media
[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please send a request clearly stating name of the document and in which issue of Building Bridges it appeared]
1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES
CALL AND EMAIL GOVERNOR PATERSON AND URGE HIM TO SIGN S4687/A8012, which gives those with criminal histories the RIGHT TO FIGHT ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION by a public agency. Mention the bill number, S4687/A8012, at the beginning of your phone call, and in the subject line of your letter or email. For more information about the bill, visit the Legal Action Center.
The governor's address: David A. Paterson, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224
Phone: 518-474-8390
Email: Gov. Patterson
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
EMAIL YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER AND ALSO SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER TO URGE THE ASSEMBLY TO VOTE for ReDirect NY, a bill which would allow FUNDING INCENTIVES FOR JUVENILE ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION PROGRAMS (ATI'S). ReDirect NY passed the Senate and must now pass the Assembly before going to Governor Paterson. For more information contact Gabrielle Prisco, Juvenile Justice Project Director, gprisco@correctionalassociation.org.
ALBANY:
SATURDAY JULY 24, NOON - 4PM COALITION FOR PAROLE RESTORATION (CPR) PAROLE WORKSHOP
CPR, in partnership with Prison Action Network and the Albany Social Justice Center will conduct an afternoon workshop on the preparation of a release plan (also called a Parole Packet).
Donation of $20 includes workshop, lunch, CPR's Parole Preparation Manual, a one year membership in CPR and the Deuce Club newsletter.
Registration required: please confirm attendance with Leeannette Ramos at 518-334-8735
Location: One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Ave., Suite 1900, Albany
BUFFALO:
MONDAY, JULY 26, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO MEETING
The next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too will take place on Monday, July 26, 2010. On that date, we will learn about the Altamont Program which has been in existence for more than four decades, helping substance abusers, the jobless, and the homeless across the state of New York. Parolees have also been the benefactors of this wonderfully successful program.
The Altamont Program exists in Buffalo, NY. Most residents are unaware of its presence and yet, the entire community benefits from the transitional housing, addiction treatment, and employment counseling that it provides. Our guest speaker will be Mr. Tom Green who manages Buffalo Altamont. The film being screened is "Free At Last," which describes Altamont's growth and success, under the leadership of its founder, Father Peter Young
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo
PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
FLUSHING, QUEENS
SATURDAY JULY 31 PEOPLE ASSISTING POSITIVE ACTIONS (P.A.P.A. )
Presents “Love Across America”, A family and friend day of unified Love
Objectives:
1) Unify our disenfranchised communities by bringing awareness to the prejudice, brutality and violence in our communities.
2) Bring awareness to the continual destruction in our communities that is committed by residents of that community.
3) Bring awareness to partial practice of our Justice System across America i.e. criminal and family courts decisions that continue to break up the family structure.
4) Change the policies in our social institutions across America that commit actions against the population and communities they were formed to protect and assist.
5) Establish a voting block on community orientated programs geared to build the infrastructure of the inner-city
MANHATTAN:
THURSDAY, JULY 22, 5:30 – 7 PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS COMMITTEE MEETING ON CONDITIONS & REENTRY
No Meetings in August
For more information contact Stacey Thompson, Women in Prison Project Coalition Associate at: (212)254-5700 ext. 333 or via email.
Location: All meetings are held at the Correctional Association of New York.
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., bet. 124th & 125th Streets, Suite 200.
Take the 2/3/A/C/B/D to 125th Street.
Metro cards available upon request for formerly incarcerated persons
who need help with transportation costs.
THURSDAY JULY 15TH AT 4:45PM THE FORTUNE SOCIETY'S DAVID ROTHENBERG CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY (DRCPP) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CERTIFICATE OF RELIEF FROM DISABILITIES AND GOOD CONDUCT CLINIC
For formerly incarcerated people who need assistance with the application process. A Certificate can assist when looking for work or applying for an occupational license. It is considered as evidence of "rehabilitation."
For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Ismael Cedeno at icedeno@fortunesociety.org.
Location: The Fortune Society, 2nd Floor, 29-76 Northern Blvd. Long Island City, NY 11101
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1:00 – 3:00PM NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
GUEST SPEAKER:
VINCENT SCHIRALDI, COMMISSIONER OF THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION
Hosted by The Community Service Society of New York (CSS); kindly RSVP to Gabriel Torres-Rivera at grivera@cssny.org or call 212.614.5306
Location: 105 East 22nd Street , corner Park Avenue So., Conference Room 4A
Take the 6 or W/R trains to 23rd Street
SAVE THE DATES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 9-5PM PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
Are you formerly incarcerated and eager to learn how to build social networks? How to rely on your spirituality and community to get you through hard times? How to meet the challenge of occupational restrictions that are standing in your way? Find out how to tackle these and other issues in a range of informative workshops that will be offered at the Prison to Prosperity Fair.
Also featured will be information booths, plenary sessions on topics relevant to this population, and speakers, including successful formerly incarcerated men and women.
The Riverside Church Prison Ministry is spearheading the Prison to Prosperity Fair in order to help the formerly incarcerated reintegrate into society and have the successful lives they deserve. The fair is being held in collaboration with the Fortune Society, the Osborne Association, Exodus Transitional Community, Inc., and the Think Outside the Cell Foundation.
We encourage corporations, faith-based and community organizations, political leaders, government agencies and the general public to lend their support to this unique and important event with monetary or in-kind contributions.
For more information, to contribute, to sponsor an information table/booth, or to register, please call 877-267-2303 or email resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net.
Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street
SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010, CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM, INC.
FOURTH ANNUAL CITIZENS AWARDS PROGRAM at the historic Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. NYS Senate President Malcolm A. Smith will be the keynote speaker. Nominations for the awards are now being accepted. Please contact Mika'il DeVeaux for details: info@citizensinc.org.
Location: 3940 Broadway (164th and Broadway)
2. COALITION FOR FAIR CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES - REPORT ON PROGRESS OF PROPOSAL TO AMEND EXEC LAW §259-I.
There is no news on the status of our bill proposal. However we're using the time to meet with victim's groups to discuss the ways in which the criminal justice system has failed all of us.
We reached out to victims because we wanted to make sure they understood that it was not our intention to take anything away from the victims of crimes by limiting what content of a victim's impact statement can be used by the Parole Board in making their decisions. We simply want their statements to be based on post sentencing behavior - positive or negative - that the victims have experienced or observed from the offender, or perhaps that they have read about, that affects their safety. Since the beginning of our participation in criminal justice and prison reform work we have been asked by incarcerated men and women to bring victims to visit them in prison so that they can apologize and show their willingness to make restitution. We had never met victims who were interested in doing this. So we asked victims if we could meet with them, in place of the offenders. And in talking to them we've discovered we have more in common than not. Hopefully we will be collaborating with them on further refining our proposal for changing Exec. Law §259-i, the section that regulates Parole Board decisions, so that all of us may receive justice at the hands of the parole system..
Out of these discussions, we've discovered a book which might be a valuable resource for offenders who sincerely want to make amends. Offenders can read about what many victims want in Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime, by Susan Herman, published by The National Center for Victims of Crime, Washington DC, c2010.
Here are some quotes from the book: "first, victims need to be safe; second, they need to recover from the trauma of the crime; and third, they need to regain control of their lives." Just as we work to support offenders' reintegration, so does justice require that victims of crime must also be supported in their reintegration into productive community life. "If we limit our conception of justice for victims to the outcomes of the criminal justice process, the vast majority of crime victims will have no experience of justice." This is because "few victims make it through the courthouse door. Most reports of crime do not result in arrests, fewer lead to prosecutions, and fewer still produce convictions." Here's what offenders can do: "offenders can contribute to a victim's well-being in ways nobody else can, by acknowledging that they committed the crime. Such statements by offenders ...have tremendous value for victims, and are often greatly appreciated even in the absence of any other communication or action. ...a simple acknowledgment of responsibility, in and of itself, is a powerful statement affirming a victim's experience." Ms. Herman states that all victims deserve justice, whether the "crime was committed on the street, in a prison, a mental institution, a nursing home, or a homeless shelter. ...no matter whether the offender is an individual or a corporation, or whether the crime is a mugging or widespread corporate fraud."
3. THE ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION (ECPRC) CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD IN ITS EFFORTS TO SEE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD.
Given the well-documented evidence of county jail mismanagement, a board such as this is both needed and obviously desired by the community.
On May 18, 2010, at a public hearing in Old County Hall, nearly two dozen community groups spoke out in favor of a resolution to establish an advisory board as proposed by the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition. Two individuals spoke in favor of establishing an advisory board as defined by a local law created by Legislator Christina Bove. Bove’s local law failed to include the kind of community representation and input that the public desires.
In an effort to work with county government, the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition has taken the initiative to draft a compromise resolution, which it believes is a marriage of the best of Bove’s local law with the best of the resolution submitted by ECPRC two months ago.
At a meeting of the Legislature’s Community Enrichment Committee on Thursday, July 15 ECPRC advocated for its compromise resolution. Building Bridges will continue to follow this story.
4. ICARE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR JAFAR ABBAS IS STILL QUESTIONING IF THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE FOUGHT FOR IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE IS THE SAME AS THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE HE IS FIGHTING FOR AS A FORMERLY INCARCERATED PERSON.
The Fourth of July is celebrated as a day of freedom and independence from tyranny and oppression. The history behind the dazzling displays of fireworks put on across this country each year tells the stories of brave men and women who suffered, struggled and gave their lives for freedom. As I sat back watching the rockets red glare fill the sky I could not stop thinking about how much freedom has changed since 1776; about how this long awaited and newly won freedom was quickly monopolized (and enjoyed in full) by white males; how all others had to view it like in a museum, from behind thick protected glass. It took a long time to crack and finally break that glass. How beautiful it must have felt to watch freedom spill, soaking the feet of all Americans with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Days after the last celebratory fire cracker has popped, I am still questioning if the freedom and independence fought for in the War of Independence is the same as the freedom and independence I am fighting for as a formerly incarcerated person.
I question this because I have yet to feel the beauty of freedom soaking my feet. As a formerly incarcerated person yearning for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness I imagine the way those newly freed slaves must have felt when they were granted freedom. We both seem to have handled our emancipation in the same way; we celebrated freedom but didn’t feel it because deep inside we knew we were not free.
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with two people who had been on parole at one point in their lives. One had completed two years of parole and the other had been granted early release from life parole. I asked, “How does it feel to be free, to have all the prison and parole stuff behind you?” The silence that filled the once upbeat space made me wish I had not asked the question. The brother who had completed his two year parole term began to speak just as I concluded I had brought up the wrong topic. He said, “It was over for me when I found this job [drug counselor]. It allowed me to do something I had never been able to do - or do right, take care of my daughter.”
The brother who had been granted early parole release said, “When I sat down to see my PO he said, ‘I got good news for you.’ I thought he was approving a travel pass I had requested. ‘You’ve been released from parole as of today.’ I couldn’t say anything. A feeling came over me and as big as I am I cried like a baby. It took thirty-two years for this to come to an end, and the feeling is indescribable.” He took off his glasses, wiped the corners of his eyes and put them back on, saying, “Your turn coming soon, watch what I tell you--indescribable.”
Their stories allowed me to see that for some formerly incarcerated people their independence is tied tightly to their ability to provide for themselves and those who depend on them in a legal and meaningful way. This gives them both reason and meaning. Freedom on the other hand is indescribable and comes not by being granted parole, but instead by being released from it. This is when you are able to start living again.
Consideration for my early release from parole is coming soon. I am ready to live as a free man, which I have never done, and I am holding my breath waiting for the time when I can exhale knowing in my heart it is truly finally over.
[Jafar Abbas is available for speaking engagements. If your organization would like him to make a presentation on reentry issues, please send your request to I.C.A.R.E..]
5. LEGISLATION: ONE BILL HAS PASSED AND ONE IS GETTING CLOSE (WE HOPE)
PASSED: A5462 AUBRY / S 2233 MONTGOMERY: ADOPTION AND SAFE FAMILIES EXPANDED DISCRETION BILL - GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNED IT INTO LAW! (Consider thanking him....see Article 1, first section for contact info.) Relates to the guardianship and custody of destitute or dependent children who have a parent or parents incarcerated or in a court ordered residential substance abuse treatment program. [see June issue for more details of bill]
A9834A AUBRY / S6725-A SCHNEIDERMAN: PRISON-BASED GERRYMANDERING BILL. DIRECTS PRISONER'S HOME ADDRESS BE USED TO DEFINE POLITICAL DISTRICTS. There is positive movement, and hope is still alive that this bill will make it into law this session. However there is no date currently set for the next session meeting. Session has been adjourned "to the call of the Temporary President".
6. LONGTERMERS AND LIFERS CLEARINGHOUSE: ON JUNE 22, 2010, MS. ANDREA W. EVANS, CEO OF THE NYS DIVISION OF PAROLE AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF PAROLE MET WITH THE EIGHT-MEMBER SECOND LOOK THINK TANK AT SULLIVAN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
It’s a New Day, by Joe Robinson
It was the first time that a sitting head of the Division visited a NYS prison to discuss the state of parole—to not only convey the Division’s intentions but, importantly, to seriously listen to the assessments and recommendations put forth by incarcerated men. The Parole Reform Conference was the brainchild of Second Look Think Tank, a Sullivan-based research, analysis and policy group, with coordinating efforts by Larry White, Prison Action Network member and criminal justice reform legend.
Chairwoman Evans was accompanied by Ms. Vanda R. Seward, Director of Statewide Reentry Services; Mr. Timothy O’Brien, Statewide Director of Facilities and PVU; Mrs. Mary Smith, Dep. Director of Field Parole Officers, and Mrs. Doris Cuevas, Special Assistant. Besides the eight Second Look members, those in attendance from Sullivan were the president and an active member of the Lifers & Long-Termers’ Committee; Dep. Supt. of Administration L. Lilley; Acting Dep. Supt. of Programs C. Karson; Facility Parole Officer II P. Johnson; L.U.O. Staff Advisor Father Stan, and at the behest of Supt. Walsh, three members of the Inmate Liaison Committee.
Chairwoman Evans emphasized that her ultimate goal is to change the culture of parole. But she acknowledged that this would not happen overnight. Ms. Seward said that the Division is working hard to achieve Chairwoman Evans’ goal, and that this effort would necessarily involve a range of stakeholders. Mr. O’Brien, who, at the Division level, was responsible for making the conference a reality—echoed his colleagues’ message: the Division is on a different course than it has been in the past.
Stanley Bellamy (Lifers & Long-Termers), the conference moderator, thanked Chairwoman Evans for honoring the group’s invitation to intelligently discuss the issue of parole reform. Second Look made it clear that they were not looking for a “get-out-of-jail-free” card. “We want fairness and objectivity in parole release decisions,” Joe Robinson stated. “And we want to mend the disconnect between how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons—and our loved ones—view the Division, and how the Division wants to be viewed. Essentially, what we’re talking about here is changing the paradigm from Parole as a re-sentencing body to Parole as an evaluative body; from Parole as punisher to Parole as a partner in the successful reintegration of the formerly incarcerated. Our task can only be accomplished by getting buy-in from all stakeholders: facility parole officers, parole board commissioners, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons, and field parole officers.”
Ms. Seward said, “It’s important to remember that the community is also a stakeholder. The community needs to know and understand their role in the reentry equation. All they see is victims. At the end of the day, the community needs to be educated on these issues.”
Mr. O’Brien added that these are tough economic times, but that the Division has already begun to implement new operational procedures, particularly in the area of field parole officers.
Bruce Bryant (Second Look) talked about the duties facility parole officers are supposed to perform versus the reality. He pointed out that incarcerated persons get to sit with a facility parole officer only once during their incarceration - a month or two prior to a parole board appearance. Thus the status reports “prepared” for the board do not reflect a well-rounded profile of the person appearing before the board. In fact, the status reports are often indistinguishable from each other, Mr. Bryant said, and they seldom spell out positive accomplishments.
Chairwoman Evans acknowledged inadequacies in the area of facility parole officers. “I’d love to have ten facility parole officers in each prison,” she said, “but the budget simply doesn’t allow for it. We’re working on implementing a Transition Accountability Plan, which will go a long way in helping FPOs do a more effective job.”
Mr. William Holmes (Second Look) pointed out that “when someone appears before the parole board for whom the general consensus amongst incarcerated persons and DOCS staff alike is that the person is clearly rehabilitated and ought to be released is denied parole, it shakes the faith and confidence that [all of us] have in the Division. This is a fact.”
The conference also explored risk assessments. Joe Robinson pointed out that the perceived risk to public safety posed by an incarcerated person’s release—a perception shaped by the media and some legislators—is too often mistaken for actual risk to public safety. He noted that A-1 VFOs have the lowest recidivism rate of all offenders, and yet the parole board repeatedly denies them parole. “At $50k a year to incarcerate each person in a state prison, each 24-month ‘hit’ costs taxpayers $100k per person,” he said. He suggested that the Division implement a weighted risk assessment tool for parole consideration.
Chairwoman Evans referred to a risk assessment tool called COMPAS that field parole officers are currently using. She said the Division also intends to implement a TAP (Transition Accountability Plan) in the near future, contingent on the 2010-11 FY budget.
Ms. Seward acknowledged that public opinion about crime weighs heavily in parole determinations. “Victimization doesn’t have a dollar sign,” she said. “For some people $50k a year to incarcerate a person convicted of a crime is a worthy investment.” She said that to her knowledge, there’s been no research conducted on how the community as a whole feels about releasing certain VFOs.
Mr. O’Brien mentioned that the Division has in fact instituted a risk assessment tool as a pilot project, at its Erie County Reentry Facility.
On the issue of the Division’s Guidelines Application Manual, Mr. Ometrius Perez (Second Look) highlighted the fact that the manual, which is consulted prior to making parole decisions, hasn’t been revised since 1985. He stressed its static nature: only two factors - one’s instant offense and past criminal history (which cannot change) are to be decisive. He used his personal academic accomplishments, including earning a master’s degree while in prison, to bring home the point that the manual ought to be revised.
Chairwoman Evans acknowledged that the Division needs to work on this area but bluntly said that it would be at least a year before the manual would be revised. Mr. O’Brien agreed, noting that while important, the manual was not a top priority. He said he was very impressed with the white paper based on the manual that was referenced by Mr. Perez, and stated that he would definitely read it in its entirety when he returned to Albany.
Ms. Seward urged people not to give up, to continue building a strong portfolio and release plan. She encouraged the men in attendance to educate the rest of the men incarcerated at Sullivan. Mr. Rafael Torres (Second Look) responded by pointing out that several parole related classes have been offered in the recent past, but because so much confidence has been lost in the Division, many people don’t sign up for such classes.
Some other highlights:
*Reentry: “When does reentry begin?” the Chairwoman asked. Some of the men in attendance responded that it begins at arrest, to which the chairwoman responded, “Reentry begins at sentencing.”
*Parole Board Commissioners: Chairwoman Evans pointed out that she does not appoint parole board commissioners. “The Governor does,” she said. She noted that each commissioner brings to the job their individual beliefs, politics and other characteristics. (The chairwoman cannot direct a commissioner to grant or deny parole; in making release determinations, the commissioners are invested with broad discretion by the state legislature.)
*Language: Ms. Seward stressed that, in describing themselves, incarcerated persons should consciously use language that presents them in the best light. “You need to use language that humanizes you, that emphasizes your accomplishments, your goals and release plans. Presentation is key,” she said.
The conference concluded with a commitment to keep the conversation going between the Division of Parole and the Second Look Think Tank. Indeed, it’s a new day!
7. PAROLE NEWS: SUMMARY OF THE SENATE HEARING TO CONFIRM PAROLE BOARD NOMINEES; BIOS OF FOUR NEWLY APPOINTED MEMBERS AND ONE REAPPOINTMENT (LEMONS), AND OF FIVE CURRENT MEMBERS; MAY 2010 PAROLE RELEASE STATISTICS
What was most disturbing about the hearings was Senator Goldin's behavior, in particular when he asked each nominee if they would vote to release a person who killed a police officer, and then followed it by asking for their personal opinion about ever releasing someone who killed a police officer. Of course all the applicants knew that they would have to say they would follow the law and make their decisions on a case by case basis, and so they all did so. Nevertheless Senator Goldin persisted in trying to get them to say they would never release nor would they want to release a person who had killed a police officer. One can only assume he did this as his way of making a very clear statement that if they do not agree with him that "cop killers" should never be released from prison, he will make sure they get treated by him and his friends at the NY Post and the Daily News in the same abusive manner as they treated Grant and Loomis when they voted twice to release Shu'aib Raheem.
The Senate standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chair confirmed the following members to the parole board; their bios (with the exception of Henry Lemons) come from their self introductions to the Committee (which on the video are difficult to hear so there may be omissions and minor errors), and when available, from the internet:
Richard J. Clarke: Grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx, where he attended high school, went to boro college, majored in business. In 1981 joined NYC police dept. where for 26 years he supervised a task force on gun running. Retired in 2007 to work as head of security for parks and recreation. video of his hearing
Henry Lemons was not present. He was not replaced when his 2007 appointment to fill an unexpired term came to an end in 2008, so he was now formally appointed to serve out the remaining 4 years of the new 6 year term. The parole website tells us he served from 2004 to 2007 as Deputy Chief Investigator for the New York State Attorney General. Prior to that , he was the Assistant Chief Investigator for the Kings County District Attorney. He is a former Sergeant and Detective with the New York City Police Department. He also served for four years of active duty with the United States Air Force. Mr. Lemons earned his bachelor’s in criminal justice and planning from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and his master’s in organizational leadership from Mercy College. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Mr. Lemons was raised in the Bedford – Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn and Queens, where he still resides.
Edward Sharkey: Education: SUNY at Buffalo, B.A., Mathematics, 1968; SUNY at Buffalo, School of Law, J.D., 1977, Employment: District Attorney, 1998-Present; Personal Injury Litigation, 1984- 1997, Olean, NY; Erie County District Attorney's Office, 1977-1984. Appointed by Cattaraugus County Legislature to Criminal Justice Coordinating Advisory Council; served on Cattaraugus County Arson Task Force, the Alternatives to Incarceration Advisory Committee's Sexual Assault Advisory Panel. Served in the Airforce during the Vietnam War. Created a victim's advocacy agency in Cattaraugus County.
Lynn Anne Tabbott: S.I. native, attended Fordham and Bklyn Law School, worked for the Bklyn DA's office. Domestic Violence Coordinator. Worked for the NYS Attorney General's office where she prosecuted white collar crimes and defended Parole Board decisions. Practiced as a Criminal Defense Attorney; served as a local court judge in night court in Orange County.
Seny Taveras, from Brooklyn; attended Hofstra University's School of Law, then John Jay. Worked for NYC Human Resources Dept. as an investigator. Worked for law firm on L.I.; as a legislative aid in a Senate minority office where she dealt with constitutional issues and helped constituents navigate the legal system. Appointed by Spitzer to work as a special assistant to the deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
The Governor has withdrawn a previous recommendation to reduce the number of parole commissioners from 19 to 13. Prior to the new appointments there were 16 commissioners on the Board of Parole, including the Chair, Andrea Evans, who so far has not sat on any Release Boards that we know of.
Grant resigned at the end of his term, Loomis's term has expired but she has not left, four new members have been appointed, and one (Lemons) has been appointed to a second term. If Ms Evans is counted, that will bring us to 19 seated Parole Board Commissioners. In addition to the above bios of the new members, here are the bios of some of the remaining commissioners:
Mary Ross: staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society in Queens, executive director of Providence House, a nonprofit corporation that provides transitional and permanent housing for female ex-offenders, homeless women and their children; the campus minister at Queens College; the director of administrative services at the Diocese of Brooklyn;. She has a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Joseph’s College, master’s in education from Brooklyn College and JD from the City University of New York.
Joseph Crangle: assistant court analyst with the NYS Office of Court Administration, assigned to the Domestic Violence Part of the Buffalo City Court where he monitored defendant’s compliance with court orders; a probation officer with the Genesee County Probation Department, where he oversaw the Pretrial Release Under Supervision program. Mr. Crangle has a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College and his JD from the City University of New York.
Michael A. Hagler: more than 30 years in law enforcement: senior investigator with the Office of the New York State Attorney General, conducting investigations into environmental and computer crimes, money laundering, gambling and narcotics in the Rochester region; member of the Metro Rochester Firearms Suppression Unit (Project Exile), security detail for then Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in upstate NY; investigator sergeant with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office supervising various units within the department’s Criminal Investigation Division, the department’s liaison with all local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as community groups.
Lisa Beth Elovich: administrative law judge at the NYS Office of Children and Family Services; lawyer in the Attorney General’s Office and in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Sally A. Thompson: 20 distinguished years with the NYC Police Department, as a detective in the department, investigating violent crimes and making numerous felony and misdemeanor arrests; five years in the Bronx Narcotics/Major Case Division, conducting complex criminal investigations that included surveillance and undercover operations; active member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Detective Endowment Association.
Out of the 10 whose bios are listed, 9 have prosecutorial backgrounds. We call for balance! The Parole Board is charged with making decisions about rehabilitation and readiness to rejoin society, not to investigate and convict. How does prosecutorial experience prepare them for this responsibility? We can see one or two, but almost 50% is unquestionably excessive. And for all we know the other 9 members have prosecutorial backgrounds as well. [If anyone knows, please share the information].
MAY 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
[unofficial research from parole database]
TOTAL INTERVIEWS........# RELEASED....# DENIED....RATE
19 initials.................................6................13..........32%
127 reappearances...................30..............97..........24%
146 Total.................................36.............110......... 25%
MAY INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY...................SENTENCE............OFFENSE
Fishkill...........................25-Life..........Murder 2
Fishkill...........................20-Life..........Murder 2
Mid Orange....................25-Life..........Murder 2
Mid Orange....................23-Life..........Murder 2
Mid Orange....................20-Life..........Murder 2
Otisville..........................15-Life......... Murder 2
MAY REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY...... SENTENCE............ OFFENSE... # OF BOARD
Elmira...................... 15-Life......... Att M 1........... 2nd
Elmira...................... 25-Life......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Fishkill..................... 15-Life......... Murder 2...... 8th
Fishkill..................... 21-Life......... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 15-Life......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Gouverneur............. 20-Life......... Murder 2...... 5th
Greenhaven............ 25-Life......... Murder pre-74......... 7th
Greenhaven............ 20-Life......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 15-Life......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Mid Orange............. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Mid Orange............. 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Mid Orange............. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Mid Orange............. 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 8th
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Otisville.................... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Sing Sing................. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th **
Southport................. 23-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Southport................. 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Southport................. 15-Life.......... Att Mur.1....... 2nd
Sullivan.................... 25-Life.......... Murder pre-74......... 3rd
Sullivan.................... 1 ?-Life......... Kidnap 1...... Unknown Rescind & release
Wende..................... 25-Life.......... Murder pre74.......... 7th
Woodbourne........... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Wyoming................. 18-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
**Special Consideration/De Novo hearing
RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON: (Please note that the following statistics are not limited to people convicted of A1 Violent felonies - but they all are people with indeterminate sentences)
CAYUGA
June - Greene, Hagler, Grant (chair)
Appearances: 24 (4 were A1 Lifers)
Releases: 4 (1 was A1 Lifer)
MID ORANGE
June - Grant, Ross, Crangle
Appearances: 21
Releases: 13 (5 were A1 Lifers)
Postponed: 1
A reader asked whether we have any data regarding the release rates for A-1's with and without LCTA certificates. We don't. If there are any readers who do, we'd be happy to publish the information. Please send to Prison Action Network.
8. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM
ALL THINGS HARLEM - Visit us on the websites below.
The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO
Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887
info@allthingsharlem.com
www.allthingsharlem.com
allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com
www.youtube.com/allthingsharlem.
FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.
ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.
SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email
Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information on joining, please call 518 253 7533, or write us at PrisonActionNetwork@gmail.com
Sunday, June 13, 2010
JUNE 2010
POSTED JULY 1: FOUR NEW PAROLE BOARD COMMISSIONERS APPROVED
FOUR new members of the State Board of Parole have been approved by the Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chair. The governor has withdrawn a previous recommendation to reduce the number of parole commissioners from 19 to 13.
What was most disturbing about the hearings was Senator Goldin's behavior, in particular when he asked each nominee if they would vote to release a person who killed a police officer, and then followed it by asking for their personal opinion about ever releasing someone who killed a police officer. Of course all the applicants knew that they would have to say they would follow the law and make their decisions on a case by case basis, and so they all did so. Nevertheless Senator Goldin persisted in trying to get them to say they would never release nor would they want to release a person who had killed a police officer. One can only assume he did this as his way of making a very clear statement that if they do not agree with him that "cop killers" should never be released from prison, he will make sure they get treated by him and his friends at the NY Post and the Daily News in the same abusive manner as they treated Grant and Loomis when they voted twice to release Shu'aib Raheem.
On Thursday, June 17, 2010 The Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction approved the following nominations:
Henry Lemons, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Edward M. Sharkey, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Lynn Anne Tabbott, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Seny Taveras, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Nicholas A. LaBella, as a Member of the Citizen’s Policy and Review Council
See video of the hearing
Their bios (with the exception of Henry Lemons) come from their self introductions to the Committee, and when available, from the internet:
Henry Lemons was not present. He was not replaced when his 2007 appointment to fill an unexpired term came to an end in 2008, so he was now formally appointed to serve out the remaining 4 years of the new 6 year term. The parole website tells us he served from 2004 to 2007 as Deputy Chief Investigator for the New York State Attorney General. Prior to that , he was the Assistant Chief Investigator for the Kings County District Attorney. He is a former Sergeant and Detective with the New York City Police Department. He also served for four years of active duty with the United States Air Force. Mr. Lemons earned his bachelor’s in criminal justice and planning from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and his master’s in organizational leadership from Mercy College. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Mr. Lemons was raised in the Bedford – Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn and Queens, where he still resides.
Edward Sharkey: Education: SUNY at Buffalo, B.A., Mathematics, 1968; SUNY at Buffalo, School of Law, J.D., 1977, Employment: District Attorney, 1998-Present; Personal Injury Litigation, 1984- 1997, Olean, NY; Erie County District Attorney's Office, 1977-1984. Appointed by Cattaraugus County Legislature to Criminal Justice Coordinating Advisory Council; served on Cattaraugus County Arson Task Force Alternatives to Incarceration Advisory Committee's Sexual Assault Advisory Panel. Served in the Airforce during the Vietnam War. Created a victim's advocacy agency in Cattaraugus County.
Lynn Anne Tabbott: S.I. native, attended Fordham and Bklyn Law School, worked for the Bklyn DA's office. Domestic Violence Coordinator. Worked for the NYS Attorney General's office where she prosecuted white collar crimes and defended Parole Board decisions. Practiced as a Criminal Defense Attorney; served as a local court judge in night court in Orange County.
Seny Taveras, from Brooklyn; attended Hofstra Univ's School of Law, then John Jay. Worked for NYC Human Resources Dept's Energy Assistance as an investigator. Moved on to the State Police where she worked as an investigator, working with DA offices and local precincts to consider ways to reduce crime. Worked for law firm on L.I.; as a legislative aid in a Senate minority office where she dealt with constitutional issues and helped constituents navigate the legal system. Appointed by Spitzer to work as a special assistant to the deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Nicholas A. LaBella*, 20 years experience on the Utica NY police force. President of LB Security and Investigation firm ("in preparation for my retirement") which is reviewed on this Utica City forum.
*Note: appointed to the Citizen’s Policy and Review Council, not the Board of Parole.
10:00 AM, Monday, June 28, 2010
The committee approved the nomination of Richard J.Clarke to the State Board of Parole:
See video of this hearing
Richard J. Clarke
Grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx, where he attended high school, went to boro college, majored in business. In 1981 joined NYC police dept. where for 26 years he supervised a task force on gun running. Retired in 2007 to job as head of security for parks and recreation.
POSTED JUNE 23: THE LEGAL ACTION CENTER CALLS FOR ACTION!
The Legal Action Center is the only non-profit law and policy organization in the United States whose sole mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas.
BACKGROUND:
Public protection budget discussions in Albany may close in the next week. The governor's budget proposes a cut of more than 10% in Alternatives to Incarceration funding, an amount of $1.6 million, and neither the Assembly nor Senate budget resolutions restored any of that. All told, ATI programs stand to lose as much as $4.5 million, a blow that could decimate the system.
SEND A MESSAGE TO LEGISLATORS:
Use available federal funds to maintain Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) and reentry programs that reduce crime and the prison population and play an essential role in the successful implementation of Rockefeller drug law reform. Join us in urging that the governor and legislature use some of the millions of dollars of federal criminal justice funding allocated last year to continue ATI programming. As you know well, funding for ATI programs is critical to ensuring the success of drug law reform and ending the cycle of addiction and crime. Indeed, what could be a more appropriate use of these funds than identifying good candidates for diversion from prison to treatment or other community sanctions, advocating for their diversion, providing them treatment and other services they need, and monitoring their progress?
ACTION:
Call the governor, legislative leaders, public protection committee chairs and your own Assembly member and Senator (governor at 518-474-8390; Assembly at 518-455-4100; Senate at 518-455-2800) and ask them to use unspent federal funds to protect ATI and reentry programs, which are essential to public safety and the backbone of Rockefeller reform.
Assembly
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (e-mail him)
Senate
Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson (e-mail him)
Joseph R. Lentol, co-chair (e-mail him)
Jeffrion L. Aubry
Roann M. Destito
Helene E. Weinstein
Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Eric T. Schneiderman
Craig M. Johnson
POSTED JUNE 23: THE COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS
THURSDAY JULY 15th, 5 PM MEMBER MEETING
Topic: "LGBTQ Communities and the Criminal Justice System"
New Members Orientation at 4:30 pm.
We are gearing up for our Summer Grassroots fundraiser, which will be a Bake Sale every Thursday for the month of August. I will be reaching out to CWP members soon to ask you to contribute in any way you can. You can do this by volunteering time, contributing funds, and baking goods.
We hope to see you soon and enjoy your summer,
Stacey
Stacey Thompson, Coalition Associate, Women in Prison Project
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Suite 200, New York, NY 10027
212-254-5700 x.333 www.correctionalassociation.org
GROWING OLD IN PRISON:
Long sentences that were handed out decades ago are catching up with the American justice system.
Prisons across the country are dedicating entire units just to house the elderly.
During difficult economic times, the issue has hit a crisis point. Estimates are that locking up an older inmate costs three times as much as a younger one.
How are prisons dealing with this issue? Who are the prisoners that are turning gray behind bars?
Josh Rushing gains exclusive and unprecedented access to jails and prisons across the country to tell the story.
[If you would rather watch it without the interference of our links column overlaying it, you may click here]
Dear Reader:
Some people advise me to keep quiet about some of our efforts, and especially about some of our successes, so as not to stir up the opposition. That goes against everything I believe as a journalist. My job, as I see it, is to spread the news so that all of us may respond intelligently in our own way. Many of us complain that the media never focuses on the good things that happen. I say lets be proud of our values, and excited to share our successes! We should be shouting them from the rooftops, to let all the thousands of people who share our values know they are not alone. Why should we let those who oppose us set the agenda? What hope is there for changing minds if we never speak up about what we're doing and why? We - I hope I am not speaking just for myself - come from a place of wanting a better world, where love, compassion, forgiveness and justice dominates. Where families can live together and have enough food, a decent home, a good education and guaranteed healthcare. Where people are judged by their current behaviors, not for what they did 10, 20, 30 years ago. We have let ourselves be cowed by the opposition, but I think it's time we stop acting as if we're ashamed of our dreams for a kinder more just society.
In a discussion with one of my close friends recently, she said, 'You think the truth will set us free!' And I realized that if I can't speak about our values and the ways we are changing the criminal justice system, then indeed I am not free. Living on a foundation of truth is freedom.
Please be well, keep the faith, and share the news!
ARTICLES
1. Activities for advocates: Statewide, Albany, Bronx, Buffalo, Manhattan
2. CCR has filed federal lawsuit
3. Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies - on 259-i
4. ICARE Community Educator
5. Legislation
6. Parole news
7. Prison media
[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please send your request to PAN clearly stating name of the document and in which issue of Building Bridges it was mentioned.]
1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES
WRITE A LETTER TO GOVERNOR PATERSON IN SUPPORT OF LOOMIS AND GRANT:
The terms of two members of the NYS Board of Parole are about to expire in June: Tom Grant and Deborah Loomis. You can will read more about them in Article 6 on Parole. They're the two commissioners who voted to release Shu'aib Raheem on both of his last two parole board hearings. Along with Mary Ross, they were recently on a Parole Board that released 28 men out of 40. It appears that they share our belief that people can change and parole hearings should focus on determining whether a person is ready to live a crime free life, rather than on whether they think the judge gave a harsh enough sentence. They also appear to have studied the evidence that shows that people who have served long sentences for murder are the least likely to reoffend once they are released. So if you share a desire to see more community ready people released, why not write a letter to Governor Paterson and urge him to reappoint Thomas Grant and Deborah Loomis to the NYS Board of Parole. In the light of all the negative attention the decisions of these two have gotten recently, let's show the governor that even more of us think they should be rewarded for being smart on crime. If everyone who reads this call to action would write a letter, the Governor's office is sure to take notice! It's the right thing for you to do, and the right thing for the governor to do. And what do any of us have to lose?
We think the Parole Board is meant to be an evaluative body, not a punitive body. The Court is responsible for determining the sentence, DOCS is responsible for providing opportunities for rehabilitation, and the Parole Board's challenge is to evaluate whether the incarcerated person has become ready for reentry and reintegration.
There are certainly Board members who still think their job is to determine the length of the person's sentence. It is very difficult to know who falls into which camp. But if Grant and Loomis are gone, the balance may well tip to that camp.
The governor's address: David A. Paterson, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224
Phone: 518-474-8390
Email: Gov. Paterson.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
ALBANY:
Saturday July 24, noon - 4pm
COALITION FOR PAROLE RESTORATION (CPR) PAROLE WORKSHOP
Includes advice on the preparation of a release plan (Parole Packet) and information about the NYS Division of Parole, its policies and practices. If you have a loved one preparing for an appearance before the Board within the next year and you will be submitting a release plan, you will learn more on how you can help your loved on prepare for their appearance.
To register, please call 518 334 -8735. There is a charge of $20 which pays for the workshop, lunch, 1 year membership in CPR including a subscription to the Deuce Club newsletter, and CPR's Parole Preparation Manual. Please register soon, as space is limited to 20 people.
Location: One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Ave., Suite 1900, Albany
BRONX:
Wednesday June 30.
BRONX DEFENDERS BLOCK PARTY
Join the Bronx Defenders to celebrate our neighborhood at our annual block party. The Bronx Defenders Community Block Party is a fun, safe venue for children and community members to enjoy free food, music and entertainment, play games, participate in arts and crafts, register to vote, compete in a basketball competition, and connect with local community groups and important social service organizations.
This year, we will have performances by local groups, raffle prizes, DJ, face-painting, a pony-ride, carnival games and treats, and a moon bounce. We will provide information on our services for community members, and our partnering local community service groups will be providing medical advice and information, immigration help, affordable housing info, and much, much more! Contact Dawit Getachew, dawitg@bronxdefenders.org for more information or if your organization would like to have a table.
Location: 160th between Courtlandt and Melrose in the Bronx
BUFFALO:
Monday, June 28, 6:30-8:30pm
PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO MEETING
The next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too will celebrate the organization's fifth anniversary. What started out mainly as a community education initiative, has become an important player in the world of "prison life," especially in Western New York, educating, motivating and inspiring incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones. This meeting will afford us an opportunity to celebrate our achievements and announce plans for the future.
PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street
MANHATTAN:
Wednesday, June 16, 1 - 3 pm
NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
Viewing and Discussion of Your Rights, Your Future Preparing for Reentry, a Visual Progression produced by the Legal Action Center and the Organization for Visual Progression
Hosted by the Community Service Society of NY (CSS)
RSVP Gabriel Torres-Rivera grivera@cssny.org
Location: 105 East 22nd St, corner Park Ave So. Conf Room 4A
#6 or W/R train to 23rd St.
June 17th at 6:30PM
PREMIERE OF 'NO TOMORROW' DEATH PENALTY DOCUMENTARY
This production explores the murder of a young woman featured in a recent film about teens leaving foster care and the unexpected role that the film played in the death penalty trial of her killer. Obviously, it involves many issues that are at the heart of NYADP's mission, both past and present. You can learn more about NO TOMORROW here.
Following the screening, there will be a debate between Barry Scheck and Robert Blecker, as well as a Q&A. The organizers of the screening are hoping to fill the theater with people in the in the criminal justice, child welfare, educational, human rights, public policy, and advocacy community.
Location: Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center in NYC
Thursday, June 24, 7:15 pm
SNEAK PREVIEW OF ADVISE & DISSENT
The first documentary to go behind the lines and into the trenches of the judicial confirmation wars. SCOTUSblog has called it "a fascinating, balanced insider look," and Politico named it "a must see." Timely and timeless, the film illuminates the collision of politics and justice.
The screening is followed by a dialogue event featuring E. Joshua Rosenkranz (Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe), Jamal Greene (Columbia Law School), filmmaker David Van Taylor, and other Special Guests. This screening is generously underwritten by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Space is limited. An RSVP is required, by June 21: susan.lehman@nyu.edu
Location: New York University, Lipton Hall 108 West Third St (between Sullivan and MacDougal Streets)
Saturday, June 26 at 1 pm
CAMPAIGN TO END THE DEATH PENALTY BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION ON:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
Michelle Alexander, a civil rights advocate and litigator, explains that while the United States celebrates Barack Obama's election as a "triumph over race", the majority of young black men in major American cities are locked behind bars or have been labeled felons for life. Although Jim Crow laws have been wiped off the books, an astounding percentage of the African American community remains trapped in a subordinate status—much like their grandparents before them. She argues that, rather than ending racial caste in America, we have simply redesigned it. She shows that, by targeting black men and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of color blindness.
**FIRST SESSION: READ INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTER 1** **RSVP**
Location: Hue-Man Books, 2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd, (Between 124th and 125th Streets)
SAVE THE DATE
September 25th, PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
The Prison Ministry of the Riverside Church is sponsoring a day-long, holistic fair for formerly incarcerated men and women throughout New York City. The fair is being held in collaboration with the Fortune Society, the Osborne Association, Exodus Transitional Community Inc., and the Think Outside the Cell Foundation.
The Prison to Prosperity Fair will feature a range of workshops, including those on building social networks, finding good life coaches/mentors, starting a small business, establishing good credit, battling depression, relieving stress and strengthening family ties. There will also be information booths, plenary sessions on topics relevant to this population and speakers, including successful formerly incarcerated men and women.
The idea for the Prison to Prosperity Fair was born in the visiting room of an upstate prison. Joe Robinson, who’s in his 19th year of a 25-to-life sentence, and his wife, Sheila Rule, a long-serving member of the Riverside Church Prison Ministry, grappled during some of their visits with a largely ignored problem: As the bleak economy was putting a squeeze on the dreams of most Americans, it was placing a virtual chokehold on the aspirations of the men and women being released from New York prisons and jails. Joe and Sheila decided that they had to put their concerns into action, and the result was their idea for the Prison to Prosperity Fair. The Prison Ministry, which has for more than three decades been in the business of easing the plight of men and women with prison in their backgrounds, voted unanimously to put their muscle behind the fair.
Please join us in making this fair a success. We encourage corporations, faith-based and community organizations, political leaders, government agencies and the general public to lend their support to this unique and important event with monetary or in-kind contributions.
For more information, to contribute, to sponsor an information table/booth, or to register, please call 877-267-2303 or email resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net.
Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street
2. CCR HAS FILED FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CENSUS BUREAU FOR RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION IN THE HIRING OF TEMPORARY WORKERS
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), co-counsel Outten & Golden and other organizations have filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against the Census Bureau for race and national origin discrimination in the hiring of temporary workers. In Johnson et al. v. Locke, CCR says that the U.S. Census Bureau's practice of running job applicants' names through the FBI criminal records database-a notoriously inaccurate and incomplete database-disproportionally excludes applicants of color and deters them from completing the application process.
The class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Census Bureau for its alleged violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by importing discriminatory bias of the criminal justice system into its hiring practice when it denied temporary jobs to potentially thousands of individuals with criminal histories.
http://www.censusdiscriminationlawsuit.com
3. COALITION FOR FAIR CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES - REPORT ON PROGRESS OF PROPOSAL TO AMEND EXEC LAW §259-I
Exciting news! Senator Tom Duane has agreed to sponsor our bill!! We are still working with Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, who has agreed to sponsor it in the Assembly, to alleviate some of his concerns. What happens next is the bill gets sent to the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission to be put in bill form. No law may be enacted in New York State unless it has been adopted by the Legislature in bill form. Once it is introduced in the Senate, it will go to the Introduction and Revision Office, where it will be examined and corrected, given a number, sent to the appropriate standing committee, entered into the Senate computer, deemed to have had its first and second readings and printed. That's when your work will begin.
We will be asking our members to send letters and make phone calls to educate their state representatives about the changes we're asking for and persuade them to support the bill. If you don't know who represents you, there is a website where you can easily look it up: http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/
Where it says 'Find', give your street address (not a PO Box number), your city (not the state), and your Zip code. Then go down and check the boxes next to State Assembly and State Senate, and click on Enter. Give it a minute. The names of all your NY representatives will appear, starting with the Governor, then your US Senators, then a long list of demographics. Immediately below that list will be the name of your State Senator and your State Assembly Member. Clicking on their names will take you to their websites where you can find their contact information.
If you need help identifying your state representatives, feel free to call Prison Action Network at 518 253 7533. We'll help you.
4. ICARE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR JAFAR ABBAS WAS INVITED TO THE GRACE FULL BAPTIST CHURCH IN AMITYVILLE LONG ISLAND TO SHARE A PART OF HIS STORY AT THEIR NEWLY FORMULATED STOP THE VIOLENCE PROGRAM.
I knew little about the program or its agenda, but the idea of going back to the community in which I grew up to share my story in a positive way was too good to turn down.
The program was put together by a member of the Church who had herself been the victim of a violent attack which damaged much of her left side, leaving her unable to use her left arm. One would think her family was cursed with violence as she talked about the long string of family members who have also been victims of violence. She wants to break the curse, if ever there was one, on her family and community. This is why she screams at the top of her voice, “Stop the violence!“. Her church gently gathered their support around her and on this night of speaking out against violence the Church was packed with members and concerned people from surrounding communities. There were no public officials present although they were invited; however this night wasn’t about them, it was about us speaking to and about our community.
I wish you could have seen how the program opened: a line of children came through the doors behind the pews carrying large pictures of people in the community who had been victims of violence. Some of the pictures had birth and death dates at the bottom; most of the people were young African-American men. While these pictures were being carried and placed facing the audience at the alter their names were being read, along with their bios and the act of violence they were victims of.
My heart was crushed when a ten year old girl walked to the podium with her brother, introduced herself and read a letter she had written about the things she liked doing with her father. “I liked when we would take pictures of my Mom when she was sleeping. I liked watching movies with my father we always had a big bowl of cheese puffs and my father would say if I eat too many I would turn into a cheese puff.” She laughed, then wiped her eyes. Her father had been killed in a drive-by shooting.
When it was my time to speak I was so taken by the stories that I feared my story was no longer relevant. I now wanted to tell them how it feels to see the pain we caused others, how I wish we could have that moment to do all over again. The host introduced me and I got up having no idea of what I was going to say. The room was still with silence when she handed me the microphone, and I was filled with more anxiety than I had ever felt before in front of an audience.
The first words I said to them were, “If there was a way in which 'I apologize' could be said that would take away all the hurt, all the disappointments, all the broken promises, all the let downs, the tears, the anger, the pain I born into this world, what I would give to know it. To say it, over and over and over again, 'I apologize'.“ I then told them that what I had just recited was a poem I had written to my community while I was in Sing Sing Correctional facility and it was a blessing to be there to recite it to them in person. I shared with them how moved I was by the pictures and their stories, and how difficult it is for me to stand before them being one of the perpetrators of the violence we were speaking out against. I told them I had planned to use this opportunity to tell them a part of my story, but apologizing to them (for myself and all those incarcerated men and women who have made, and are still making, positive changes in their lives) was far more important.
As I would like to ask any of you who are survivors of crime, I asked them for forgiveness. And I urge survivors to take your voices, and stories, and pictures into the prisons to be seen and heard by those who need to see and hear them.
[ Jafar Abbas is available for speaking engagements. If your organization would like him to make a presentation please send your request to Rima Vesely-Flad at rima@nyicare.org.]
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5. LEGISLATION: A LIST OF BILLS WHICH ARE BEING REPORTED FOR THE FIRST TIME OR WHERE THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS TO REPORT SINCE THE MAY 15 BUILDING BRIDGES.
NEW LISTING:
A8178 Aubry / S4684 Hassell-Thompson: Allows modification of child support orders or judgments for persons whose income has been reduced due to incarceration.
1/10 Referred to Assembly's Judiciary Committee, 5/10 reported and committed to Senate's Finance Comm.
UPDATES:
A1827-A Wright/ S5846-B Montgomery: Allows BA and advanced degree programs to count toward the work participation rate and provides for certain educational and training activity to count towards the satisfaction of the participant's work activity requirement.
In Senate, on 2/25/10 amended and recommitted to Finance, printed with number S5846B.
A2266 Wright/ S1266 Montgomery: Voting rights notification and registration act: provides eligible voters with felony convictions with notice regarding voting rights, assistance with voter registration, and data sharing among the department of correctional services, the division of parole, and the state board of elections.
In Jan it was returned to the Assembly where it was ordered to Third Reading, which means ready for a final vote. No final vote at this time. As of 5/11/10 the bill is sitting in the Finance Committee of the Senate.
A5462 Aubry / S 2233 Montgomery: Adoption and Safe Families Expanded Discretion Bill Relates to the guardianship and custody of destitute or dependent children who have a parent or parents incarcerated or in a court ordered residential substance abuse treatment program. Provides foster care agencies with the statutory guidance and support they need to recognize the special circumstances surrounding parental incarceration and move away from formulaic applications and toward family-specific, child-centered decision making.
This bill passed both houses and was delivered to the governor on June 4. While the Legislature is in session, the Governor has 10 days (not counting Sundays) to sign or veto bills passed by both houses. Signed bills become law; vetoed bills do not. However, the Governor's failure to sign or veto a bill within the 10-day period means that it becomes law automatically. Vetoed bills are returned to the house that first passed them, together with a statement of the reason for their disapproval. A vetoed bill can become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the Governor's veto.
We need to keep the pressure on. If you have not weighed in already, please urge the governor to sign the bill: Email Gov. Paterson.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. Then call him to emphasize it: 518-474-8390.
A6487-A Aubry/ S2932-A Montgomery: Merit Time bill Expands Merit time to all but those convicted of murder in the first degree, some sex crimes, an act of terrorism or aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate, and with no change in the amount of time off.
Amended 4/26, recommitted to Assembly's Corrections Comm., renumbered with a 'b'; 4/26 sent to Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, renumbered with a 'b' and committed to Codes.
A6853 Camara / S3559 Adams: Requires written notice of eligibility to vote be given upon release from prison.
On Feb 8 this bill advanced to the Order of Third Hearing in the Senate (which means ready for a final vote). There has been no final vote as of our deadline.
A8727-b Kavanaugh/ S1352-B Duane: Provides notice of availability of services to people upon their release from prison. Provides for notice by commissioner of correctional services of availability of medical, educational and other services, including alcohol and substance abuse treatment, to prisoners upon their release from state prison.
In both houses it was amended at Third Reading and renumbered with a 'B'
The Prison Gerrymandering Bill was misidentified in the May issue. These are the correct numbers: A9834a Aubry / S6725-A Schneiderman: Directs prisoner's home address be used to define political districts. On 06/09/10 it was amended and printed with an 'a' after the number, for 'amended".
6. PAROLE NEWS: PAROLE BOARD STATISTICS; SHU'AIB RAHEEM'S RECISSION HEARING; NY TIMES ARTICLE ON PAROLE
APRIL 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
[unofficial research from parole database]
Total Interviews.................. # Released........... # Denied...... Rate of Release
18 initials............................. 3 ................... 15................. 20%
87 reappearances.................. 15.................. 72 ................. 17%
105 total ............................ .. 18.................. 87................. 18%
APRIL Initial Releases
Facility ..................... Sentence .... Offense...... # of Board
Fishkill.................... 15-Life ........ Murder 2 ..... initial
Fishkill.................... 25-Life......... Murder 2 ..... initial
Woodbourne.......... 20-Life........ Murder 2 ..... initial
APRIL Reappearances
FACILITY.................. SENTENCE............ OFFENSE.... # OF BOARD
Arthurkill................... 18-Life..................... Murder 2...... 7th
Arthurkill................... 25-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Bayview.................... 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Fishkill..................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 25-Life..................... M2 2x............ 2nd
Great Meadow........ 17 ?-Life.................. Murder 2...... 4th
Great Meadow........ 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Great Meadow........ 25-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Hudson.................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Marcy........................ 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 10th
Marcy........................ 25-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Midstate................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 9th
Orleans.................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Woodbourne........... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 3rd
APRIL-MAY RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON: (Please note that the following statistics are not limited to people convicted of A1 Violent felonies - but they all are people with indeterminate sentences)
MID ORANGE
April - Ferguson, Loomis & Smith
Scheduled: 27
Postponed (by the applicants): 8
Released: 3 (no A1 Lifers)
May - Loomis, Ross & Grant
Appearances: 40
Releases: 28 (16 were A1 Lifers)
OTISVILLE
May - Loomis, Ross & Grant
Appearances: 17
Releases: 11
ON JUNE 3, SHU'AIB RAHEEM WAS GRANTED PAROLE RELEASE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS.
For readers not familiar with Shu'aib Raheem's case, here's a short synopsis. In 1973 he and three other men tried to rob a Williamsburg sporting-goods store to get guns to defend themselves against an imminent attack they expected from a rival Muslim sect who only hours before had murdered a family belonging to Mr. Raheem's religious order. The police showed up as the crime was taking place; one police officer was shot to death and two others were wounded before Raheem and the other 3 men surrendered after a two-day standoff. Though it was not clear who fired the fatal shot, Mr. Raheem and his 3 codefendants were later convicted of murder, kidnapping and robbery, and Mr. Raheem received a sentence of 25 years to life. In the following years Raheem was a model prisoner. He not only stayed out of trouble but earned college degrees and worked as a paralegal and AIDS counselor.
Parole Hearing History:
Shu'aib Raheem completed his minimum sentence in 1998, but was denied parole 5 times for the "nature of the crime", until 2007, when a Parole Board consisting of Tom Grant, Deborah Loomis, and Henry Lemons voted 2 -1 to release him, citing Mr. Raheem’s “clean disciplinary record since October of 1999,” his participation in a program to help young people and his “recent multiple collegiate degrees”. This outraged the police and they lashed out, saying the victims hadn't had the opportunity to make a statement. In response, the Parole Board offered 3 days of victim impact hearings. On Dec 26, after the initial victim hearing , Parole temporarily suspended Mr. Raheem’s release. On Feb. 2008, after the final victim hearing, Parole scheduled a rescission hearing to consider whether to revoke the parole release decision. Shu'aib took it to court but after losing in Supreme Court and subsequently also in the Appellate division, he had a rescission hearing on June 3, 2010.
According to his lawyer, Lawrence Sterns, " the hearing lasted 7 hours with 13 witnesses, including a priest, a reverend, Imams, a prison warden and other corrections officials, a scholar of Islam among black Americans, a professor at Medgar Evers college, the CEO of a well-known advocacy organization, and family members. It was quite stirring and dealt directly with issues of black Muslim history and its impact on Shu'aib's crime and its role in prison, and victims' emotions and the role of government in criminal justice, and the individuation of the causes of criminal acts, this one in particular, rehabilitation, and what constitutes evidence of character. I believe it was a unique experience for all concerned. The Board seemed interested and attentive throughout the day, and made no attempt to shorten it. They were very patient and courteous, and asked questions, although I could not read their sentiments. In the end, I understand, the same two members who voted initially for release did so again, and the same dissenter dissented, but I have written this without seeing the Board's decision. Rescission hearings are unique in that there are the rights to counsel and presentation of witnesses , which are not accorded in regular parole hearings. It was held at [the facility] where Shu'aib is held, hopefully for not too much longer."
Again the response from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association was filled with anger: “Every citizen should be as outraged as New York City police officers are today,” said Patrick J. Lynch, the police union president. Senator Martin Goldin joined the call for vengeance, saying in a press release posted on his website: "We need to send a message that if you kill a police officer, your punishment will be swift, certain, and severe.” Louis Mattarazzo, Legislative Director, NYPD Detectives and past-President of the NYPD PBA said: “Cop killers display a total disregard for human life, and now this dangerous criminal is back on our streets where he can cause even more harm. He deserves to be behind bars for the rest of his life.”
Gov. Paterson's spokesman Morgan Hook, in response to an accusation by Senator Goldin that Paterson coddled “hardened criminals” and that the administration had blood on its hands, said, “The two Parole Board members who voted in favor of releasing Shu'aib Raheem are Pataki appointees. Both of their terms expire this month and they will both be replaced by Gov. Paterson. Not only does he get the facts wrong, but Sen. Goldin should be ashamed for injecting partisan politics into this tragedy.”
“I don’t understand this decision at all,” said Officer Gilroy’s widow, Patricia, in a statement provided by the police union. “My family and Steve’s family and the families of the hostages and all the police officers involved are left to wonder what exactly justice is. It sure isn’t this decision.”
Building Bridges respectfully disagrees. This decision does reflect justice, and if Senator Goldin, Pat Lynch, Louis Mattarazzo, and the Governor had ever made the effort to open their hearts and meet Shu'aib Raheem, they would not have found a hardened criminal. There are reasons why a person who committed a violent crime should be released after serving their minimum sentence. They may have been convicted of a crime they didn't commit. Or they killed someone out of fear and desperation or self-defense, such as when a woman kills her abuser. Even people who committed terrible crimes that horrify us, even they are capable of transformation. It is for the Parole Board to decide whether a person is ready to become a productive citizen.
What has happened to us? Where have forgiveness and compassion gone? Where are the voices calling for real justice? Their silence is the true tragedy of this story; we don't know what tragedy the governor was referring to in the quote above.
CONVICTED OF MURDER AS TEENAGER AND PAROLED AT 41 N.Y. TIMES ARTICLE FOLLOWS DIANA ORTIZ THROUGH 4 PAROLE HEARINGS. IN 3 OF THEM THE DECISION WAS TO DENY HER BASED ON THE NATURE OF THE CRIME. FINALLY ON THE 4TH SHE WAS RELEASED. ROBERT DENNISON WAS ON THAT 4TH BOARD. THE FOLLOWING ARE QUOTES FROM THE ARTICLE.
by Trymaine Lee, published June 4, 2010, NY Times N.Y. / region
“Many times, the parole commissioners feel differently than the judge and probably say to themselves or say to one another, ‘I don’t really care what the judge gave the person, I don’t feel comfortable letting this person out. And I am going to hold him for two more years.’ And that can go on and on and on forever.” said Mr. Dennison, who was appointed by Gov. George E. Pataki to the state’s 19-member Parole Board in 2000 and became its chairman in 2004. “I never got any direct pressure from Pataki not to let certain people out,” Mr. Dennison said, “but he did make it clear in the newspapers that he didn’t want violent felons released.” “The way it works is that you are free to make whatever decision you feel is the right decision,” he explained. “However, if you were sponsored by a particular state senator and you made a decision he didn’t like, it is conceivable that the next time you are up to be reappointed, he may not push your name to the governor.” “It is an easy job if you don’t have courage and you don’t have compassion,” he said. “Because then you really don’t care. And then it is easy to make whatever decision you want without feeling guilty, without feeling, ‘Gee, maybe I made the wrong decision.’ ”
“It’s hard, because you always hope people will just see the true you and judge you that way,” Diana Ortiz says, “Like they’ll say ‘O.K., she did this, but that’s not who she is.’ And it’s never like that.” At first she was cautiously optimistic. “I was 18 years old, first-time offense, drug use — now I have a master’s degree,” Ms. Ortiz recalled thinking. “And my role, my role in the crime: I wasn’t the actual shooter. I wasn’t actually there when it happened. So this is what I kept telling myself: ‘This is going to happen.’ But Parole denied.” After three more denials, Ms. Ortiz grew weary of the emotional roller coaster, unsure what more she could do. “I want to say all of these great things that I’m doing, this great person that I am, but how do you balance that with a life was taken?” she said. “ “He was an off-duty police officer,” Mr. Dennison said of the victim, “and, basically, people didn’t want to let her out because of that.”
In a little coffee shop in Harlem not long ago, [after she was finally released] Ms. Ortiz’s eyes were wet again after she spilled her soul. Now she, like Mr. Dennison, is helping other recently released inmates adapt, working with Exodus Transitional Community, a nonprofit group where 85 percent of the staff has served time. She completed her parole last year. “I still have those dreams of not being able to leave prison, like I’m still in there trying to get out,” Ms. Ortiz said. “I’m no longer part of the system, but I keep having them. Why am I still struggling to get out?”
7. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM
ALL THINGS HARLEM - Graham Rayman, reporter for the Village Voice, met with All Things Harlem to discuss his series on abusive police practices and the work that allthingsharlem was doing on policing in the Harlem Community. Here is his latest piece on this most critical issue facing communities of poor people of color; read it and pass it on, organize group discussions in your neighborhoods. www.villagevoice.com/2010-06-08/news/
The people are beginning to take matters in their own hands; last week, in Harlem and the Bronx, there were gatherings of community organizations that held organizing meetings to form coalitions to address the problems of policing in their communities. It is time to push back!
Visit us on the websites below.
Graham Rayman, grayman@VillageVoice.com
The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO
Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887
info@allthingsharlem.com;
www.allthingsharlem.com;
www.allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com;
www.youtube.com/allthingsharlem;
FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.
ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.
SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email
Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information on joining, please call 518 253 7533, or write us at
PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206
FOUR new members of the State Board of Parole have been approved by the Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chair. The governor has withdrawn a previous recommendation to reduce the number of parole commissioners from 19 to 13.
What was most disturbing about the hearings was Senator Goldin's behavior, in particular when he asked each nominee if they would vote to release a person who killed a police officer, and then followed it by asking for their personal opinion about ever releasing someone who killed a police officer. Of course all the applicants knew that they would have to say they would follow the law and make their decisions on a case by case basis, and so they all did so. Nevertheless Senator Goldin persisted in trying to get them to say they would never release nor would they want to release a person who had killed a police officer. One can only assume he did this as his way of making a very clear statement that if they do not agree with him that "cop killers" should never be released from prison, he will make sure they get treated by him and his friends at the NY Post and the Daily News in the same abusive manner as they treated Grant and Loomis when they voted twice to release Shu'aib Raheem.
On Thursday, June 17, 2010 The Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction approved the following nominations:
Henry Lemons, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Edward M. Sharkey, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Lynn Anne Tabbott, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Seny Taveras, as a Member of the State Board of Parole
Nicholas A. LaBella, as a Member of the Citizen’s Policy and Review Council
See video of the hearing
Their bios (with the exception of Henry Lemons) come from their self introductions to the Committee, and when available, from the internet:
Henry Lemons was not present. He was not replaced when his 2007 appointment to fill an unexpired term came to an end in 2008, so he was now formally appointed to serve out the remaining 4 years of the new 6 year term. The parole website tells us he served from 2004 to 2007 as Deputy Chief Investigator for the New York State Attorney General. Prior to that , he was the Assistant Chief Investigator for the Kings County District Attorney. He is a former Sergeant and Detective with the New York City Police Department. He also served for four years of active duty with the United States Air Force. Mr. Lemons earned his bachelor’s in criminal justice and planning from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and his master’s in organizational leadership from Mercy College. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Mr. Lemons was raised in the Bedford – Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn and Queens, where he still resides.
Edward Sharkey: Education: SUNY at Buffalo, B.A., Mathematics, 1968; SUNY at Buffalo, School of Law, J.D., 1977, Employment: District Attorney, 1998-Present; Personal Injury Litigation, 1984- 1997, Olean, NY; Erie County District Attorney's Office, 1977-1984. Appointed by Cattaraugus County Legislature to Criminal Justice Coordinating Advisory Council; served on Cattaraugus County Arson Task Force Alternatives to Incarceration Advisory Committee's Sexual Assault Advisory Panel. Served in the Airforce during the Vietnam War. Created a victim's advocacy agency in Cattaraugus County.
Lynn Anne Tabbott: S.I. native, attended Fordham and Bklyn Law School, worked for the Bklyn DA's office. Domestic Violence Coordinator. Worked for the NYS Attorney General's office where she prosecuted white collar crimes and defended Parole Board decisions. Practiced as a Criminal Defense Attorney; served as a local court judge in night court in Orange County.
Seny Taveras, from Brooklyn; attended Hofstra Univ's School of Law, then John Jay. Worked for NYC Human Resources Dept's Energy Assistance as an investigator. Moved on to the State Police where she worked as an investigator, working with DA offices and local precincts to consider ways to reduce crime. Worked for law firm on L.I.; as a legislative aid in a Senate minority office where she dealt with constitutional issues and helped constituents navigate the legal system. Appointed by Spitzer to work as a special assistant to the deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Nicholas A. LaBella*, 20 years experience on the Utica NY police force. President of LB Security and Investigation firm ("in preparation for my retirement") which is reviewed on this Utica City forum.
*Note: appointed to the Citizen’s Policy and Review Council, not the Board of Parole.
10:00 AM, Monday, June 28, 2010
The committee approved the nomination of Richard J.Clarke to the State Board of Parole:
See video of this hearing
Richard J. Clarke
Grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx, where he attended high school, went to boro college, majored in business. In 1981 joined NYC police dept. where for 26 years he supervised a task force on gun running. Retired in 2007 to job as head of security for parks and recreation.
POSTED JUNE 23: THE LEGAL ACTION CENTER CALLS FOR ACTION!
The Legal Action Center is the only non-profit law and policy organization in the United States whose sole mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas.
BACKGROUND:
Public protection budget discussions in Albany may close in the next week. The governor's budget proposes a cut of more than 10% in Alternatives to Incarceration funding, an amount of $1.6 million, and neither the Assembly nor Senate budget resolutions restored any of that. All told, ATI programs stand to lose as much as $4.5 million, a blow that could decimate the system.
SEND A MESSAGE TO LEGISLATORS:
Use available federal funds to maintain Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) and reentry programs that reduce crime and the prison population and play an essential role in the successful implementation of Rockefeller drug law reform. Join us in urging that the governor and legislature use some of the millions of dollars of federal criminal justice funding allocated last year to continue ATI programming. As you know well, funding for ATI programs is critical to ensuring the success of drug law reform and ending the cycle of addiction and crime. Indeed, what could be a more appropriate use of these funds than identifying good candidates for diversion from prison to treatment or other community sanctions, advocating for their diversion, providing them treatment and other services they need, and monitoring their progress?
ACTION:
Call the governor, legislative leaders, public protection committee chairs and your own Assembly member and Senator (governor at 518-474-8390; Assembly at 518-455-4100; Senate at 518-455-2800) and ask them to use unspent federal funds to protect ATI and reentry programs, which are essential to public safety and the backbone of Rockefeller reform.
Assembly
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (e-mail him)
Senate
Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson (e-mail him)
Joseph R. Lentol, co-chair (e-mail him)
Jeffrion L. Aubry
Roann M. Destito
Helene E. Weinstein
Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Eric T. Schneiderman
Craig M. Johnson
POSTED JUNE 23: THE COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS
THURSDAY JULY 15th, 5 PM MEMBER MEETING
Topic: "LGBTQ Communities and the Criminal Justice System"
New Members Orientation at 4:30 pm.
We are gearing up for our Summer Grassroots fundraiser, which will be a Bake Sale every Thursday for the month of August. I will be reaching out to CWP members soon to ask you to contribute in any way you can. You can do this by volunteering time, contributing funds, and baking goods.
We hope to see you soon and enjoy your summer,
Stacey
Stacey Thompson, Coalition Associate, Women in Prison Project
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Suite 200, New York, NY 10027
212-254-5700 x.333 www.correctionalassociation.org
GROWING OLD IN PRISON:
Long sentences that were handed out decades ago are catching up with the American justice system.
Prisons across the country are dedicating entire units just to house the elderly.
During difficult economic times, the issue has hit a crisis point. Estimates are that locking up an older inmate costs three times as much as a younger one.
How are prisons dealing with this issue? Who are the prisoners that are turning gray behind bars?
Josh Rushing gains exclusive and unprecedented access to jails and prisons across the country to tell the story.
[If you would rather watch it without the interference of our links column overlaying it, you may click here]
Dear Reader:
Some people advise me to keep quiet about some of our efforts, and especially about some of our successes, so as not to stir up the opposition. That goes against everything I believe as a journalist. My job, as I see it, is to spread the news so that all of us may respond intelligently in our own way. Many of us complain that the media never focuses on the good things that happen. I say lets be proud of our values, and excited to share our successes! We should be shouting them from the rooftops, to let all the thousands of people who share our values know they are not alone. Why should we let those who oppose us set the agenda? What hope is there for changing minds if we never speak up about what we're doing and why? We - I hope I am not speaking just for myself - come from a place of wanting a better world, where love, compassion, forgiveness and justice dominates. Where families can live together and have enough food, a decent home, a good education and guaranteed healthcare. Where people are judged by their current behaviors, not for what they did 10, 20, 30 years ago. We have let ourselves be cowed by the opposition, but I think it's time we stop acting as if we're ashamed of our dreams for a kinder more just society.
In a discussion with one of my close friends recently, she said, 'You think the truth will set us free!' And I realized that if I can't speak about our values and the ways we are changing the criminal justice system, then indeed I am not free. Living on a foundation of truth is freedom.
Please be well, keep the faith, and share the news!
ARTICLES
1. Activities for advocates: Statewide, Albany, Bronx, Buffalo, Manhattan
2. CCR has filed federal lawsuit
3. Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies - on 259-i
4. ICARE Community Educator
5. Legislation
6. Parole news
7. Prison media
[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please send your request to PAN clearly stating name of the document and in which issue of Building Bridges it was mentioned.]
1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES
WRITE A LETTER TO GOVERNOR PATERSON IN SUPPORT OF LOOMIS AND GRANT:
The terms of two members of the NYS Board of Parole are about to expire in June: Tom Grant and Deborah Loomis. You can will read more about them in Article 6 on Parole. They're the two commissioners who voted to release Shu'aib Raheem on both of his last two parole board hearings. Along with Mary Ross, they were recently on a Parole Board that released 28 men out of 40. It appears that they share our belief that people can change and parole hearings should focus on determining whether a person is ready to live a crime free life, rather than on whether they think the judge gave a harsh enough sentence. They also appear to have studied the evidence that shows that people who have served long sentences for murder are the least likely to reoffend once they are released. So if you share a desire to see more community ready people released, why not write a letter to Governor Paterson and urge him to reappoint Thomas Grant and Deborah Loomis to the NYS Board of Parole. In the light of all the negative attention the decisions of these two have gotten recently, let's show the governor that even more of us think they should be rewarded for being smart on crime. If everyone who reads this call to action would write a letter, the Governor's office is sure to take notice! It's the right thing for you to do, and the right thing for the governor to do. And what do any of us have to lose?
We think the Parole Board is meant to be an evaluative body, not a punitive body. The Court is responsible for determining the sentence, DOCS is responsible for providing opportunities for rehabilitation, and the Parole Board's challenge is to evaluate whether the incarcerated person has become ready for reentry and reintegration.
There are certainly Board members who still think their job is to determine the length of the person's sentence. It is very difficult to know who falls into which camp. But if Grant and Loomis are gone, the balance may well tip to that camp.
The governor's address: David A. Paterson, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224
Phone: 518-474-8390
Email: Gov. Paterson.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
ALBANY:
Saturday July 24, noon - 4pm
COALITION FOR PAROLE RESTORATION (CPR) PAROLE WORKSHOP
Includes advice on the preparation of a release plan (Parole Packet) and information about the NYS Division of Parole, its policies and practices. If you have a loved one preparing for an appearance before the Board within the next year and you will be submitting a release plan, you will learn more on how you can help your loved on prepare for their appearance.
To register, please call 518 334 -8735. There is a charge of $20 which pays for the workshop, lunch, 1 year membership in CPR including a subscription to the Deuce Club newsletter, and CPR's Parole Preparation Manual. Please register soon, as space is limited to 20 people.
Location: One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Ave., Suite 1900, Albany
BRONX:
Wednesday June 30.
BRONX DEFENDERS BLOCK PARTY
Join the Bronx Defenders to celebrate our neighborhood at our annual block party. The Bronx Defenders Community Block Party is a fun, safe venue for children and community members to enjoy free food, music and entertainment, play games, participate in arts and crafts, register to vote, compete in a basketball competition, and connect with local community groups and important social service organizations.
This year, we will have performances by local groups, raffle prizes, DJ, face-painting, a pony-ride, carnival games and treats, and a moon bounce. We will provide information on our services for community members, and our partnering local community service groups will be providing medical advice and information, immigration help, affordable housing info, and much, much more! Contact Dawit Getachew, dawitg@bronxdefenders.org for more information or if your organization would like to have a table.
Location: 160th between Courtlandt and Melrose in the Bronx
BUFFALO:
Monday, June 28, 6:30-8:30pm
PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO MEETING
The next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too will celebrate the organization's fifth anniversary. What started out mainly as a community education initiative, has become an important player in the world of "prison life," especially in Western New York, educating, motivating and inspiring incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones. This meeting will afford us an opportunity to celebrate our achievements and announce plans for the future.
PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street
MANHATTAN:
Wednesday, June 16, 1 - 3 pm
NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
Viewing and Discussion of Your Rights, Your Future Preparing for Reentry, a Visual Progression produced by the Legal Action Center and the Organization for Visual Progression
Hosted by the Community Service Society of NY (CSS)
RSVP Gabriel Torres-Rivera grivera@cssny.org
Location: 105 East 22nd St, corner Park Ave So. Conf Room 4A
#6 or W/R train to 23rd St.
June 17th at 6:30PM
PREMIERE OF 'NO TOMORROW' DEATH PENALTY DOCUMENTARY
This production explores the murder of a young woman featured in a recent film about teens leaving foster care and the unexpected role that the film played in the death penalty trial of her killer. Obviously, it involves many issues that are at the heart of NYADP's mission, both past and present. You can learn more about NO TOMORROW here.
Following the screening, there will be a debate between Barry Scheck and Robert Blecker, as well as a Q&A. The organizers of the screening are hoping to fill the theater with people in the in the criminal justice, child welfare, educational, human rights, public policy, and advocacy community.
Location: Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center in NYC
Thursday, June 24, 7:15 pm
SNEAK PREVIEW OF ADVISE & DISSENT
The first documentary to go behind the lines and into the trenches of the judicial confirmation wars. SCOTUSblog has called it "a fascinating, balanced insider look," and Politico named it "a must see." Timely and timeless, the film illuminates the collision of politics and justice.
The screening is followed by a dialogue event featuring E. Joshua Rosenkranz (Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe), Jamal Greene (Columbia Law School), filmmaker David Van Taylor, and other Special Guests. This screening is generously underwritten by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Space is limited. An RSVP is required, by June 21: susan.lehman@nyu.edu
Location: New York University, Lipton Hall 108 West Third St (between Sullivan and MacDougal Streets)
Saturday, June 26 at 1 pm
CAMPAIGN TO END THE DEATH PENALTY BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION ON:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
Michelle Alexander, a civil rights advocate and litigator, explains that while the United States celebrates Barack Obama's election as a "triumph over race", the majority of young black men in major American cities are locked behind bars or have been labeled felons for life. Although Jim Crow laws have been wiped off the books, an astounding percentage of the African American community remains trapped in a subordinate status—much like their grandparents before them. She argues that, rather than ending racial caste in America, we have simply redesigned it. She shows that, by targeting black men and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of color blindness.
**FIRST SESSION: READ INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTER 1** **RSVP**
Location: Hue-Man Books, 2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd, (Between 124th and 125th Streets)
SAVE THE DATE
September 25th, PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
The Prison Ministry of the Riverside Church is sponsoring a day-long, holistic fair for formerly incarcerated men and women throughout New York City. The fair is being held in collaboration with the Fortune Society, the Osborne Association, Exodus Transitional Community Inc., and the Think Outside the Cell Foundation.
The Prison to Prosperity Fair will feature a range of workshops, including those on building social networks, finding good life coaches/mentors, starting a small business, establishing good credit, battling depression, relieving stress and strengthening family ties. There will also be information booths, plenary sessions on topics relevant to this population and speakers, including successful formerly incarcerated men and women.
The idea for the Prison to Prosperity Fair was born in the visiting room of an upstate prison. Joe Robinson, who’s in his 19th year of a 25-to-life sentence, and his wife, Sheila Rule, a long-serving member of the Riverside Church Prison Ministry, grappled during some of their visits with a largely ignored problem: As the bleak economy was putting a squeeze on the dreams of most Americans, it was placing a virtual chokehold on the aspirations of the men and women being released from New York prisons and jails. Joe and Sheila decided that they had to put their concerns into action, and the result was their idea for the Prison to Prosperity Fair. The Prison Ministry, which has for more than three decades been in the business of easing the plight of men and women with prison in their backgrounds, voted unanimously to put their muscle behind the fair.
Please join us in making this fair a success. We encourage corporations, faith-based and community organizations, political leaders, government agencies and the general public to lend their support to this unique and important event with monetary or in-kind contributions.
For more information, to contribute, to sponsor an information table/booth, or to register, please call 877-267-2303 or email resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net.
Location: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street
2. CCR HAS FILED FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CENSUS BUREAU FOR RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION IN THE HIRING OF TEMPORARY WORKERS
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), co-counsel Outten & Golden and other organizations have filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against the Census Bureau for race and national origin discrimination in the hiring of temporary workers. In Johnson et al. v. Locke, CCR says that the U.S. Census Bureau's practice of running job applicants' names through the FBI criminal records database-a notoriously inaccurate and incomplete database-disproportionally excludes applicants of color and deters them from completing the application process.
The class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Census Bureau for its alleged violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by importing discriminatory bias of the criminal justice system into its hiring practice when it denied temporary jobs to potentially thousands of individuals with criminal histories.
http://www.censusdiscriminationlawsuit.com
3. COALITION FOR FAIR CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES - REPORT ON PROGRESS OF PROPOSAL TO AMEND EXEC LAW §259-I
Exciting news! Senator Tom Duane has agreed to sponsor our bill!! We are still working with Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, who has agreed to sponsor it in the Assembly, to alleviate some of his concerns. What happens next is the bill gets sent to the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission to be put in bill form. No law may be enacted in New York State unless it has been adopted by the Legislature in bill form. Once it is introduced in the Senate, it will go to the Introduction and Revision Office, where it will be examined and corrected, given a number, sent to the appropriate standing committee, entered into the Senate computer, deemed to have had its first and second readings and printed. That's when your work will begin.
We will be asking our members to send letters and make phone calls to educate their state representatives about the changes we're asking for and persuade them to support the bill. If you don't know who represents you, there is a website where you can easily look it up: http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/
Where it says 'Find', give your street address (not a PO Box number), your city (not the state), and your Zip code. Then go down and check the boxes next to State Assembly and State Senate, and click on Enter. Give it a minute. The names of all your NY representatives will appear, starting with the Governor, then your US Senators, then a long list of demographics. Immediately below that list will be the name of your State Senator and your State Assembly Member. Clicking on their names will take you to their websites where you can find their contact information.
If you need help identifying your state representatives, feel free to call Prison Action Network at 518 253 7533. We'll help you.
4. ICARE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR JAFAR ABBAS WAS INVITED TO THE GRACE FULL BAPTIST CHURCH IN AMITYVILLE LONG ISLAND TO SHARE A PART OF HIS STORY AT THEIR NEWLY FORMULATED STOP THE VIOLENCE PROGRAM.
I knew little about the program or its agenda, but the idea of going back to the community in which I grew up to share my story in a positive way was too good to turn down.
The program was put together by a member of the Church who had herself been the victim of a violent attack which damaged much of her left side, leaving her unable to use her left arm. One would think her family was cursed with violence as she talked about the long string of family members who have also been victims of violence. She wants to break the curse, if ever there was one, on her family and community. This is why she screams at the top of her voice, “Stop the violence!“. Her church gently gathered their support around her and on this night of speaking out against violence the Church was packed with members and concerned people from surrounding communities. There were no public officials present although they were invited; however this night wasn’t about them, it was about us speaking to and about our community.
I wish you could have seen how the program opened: a line of children came through the doors behind the pews carrying large pictures of people in the community who had been victims of violence. Some of the pictures had birth and death dates at the bottom; most of the people were young African-American men. While these pictures were being carried and placed facing the audience at the alter their names were being read, along with their bios and the act of violence they were victims of.
My heart was crushed when a ten year old girl walked to the podium with her brother, introduced herself and read a letter she had written about the things she liked doing with her father. “I liked when we would take pictures of my Mom when she was sleeping. I liked watching movies with my father we always had a big bowl of cheese puffs and my father would say if I eat too many I would turn into a cheese puff.” She laughed, then wiped her eyes. Her father had been killed in a drive-by shooting.
When it was my time to speak I was so taken by the stories that I feared my story was no longer relevant. I now wanted to tell them how it feels to see the pain we caused others, how I wish we could have that moment to do all over again. The host introduced me and I got up having no idea of what I was going to say. The room was still with silence when she handed me the microphone, and I was filled with more anxiety than I had ever felt before in front of an audience.
The first words I said to them were, “If there was a way in which 'I apologize' could be said that would take away all the hurt, all the disappointments, all the broken promises, all the let downs, the tears, the anger, the pain I born into this world, what I would give to know it. To say it, over and over and over again, 'I apologize'.“ I then told them that what I had just recited was a poem I had written to my community while I was in Sing Sing Correctional facility and it was a blessing to be there to recite it to them in person. I shared with them how moved I was by the pictures and their stories, and how difficult it is for me to stand before them being one of the perpetrators of the violence we were speaking out against. I told them I had planned to use this opportunity to tell them a part of my story, but apologizing to them (for myself and all those incarcerated men and women who have made, and are still making, positive changes in their lives) was far more important.
As I would like to ask any of you who are survivors of crime, I asked them for forgiveness. And I urge survivors to take your voices, and stories, and pictures into the prisons to be seen and heard by those who need to see and hear them.
[ Jafar Abbas is available for speaking engagements. If your organization would like him to make a presentation please send your request to Rima Vesely-Flad at rima@nyicare.org.]
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5. LEGISLATION: A LIST OF BILLS WHICH ARE BEING REPORTED FOR THE FIRST TIME OR WHERE THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS TO REPORT SINCE THE MAY 15 BUILDING BRIDGES.
NEW LISTING:
A8178 Aubry / S4684 Hassell-Thompson: Allows modification of child support orders or judgments for persons whose income has been reduced due to incarceration.
1/10 Referred to Assembly's Judiciary Committee, 5/10 reported and committed to Senate's Finance Comm.
UPDATES:
A1827-A Wright/ S5846-B Montgomery: Allows BA and advanced degree programs to count toward the work participation rate and provides for certain educational and training activity to count towards the satisfaction of the participant's work activity requirement.
In Senate, on 2/25/10 amended and recommitted to Finance, printed with number S5846B.
A2266 Wright/ S1266 Montgomery: Voting rights notification and registration act: provides eligible voters with felony convictions with notice regarding voting rights, assistance with voter registration, and data sharing among the department of correctional services, the division of parole, and the state board of elections.
In Jan it was returned to the Assembly where it was ordered to Third Reading, which means ready for a final vote. No final vote at this time. As of 5/11/10 the bill is sitting in the Finance Committee of the Senate.
A5462 Aubry / S 2233 Montgomery: Adoption and Safe Families Expanded Discretion Bill Relates to the guardianship and custody of destitute or dependent children who have a parent or parents incarcerated or in a court ordered residential substance abuse treatment program. Provides foster care agencies with the statutory guidance and support they need to recognize the special circumstances surrounding parental incarceration and move away from formulaic applications and toward family-specific, child-centered decision making.
This bill passed both houses and was delivered to the governor on June 4. While the Legislature is in session, the Governor has 10 days (not counting Sundays) to sign or veto bills passed by both houses. Signed bills become law; vetoed bills do not. However, the Governor's failure to sign or veto a bill within the 10-day period means that it becomes law automatically. Vetoed bills are returned to the house that first passed them, together with a statement of the reason for their disapproval. A vetoed bill can become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the Governor's veto.
We need to keep the pressure on. If you have not weighed in already, please urge the governor to sign the bill: Email Gov. Paterson.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. Then call him to emphasize it: 518-474-8390.
A6487-A Aubry/ S2932-A Montgomery: Merit Time bill Expands Merit time to all but those convicted of murder in the first degree, some sex crimes, an act of terrorism or aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate, and with no change in the amount of time off.
Amended 4/26, recommitted to Assembly's Corrections Comm., renumbered with a 'b'; 4/26 sent to Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, renumbered with a 'b' and committed to Codes.
A6853 Camara / S3559 Adams: Requires written notice of eligibility to vote be given upon release from prison.
On Feb 8 this bill advanced to the Order of Third Hearing in the Senate (which means ready for a final vote). There has been no final vote as of our deadline.
A8727-b Kavanaugh/ S1352-B Duane: Provides notice of availability of services to people upon their release from prison. Provides for notice by commissioner of correctional services of availability of medical, educational and other services, including alcohol and substance abuse treatment, to prisoners upon their release from state prison.
In both houses it was amended at Third Reading and renumbered with a 'B'
The Prison Gerrymandering Bill was misidentified in the May issue. These are the correct numbers: A9834a Aubry / S6725-A Schneiderman: Directs prisoner's home address be used to define political districts. On 06/09/10 it was amended and printed with an 'a' after the number, for 'amended".
6. PAROLE NEWS: PAROLE BOARD STATISTICS; SHU'AIB RAHEEM'S RECISSION HEARING; NY TIMES ARTICLE ON PAROLE
APRIL 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
[unofficial research from parole database]
Total Interviews.................. # Released........... # Denied...... Rate of Release
18 initials............................. 3 ................... 15................. 20%
87 reappearances.................. 15.................. 72 ................. 17%
105 total ............................ .. 18.................. 87................. 18%
APRIL Initial Releases
Facility ..................... Sentence .... Offense...... # of Board
Fishkill.................... 15-Life ........ Murder 2 ..... initial
Fishkill.................... 25-Life......... Murder 2 ..... initial
Woodbourne.......... 20-Life........ Murder 2 ..... initial
APRIL Reappearances
FACILITY.................. SENTENCE............ OFFENSE.... # OF BOARD
Arthurkill................... 18-Life..................... Murder 2...... 7th
Arthurkill................... 25-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Bayview.................... 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Fishkill..................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Fishkill..................... 25-Life..................... M2 2x............ 2nd
Great Meadow........ 17 ?-Life.................. Murder 2...... 4th
Great Meadow........ 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Great Meadow........ 25-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Hudson.................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 4th
Marcy........................ 20-Life..................... Murder 2...... 10th
Marcy........................ 25-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Midstate................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 9th
Orleans.................... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 2nd
Woodbourne........... 15-Life..................... Murder 2...... 3rd
APRIL-MAY RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON: (Please note that the following statistics are not limited to people convicted of A1 Violent felonies - but they all are people with indeterminate sentences)
MID ORANGE
April - Ferguson, Loomis & Smith
Scheduled: 27
Postponed (by the applicants): 8
Released: 3 (no A1 Lifers)
May - Loomis, Ross & Grant
Appearances: 40
Releases: 28 (16 were A1 Lifers)
OTISVILLE
May - Loomis, Ross & Grant
Appearances: 17
Releases: 11
ON JUNE 3, SHU'AIB RAHEEM WAS GRANTED PAROLE RELEASE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS.
For readers not familiar with Shu'aib Raheem's case, here's a short synopsis. In 1973 he and three other men tried to rob a Williamsburg sporting-goods store to get guns to defend themselves against an imminent attack they expected from a rival Muslim sect who only hours before had murdered a family belonging to Mr. Raheem's religious order. The police showed up as the crime was taking place; one police officer was shot to death and two others were wounded before Raheem and the other 3 men surrendered after a two-day standoff. Though it was not clear who fired the fatal shot, Mr. Raheem and his 3 codefendants were later convicted of murder, kidnapping and robbery, and Mr. Raheem received a sentence of 25 years to life. In the following years Raheem was a model prisoner. He not only stayed out of trouble but earned college degrees and worked as a paralegal and AIDS counselor.
Parole Hearing History:
Shu'aib Raheem completed his minimum sentence in 1998, but was denied parole 5 times for the "nature of the crime", until 2007, when a Parole Board consisting of Tom Grant, Deborah Loomis, and Henry Lemons voted 2 -1 to release him, citing Mr. Raheem’s “clean disciplinary record since October of 1999,” his participation in a program to help young people and his “recent multiple collegiate degrees”. This outraged the police and they lashed out, saying the victims hadn't had the opportunity to make a statement. In response, the Parole Board offered 3 days of victim impact hearings. On Dec 26, after the initial victim hearing , Parole temporarily suspended Mr. Raheem’s release. On Feb. 2008, after the final victim hearing, Parole scheduled a rescission hearing to consider whether to revoke the parole release decision. Shu'aib took it to court but after losing in Supreme Court and subsequently also in the Appellate division, he had a rescission hearing on June 3, 2010.
According to his lawyer, Lawrence Sterns, " the hearing lasted 7 hours with 13 witnesses, including a priest, a reverend, Imams, a prison warden and other corrections officials, a scholar of Islam among black Americans, a professor at Medgar Evers college, the CEO of a well-known advocacy organization, and family members. It was quite stirring and dealt directly with issues of black Muslim history and its impact on Shu'aib's crime and its role in prison, and victims' emotions and the role of government in criminal justice, and the individuation of the causes of criminal acts, this one in particular, rehabilitation, and what constitutes evidence of character. I believe it was a unique experience for all concerned. The Board seemed interested and attentive throughout the day, and made no attempt to shorten it. They were very patient and courteous, and asked questions, although I could not read their sentiments. In the end, I understand, the same two members who voted initially for release did so again, and the same dissenter dissented, but I have written this without seeing the Board's decision. Rescission hearings are unique in that there are the rights to counsel and presentation of witnesses , which are not accorded in regular parole hearings. It was held at [the facility] where Shu'aib is held, hopefully for not too much longer."
Again the response from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association was filled with anger: “Every citizen should be as outraged as New York City police officers are today,” said Patrick J. Lynch, the police union president. Senator Martin Goldin joined the call for vengeance, saying in a press release posted on his website: "We need to send a message that if you kill a police officer, your punishment will be swift, certain, and severe.” Louis Mattarazzo, Legislative Director, NYPD Detectives and past-President of the NYPD PBA said: “Cop killers display a total disregard for human life, and now this dangerous criminal is back on our streets where he can cause even more harm. He deserves to be behind bars for the rest of his life.”
Gov. Paterson's spokesman Morgan Hook, in response to an accusation by Senator Goldin that Paterson coddled “hardened criminals” and that the administration had blood on its hands, said, “The two Parole Board members who voted in favor of releasing Shu'aib Raheem are Pataki appointees. Both of their terms expire this month and they will both be replaced by Gov. Paterson. Not only does he get the facts wrong, but Sen. Goldin should be ashamed for injecting partisan politics into this tragedy.”
“I don’t understand this decision at all,” said Officer Gilroy’s widow, Patricia, in a statement provided by the police union. “My family and Steve’s family and the families of the hostages and all the police officers involved are left to wonder what exactly justice is. It sure isn’t this decision.”
Building Bridges respectfully disagrees. This decision does reflect justice, and if Senator Goldin, Pat Lynch, Louis Mattarazzo, and the Governor had ever made the effort to open their hearts and meet Shu'aib Raheem, they would not have found a hardened criminal. There are reasons why a person who committed a violent crime should be released after serving their minimum sentence. They may have been convicted of a crime they didn't commit. Or they killed someone out of fear and desperation or self-defense, such as when a woman kills her abuser. Even people who committed terrible crimes that horrify us, even they are capable of transformation. It is for the Parole Board to decide whether a person is ready to become a productive citizen.
What has happened to us? Where have forgiveness and compassion gone? Where are the voices calling for real justice? Their silence is the true tragedy of this story; we don't know what tragedy the governor was referring to in the quote above.
CONVICTED OF MURDER AS TEENAGER AND PAROLED AT 41 N.Y. TIMES ARTICLE FOLLOWS DIANA ORTIZ THROUGH 4 PAROLE HEARINGS. IN 3 OF THEM THE DECISION WAS TO DENY HER BASED ON THE NATURE OF THE CRIME. FINALLY ON THE 4TH SHE WAS RELEASED. ROBERT DENNISON WAS ON THAT 4TH BOARD. THE FOLLOWING ARE QUOTES FROM THE ARTICLE.
by Trymaine Lee, published June 4, 2010, NY Times N.Y. / region
“Many times, the parole commissioners feel differently than the judge and probably say to themselves or say to one another, ‘I don’t really care what the judge gave the person, I don’t feel comfortable letting this person out. And I am going to hold him for two more years.’ And that can go on and on and on forever.” said Mr. Dennison, who was appointed by Gov. George E. Pataki to the state’s 19-member Parole Board in 2000 and became its chairman in 2004. “I never got any direct pressure from Pataki not to let certain people out,” Mr. Dennison said, “but he did make it clear in the newspapers that he didn’t want violent felons released.” “The way it works is that you are free to make whatever decision you feel is the right decision,” he explained. “However, if you were sponsored by a particular state senator and you made a decision he didn’t like, it is conceivable that the next time you are up to be reappointed, he may not push your name to the governor.” “It is an easy job if you don’t have courage and you don’t have compassion,” he said. “Because then you really don’t care. And then it is easy to make whatever decision you want without feeling guilty, without feeling, ‘Gee, maybe I made the wrong decision.’ ”
“It’s hard, because you always hope people will just see the true you and judge you that way,” Diana Ortiz says, “Like they’ll say ‘O.K., she did this, but that’s not who she is.’ And it’s never like that.” At first she was cautiously optimistic. “I was 18 years old, first-time offense, drug use — now I have a master’s degree,” Ms. Ortiz recalled thinking. “And my role, my role in the crime: I wasn’t the actual shooter. I wasn’t actually there when it happened. So this is what I kept telling myself: ‘This is going to happen.’ But Parole denied.” After three more denials, Ms. Ortiz grew weary of the emotional roller coaster, unsure what more she could do. “I want to say all of these great things that I’m doing, this great person that I am, but how do you balance that with a life was taken?” she said. “ “He was an off-duty police officer,” Mr. Dennison said of the victim, “and, basically, people didn’t want to let her out because of that.”
In a little coffee shop in Harlem not long ago, [after she was finally released] Ms. Ortiz’s eyes were wet again after she spilled her soul. Now she, like Mr. Dennison, is helping other recently released inmates adapt, working with Exodus Transitional Community, a nonprofit group where 85 percent of the staff has served time. She completed her parole last year. “I still have those dreams of not being able to leave prison, like I’m still in there trying to get out,” Ms. Ortiz said. “I’m no longer part of the system, but I keep having them. Why am I still struggling to get out?”
7. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM
ALL THINGS HARLEM - Graham Rayman, reporter for the Village Voice, met with All Things Harlem to discuss his series on abusive police practices and the work that allthingsharlem was doing on policing in the Harlem Community. Here is his latest piece on this most critical issue facing communities of poor people of color; read it and pass it on, organize group discussions in your neighborhoods. www.villagevoice.com/2010-06-08/news/
The people are beginning to take matters in their own hands; last week, in Harlem and the Bronx, there were gatherings of community organizations that held organizing meetings to form coalitions to address the problems of policing in their communities. It is time to push back!
Visit us on the websites below.
Graham Rayman, grayman@VillageVoice.com
The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO
Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887
info@allthingsharlem.com;
www.allthingsharlem.com;
www.allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com;
www.youtube.com/allthingsharlem;
FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.
ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.
SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email
Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information on joining, please call 518 253 7533, or write us at
PO Box 6355, Albany NY 12206
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