NOVEMBER 2010

Latebreaking news and announcements are posted here in the days between issues. To go immediately to the November issue, please scroll down.


POSTED DEC 1 BY KAREN WOLF, INNOCENCE PROJECT  

CRIMINAL JUSTICE MEET-UP
December 9, 6pm to 8pm
The first gathering of a new quarterly meet-up for professionals working on criminal justice and reform innovation!

Featuring a 30-minute presentation from Danielle Sered, the Director of Common Justice at the Vera Institute.
Common Justice offers an alternative to the traditional court process for youth charged with felonies such as assault, robbery, and burglary. Project staff bring together people immediately affected by a crime to acknowledge the harm done, address the needs of the harmed party, and agree on sanctions other than incarceration to hold the responsible party accountable. The project, which is based in Brooklyn, seeks to repair harm, break cycles of violence, and decrease the system's heavy reliance on incarceration.
 
Drinks and snacks will be provided. Space is limited -- RSVP is essential. (I registered tonight; there were 13 spaces left. Ed.) You may register for this event here:http://nycjustice.eventbrite.com

Sponsored by the ACLU, the Vera Institute of Justice, The Innocence Project, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The Vera Institute of Justice is pleased to host the first gathering. For more information, contact Alison Shames at
 ashames@vera.org

Location: Vera Institute of Justice 233 Broadway (Woolworth Building), 12th Floor

 

POSTED NOV 25 - BY THE PRISONER JUSTICE CLUB AT CITY COLLEGE
"Justice on Trial"
A Documentary on Mumia Abu-Jamal by Johanna Fernandez and Kouross Esmaeli.

Presented in affiliation with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty.

December 8th, 7PM
The City College of New York; NAC Building 1st floor; Hoffman Student Lounge
Special guest Speaker: Producer Johanna Fernandez

Tried and convicted of the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner, Mumia Abu-Jamal is the most recognized death row inmate in the world today.

His case is one of the most contested cases in modern American history, and one of the most important civil rights cases of our time.

Judicial Bias. Prosecutorial misconduct. Racial discrimination in jury selection. Police corruption. Tampering with evidence to obtain a conviction.

These are characteristics that affect the ENTIRE criminal justice system. Learn how these flaws have affected Mumia FOR THREE DECADES. New evidence is revealed in the documentary that the courts refuse to review. Learn why this is one of the most important cases of our generation!!





Dear Reader,

NYS family members have been calling us at the request of their incarcerated loved ones to find out how they can get involved. We appreciate that our readers in prison are asking their families to become active. Please keep up the good work! That's the only way justice will be attained. Right now we are concentrating on connecting supporters with their legislative representatives and providing information sheets to use in educating them. We are gathering a data base of those who call, so when the time comes for a rally or a Family Empowerment Day event, we'll be sure they know about it. For family members reading this for the first time, please be sure to read # 10 and # 11, and also check the first article for a list of actions and meetings in your area. Thank you.

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


Index of Articles:

1. Activism: actions, meetings and events
2. Criminal history records present problems in college admissions
3. CPR Prison leadership training program
4. CA reports on abuses in juvenile system
5. FRPs and Free Bus application process
6. ICARE reports on expansion of program and invites input
7. Indigent Legal Services Board national search for director
8. Michigan increases parole releases to save money and reduce recidivism
9. The New Jim Crow, quotes from chapter 1
10. NYS Parole Reform Campaign solicits readers' responses
11. Parole News
12. VOCAL-NY announcement
13. Voting Rights granted to Gt. Britain’s prisoners

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or excerpted from, in this issue, please email PAN with a request clearly stating name of the document and the date of the Building Bridges in which it was seen. -Ed.]


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

ACTIONS

THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 11AM-3PM DROP THE ROCK EMPOWERMENT DAY
Invest in communities, not prisons! Join in the movement to reduce incarceration in New York!
Teams of community members, young people, formerly incarcerated people, and families will come together in neighborhoods across the city and state that are heavily impacted by incarceration to educate the public about Drop the Rock’s campaign to downsize New York’s prison system and reinvest in communities.

1. Petition for prison closures, criminal justice reform and community reinvestment.
2. Register New Yorkers to vote.
3. Educate New Yorkers on the prison industrial complex.

Volunteers will petition on street corners, public housing lobbies and supermarkets across the state.

Register now to spread the word and tell New York to invest in communities, not prisons.  Contact Drop the Rock at 212-254-5700 x 330 or dthomas@correctionalassociation.org


NATIONWIDE
TODAY! CALL-IN: TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION ACT.

BACKGROUND INFO:

In 2009, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and 15 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, legislation that would create a bipartisan Commission to review and identify effective criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform. We hope and believe the Commission will recommend that certain barriers that prevent individuals from obtaining employment, housing, education, and public benefits because of arrests or convictions should be eliminated or reduced in scope and severity because they hinder successful reentry, contribute to instability in our communities, and reduce public safety.

The House of Representatives and Senate Judiciary Committee have reviewed and favorably passed the bill, which now has 39 Senate co-sponsors. Currently, the bill is awaiting final passage by the Senate during these last few weeks of the Congressional session. If the National Criminal Justice Commission Act does not pass this year, the legislation must be reintroduced and advance through both chambers of Congress again in 2011. Please help us urge the Senate to prioritize and pass this important legislation as soon as possible!

ACTION NEEDED:

Please call the following Senators today to ask them to prioritize and support Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, as soon as possible during this session of Congress:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), 202-224-3542
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 202-224-3135

MESSAGE:

I am calling to ask the Senator to prioritize and support immediate Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, because:
Having a transparent and bipartisan Commission review and identify effective criminal justice policies would increase public safety.
Public policies that create barriers that prevent people with arrest or conviction records from participating fully in society are counterproductive, overly severe, and inconsistent with evidence about best practices to promote public safety, and these policies warrant examination and reconsideration.
The increase in incarceration over the past twenty years has stretched the system beyond its limits. These high costs to taxpayers are unsustainable, especially during these tough economic times.
The proposed commission would conduct a comprehensive national review – not audits of individual state systems – and would issue recommendations – not mandates – for consideration.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark O’Brien,
mobrien@lac.org, at (202) 544-5478.



EVENTS:
MANHATTAN:
SATURDAY DECEMBER 11, 2-6 PM THE IN YOUR FACE MOVEMENT PRESENTS THE NYC AWARENESS RALLY PART 2!

THE 1ST ONE WAS UNDERESTIMATED. THE 2ND ONE IS SURE TO BE UNFORGETTABLE!

Register Here!

The Division of Parole whose mission statement is “To Promote Public Safety by preparing inmates for release and supervising parolees to successful completion of their sentence.”  Take notice of the key words prepare and release. Where does it say ‘retry’?  We have here a huge problem dealing with role confusion and role reversal!  If after 10, 15, 20, 25 years a person has yet to be rehabilitated, then do we not have a broken system??!! Hence what is the purpose of the system?!! A parole board who seemingly spends more time hindering one's freedom vs. assisting one in regaining access to their freedom! So the question is: What then is the purpose of the parole board?

Location: 500 Eighth Avenue betw 35 - 36 St.
Manhattan 10018


MEETINGS:
ALBANY:
EVERY MONDAY 7-8:30 PM PRISON FAMILIES OF NY SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS
We Help Each Other! Location: 373 Central Avenue Albany
For information contact Alison 518-453-6659

EVERY TUESDAY AT 6PM P-MOTIONS (PROGRESSIVE MEN OPERATING TOWARDS INITIATING OPPORTUNITIES NOW)
A men's support group which meets weekly at the SEFCU building, 388 Clinton Ave (look for the bright red roof). Facilitation shared by Sam Wiggins, Monroe Parrott and Malik Rivera.  For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.


BROOKLYN:
EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5:30PM VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT

Join us to build power among people who are formerly incarcerated to reduce mass incarceration and fight discrimination against people with criminal records. For more info call 917 676-8041, or write jeremy@nycahn.org
Location: 80A 4th Ave. in Brooklyn

BUFFALO:
EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 5-6 PM ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION
Demonstration in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO! MONTHLY MEETING
This month's meeting will afford us an opportunity to assess what has developed since the NYS Prisoner Justice Conference, which took place on March 29, 2010 in Albany. A small contingent of Western New Yorkers traveled to this conference, which delivered well on its promise “…to bring together, under one roof, a wide range of New York State organizations, working on a diversity of prisoner justice issues, to share ideas, information, energy, strategies, hope, and inspiration.” PRP2’s November meeting will provide an update on all that has developed since this highly successful event.

The following activists, representing a variety of organizations that are members of the New York State Prisoner Justice Network, will be on hand to provide information about new developments and gather information about prisoner justice issues that concern Western New Yorkers: Naomi Jaffe, Judith Brink, Shoshana Brown, Taina Asili, Victor Reyes and Laura Travison.

The documentary film being screened is “Life Sentence” by Lisa Gray, which details the inside and outside experiences of six formerly incarcerated men and women.

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


LONG ISLAND:
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 23, AT 7:30PM PRISON FAMILIES ANONYMOUS (PFA) SUPPORT GROUP
(AND ON THE 2ND AND 4TH TUESDAY EVENINGS OF EVERY MONTH)

Life becomes more difficult and stressful for family and friends when a loved one becomes incarcerated. Relationships and responsibilities can become strained, and the dynamics within the family often change dramatically.

The PFA Support Group provides a safe, nonjudgmental place where those in similar situations can connect with each another. It provides compassion, support and information to family members during their very difficult times. For more information, please contact: Barbara: 631- 943-0441 or Sue; 631-806-3903

Location: Community Presbyterian Church
1843 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park, NY


MANHATTAN:
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 17, 1:00PM-3:00PM PRESENTED BY COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY (CSS)
George T. McDonald, Founder and President of The Doe Fund will present the evolution of The Doe Fund's Ready, Willing, and Able program into an evidence-based, working model for prisoner reentry. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Gabriel Torres-Rivera at grivera@cssny.org or call 212.614.5306

Location: Community Service Society - Conference Room 4A,
105 East 22nd Street, #6 or W/R train to 23rd St.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, RECEPTION BEGINS AT 6:00 PM THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AT NYU SCHOOL OF LAW AND THE ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE
A reception and discussion celebrating publication of Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion moderated by Jeffrey Toobin, Senior Legal Analyst for CNN Worldwide and legal affairs writer at The New Yorker. "Scrupulously honest and consistently fair-minded, Justice Brennan is a supremely impressive work that will long be prized as perhaps the best judicial biography ever written." -- The Washington Post

Featuring:
Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel, Co-authors of Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion
Burt Neuborne, Professor of Civil Liberties at NYU School of Law and Founding Legal Director, Brennan Center for Justice,
Lawrence Pedowitz, Partner at Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Clerk to Justice Brennan (1973-74)

RSVP to Deborah Francois (Deborah.Francois@nyu.edu or 646-292-8371).

Location: Kimmel Center @ New York University
60 Washington Square South, 10th Floor


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 5PM-7PM (NEW MEMBERS' ORIENTATION AT 4PM) COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS GENERAL MEETING
A special presentation from the Incarcerated Mothers Committee on “Mothers, Families and Implementation of the New ASFA Expanded Discretion Law” that was passed this year. If you know of families impacted by these issues, please extend to them the invitation to come to listen and perhaps speak out.
•    In honor of Thanksgiving, we would like to have a pot luck meeting. Please all those that can, bring a dish!
•    We are coming up to the end of the year so heads up for a survey to get feedback for the upcoming year.

Contact: Stacey Thompson, Coalition Associate, Women in Prison Project, 212-254-5700 ext. 333, www.correctionalassociation.org 

Location: 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., Suite 200 (betw 124th and 125th Sts)


EVERY FRIDAY 6-9PM - RIVERSIDE CHURCH BOOK STUDY GROUP - THE NEW JIM CROW, MASS INCARCERATION IN THE AGE OF COLORBLINDNESS, BY MICHELLE WASHINGTON (SEE ARTICLE #9)

For information on the study group contact Rev.Alison Alpert (abalpert@gmail.com); Jazz Hayden (jhayden512@aol.com), 917-753-3771; Larry White (lw77a3272@yahoo.com), 646-796-4203.

Location: Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave
(north of 120th St , one blk west of Bdwy.)
Ask at the front desk for directions to Room 10T in the MLK Building


NIAGARA FALLS:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 6-7:30PM NIAGARA PRISON FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP
Guest Speaker: – Karima Amin, Executive Director, Prisoners Are People Too

For further information and to leave a confidential message: Claudia 236-0257 or
e-mail niagarafamilies@aol.com

Location: Niagara Falls Public Library 1425 Main St. 2nd fl.



2. A STUDY BY THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES SHOWS HIGHER EDUCATION ADMISSION POLICIES CONTAIN HURDLES FOR PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS.

CCA announces their new publication, “The Use of Criminal History Records in College Admissions Reconsidered” that shows that a majority of colleges and universities now collect criminal history information as part of the college admissions procedures. The survey was done in collaboration with the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers.   The survey found that a broad array of convictions, including convictions for relatively minor offenses, are viewed as negative factors in the context of admissions decision-making.

Among the study’s key findings are:
• 66% of the responding colleges collect criminal justice information, although not all of them consider it in their admissions process.
• A sizable minority (38%) of the responding schools does not collect or use criminal justice information and those schools do not report that their campuses are less safe as a result.
• Most schools that collect and use criminal justice information require additional information and procedures before admitting an applicant with a past criminal record including consultation with academic deans and campus security personnel. 
• Less than half of the schools that collect and use criminal justice information have written policies in place, and only 40 percent train staff on how to interpret such information.
The use of criminal history records in admissions decision making is problematic for a number of reasons: there is no empirical evidence that shows a link between having a criminal record and posing a risk to campus safety; criminal record information is often inaccurate or misleading; and racial disparities in the criminal justice system means that young people of color are more likely to be affected by admissions practices that screen for criminal records.
In light of the findings, CCA offers a series of recommendations designed to make admissions processes fairer and more evidence-based.  A college education is one of society’s most potent and effective crime prevention tools.  It opens doors of opportunity, enhances critical thinking, and leads to better and more stable employment.  If past criminal convictions are preventing qualified young people from going to college, society as a whole is the loser.    

[A full copy of the report is available here].



3. COALITION FOR PAROLE RESTORATION (CPR) IS CONDUCTING A PRISON LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PAROLE ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS OR OTHER LOVED ONES IN PRISON. CPR IS ALSO SEEKING A FUNDRAISER/DEVELOPER.

This Coalition for Parole Restoration program will provide participants with an opportunity to gain leadership and problem-solving skills that will enable them to work in leadership positions in CPR and their communities. The family member of each individual that participates in the program will be assisted with their parole preparation and will be considered for our internship program when they are released. Pursuant to our affirmative action policy, CPR members will be give preference for the program but CPR membership is not a criterion for eligibility.

Guidelines:
Individuals must have a family member or other loved one currently incarcerated within the New York State Prison system
The person in prison must have at been denied two or more times and be scheduled for the next parole hearing no sooner than September 2011.
Individuals must complete an application process and be screened for selection.
Applicants must live in New York City or the surrounding suburbs and be available to attend meetings in New York City.

Anyone who is interested in the program should request an application from CPR by mail at PO Box 1379, New York, NY 10013-0877, email at parolecpr@yahoo.com, or telephone at 718-786-4174. You can also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Coalition-for-Parole-Restoration-CPR..

Deadline for submission of applications is December 31, 2010

JOB OPPORTUNITY: CPR IS SEEKING A FUNDRAISER/DEVELOPER ON A PART TIME BASIS. If you know of anyone who has experience in this area, please ask them to contact James Rivers at 718-786-4174 or email us: parolecpr@yahoo.com


4. CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ABUSES IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Some very troubling news has come to our attention. A young man, Alexis Cirino-Rodriguez, recently died at the William George Agency after a "physical incident" involving "intervention” by staff.  The William George Agency contracts with New York State's Office of Children and Family Services—the state agency that operates juvenile prisons. Daily News journalist Errol Lewis recently wrote a powerful column that focused on this tragic incident and proposed reforms to the juvenile justice system.

We cannot—and will not—be silent in the face of Alexis's death. We will keep you informed about our investigation and subsequent advocacy efforts related to this incident. Your dedication and interest enable us to speak out against these instances of grave injustice and brutality and to be ongoing, vocal advocates for constructive change in the criminal justice system. We greatly appreciate that support.

Contact: gprisco@correctionalassociation.org, 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., Suite 200, New York, NY 10027 | ph: (212) 254-5700



5. FAMILY REUNIFICATION VISITS AND FREE BUS TICKETS - THE (NEW) PROCESS FOR APPLYING

Free bus tickets - limited to one trip every 3 months
(NYC buses were suspended during contract negotiations; they are expected to be back at end of November.)

1. Person in prison applies to his or her counselor or chaplain for a free bus ticket.
2. Counselor or chaplain sends application to DOCS Dept of Ministerial and Family Services.
3. Ministerial Services sends the ticket to the person in prison, who then sends it to the person who will be visiting.
4. Person who will be visiting calls the official named on the ticket to make a reservation.

Family Reunification Progam (FRPs) - frequency depends on facility
(Note: Home visits by a DOCs staff member prior to approval will no longer be part of the process.)

1. Person in prison applies to his or her counselor or chaplain for participation in the FRP.
2. The application goes through the facility’s process, then is sent to Central Office to approve or not.
4. Application is sent back to the facility.
5. If it was approved, the facility contacts the family members to arrange the date.



6. ICARE’S INITIATIVE IN MULTIFAITH EDUCATION AND PRISON JUSTICE INVITES YOUR REFLECTIONS ON SOME QUESTIONS THEY ARE EXPLORING.

by Rima Vesely-Flad
This fall, as the founder of ICARE, I am working intensively with five women of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faiths. (As a practitioner of Buddhist teachings in the Vipassana tradition, I also add my voice). The group, which is based at Stony Point Conference Center in Rockland County, meets weekly to visit people in prison and to discuss the nexus between faith and activism, specifically the divide between ministers who pray with incarcerated people and activists who reject spiritual practice as a means of transformation.

The “prison practicum” has started with the premise that faith has always been a central component to systemic change. Faith is, after all, a way of taking ownership of one’s self and one’s life. In the practice of reflection and cultivating wisdom, a person is able to step out of institutional discourse, and realize that he or she is not defined by systemic oppression. Furthermore, spiritual practices allow a person or group the inner ability to reflect on the process of change while actually engaging in it. Thus faith enhances or grounds the ability to sustain energy and vision in the midst of difficult, slow, discouraging work.

The group is asking questions such as:
How does one’s faith shape one’s relationship to community-based work for systemic change of the penal system?
As a person committed to family and community, why is faith important?
How does the multifaith nature of prison community shape one’s spiritual experiences, the way faith communities are created, and the way community work is done?
How are one’s spiritual needs met during incarceration?
How does spiritual practice engage larger questions of the penal system?
How do the resources that have been available during incarceration foster faith and working for empowerment or change?

We are interested in reflections from people who are incarcerated or who have been released. If you are interested in sending a reflection on one or more of the aforementioned questions, please mail your submission of up to 500 words by January 1, 2011, to Rima Vesely-Flad, Stony Point Center, 17 Cricketown Road, Stony Point 10980



7. AN INDIGENT LEGAL SERVICES BOARD WAS CREATED BY STATUTE EARLIER THIS YEAR AND FINALLY ALL POSITIONS ON THE BOARD HAVE BEEN FILLED. IT IS NOW EMBARKING ON A NATIONAL SEARCH TO FILL THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INDIGENT LEGAL SERVICES.

While this Board is not the Independent Public Defense Commission we still believe New York State needs, its creation holds great promise for improving public defense services.
 
The members of the Board are: ·    Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman ·    Michael G. Breslin (Albany County Executive) ·    Judge Sheila DiTullio (Erie County Court Judge) ·    John R. Dunne (former member of the Kaye Commission) ·    Gail Gray (NYC criminal defense attorney) ·    Susan V. John (currently, Assemblywoman from Rochester) ·   Joseph C. Mareane (Tompkins County Administrator) ·    Leonard Noisette (former director of the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem) ·   Susan Sovie (Watertown Family Court attorney)
 
The New York State Defenders Justice Fund will keep you abreast of developments relevant to this first step in much-needed reform in how New York State addresses its public defense responsibility. Our efforts to see widespread meaningful change in the form of an Independent Public Defense Commission will continue.

Jonathan E. Gradess, Campaign Manager jgradess@newyorkjusticefund.org (518) 465-0519 New York State Defenders Justice Fund, 194 Washington Ave., Suite 500, Albany, NY 12210



8. “HOW MICHIGAN MANAGED TO EMPTY ITS PENITENTIARIES WHILE LOWERING ITS CRIME RATE", BY LUKE MOGELSON. ONE OF THE WAYS WAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PAROLE RELEASES. WORTH READING IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR ALL OUR READERS
[Available Here]

Highlights from Washington Monthly, November/December 2010:

In 2003, [Michigan] launched the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI), which amounts to the most comprehensive program in the country for helping parolees transition from prison back into society. The premise of the MPRI is familiar: that it’s both cheaper and safer to invest in preventing ex-cons from reoffending than it is to repeatedly incarcerate them. The methods, however, are new.

A few months ago, I sat in on an MPRI employment readiness seminar at the Oakland County parole office in Pontiac, the former hub of Automation Alley, where over half of the workforce is still employed by General Motors.

After the class, a reentry coordinator named Sherry Carter pulled a man with a goatee and shaved head into her office. He was hoping to get a job at the Silverdome, but he knew his prison tattoos would disqualify him. “SCORPIO” was inked on one side of his neck, “BETTY” on the other, and “D-A-R-K-N-E-S-S” across his knuckles. The Pontiac parole office has an agreement with American Pride, a local parlor that performs laser removals. In David’s case, the procedure would likely take two sessions, each costing $100, but the Michigan Department of Corrections, with MPRI funds, was willing to pay for it. Later, David told me that when he was released from prison the MPRI set him up with an apartment, provided him with bus passes, gave him vouchers for clothes, and helped him create a resume and apply for jobs. MPRI officials also got him enrolled in Oakland Community College, where he will be pursuing a degree in automotive technology. [Without their help], David told me, he probably wouldn’t have made it. “A guy like me, I did ten years in the joint. You get out and you got nothing. I had one outfit when I got out. That’s the only thing I had in my entire possession. If it wasn’t for the MPRI program, I’d be on the street right now.”

With the state hitting hard times (Michigan’s recession predates the economic downturn by a decade), Gov. Granholm and other officials were finally ready, if warily so, to listen to new ideas. What they heard from prison reformers was that Michigan’s sentencing policies, along with the rest of the country’s, were based on two flawed assumptions: one, that heavier sentences meaningfully deter crime; and two, that fewer grants of parole decrease recidivism. In fact, reformers had long argued, research shows that factors such as police per capita correlate far more closely with crime rates than do prison sentences, and longer lengths of stay do nothing to increase the likelihood of success on parole. [emphasis added]

[Dennis Schrantz is Gov. Granholm’s newly appointed deputy director for corrections.] Schrantz’s strategy for persuading the board to release more inmates from prison on parole was so straightforward it seems incredible that it hadn’t been tried before. “I asked them, ‘What do you need? Under what conditions would you consider paroling these individuals?’” Schrantz recounts. Members of the board say they were thrilled to be asked this simple question. They first brought up the problem of the mentally ill, who make up roughly a sixth of Michigan’s total prison population (7,100 out of 44,500).... Today, when mentally ill prisoners appear before the board, they bring packets detailing individually tailored, long-term master care plans. Parole approvals have spiked, and now only 28 percent of mentally ill parolees return to prison, compared with 50 percent prior to the initiative.

Schrantz also introduced into the decision making processes new academic research to which board members and corrections officials had never been exposed. “It was a whole new language,” says Patricia Caruso, Michigan’s director of corrections and a former prison warden. Often, the research had produced remarkably counterintuitive findings, calling into question long-held assumptions. Caruso recalls one especially memorable example of this. “Very early on [Schrantz] said to me that there is not a correlation between misconduct in prison and success on parole,” she says. “When Dennis first said this to me, I was absolutely aghast.” But Caruso says she eventually accepted the logic when Schrantz explained how, for women, unruliness in prison can actually be tied to success on parole. “So many women come to prison because they don’t have a voice. They’re often victims of men abusively guiding their actions,” says Caruso. “So getting a voice, and being able to tell the correction officer to go F himself, may not be the preferred way of conducting yourself in prison. But it does mean that when you get out you’re going to stand on your own two feet … Those types of things—within the first year, I really got it. I really embraced it.”

Meanwhile, Granholm and Caruso gradually replaced every member of the Engler parole board save one. In 2007, after winning reelection and implementing the MPRI statewide, Granholm appointed a former corrections officer named Barbara Sampson as chair of the parole board. “When Barb took over, everything changed,” Schrantz says. Sampson, who previously worked at a nonprofit for battered women, believed strongly in the MPRI and welcomed the new criminal justice research that Schrantz was recommending.

While the spike in paroled sex offenders has been a particularly hard sell, even with the governor (“She’s no big fan of releasing sex offenders,” Schrantz says. “She had her way, we’d castrate them”), the approach has so far been allowed to continue, without any obviously adverse effects to public safety. Since 2005, reported rapes in Michigan are down 13 percent.

Despite the success of the MPRI, there are, unsurprisingly, many opponents of Michigan’s new parole practices. In January, the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan held a series of coordinated press conferences across the state, enlisting victims and their families to warn against the danger of paroling violent offenders. One attorney likened the spike in paroles to “a fire sale.”

The press has reinforced such sentiments. “They’re scaring the hell out of everybody,” Payne said of the local news station. People in Bay City “were totally under the impression that we were putting pedophiles on the bus stop to snatch their kids.”

Such stories of parolees who return to crime—and there will always be a proportion of parolees (as well as ordinary ex-prisoners) who return to crime—pose an immense challenge to the MPRI. “When you see someone you paroled go out and kill innocent people, you question every decision you make.” For a while, the board cut down dramatically on parole approvals, and Michigan’s prison population subsequently increased by more than 2,000.

By the end of 2007, however, the parole board had resumed its earlier pace of approvals. “You had Dennis [Schrantz] and you had the director and everybody doing all of this evidence-based, data-driven work,” Sampson remembers. “And steadily dangling that work, saying, ‘Board, take a look at this information. This is a study that came out of Kansas. Look at the Pew report.’”

Ultimately, aside from concerns over reoffending parolees, a different problem may pose the greatest threat to the MPRI: Michigan’s severe recession. ...what most [parolees] had in common was employment. Michigan’s unemployment rate has reached almost 13 percent, 3 points above the national average. Ironically, the same dire economic straits that spurred Michigan to reduce its prison population in the first place might also endanger the MPRI’s long-term success.

In Kalamazoo, Michael Brown, a Korean War veteran with a graying flattop, grayer mustache, and several missing teeth, told me he had been in and out of prison six times. Five of those times it was the same parole agent who sent him back on technical violations. This December, he was released through the MPRI. Now Brown has a new parole agent who couldn’t be more different, and Brown has changed, too. “Anything I do, if I’m the slightest bit worried about getting in trouble, I talk to him first,” Brown told me. “In the past, you didn’t have that. They were there to monitor you and they didn’t really care about you. They didn’t care if you had problems. They didn’t care if you wanted to reconcile with your family. The best you could get out of a parole officer was, ‘See you next month.’” I asked what things might have been like if he’d had the MPRI during any of his previous paroles. Brown shook his head. “I probably would’ve never come back. I think things would’ve been a lot different. I’d probably still be married to the same woman and been able to raise my kids instead of not being there for her or them. It’s a world of difference.”

Luke Mogelson is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn.



9. THE NEW JIM CROW. MICHELLE WASHINGTON’S BOOK, THE NEW JIM CROW, INCARCERATION IN THE AGE OF COLORBLINDNESS, IS A MUST-READ FOR ANYONE INVOLVED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE. WE HOPE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IT BY PRINTING QUOTATIONS FROM EACH OF THE SIX CHAPTERS IN THIS AND FUTURE EDITIONS.

Chapter 1: The Rebirth of Caste
[After Jim Crow died, and they were] barred by law from invoking race explicitly.... proponents of racial hierarchy found they could install a new racial caste system without violating the law or the new limits of acceptable political discourse, by demanding “law and order” rather than “segregation forever.” P.40
[Millions of people were] behind bars .....[or labeled felons and] relegated to the margins of mainstream society, banished to a political and social space not unlike Jim Crow, where discrimination in employment, housing, and access to education was perfectly legal, and where they could be denied the right to vote.... Ninety percent of those admitted to prison for drug offenses in many states were black or Latino, yet the mass incarceration of communities of color was explained in race-neutral terms, an adaptation to the needs and demands of the current political clime. The New Jim Crow was born. P 56-57 [Next month: The Lockdown]



10. NYS PAROLE REFORM CAMPAIGN - STRATEGY AND REQUEST FOR INPUT

The Campaign's strategy team meets every two weeks. We are in the process of composing a sign-on support letter for organizations who support our proposal for reforming parole board policies. As soon as it is complete we will use it to show other organizations and legislators the extent of support for these changes. At the same time we are gathering names and addresses of our members across the state (so we can identify their state legislators).

It was noted that prison is an agency, and like any agency needs to have the trust of its clients, the people incarcerated in its facilities, who must believe that the agency has their interests at heart in order to invest fully in the process of rehabilitation. We ask incarcerated readers to send us their responses to the following questions: Do you trust that DOCS and Parole have your interests at heart? If so, what is that trust based on? If not, why not?



11. PAROLE NEWS: RELEASES IN OCTOBER

OCTOBER 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES - A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database

TOTAL INTERVIEWS...# RELEASED......# DENIED...RATE OF RELEASE
23 initials............................6.....................17.............26%
76 reappearances..............14.....................62.............18%
99 Total.............................20....................79..............20%

INITIAL RELEASES
FACILITY........... SENTENCE......... OFFENSE
Fishkill........... 15-Life............ Murder 2
Fishkill........... 25-Life............ Murder 2
Fishkill........... 25 ?-Life.......... Att M 1
Gt Meadow..... 20-Life............ Murder 2
Hudson........... 25-Life............ Murder 2
Otisville.......... 15-Life............ Murder 2

REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY........... SENTENCE.........OFFENSE..........# OF BOARD
Arthurkill....... 25-Life............Murder 2........ 4th
Arthurkill....... 20-Life............Murder 2........ 5th
Bare Hill......... 15-Life............Att M1............ 10th
Coxsackie........ 20-Life............Murder 2........ 2nd
Fishkill........... 20-Life............Murder 2........ 5th
Fishkill........... 25-Life............M pre74.......... 7th
Fishkill........... 15-Life............Murder 2........ 9th
Fishkill........... 25-Life............Murder 2........ 5th *for deportation only
Greene........... 15-Life............Murder 2........ 4th
Greenhaven.... 15-Life............Murder 2........ 2nd
Hudson........... 15-Life............Murder 2........ 8th
Mid Orange.... 15-Life............M pre74.......... 11th
Otisville.......... 20-Life............Murder 2........ 7th
Wende............ 20-Life............Murder 2......... 4th



12. VOCAL NEW YORK -  THE NYC AIDS HOUSING NETWORK (NYCAHN) WILL NOW BE KNOWN AS VOCAL NEW YORK (VOICES OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS & LEADERS) TO REFLECT THEIR NEW FOCUS ON STATEWIDE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING TO BUILD POWER AMONG LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WHILE CONTINUING THEIR MISSION TO EXPAND HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. [Find out more on our new website www.VOCAL-NY.org.]

VOCAL New York will be the umbrella organization for all of our community organizing, leadership development, civic engagement, strategic advocacy and direct services programs. The idea for VOCAL New York originated during a leadership retreat with our low-income members about two years ago in an effort to create a better organizational identity that encompassed all of our work. Our new identity was also driven by significant growth.  

Our program areas will remain the same:
• Community Organizing & Base Building, New York AIDS Housing Network, Civic Engagement, Training and Leadership Development, Direct Services  Everyone who accesses services is encouraged to become involved in our community organizing.

Highlights of recent victories include:
• Expanded Syringe Access To Prevent HIV and Hepatitis C: We passed a state law that strengthened legal protections for syringe exchange participants by reconciling the Penal Code with the Public Health Law nearly 20 years after syringe exchange first became legal.
• Affordable Housing & Homelessness Prevention: After a four year legislative campaign, we passed a major state bill that set a 30% rent cap affordable housing protection. Although Governor Paterson vetoed it, we're working to enact it before he leaves office and at the same time educating Governor-Elect Cuomo’s staff about it. 
Incarceration - Ending 'Prison-Based Gerrymandering:'  This will restore voting power to poor communities most impacted by incarceration, HIV/AIDS and the drug war.
• Protecting access to HIV/AIDS services and preserving supportive housing.  

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE for our first membership assembly as VOCAL New York -- Friday, December 10th (time and location in NYC TBA). For more info call 917 676-8041, or write jeremy@nycahn.org or alfredo@nycahn.org



13. VOTING RIGHTS - IN GREAT BRITAIN. IN A NOV 3, 2010 LEADING ARTICLE, THE INDEPENDENT REPORTS THAT THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT MAY BE ON THE VERGE OF ALLOWING INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO VOTE.

The case for democracy behind bars
Wednesday, 3 November 2010, The Independent

The 140-year blanket disenfranchisement of British prisoners is about to expire. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2004 that Britain's exclusion of prison inmates from the democratic process was unlawful. And the Coalition is understood to be on the verge of acquiescing in that ruling.

A backlash from the populist press, the perennial cheerleader for Britain's punitive culture, is inevitable. Right wing Conservative backbenchers are also likely to create a fuss. And the verbal attacks on the Strasbourg-based ECHR have already begun. But lifting the ban is the right decision. And the previous Labour government should have enacted the reform when the ECHR delivered its original verdict six years ago rather than looking for a way around it.

There are three primary objectives for incarceration in a democracy: to safeguard the public, to rehabilitate the offender and to punish the criminal. The question is whether stripping a convict of their right to vote is a legitimate aspect of the punishment function. The answer is that it is not.

The right to vote is one of the pillars on which the superstructure of our democracy rests. All citizens should enjoy it. It is a strange sort of democracy in which civic rights are contingent on good behaviour. A supplementary, but also compelling, argument for reform outlined by the Howard League for Penal Reform is that barring prisoners from voting conflicts with the goal of rehabilitating them. One of the objectives of prison should be to re-socialise inmates. This is made more difficult while they lose the right to one of the fundamental aspects of civic participation upon passing through the prison gates.

It has been suggested that the Government might try to maintain the ban for those guilty of particularly notorious crimes, such as serial killers and child murderers. But if the principle that prisoners should be able to vote is right, it makes no sense to create special arrangements for public hate figures.

The Government appears to be moving in the right direction on prison voting. It would be unfortunate if it tarnished its record of good behaviour so close to the day of release.




Building Bridges is published by Prison Action Network as a way of communicating with our members.

To join, please send an email to prisonactionnetwork@gmail.com,
or call 518 253 7533.

October 2010

Throughout the month we post late breaking news and announcements. Scroll down to go directly to the October 15 newsletter. Thank you.


POSTED 11/11 NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16th
 
TO SUPPORT SENATE PASSAGE OF THE
NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION ACT!
 
BACKGROUND INFO:
 
In 2009, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and 15 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, legislation that would create a bipartisan Commission to review and identify effective criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform.  Both the House of Representatives and Senate Judiciary Committee have reviewed and favorably passed the bill, and now the bill awaits passage by the United States Senate. 
 
ACTION NEEDED: NEW YORKERS WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT THEIR SENATORS, SCHUMER AND GILLIBRAND, ARE CO-SPONSORS, SO THERE IS NO NEED TO CALL THEM.




POSTED 11/11 TONIGHT! NOVEMBER 11, 7pm -10pm
NYCAHN/VOCAL 10th Anniversary Gala!

We are exciting to be honoring these leaders for our community during our 10th Anniversary Gala:

Congressman Jerrold Nadler
Senator Thomas K. Duane
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries
Wanda Hernandez

Tickets start at $35. For more information contact Charles Long: charles@nycahn.org or 347-200-7248.

Location: 1199 Penthouse, 330 W. 42nd St. 33rd Floor



POSTED 11/10 - Four events that are likely to be of interest to our readers are coming up in the next 3 days: Thursday, Friday and Saturday. See details below:

Thursday, November 11, 7:00pm–8:30pm Panel on“Experiments in Social Isolation Communications Managements Units and the Expansion of Unconstitutional Detention Policies in the post-9/11 Federal Prison System”

Panel members: Jenny Synan and Noor Elashi, family members of a CMU prisoner; CCR Staff Attorneys Alexis Agathocleous and Rachel Meeropol; CCR Education and Outreach Associate Nahal Zamani

The Bureau of Prisons claims that CMUs are designed to hold dangerous terrorists and other high-risk inmates, requiring heightened monitoring of their external and internal communications. Many prisoners, however, are sent to these isolation units for their constitutionally protected religious beliefs, unpopular political views, or in retaliation for challenging poor treatment or other rights violations in the federal prison system. Unlike other prisoners in the federal system, CMU prisoners are categorically denied any physical contact with family members and are forbidden from hugging, touching or embracing their children, spouses or loved ones during visits. The CMUs are an experiment in social isolation.

Sponsored by: South Asian Americans Leading Together; The Arab American Association of New York; Support Daniel McGowan; and CUNY Law School National Lawyers Guild Chapter. For more information, click on the Center for Constitutional Rights website  here.

Location: The Unitarian Community Church of New York City
40 East 35th Street (6-train to 33rd Street, BDFMNQR-trains to 34th Street)



Friday, November 12 National Reentry Resource Center Will Broadcast the Prisoner Reentry Institute’s Occasional Series on Reentry Research

The National Reentry Resource Center will carry a live broadcast on the center’s website of The Occasional Series on Reentry Research, hosted by the Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET, Friday, November 12, 2010. This installment of the series is titled: “Parole Release Decisions: Impact of Victim and Nonvictim Input on Parole-Eligible Inmates” and will feature Joel M. Caplan, assistant professor, School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University; Commissioner Christina Hernandez, New York State Board of Parole; and Yael Shy, director of development and Education, New York University’s Center on Violence and Recovery.

According to the Prisoner Reentry Institute:
“This study analyzed administrative data from the New Jersey State Parole Board to determine the extent to which victim and nonvictim input impacted parole release decisions. Positive and negative input, in both verbal and written forms, was studied for a representative sample of 820 parole-eligible adults. Results suggest it can no longer be assumed that victim rights laws and public participation at parole hearings guarantee victim-desired outcomes. Policy and practice implications will be discussed.”

To watch the live broadcast, please visit www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org on Friday morning and click on the link in the “What’s New” section, or click here(this link will not be active until Friday morning). Event materials, including Power Point presentations, panelist biographies, and a list of relevant resources, will be available on the Prisoner Reentry Institute’s website: www.jjay.cuny.edu/centers/prisoner_reentry_institute/2704.htm.

For more information about the Prisoner Reentry Institute or the Occasional Series on Reentry Research, contact Anna Crayton.



Please join us to honor and remember Marilyn Buck

Saturday, November 13, 4:30 pm to 7 pm - celebration of the life of Marilyn Buck
followed by....
7 pm to 11 pm - Second Annual Freedom Dance, honoring Marilyn and the six New York State political prisoners: Herman Bell, David Gilbert, Robert Seth Hayes, Abdul Majid, Jalil Muntaqim and Sekou Odinga.

The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Center, 3940 Broadway (at 165th Street), Manhattan

For complete information: 917 648 7768 or click here

MARILYN PRESENTE!




Dear Reader,

We are moving full steam ahead with the campaign to end parole denials based on the nature of the crime. We insist the job of the parole board is to evaluate the person not inflict the punishment!

Over 5 years ago Prison Action Network, at the suggestion of the Otisville Lifers Group, became involved in educating and mobilizing the families and friends of people who keep getting denied parole release because of the nature of the crime for which they have completed the minimum sentence. At that time many families thought their incarcerated loved ones had done something wrong to deserve the denial. 

Family Empowerment Day 1 in 2005 opened their eyes to the truth.  And by Family Empowerment Day 4, in 2008, over 400 family members, friends and advocates came together to hear the head of Parole tell us that if we wanted to end the practice of parole denials based on the crime, we had to change the law.

And that's exactly what we are ready to do!  We have spent over a year working to change the parole statute, Executive Law 259-i, so that the parole board will not be able to resentence people, but will have to base their decision on the parole applicant's record while incarcerated. We say, "Evaluation not Punishment!" In order for our suggestions to become law, we need the support of other advocacy organizations, and a majority of the voters in NYS rising up and demanding this change.  

That's where you come in. If you support parole reform and you vote, we need to provide political cover for our friends in the legislature, to give them the courage to support changes they know will put NYS on the map for having the most progressive parole board policy in the US.  If enough voters demand that their representatives support legislation that will take the nature of the crime out of the list of reasons the parole board can deny parole, those legislators will not be able to say, "this bill does not have enough support to pass". We all must convince our representatives in the legislature to support these changes. We're going to have to work hard to counteract the opposition, but we're no strangers to hard work, are we?

If you represent an advocacy organization, we need you to publicly state your support. If you have questions about the proposal, or about how you can sign on, we're available to meet with you to discuss them.   Please invite us by contacting Judith Brink at prisonactionnetwork@gmail.com or at 518-253-7533.  We love to share the good news! People have the power!

[For more details on the campaign's progress please see article #2. You may also write us for our one-page description to send to your legislators and anyone else you want to convince to support our cause.]

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


ARTICLE INDEX

1. Activism: actions, meetings and events
2. Campaign for Parole Reform
3. Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition
4. Mental Health Guide
5. Parole News
6. Sen. Schneiderman and Rev. Sharpton
7. Voting Rights Rally
8. Women's special needs
9. Work Release letter sent to governor

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to, or excerpted from, in this issue, please write Building Bridges with a request clearly stating name of the document and the date of the Building Bridges in which it was used -Ed.]


1. ACTIVISM: ACTIONS, MEETINGS AND EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE THIS MONTH;

ACTIONS

A1. WORK RELEASE; SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE:

Julia Long, Prison Action Network member and public servant, sent a proposal to Governor Paterson outlining many reasons why it would make good sense for him to repeal "Executive Order #5: Repealing Work Release for Violent Felony Offenders". If you support her call for repeal of the executive order that eliminated work release for violent felony offenders, please call or write the governor: Gov. David A. Paterson, State Capitol, Albany NY 12224, 518-474-8390; email the governor
 
You could say something as simple as this: I am aware that there is a proposal on Gov Paterson's desk, sent to him by Ms. Julia Long, to repeal Executive Order #5 which denies Work Release for Violent Felony Offenders. I agree with all the reasons she gives for returning eligibility for work release to persons convicted of violent crimes. Please do this one last "smart on crime" act before you leave office. Thank you.


A2. NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION ACT, H.R. 5143 / S.714 [COMMONLY KNOWN AS JIM WEBB'S BILL]

There is still time to call your U.S. Senators to ask them to prioritize and support Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, as soon as possible!

BACKGROUND INFO:
In 2009, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and 15 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, legislation that would create a bipartisan Commission to review and identify effective criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform.  The House of Representatives and Senate Judiciary Committee have reviewed and favorably passed the bill, and it is now awaiting passage by the United States Senate.  The results of this Commission would likely strengthen our arguments for the changes we here in NYS are seeking in our criminal justice system.

MESSAGE: I am calling to ask the Senator to prioritize and support immediate Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, because:
•  Having a transparent and bipartisan Commission review and identify effective criminal justice policies would increase public safety.
• The increase in incarceration over the past twenty years has stretched the system beyond its limits.  These high costs to taxpayers are unsustainable, especially during these tough economic times.
• The proposed commission would conduct a comprehensive national review – not audits of individual state systems – and would issue recommendations – not mandates – for consideration. 

If you live in NYS, the senators to call are: Kirsten E.Gillibrand - (D - NY) - (202) 224-4451, and Charles E. Schumer, - (D - NY) (202) 224-6542


A3. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 4:45PM VOICES OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS & LEADERS (VOCAL) TOWN HALL ON PAROLEE RIGHTS

Where: 113 E. 13th St. (betw 3rd and 4th Ave., in Manhattan)

TALK TO city and state agencies that have a significant impact on the lives of people who are currently and formerly incarcerated about housing, voting rights, parole eligibility and re-entry services.
INVITED SPEAKERS: •New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) •New York State Department of Corrections (DOC) •New York State Division of Parole (DOP)

Transportation assistance and food available Info at (347) 849-2486 or alfredo@nycahn.org


A4. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2:30 PM IN YOUR FACE RALLY - FREE!!!-
THE RALLY OF THE CENTURY!!! UNFORGETTABLE TESTIMONIES!!! UNBELIEVABLE FACTS!!! Slavery was never abolished, it was merely adjusted - WE’LL TELL YOU, WE’LL UNVEIL THE TRUTH – WE’LL PUT THINGS – IN YOUR FACE!!
Location: Union Temple of Brooklyn, 17 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11238

How can one be charged for a crime, serve the minimum time to which they were sentenced and do so with substantial progress, yet be denied continuously THEIR freedom due to the crime for which they were incarcerated for in the first place? If after 10, 15, 20, 25 years a person has yet to be rehabilitated, then do we not have a broken system!! Hence what is the purpose of the system!! A parole board who seemingly spends more time hindering ones freedom vs. assisting one in regaining access to their freedom! So the question is: What then is the purpose of the parole board?
Well we say NO MORE! What’s worse than a sick twisted system, is the people who KNOW the ills of this system and who sit back, idling, doing nothing to speak up for those who are falling victim to the system every single day! What we do not uncover, expose and start to correct in our lifetime, we leave for our children to live through in the next…In some way, we ALL are affected by this sick prison/parole board system …..



MEETINGS:
ALBANY:

EVERY TUESDAY AT 6PM P-MOTIONS (PROGRESSIVE MEN OPERATING TOWARDS INITIATING OPPORTUNITIES NOW) A men's support group which meets weekly at the SEFCU building, 388 Clinton Ave (look for the bright red roof).  Facilitation shared by Sam Wiggins, Monroe Parrott and Malik Rivera.  For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 7:00 PM THE NEW YORK STATE PRISONER JUSTICE NETWORK MEETING
Agenda: Outreach/planning for regional meetings: NYC, Buffalo (possibly including Rochester), Central New York. Discuss lobby day proposal as part of agenda for regional meetings. Goals for regional meetings. Reports: communications committee, prison voices committee. Work party: mail directories to participating organizations and to people in prison.

Problem or question? Want a copy of the minutes of the last meeting? Call the Social Justice Center 518-434-4037.
Location: The Social Justice Center, 33 Central Avenue, Albany.
Call-ins welcome 712-432-0111 access 106007#

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 7:00–8:30PM PRISON FAMILIES OF NEW YORK SPEAKER SERIES
All Welcome – Free and Confidential. An evening of Q&A with Ed Fraley and Joe Ingemie from  NYS Div of Parole
Call 518-453-6659 for more information
Location: The Women’s Building, 373 Central Ave, Albany


BROOKLYN:

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5:30PM VOCAL PAROLEES ORGANIZING PROJECT [See article 8 for more on VOCAL]

Visit www.VotingRightsForNewYork.org and join us to build power among people who are formerly incarcerated to reduce mass incarceration and fight discrimination against people with criminal records. For more info call 917 676-8041, write jeremy@nycahn.org

Location: 80A 4th Ave. in Brooklyn


BUFFALO:

EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 5-6 PM ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION DEMONSTRATION in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffalo. [See article 3 for more on ECPRC]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO! MEETING

FAMILY COURT CRISIS -- PART 2: We will re-visit last month’s topic which was “Family Court Crisis.” Last month, we heard the child custody story of Ms. Jacqueline Bontzolakes who explained how her Family Court experiences landed her behind the walls of the Erie County Holding Center. She is one of many parents who attest to the fact that Family Court did not work for their family and that it didn’t do what it might have done to keep the family intact. Our second speaker was Ms. Eula Nailor, a longtime community activist who works with families negatively impacted by Family Court and the Foster Care system. An audience of nearly 40 attendees made it abundantly clear that there is great interest in some critical issues surrounding Family Court procedure.

As a result, this month’s guest speaker will be the Honorable Debra Givens, who comes to us with a wealth of experience, having been a judge in various courts for 11 years, with a strong background as a Matrimonial and Family Law Attorney. She has served as a Law Guardian to more than 100 children for 8 years; a Family Court Support Magistrate for 4 years; a Buffalo City Court Judge, presiding over the Domestic Violence Court for 2 years; and currently serving as an Acting Family Court Judge. The Judge will talk about Family Court procedure and her role as a judge in several capacities as indicated above. Honoring judicial ethics, she will not talk about the facts of any pending or impending cases.

The film being screened is “Family Court Crisis: Our Children at Risk,” produced by the Center for Judicial Excellence. (Last month we screened the film's trailer.)

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:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1:00-3:00PM NY REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
Education Inside, Out: Increasing Access to Higher Education for People in and after Prison.
Guest Speakers:
Vivian Nixon, Policy Association, College and Community Fellowship
Glenn Martin, Dir. of David Rothenberg Ctr for Public Policy, V-P of Fortune Society
Leslie Campbell, Recruitment, Intake, Retention Coordinator at College and Community Fellowship.

Please RSVP to Gabriel Torres-Rivera (grivera@cssny) or 212 614 5306
Location: CSS, 105 E 22 St. corner Park Ave So., Conf Rm 4A, #6 or W/R train, 23rd St stop


WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 20 6:30PM RECEPTION, 7PM PANEL DISCUSSION
hosted by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Common Cause and American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

Obstruction in the Modern Senate: Is Reform Possible?

Panel Moderated by Stephen Younger, Pres. NYS Bar Association: Emmet Bondurant, Common Cause; Olatunde (Olati) Johnson, Ass. Prof of Law, Columbia Law School; Mimi Marziani, katz Fellow, Brennan Ctr for Justice; David Walman, contrib. Editor, Daily Kos and Congress Matters

Location: NYU School of Law
RSVP, or call 646 292 8371 for Room Name.


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 10AM-NOON THE COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS
All interested persons are invited to attend this meeting about domestic violence survivors in the criminal justice system.
Location: 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., Suite 200


EVERY FRIDAY 6-9PM - RIVERSIDE CHURCH BOOK STUDY GROUP- SEE ARTICLE # 8 ON THE NEW JIM CROW


NIAGARA FALLS:

TUESDAY OCTOBER 19, 6:00–7:30PM NIAGARA PRISON FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP
For families and friends of prisoners, formerly incarcerated people and their families, and interested community members. Free and Confidential
Guest Speaker: Eric Boerdner
Re-entry Coordinator, Niagara County Re-entry Task Force Community Missions, Inc.

Upcoming Speaker: November 16th – Karima Amin, Executive Director, Prisoners Are People Too

For further information and to leave a confidential message: Claudia 236-0257 or e-mail
Location: Niagara Falls Public Library 1425 Main St. 2nd fl.



2. CAMPAIGN FOR PAROLE REFORM IS ON THE MOVE

The Campaign Strategy Team has met twice, on Sept 30 and Oct 5. Eight representatives of activist organizations have joined with the Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies to plan our strategy for passing legislation that would end the practice of basing parole decisions on the nature of the crime.

Is your organization committed to this campaign? Let us know. If not, we are available to meet with you to discuss our proposal for amending Exec.Law 259-i.. Email Prison Action Network to schedule a meeting at a location of your choosing. A phone conference is also possible. Two groups have already invited us.

We are putting together a list of radio, video, print and TV reporters for our media campaign. Please help us by sending the names of any sympathetic columnists or reporters with whom you have developed a relationship.

We'll keep you informed through this monthly column. Send a request for the bill and a one-page description, and use them to get others to support our proposal.



3. ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION: STILL STANDING - NO MATTER THE NUMBERS, WE HAVE STOOD STEADFAST, DETERMINED TO KEEP ISSUES OF ALLEGED JAILHOUSE ABUSE ON THE FRONT BURNER.

by Karima Amin
On Wednesday, August 5, 2009, we stood on the corner of Delaware Avenue and Church Street, in front of the Erie County Holding Center, in protest for the first time. Calling ourselves the “Buffalo Prison Abuse Project,” about a dozen of us carried signs, protesting Erie County Jail Management’s desire to keep Department of Justice investigators out of the Erie County Holding Center. We stood on that corner, determined to be “a voice for the voiceless,” chanting: “Prisoners are people too; it could be me or you!” and “No excuse for prisoner abuse!” Men’s voices from inside thanked us and chanted with us. A brief meeting followed that first standout and we agreed to do it again…and again…and again, every Wednesday thereafter, between 5:00 and 6:00pm. In January of this year, we changed our name to better reflect our mission: Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition.

Through sun, wind, rain and snow and too many suicides, our core group of about 10 people, ballooned to a high of 20 and dwindled to a low of 2. No matter the numbers, we have stood steadfast, determined to keep issues of alleged jailhouse abuse on the front burner. These ugly allegations of abuse are not new. They have been a fact of life for decades. Current and former detainees say, “I would tell what I know but who would believe me?” Current and former staff say, “I would tell what I know but I might lose my job.” Former and current deputies say, “I would tell what I know but there’s a thin, blue line that I had better not cross.” Fear is a horrifying, and crippling thing that has an unquestionable stranglehold on all of them.

Everyday I wonder if there will ever be a huge public outcry about the people whose lives have been lost or damaged in our downtown county jail. I wonder too if there will ever be a public outcry about taxpayer dollars being spent on lawsuits that could have been avoided if humane and professional service had been rendered. I have been told that my wondering is naïve and pointless. There are people who actually benefit from the ugliness on the inside so the status quo must be maintained. Everyday I wonder if someone will confirm or refute my belief that every suicide was not, in fact, a suicide. Everyday I wonder, in my naïveté, when someone in power will come forward and say, “Power be damned; I will tell the truth.”

For more than a year, I have been waiting for our ranks on that corner to grow. We stand there every week, believing that we are no different from the detainees on the inside. We understand that any one of us could be on the outside today and confined inside the Erie County Holding Center tomorrow. This happens more than we want to believe but it’s a reality that we cannot deny. We cannot separate ourselves from our sisters and brothers on the inside whom some view as criminals and nothing more. It’s scary for them to think that we are more alike than we are different.

Here we are, thirteen months later, still standing and believing that there is some good in everyone and together we can change things for the better if we would simply acknowledge that everyone is not blessed with privilege and opportunity. There really is no liberty and justice for all. The status quo is working for some but the end result is too many haves and way too many have-nots.

So here I am…here we are…still standing.



4. WHEN A PERSON WITH MENTAL ILLNESS GOES TO PRISON: HOW TO HELP, A GUIDE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS. [See last paragraph for ways to get your own copy]

The Urban Justice Center’s Mental Health Project (MHP) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness – New York State (NAMI-NYS) are pleased to announce the publication of this guide which provides comprehensive information about the New York State prison mental health system and contains suggestions for supporting people with psychiatric disabilities in prison.  We hope it will serve as a valuable resource for family members struggling to protect their loved ones.

The guide was written by Alexandra H. Smith, Soros Justice Fellow with MHP from 2008 through 2010, and Jennifer J. Parish, MHP’s Director of Criminal Justice Advocacy.  Funding for the project was provided by the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, the Open Society Institute, and NAMI-NYS. 

You can download the publication at www.urbanjustice.org/pdf/publications or order a copy by contacting Jennifer Parish at the Urban Justice Center, 123 William Street, 16th floor, New York, NY 10038 or email jparish@urbanjustice.org.



5. "THE NEW JIM CROW, MASS INCARCERATION IN THE AGE OF COLORBLINDNESS", WRITTEN BY MICHELLE ALEXANDER, ARGUES THAT "MASS INCARCERATION IS, METAPHORICALLY, THE NEW JIM CROW AND THAT ALL THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE SHOULD FULLY COMMIT THEMSELVES TO DISMANTLING THIS NEW RACIAL CASTE SYSTEM [p.11].

Riverside Church in NYC has taken this call very seriously. Starting last Friday (Oct. 8) a study/workshop group is studying and discussing the book chapter by chapter and then working to develop a collective action the group can undertake. This approach is developing across the country in order to start a movement.

The book study group meets every other Friday and a Prison and Parole group meets on the following Fridays.  Jazz Hayden and Alison Alpert head the book study group and Larry White heads the Parole and Prison group.  IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN. The next book study group meeting is Fri Oct 22, 6-9pm. We hope you'll buy or borrow the book, read the first chapter, and show up for the next meeting. An interview with the author is available at YouTube.com.

For more information contact Rev.Alison Alpert (abalpert@gmail.com); Jazz Hayden (jhayden512@aol.com), 917-753-3771; Larry White (lw77a3272@yahoo.com), 646-796-4203.

Location: Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave, (north of 120th St , one blk west of Bdwy.)
Ask at the front desk for directions to Room 10T in the MLK Building



6. PAROLE NEWS: SEPTEMBER 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES OF A1 VIOLENT FELONS –
DIN #s through 1999, unofficial research from parole database

Total Interviews......... # Released...... # Denied........ Rate of Release
25 initials............................2....................... 23....................... 8%
79 reappearances............. 10....................... 69....................... 13%
104 Total.......................... 12....................... 92....................... 12%

Initial Releases
Facility....................... Sentence......... Offense
Clinton....................... 25-Life............ Murder 2
Coxsackie.................. 25-Life............ Murder 2

Reappearances
Facility....................... Sentence......... Offense.......... # of Board
Clinton....................... 25-Life............ Murder 2........ 2nd
Fishkill....................... 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 7th *Special Consideration/De Novo hearing
Great Meadow............ 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th
Mid Orange................ 20-Life............ Murder 2........ 6th
Mid Orang.................. 15-Life............ Murder 2........ 2nd
Midstate......................15-Life............ Murder 2........ 10th
Mt McGregor.............. 18-Life............ Murder 2........ 3rd
Otisville.......................25-Life............ Kidnap 1......... 3rd
Otisville.......................25-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th
Southport....................15-Life............ Murder 2........ 4th

If your loved one has a parole hearing, please send the name of the facility, the date of the hearing and the names of the commissioners. Prison Action Network needs that information for research purposes. Thank you.



7. SEN. ERIC SCHNEIDERMAN AND REV.AL SHARPTON: SCHNEIDERMAN SAYS THAT HE WOULD FOLLOW IN SHARPTON’S FOOTSTEPS IN PURSUING JUSTICE FOR NEW YORKERS.

In an OpEd entitled “The Rev. Al Sharpton, Our Next Attorney General?”, which ran in a local publication in Alfonse D’Amato’s home base of Long Island on Sunday, 10 Oct 2010, the senator-turned-lobbyist wrote a harsh opinion of Senator Schneiderman's public vow that if he is elected attorney general of NYS, Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and the House of Justice, its Harlem headquarters, “will have an annex in Albany for the first time in state history.”

Schneiderman’s remarks were made prior to the Democratic primary, after Sharpton had endorsed him over his Democratic opponents. Schneiderman won the nomination. Some say this connection with Rev. Sharpton has hurt Eric Schneiderman's chances, but we'll let the voters decide that, won't we?!

Schneiderman called Sharpton’s endorsement the “Good Housekeeping seal of approval from the man from the House of Justice.”



8. VOTING RIGHTS - ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESS FOR VOTING RIGHTS ON DAY BEFORE REGISTRATION DEADLINE. SENATORS HASSELL-THOMPSON & PERKINS, AMS O’DONNELL, JEFFRIES & WRIGHT, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, PAROLEE HECTOR MARTINEZ, FORMER PAROLEES LARRY WHITE AND JOSEPH “JAZZ” HAYDEN, AND LEGAL ADVOCATES ERIKA WOOD & TRACIE GARDNER FROM LEGAL ACTION CTR ALL SPOKE. [Click here to View on youtube, , thanks to Jazz Hayden.]

Advocates Urge Gubernatorial Candidates To Clarify Stance on Restoring Voting Rights For 41,000 New Yorkers On Parole
 
New York, NY, Oct.7 – Elected officials joined members of VOCAL New York outside the Board of Elections in Manhattan today to call for restoring voting rights to 41,000 New Yorkers on parole. When factoring in those who are incarcerated, more than 108,000 New Yorkers are currently disenfranchised due to a conviction in their past. The rally was timed the day before the voter registration deadline for the upcoming election on November 2nd.

“I'm 51 years old and this November will be the first time in my life I get to vote because I've either been behind bars or on parole until being discharged last month,” said Ramon Velasquez, a VOCAL New York member. “I'm trying to give back to my community – I volunteer at a homeless program, run recovery support groups, and support my family. But I was denied the right to vote until recently just because I was on parole.”

Advocates also urged gubernatorial candidates Andrew Cuomo and Carl Paladino to clarify whether they support restoring voting rights for people on parole. “We need a Governor who stands up for civil rights and commits to end a law that seems designed to prevent large numbers of African Americans and Latinos from exercising their right to vote,” said Maria Diaz, a VOCAL member from Westchester.

Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell and Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson have introduced legislation (A2445/S4643) that would automatically restore voting rights for people who have completed their prison sentence.

Elected officials who spoke during the press conference provided the following statements expressing concern about felony disenfranchisement:

“The exclusion of parolees from our state's voter rolls must end. These individuals have served their prison time and should be encouraged to reintegrate and invest in their communities, not remain disenfranchised on the fringes of society. With democratic participation already at low levels, enfranchisement of marginalized groups supports both good democracy and a stronger society,” said Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell.
 
"In a Nation and State so proud of our 'freedom', its downright shameful that laws still exist to purposefully disenfranchise our citizenry. Our State needs to lead the way and not only allow those on parole to vote but also inform the currently and formerly incarcerated of their exact voting rights. As a former Chair of the State Assembly Committee on Election Law, I made it a priority to end these discriminatory practices and introduced legislation to empower our communities by giving all parolees the right to vote. It is time that we get back to 'one person, one vote' and away from 'one felon, no vote'," said a representative from Assembly Member Keith Wright's Harlem office.

“One of the most important civil right issues facing us today is the rights and dignity of the incarcerated and newly paroled who disproportionately represent the Black and Latino populations. It is more than a little ironic, and tragically so, that New York is more than willing to count inmates for the purpose of drawing congressional district lines, but then not allow them a vote upon their release. This is a critically important civil rights issue that must be carefully considered by both city and state governments,” said Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, a sponsor of the new law ending prison-based gerrymandering.

“America long ago expanded the concept of imprisonment to emphasize rehabilitation. It's time to fully recognize that by restoring the right to vote to those people the courts have deemed to have paid their debt to society and it's time for this restriction to be recognized as the civil rights issue it really is,” said Council Member Robert Jackson of Harlem.
 
Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL) and the NYC AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN) is a grassroots membership organization led by people who are living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, drug use and mass incarceration.



9. WOMEN'S SPECIAL NEEDS: ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, HIRE HELD ITS 5TH ANNUAL NYS REENTRY POLICY CONFERENCE ENTITLED, "ELEVATING WOMEN: STRENGTHENING POLICIES & PRACTICES TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF JUSTICE-INVOLVED WOMEN."

The Conference was co-hosted by HIRE, Brandon House Inc., and the Women In Prison Project and made possible by the generous support of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Langeloth Foundation

“Elevating Women” was marked by both policy discussions and poignant stories. It highlighted a key problem in the criminal justice system: Though women have a different set of needs and experiences during and after incarceration, most discharge and reentry planning focuses on men.

In the face of this bias, women face not only practical difficulties, but also a higher level of stigma. Kathy Boudin, director of the Criminal Justice Initiative at Columbia University: “On the one hand, you can be invisible for a while and on the other hand, if you’re going to deal with the stigma, at some point you have to come to terms with it, so you can use yourself as an example.


10. WORK RELEASE: JULIA LONG SENT A CITIZEN'S LETTER TO GOV. PATERSON ASKING THAT HE REPEAL EXECUTIVE ORDER #5. PRIOR TO 1995, VIOLENT FELONY OFFENDERS WERE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK RELEASE PROGRAM. UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 5 SIGNED BY FORMER GOVERNOR GEORGE PATAKI, THIS PRACTICE ENDED. HER ARGUMENTS FOLLOW.

1. The Work Release Program costs $7,500 per prisoner to operate, compared to $32,000 for a general population prisoner (not including medical, mental health services and capital costs, which can be as much as $50,000 per year per prisoner). According to the NYS Department of Correctional Services 2009 annual statistical report, there were 35,411 violent offenders, and 4,740 coercive offenders [considered violent offenders] incarcerated in the NYS Department of Corrections in 2009. They total 40,151 individuals and cost the state $1,284,832,000 to house them in general population correctional facilities. Nearly two-thirds (64%) or 25,760 of them have less than two years to their earliest release date. The state pays $824,320,000 to house them in general population correctional facilities as opposed to $193,200,000 by allowing them to participate in the work release program – a savings of $631,120,000 per year. This cost savings would be immediate.

2. NYS DOCS 2006 annual report states that just 2,207 work release inmates earned $4,279,388.80.
a. they paid $1,275,755.75 in federal, state and local taxes
b. they sent home $243,369.55 in support of their families, reducing public support

3 A-1 Violent Felony Offenders have the absolute lowest rate of recidivism according to the National Institute of Corrections absent SHOCK incarceration participants (partly due to their lengthy prison stay -they are older as they become work release eligible- [2 years before initial parole board appearance]) & because crimes involving violence are not typically correlated to income producing – robbery being the exception- as opposed to drug sellers who earn their income through illegal activity. Violent acts are for the most part a one-time occurrence.

4. 98.7% of all violent offenders are eligible to be released from prison to return to their communities. For those whom have been removed for lengthy periods of time, work release offers a positive transition back into the communities from which they came thereby promoting public safety.

5. The work release program which included violent felony offenders was highly successful from its inception in 1970 up until former Gov. Pataki’s 1995 Executive Order to eliminate violent offenders from the program. In 1994, NY officials estimated that the program would save the state $96 million each year in operational costs-in 2010, 16 years later, due to cost of living increases, the savings can be doubled. It was eliminated based on a “get tough on crime” initiative, not because the program was failing.

6. The total point system required to enter the work release program is 32 points-1 point earned for every 6 months of positive program participation and good behavior. By maintaining the point system as a prerequisite to participation in the work release program, positive behavior is fostered within the prison system including participation in education and vocational training.

7. Behavior that allows for prisons to be safe is a learned behavior, once learned it is applicable to one’s personal life and then to the community from whence the offender came.

For the above listed reasons, the undersigned respectfully requests Executive Order No. 5 be repealed or to be modified so that A-1 violent felony offenders (who have served the longest period of incarceration of all violent felony offenders and would be most likely to succeed in the temporary release program – work release are able to participate in the program).

A month later she followed up with these requests: I also ask that you repeal Executive Order number 9, a subsequent order continuing the original order penned by Governor Pataki

Let A-1 violent felony offenders be considered the top priority as statistics prove that they are the least likely to recidivate. They have served longer sentences, are more mature and realize the ramifications of violating this opportunity, should you allow these Executive Orders to be repealed.

All other category of violent offender has already received a determinate sentence effective 1998 and are therefore eligible for conditional release with intense post release supervision.

The New York State Department of Correctional Services has recently upgraded its report on the statistical analysis of the inmate population to include those under custody of the department as of January 1, 2010. According to the DOCS report, A-1 VFO’s total 11,237. It costs $359,584,000 to house them in a general population cell as opposed to $84,277,500 to allow them to participate in work release, a cost savings of nearly $300 million.

SEPTEMBER 2010

LATEBREAKING NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
(Scroll down to immediately access Building Bridges, September 2010)

POSTED 10/11 by Milk Not Jails

Join us for a special ice cream social in Bedford-Stuyvesant!
Brought to you by Bridge Street A.M.E. Church Prison Ministry, Bed-Stuy Farm Share, and MILK NOT JAILS
Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 1-3pm

Where: Bridge Street A.M.E. Church, 277 Stuyvesant Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
A/C Train to Utica Avenue

Why: To bring together people concerned about the prison system and people concerned about their local food systems to learn about MILK NOT JAILS, a new campaign working to change the urban-rural relationship in New York State. Enjoy free ice cream and entertainment. Learn about what milk and jails have to do with one another. Find out what you can do.

For more information: milknotjails@gmail.com or tel (718) 783-8443

Bridge Street A.M.E. Church Prison Ministry assists people in prison and their families. The groups organizes ministry to Rikers Island, a pen pal program with people in prison, “Strength for the Journey” newsletter, court support to individuals and families, and various programs for children with incarcerated parents.

MILK NOT JAILS asserts, “If rural NY’s economic survival depends on my habits, I’d rather drink their milk than send my child to their prison.” Currently poor urban people of color are being exported to and locked up in prisons in rural areas of the state. Prisons are one of the largest employers in many rural parts of the state, where there was once a thriving dairy and agricultural economy. MILK NOT JAILS insists that bad criminal justice policy should not be the primary economic development plan for rural, upstate NY. More at milknotjails.wordpress.com.

Bed-Stuy Farm Share operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project in Bed-Stuy. Purchasing directly from farmers in NY State and the NE, the volunteer-run group is working to build direct trade routes between farmers and consumers and increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious food in Bed-Stuy. More at www.bedstuyfarmshare.org.



POSTED 9/24 by I.C.A.R.E

When a Person with Mental Illness Goes to Prison: How to Help, a guide for family members and friends.
[See links below to get your own copy]

The Urban Justice Center’s Mental Health Project (MHP) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness – New York State (NAMI-NYS) are pleased to announce the publication of this guide which provides comprehensive information about the New York State prison mental health system and contains suggestions for supporting people with psychiatric disabilities in prison.  We hope it will serve as a valuable resource for family members struggling to protect their loved ones.
 
The guide describes the services currently available for people with mental illness in prison as well as reforms related to disciplinary confinement, which take effect in July 2011.  It explains how family members can best advocate for their loved ones to receive mental health treatment while in prison and assistance preparing for their release back to the community.  It also includes information about how family members can get support for themselves and become involved in larger advocacy efforts to combat the criminalization of mental illness.
 
The guide was written by Alexandra H. Smith, Soros Justice Fellow with MHP from 2008 through 2010, and Jennifer J. Parish, MHP’s Director of Criminal Justice Advocacy.  Funding for the project was provided by the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, the Open Society Institute, and NAMI-NYS. 
 
You can download the publication at www.urbanjustice.org or order a copy by contacting Jennifer Parish at the Urban Justice Center, 123 William Street, 16th floor, New York, NY 10038 or jparish@urbanjustice.org.



POSTED 9/23 by John Jay Criminal Justice Program

Details of the event posted in the Sept. newsletter under Manhattan "Save the Dates":
Do Reentry Courts Reduce Recidivism?

Guest Discussants will include

Honorable Leo Sorokin, United States Magistrate Judge, Boston, MA
and
Braulio Rodriguez, Participant, Harlem Reentry Court

Reentry courts have been identified by practitioners and policy makers as a promising way to address the challenges that prisoner reentry poses for communities and individuals returning home. This research presents findings from an evaluation of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court. Results indicate a significant reduction in re-convictions for new crimes but an increase in parole revocations for technical violations, suggesting a “supervision effect.” Policy implications will also be discussed.





Building Bridges
September 15 2010


Dear Reader:

This year we will be working very hard to pass our proposed bill to change NYS parole policies. We need your help. Please continue to work at building a relationship with your state legislators. Only 6 people reported to us that they have already begun the process. That's not going to be enough! We need everyone reading this to do their best. Please let us know how you're doing so we can use the information to encourage others. Think of all the men and women in prison, who have done everything possible to change, who are denied parole over and over again. Help them have hope that someday soon they will be judged on their present behavior not what happened years ago and can never change.

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

[P.S. Hope to see you at the Prison to Prosperity Fair at Riverside Church on the 25th. Details in Article #1]

ARTICLES
1. Activities for advocates; statewide
2. Campaign for Parole Reform
3. Clemency application deadline Oct.1
4. Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act
5. Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition
6. ICARE column
7. Job Ops in Capital District and NYC
8. Legislation Updates
9. Marilyn Buck Solidarity Fund
10. Milk Not Jails
11. Parole News
12. Prison Media
13. Syracuse march for prisoners' rights

[For copies of any document, article or legislation referred to in an article in this issue, please send your request to PAN clearly stating name of the document and the date of the Building Bridges in which it was mentioned -Ed.]


IN MEMORY:
Prison Action Network member Ahmad Montaqim, age 66, who was denied parole 5 times, died on August 26, 2010 after more than 33 years in prison. We are sorry he did not live to touch and taste and hear the sights and sounds of the world outside the walls again before he died. Our condolences to his friends and loved ones.

ALBANY'S SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY MOURNS:
Charles LaCourt -- Albany activist, re-entry advocate, formerly incarcerated person, and wonderful human being -- recently passed away and will be much missed.

(This is a new feature of Building Bridges; we do not mean to slight the memory of any other past members. We also are not always informed.)


1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? HERE’S A LIST OF ACTIVITIES

PLEASE CALL YOUR U.S. SENATORS TODAY to ask them to prioritize and support Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, as soon as possible! (See 'message' below)

BACKGROUND INFO:
In 2009, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and 15 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, legislation that would create a bipartisan Commission to review and identify effective criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform.  The House of Representatives and Senate Judiciary Committee have reviewed and favorably passed the bill, and it is now awaiting passage by the United States Senate.  The results of this Commission would likely strengthen our arguments for the changes we here in NYS are seeking in our criminal justice system.

MESSAGE:
• I am calling to ask the Senator to prioritize and support immediate Senate passage of the House-passed National Criminal Justice Commission Act, H.R. 5143/S. 714, because:
•  Having a transparent and bipartisan Commission review and identify effective criminal justice policies would increase public safety.
• The increase in incarceration over the past twenty years has stretched the system beyond its limits.  These high costs to taxpayers are unsustainable, especially during these tough economic times.
• The proposed commission would conduct a comprehensive national review – not audits of individual state systems – and would issue recommendations – not mandates – for consideration. 

New York's U.S. Senators are:
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY) (202) 224-4451
Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY) (202) 224-6542


ALBANY:
EVERY TUESDAY AT 6PM P-MOTIONS (PROGRESSIVE MEN OPERATING TOWARDS INITIATING OPPORTUNITIES NOW) A men's support group which meets weekly at the SEFCU building, 388 Clinton Ave (look for the bright red roof).  Facilitation shared by Sam Wiggins, Monroe Parrott and Malik Rivera.  For information call Malik at 518 445-5487.


BUFFALO:
EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 5-6 PM ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION DEMONSTRATES in front of the Erie County Holding Center, corner of Delaware and Church, in Buffal0. [See article 5 for more on ECPRC]

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 2-5PM ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Presented by: Prisoners are People Too, Massachusetts Avenue Project*, and MILK NOT JAILS  

To bring together families, people impacted by incarceration, & criminal justice advocates to learn about MILK NOT JAILS, a new campaign working to change the urban-rural relationship in New York State.  Enjoy FREE ice cream and entertainment.  Learn about what milk and jails have to do with one another.  Find out what you can do.  For more information: Milk Not Jails or tel (716)834-8438.

Location: Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo

*Massachusetts Avenue Project nurtures the growth of a diverse and equitable community food system to promote local economic opportunities, access to affordable and nutritious food, and social-change education.  More at www.Mass-Ave.org


MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 6:30-8:30PM PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO! MEETING
A presentation of the alleged crises precipitated by Family Court actions. With so many incarcerated parents, mostly mothers, losing their children during their period of confinement, this is certainly a noteworthy topic. While many profess a need for Family Court, there seems to be too many laws and policies in place that have proven to be destructive to families. This meeting will discuss the role of the Department of Social Services, CPS, child support, foster care, custody, loss of parental rights and more.
 
Mrs. Jacqueline Bontzolakes, a mother and concerned citizen, will share her child custody story and the turn of events that landed her behind the walls of the Erie County Holding Center. Out of jail and now on “supervision,” she shares the opinion of many who feel that Family Court destroys families for profit. Our second speaker, Mrs. Eula Nailor, is a longtime community activist who works with families negatively impacted by Family Court and the Foster Care system. As a member of V.O.C.A.L. (Victims of Child Abuse Laws), she helps families to navigate a broken system that puts children at risk. The Honorable Debra Givens, our third speaker, a candidate for State Supreme Court Justice, is a Buffalo City Court Judge. As an Acting Judge in both County Court and Family Court, she’ll be on hand to answer legal questions.
 
The film being screened is “Family Court Crisis: Our Children at Risk,” produced by the Center for Judicial Excellence.

PRP2 programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org.
Location: Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street, Buffalo


ITHACA:
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 5-7PM ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Presented by: Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources of Tompkins County, Inc.* and MILK NOT JAILS
Co-sponsored by the Southside Community Center

To bring together families, people impacted by incarceration, & criminal justice advocates to learn about MILK NOT JAILS, a new campaign working to change the urban-rural relationship in New York State.  Enjoy FREE ice cream and entertainment.  Learn about what milk and jails have to do with one another.  Find out what you can do. For more information: milknotjails@gmail.com or tel (718)783-8443.

Location: Southside Community Center, 305 S. Plain Street, Ithaca

*Opportunities, Alternatives, & Resources of Tompkins County, Inc. is an independent non-profit agency that welcomes community involvement and support. We advocate for the rights and welfare of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community members and their families in Tompkins County. More at www.oartompkins.com.


MANHATTAN:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH,  5-7PM COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS COMMITTEE

Parole & Probation: What you should know.
Are you on parole or probation? Do you think it is a subject worth talking about? If so, come join us in conversation.

For more information contact Stacey Thompson, (212)254-5700 ext. 333 or via email sthompson@correctionalassociation.org

Location: Correctional Association of New York.
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., bet. 124th & 125th Streets, Suite 200.
Take the 2/3/A/C/B/D to 125 St.
Metro cards available upon request for formerly incarcerated persons


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 9-5PM PRISON TO PROSPERITY FAIR
This event is the brainchild of Prison Action Network member, Sheila Rule, and her incarcerated husband, Joe Robinson. Make sure your family and friends get there if you can't, or even if you can. Not only is it important to support the efforts of our members, but they and you will prosper from attending! If you are formerly incarcerated, plan to attend this FREE day-long fair which can help you to successfully reintegrate into society! FREE workshops include: entrepreneurship, employment, education, building social networks, legal protections, battling post-prison depression & stress, dressing for success, strengthening family ties, personal finance, where to find FREE and cheap stuff in NYC, spirituality. There will also be FREE books and giveaways, FREE breakfast and lunch, information booths, plenary session and speakers.
 
RSVP as soon as possible. Space is limited. Call 877-267-2303 or email thinkoutsidethecell@verizon.net.  

Location: The Riverside Church,  490 Riverside Drive, at W. 120th Street


WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, BEGINNING OF THE 12-WEEK FALL CYCLE OF RECONNECT
The Women in Prison Project's leadership training program for women who are currently in transition home from prison, jail, or an alternative to incarceration (ATI) program. If you would like to learn how to advocate more effectively for yourself and others who are negatively affected by the criminal justice system, this is for you. The program ends on Wed. Dec. 22. Please call Andrea Williams at 212 254-5700, x338 for more information or to enroll.


SAVE THE DATES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15: 9:00–10:30 AM OCCASIONAL SERIES ON REENTRY RESEARCH
Do Reentry Courts Reduce Recidivism? Results from the Harlem Parole Reentry Court

Zachary Hamilton,Assistant Professor
Criminal Justice Program, Washington State University
RSVP to Amelia Thompson (212.484.1399; amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu)
Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 899 Tenth Avenue (b/w W. 58th and 59th Streets), Room 630.


SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010, CITIZENS AGAINST RECIDIVISM, INC.
Fourth Annual Citizens Awards program at the historic Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. NYS Senate President Malcolm A. Smith will be the keynote speaker. Nominations for the awards are now being accepted. Please contact Mika'il DeVeaux for details: info@citizensinc.org.
Location: 3940 Broadway (164th and Broadway)


METROPOLITAN NEW YORK CITY
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24 DROP THE ROCK DISTRICT DAY
Drop the Rock Coalition members will break into teams across the city and meet legislative officials in their district offices. Our aim is to show state legislators that support for closing underutilized and costly prisons is spreading and gaining more traction especially during this time of severe fiscal constraints.
 
We urge state leaders to: Close empty prisons, Reform parole practices. Fully repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws, Expand eligibility for Work Release and Merit Time, Invest savings in proven prison rehabilitation and community-based alternatives and prevention programs.

We have teams visiting district offices in: Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Port Chester, Brewster, Hudson, NY.

If you would like to meet with a leader in your district or join one of the teams above, please call Drop the Rock at 212-254-5700.  We will work with your schedule if you are only available to take off a portion of the day. If you have any questions please contact Denise Thomas at dthomas@correctionalassociation.org. You can also download a flyer for posting around your neighborhood from their website: www.correctionalassociation.org/

The Drop the Rock Coalition, coordinated by the Public Policy Project of the Correctional Association, is a statewide alliance of individuals and organizations dedicated to downsizing the NY State prison system.



2. CAMPAIGN FOR PAROLE REFORM

The Policy Committee of the Coalition For Fair Criminal Justice Policies has completed their latest draft of a proposal to change parole policies. We will be meeting with interested groups and individuals to plan our 2010-2011 legislative strategy. If you would like a copy of the latest revision, please contact the Campaign for Parole Reform.



3. CLEMENCY APPLICATIONS DUE NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1st

If you have a client, a friend, or a loved one in prison, you might want to encourage them to apply for clemency. Paterson is not running for office; he has nothing to lose (that we know of) by granting a good many. Here's the notice that was posted in state prisons by the Commissioner.

Applications for Clemency or Pardons:  

Governor Paterson’s office has requested the Department to inform the inmate population that any application by an inmate for executive clemency or a pardon must be mailed no later than October 1, 2010 in order for staff to consider it. Any application that is received after that date will be referred to the staff of the newly elected governor, who will assume office on January 1, 2011. You are reminded that the procedures governing submission of an executive clemency application are set forth in directive 6901. These same procedures should be followed for the submission of an application for a pardon. The governor’s power “to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after conviction” is set forth in article iv, section 4, of the New York State Constitution.



4. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS JUSTICE ACT: THE CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR REDUCED SENTENCES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVE -TO-INCARCERATION PROGRAMS.

The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act would allow the courts to take domestic violence into consideration when sentencing survivors who have committed crimes as a result of abuse and to give survivors more reasonable, shorter sentences.

Over the past 30 years, domestic violence has been increasingly recognized as a national epidemic, spurring the enactment of laws designed to enhance the prosecution of battering. Unfortunately, these advances have stopped short of reforming the way the criminal justice system responds to women who defend themselves against abusers or commit crimes as a result of the abuse they have endured.

The DV Survivors Justice Act allows our state’s sentencing laws to better reflect the unique circumstances of survivors who commit crimes. By establishing more sensible, appropriately fitting sentences for survivors and enhancing recognition of domestic violence in sentencing, survivors of abuse are less likely to be victimized by the very system that should protect them. It would expand judicial discretion and allow judges to sentence some survivors to community-based alternative-to-incarceration programs. Some incarcerated survivors, who pose no threat to public safety, would be given the opportunity to apply for resentencing and thereby receive much-deserved relief. The Parole Board would be required to take the impact of domestic violence on the crime into consideration when making release decisions for incarcerated survivors.

The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act would also apply to survivors who commit other types of crimes, such as burglary or robbery, as a result of intimidation or coercion by an abusive partner. For example, domestic violence may be just as significant a factor for a woman who serves as a robbery lookout who knows that if she does not obey her abuser, he will seriously harm or kill her as it is for a woman who shoots her abuser for the same reasons. Should a woman who shot her abuser be eligible for reduced sentencing while another woman, who bought a gun for protection and did not use it against her abuser, but was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon, be excluded from eligibility? Alternative programs are more likely than incarceration to give survivors the ability to take responsibility for their actions and to positively participate in their communities, interact with their families and children, and recover from abuse through therapy.

To gain support for their proposal the Coalition for Women Prisoners have produced the movie Strength of a Woman, filmed by Allison Caviness. This beautiful movie which features 3 women who each tell the story of their abuse and the crime that they committed in response to it, surely will open hearts and minds to the plight of victims who take extreme and sometimes criminal measures to end their abuse. Show the movie to your friends and colleagues: DVD copies can be ordered by calling Josie Diaz at 212 254 5700, or at their website: www.CorrectionalAssociation.org.

ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 THE COALITION FOR WOMEN PRISONERS WILL MEET FROM 10AM-NOON AT 2090 ADAM CLAYTON POWELL BLVD., SUITE 200, MANHATTAN. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS MEETING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.



5. THE ERIE COUNTY PRISONERS RIGHTS COALITION (ECPRC) IS STILL PUSHING FOR A COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD.

The county legislators took a break during the month of August but we were busy, lobbying them individually for their votes in favor of our Advisory Board resolution. There will be a vote in October: our resolution vs. the county's local law. The community favors our proposal. On May 18, twenty-three community members made public statements in favor of our proposed resolution. Only 2 people spoke in favor of the county's proposed local law. Interestingly enough, in July, the Sheriff hired those two people to be his "community deputies"..i.e., his "eyes and ears" in the community. 




6. ICARE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR SPEAKS ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH A 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA

We all understand the importance of transportation in the transitional process of people being released on parole, and how the lack of it can lead to a regretful decline towards recidivism.

For some the lack of transportation is the reason Social Service appointments are not kept, therefore, the small, but yet helpful benefits they provide are lost. For others the lack of transportation is the reason job interviews, medical and even parole appointments are missed causing them to lose out on employment opportunities, medical care and their freedom once again.

Some may think the lack of transportation is no reason not to report to your parole officer, however, everyone is released to a different set of circumstances, some harder then others. When I first came home I had to report weekly to my parole officer several towns away. How was I to do this with forty dollars? I didn't know the bus system nor did I have the means for transportation each week. For the first two months of my release my sisters drove me to the places I needed to go in order to reestablish myself in society. Not everyone has this support.

As I became more and more independent I began to travel locally by either walking or riding the bike my nephew had given me. I learned the bus routes and started taking public transportation to job interviews and other appointments. I remember leaving one interview with almost no wind in my sails. Here I was a guy with a Master’s degree being interviewed for a part time job at nine dollars an hour with Netflix and the question that determined whether or not I got the job had nothing to do with my education, criminal background or lack of work experience. It was, “Do you have a car?”

Netflix required you to be at work at four o’clock in the morning and the buses where I lived in Long Island did not start running until six o’clock. So I was denied the job because of lack of transportation. The frustrating part was that I needed a car to get a job, but in order for me to afford a car I needed a job.

I got my license three months after my release and bought (with the help of a friend) my first car, a 1994 Toyota Corolla with 197,000 miles. Upon getting the car I returned to Netflixs and informed them I now had a car, and was given the job. When I bought the car the owner said, “Car be good to Jafar.” Than turned to me and said, “Jafar be good to the car.” I called the car a go-cart because it sat so low to the ground the lights from on coming traffic hit you right in your face. After close to three years and with 220,000 miles under its belt, the go-cart stopped on Interstate 84 on my way to Vassar College, and never revived. It got me as far as Brewster then had to be helped off the highway by a tow truck. I sold the car to a local junk yard which promised to use its parts to help heal other Corollas. As they towed the go-cart down the street I said, “Good-bye car, you served me well. “ I took good care of the go-cart and without a doubt it took good care of me and made my transition a lot easier.

Jafar Abbas



7. JOB OPS IN NYC AND ALBANY: THE CENTER FOR CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN NYC IS SEEKING A FULL-TIME RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATE; GLENMONT JOB CORPS ACADEMY HIRING NOW – IMMEDIATE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 5 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY

The person hired for the job at John Jay College will perform various research and technical assistance duties associated with applied crime reduction and prevention work.  The Center fosters innovative crime reduction strategies through hands-on fieldwork, action research, and operational partnerships with law enforcement, communities, social service providers, and other practitioners. 
 
Among other duties, the research and technical assistance associate will be responsible for:·  providing hands-on technical assistance and support to jurisdictions seeking to implement innovative crime reduction strategies, including problem analysis; strategy design; assistance in operational planning; training of local project managers and operations staff and coaching of senior law enforcement and community figures. designing, planning and conducting conferences, working sessions, trainings and webinars of various kinds associated with the research and operational agenda of the National Network for Safe Communities. This will include session design, logistical planning, working knowledge of small group process and dynamics and experience in small group facilitation and training. Working with other experienced crime reduction researchers and practitioners in cities and states across the U.S. to continue to develop and apply innovative crime reduction strategies. This may occasionally involve working in international contexts.

To apply please contact Amelia Thompson, Project Administrator, (212) 484-1399, amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu.

Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
555 W. 57th Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10019

 
The Glenmont Job Corps Academy is a Residential Education and Vocational training program for at-promise 16-24 year old youth located approximately 5 miles south of Albany, NY.  We are seeking energetic, sharp, and committed human service professionals to change the lives of our students. We have a number of opportunities currently available to contribute to our students’ success: - Residential Coordinators – 2nd & 3rd Shift; - Food Service Assistant (2); - Maintenance Technician – (1); - New York State Certified Substitute Instructors;- Part Time Recreation Specialist – (1); - Purchasing Agent (1); - Driver/Maintenance Worker (2); - Cook (1); - Assistant Food Services Manager (1); - Food Services Manager (1); - Human Resources Manager (1); - OA Counselor (1); - Nursing Instructor (1); - New York State Certified Reading and English Instructor (1); - Social Development Administrative Assistant (1); - Support Services Manager (1)
 
The Glenmont Job Corps Academy offers a very competitive benefits package to full time employees which includes medical, dental, vision, 401k with employer match, tuition reimbursement, free life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment policy, disability, employee assistance program and much more.
 
If you are a natural leader with great social skills and a lot of energy and are interested in developing skills and gaining experience that will help you excel in fields such as counseling, social work, education or management, this is the place for you. To apply for any of the above openings, please send a resume and cover letter as follows:
 
Human Resources Department, Glenmont Job Corps Academy, 822 River Road, Glenmont, NY, 12077 Email: hrglenmont@adamsaai.com, Fax: 518-767-9085



8. LEGISLATION: STATUS OF BILLS AND LAWS; PUBLICATION OF A NEW LITIGATION MANUAL

S4687/A8012, the Human Rights Law Bill, described in August's Building Bridges, would have helped thousands of New Yorkers with criminal histories fight illegal discrimination. Governor Paterson vetoed it. Did you call him to ask him to sign? Did you tell your family and friends to call? If not, those calls could have made the difference. We must speak louder!!

S7864 Hassell-Thompson / A10611 Aubry Additions to list of accomplishments that qualify a person for limited credit time allowances (LCTA): Certification and minimum work as an optician, hazardous materials removal worker, sign language interpreter, or worker in the Puppies Behind Bars program are added to significant programmatic accomplishments for limited credit time allowances for inmates. Governor signed it into law on 8/13/10. 


IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION, WE ARE INCLUDING SUMMARIES OF THE LAWS TO PROVIDE PSRs AND FREE BIRTH CERTIFICATES:

COPY OF PRE-SENTENCE REPORT (PSR) for People Going before Parole Board
Amends CPL §390.50(2)(a)
Upon written request, the court shall make a copy of the PSR* available to a person for use before s/he appears before the parole board for release consideration or files an appeal of a parole board determination. In the written request, the person must affirm that s/he anticipates an appearance before the parole board, or intends to file an administrative appeal of a parole board decision. The court must respond within 20 days from receipt of the written request.
*except those portions properly redacted pursuant to CPL §390.50(2)(a)

FREE BIRTH CERTIFICATES
Amends Pub. Health L. §§4174(4) and §4179
Free birth certificates must be issued:
* when DOCS or a local correctional facility requests one for an individual in anticipation of release;
* when Office of Children and Family Services or authorized agency requests one for a youth placed in the custody of the local commissioner of social services or the custody of the office of Children and Family Services in anticipation of youth’s discharge from placement


LITIGATION MANUAL FOR PRO SE LITIGANTS INSIDE PRISON OR OUT:
Building Bridges does not accept ads, but occasionally we learn about something that we think might be useful to our readers. Recently we received a letter from the author of GORILLA LAWFAIR, a litigation manual written by a current "jailhouse lawyer". The book provides readers with illustrations of hypothetical situations where litigation is required and provides sample arguments in sample motions to give an idea on how these arguments look in their perfected form. In a promotional brochure were descriptions of some of the contents: *Motion to Appear Before a Grand Jury, *Motion to File a Late Criminal Appeal, *440.10 Motion to Vacate Judgment, *2241 Motion for Habeas Corpus Relief, *Motion for a Writ of Error Coram Nobis, and *Sample Article 78 Petitions.

In the world of Pro Se litigation, people in prison have primarily relied on The Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual, issued by Columbia Law School. Now to supplement the Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual there's Gorilla Lawfair: A Pro Se Litigation Manual by Anpu Unnefer Amen. Copies of the book Gorilla Lawfair are $30. each, but readers of Building Bridges are being offered a reduced price of $26. Please send a money order or institutional check to Ta Seti, PO Box 120276, Brooklyn NY 11212.



9. MARILYN BUCK SOLIDARITY FUND FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS SETS DEADLINE FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 TO SUBMIT COPY FOR COMMEMORATIVE AD BOOKLET IN SUPPORT OF THE POLITICAL PRISONERS WHO REMAIN BEHIND BARS.

It will be distributed at Memorials for Marilyn. In New York City the Memorial will take place on Saturday, November 13. All funds raised will benefit the six political prisoners incarcerated in New York State: Herman Bell (incarcerated 37 years to date), David Gilbert (29 years), Robert Seth Hayes (37 years), Abdullah Majid (28 years), Jalil Muntaqim (39 years), and Sekou Odinga (29 years).

Choose from: Full-page ad: $200, Half-page ad: $100, Quarter-page ad: $50,
Business card ad: $25. To have your name only included on a list of friends/supporters: $10
For more information: mbtributebook@gmail.com
Send a check payable to PDF/ Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, with "Marilyn Tribute" in the subject line, and send to CDHR, P.O. Box 90221, Pasadena, CA 91109

To pay by credit card, go to http://marilynbuck.com/donations.html and follow instructions. 



10. MILK NOT JAILS ASSERTS: " IF RURAL NY’S ECONOMIC SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON MY HABITS, I’D RATHER DRINK THEIR MILK THAN SEND MY CHILD TO THEIR PRISON.”

Currently poor urban people of color are being exported to and locked up in prisons in rural areas of the state.  Prisons are one of the largest employers in many rural parts of the state, where there was once a thriving dairy and agricultural economy.  MILK NOT JAILS insists that bad criminal justice policy should not be the primary economic development plan for rural, upstate NY. [See Article #1 for announcements of their Ice Cream Socials in Buffalo and Ithaca.] More at www.milknotjails.wordpress.com.



11. PAROLE NEWS: AUGUST RELEASES, LCTA RELEASES, UPDATED LIST OF PAROLE COMMISSIONERS

AUGUST 2010 PAROLE BOARD RELEASES – A1 VIOLENT FELONS – DIN #s through 1999
unofficial research from parole database

TOTAL INTERVIEWS........ # RELEASED......... # DENIED......RATE OF RELEASE
21 initials.........................................2...................19.................. 10%
85 reappearances......................... 16..................69................. 19%
106 Total.........................................18..................88................. 17%

INITIAL RELEASES
Facility...................... Sentence..... Offense
Mid Orange............. 20-Life..........Kidnap
Mid Orange............. 20-Life..........Murder

REAPPEARANCES
FACILITY...... SENTENCE OFFENSE... # OF BOARD
Altona...........25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd *for deportation only*
Auburn......... 21-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Bare Hill....... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 7th
Gt Meadow.. 29-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th
Groveland.... 18-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Groveland.... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 5th
Livingston.... 25-Life.......... Murder 2...... 3rd
Marcy............18-Life.......... Murder 2...... 6th or 7th
Mid Orange. 15-Life.......... Att M1............3rd
Oneida......... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Otisville........ 20-Life.......... Murder 2...... 2nd
Southport..... 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 4th
Sullivan........ 15-Life.......... Murder 2...... 13th
Washington 25-Life.......... M pre-74......7th
Woodbourne..20-Life........ Murder 2...... 2nd
Woodbourne..18-Life........ Murder 2...... 3rd


RELEASE REPORTS FROM PRISON:
CAYUGA:
July
Appearances: 22 (8 A1's)
Release: 1 (a Lifer on his 2nd board)
1 Lifer with an LCTA was denied.
1 postponement


LCTA CERTIFICATES: In response to mail requests we did some research into LCTA releases. They are not identified on the parole website so what we know is only by word of mouth. We are pretty sure the numbers are very low, perhaps due to disciplinary reasons or missing deadlines to apply. The law states that eligible people will be notified, but one person we know had to really work hard to find out he was eligible to apply. Also, many LCTA worthy people are already seeing their boards.


PAROLE COMMISSIONERS:
We're down to 14 and one of them, Chairperson Andrea Evans, does not sit on hearings. Notice: none of the 4 who were approved by the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections (as reported in July BB) have been confirmed by the whole Senate, which apparently is necessary. If all four are confirmed, it appears there will be one seat yet to be filled.

Evans, Andrea W................. David Paterson......... 6/08/09....... 2/6/13
Smith, Walter Wm., Jr.......... George Pataki........... 12/17/96...... 7/06/11
Ferguson, James................... George Pataki........... 4/12/05........ 7/06/11
*Gallivan, Patrick................. George Pataki........... 6/22/05........ 7/02/11
Ludlow , G. Kevin................ George Pataki........... 6/21/06........ 6/18/11
Greenan III, Gerald J............. George Pataki........... 6/21/06........ 6/18/12
Elovich, Lisa Beth................. George Pataki........... 12/13/06...... 12/31/13
Lemons, Henry..................... Eliot Spitzer.............. 5/01/07........ 6/18/08
Thompson, Sally................... Eliot Spitzer.............. 6/14/07........ 5/4/13
Hagler, Michael A................. Eliot Spitzer.............. 10/22'07....... 8/31/13
Ross, Mary............................ David Paterson......... 6/19/08........ 8/31/13
Crangle, Joseph..................... David Paterson......... 6/19/08........ 6/16/14
Brown, Jared......................... David Paterson......... 1/26/10........ 6/18/12
5 Vacancies

* Former Erie County Sheriff Patrick M. Gallivan won the Republican nomination for State Senator in the primaries Tuesday. If he wins in the general election, he will have to resign from the parole board January 1.

(Please send us the names of commissioners and the dates they appear at facilities if you know them. Prison Action Network is doing research which requires that information.)



12. PRISON MEDIA - ALL THINGS HARLEM, FANCY BROCCOLI, ON THE COUNT, SOUL SPECTRUM

ALL THINGS HARLEM - Joseph Jazz Hayden urges readers to study Michelle Washington's book, The New Jim Crow. He recommends forming study groups to discuss her theories and ways to apply her remedies. Jazz says, "...it is clear that our public officials and those engaged in their incremental advocacy need to hear the voices of the advocates for radical systemic change.  The one true thing that President Obama said was that it was not about him but about us.  The only way that he and the rest of our elected representatives will speak out and move is if we force them to."  The People's Voice! Joseph Jazz Hayden, CEO Still Here Harlem Productions, Inc. 212-694-2887  info@allthingsharlem.com
www.allthingsharlem.com
allthingsharlemproductions.blogspot.com

FANCY BROCCOLI RADIO SHOW, WVKR 91.3 FM - Sundays - Jazz & Prison Talk, 3:00-6:00 pm
Box 726, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0726
Fancy Broccoli streams online - go to www.WVKR.org and click on (or near) the word 'LISTEN'.
Visit archives to find lots of other good interviews.

ON THE COUNT, WBAI, 99.5FM. - Criminal Justice & Prison Report, a radio program produced by formerly incarcerated people. Airs Saturdays 10:30am-noon. To listen live on your computer, visit www.wbai.org. To listen later, visit their archives.

SOUL SPECTRUM WITH LIBERTY GREEN, WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5FM - Thursday evenings from 10pm to 1:30am. PO Box 546, Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Voice Box Call-in Comment Line: 845 431 6500 To listen on your computer, live, click here: www.wjffradio.org; or here to send an email



13. TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE MARCH UP STATE STREET IN SYRACUSE TO CALL FOR CHANGES IN THE WAY INMATES ARE TREATED AT THE ONONDAGA COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER.

from an article by Charley Hannagan of The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY , September 4, 2010 --

A coalition of groups called on Syracuse city and Onondaga county officials to clean up problems at the justice center where Chuniece Patterson died of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in November and Raul Pinet Jr. died in August after being restrained. Both cases are under investigation by the Onondaga County’s District Attorney’s Office.

Marchers walked two miles from Kirk Park through the city’s streets to rally in the plaza in front of the justice center. “We know these are not quote natural deaths unquote as (Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin) Walsh likes to call them or the misconduct of a few bad nurses and officers,” Ashley Sauers, an organizer with the Answer Coalition, told the crowd.

Ten community organizers spoke about abuses they said occurred at the center. They told stories of disabled inmates denied wheelchairs, others denied medication prescribed to stop seizures and people waiting months to see attorneys. And they told people to remember the politicians who were not at the rally when they go to vote in the local elections in the fall.

This is the third time Hazel Bivins, First Lady of Lighthouse of Love Ministries, has marched on the justice center. The marches have grown from 50 people to the 200 who attended Saturday afternoon’s rally, she said. Bivins said she would have joined the rally even if she had not known Patterson. “It has nothing to do with their race or ethnicity; it’s the injustice that’s here,” she said.


Building Bridges is the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.
For information about joining please contact us at prisonactionnetwork@gmail.com