From: Susan Mortimer Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 4:05 PM
Subject: [MaSHaRC] CA-Justice Now-Stop Gender Responsive Prison Expansion
Justice Now's Vanessa Huang was in Boston (MIT) this spring to speak at a national women's conference. SHaRC members and one couragageous state representative attended her press briefing about women prisoners (and their allies) who call for an end to "gender responsive" women's 'correctional facilities' in California. More than 3,300 female prisoners signed a petition to oppose prison expansion and the co-optation of feminist language to make such facilities more palatable to "progressive legislators".
We in MA must hold our legislators and policy makers accountable, too. The use of code language such as "gender responsive" prisons, "helping women" and "parity" distracts from what is really being done to the powerless, invisible people locked away in the Commonwealth. Calling for women's facilities in every county is irresponsible, inequitable and inefficient. Funds must be allocated for healthy communities, schools, detox beds, treatment on demand - not ever more incarceration!
WE CAN LEARN ALOT FROM OUR SISTERS IN CALIFORNIA!
Subject: [MaSHaRC] CA-Justice Now-Stop Gender Responsive Prison Expansion
Justice Now's Vanessa Huang was in Boston (MIT) this spring to speak at a national women's conference. SHaRC members and one couragageous state representative attended her press briefing about women prisoners (and their allies) who call for an end to "gender responsive" women's 'correctional facilities' in California. More than 3,300 female prisoners signed a petition to oppose prison expansion and the co-optation of feminist language to make such facilities more palatable to "progressive legislators".
We in MA must hold our legislators and policy makers accountable, too. The use of code language such as "gender responsive" prisons, "helping women" and "parity" distracts from what is really being done to the powerless, invisible people locked away in the Commonwealth. Calling for women's facilities in every county is irresponsible, inequitable and inefficient. Funds must be allocated for healthy communities, schools, detox beds, treatment on demand - not ever more incarceration!
WE CAN LEARN ALOT FROM OUR SISTERS IN CALIFORNIA!
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:32:54 -0700
From: "Vanessa Huang" <vanessa.y.huang@gmail.com>
Subject: [PRISONACT] calls needed to stop prison expansion in california! (forward widely)
*STOP PRISON EXPANSION!***
More than 3,300 people in California's women's prisons along with many organizations and advocates across the state together recently stripped Assembly Bill 76 of new prison construction via "Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Centers" (FRCCCs). Some organizations removed our opposition to AB 76 after the bill's author took amendments removing provisions for prison expansion.
*However, AB 76's current language which doesn't allow for the repurposing or closing down of California's women's prisons without unprecedented legislative approval coupled with the Governor's budget provisions for an additional 4,500 prison beds in FRCCCs, ensures a back-door expansion of California's women's prison system.*
Proponents of the FRCCCs state their purported goal as "helping women," pointing to the CDCR's Family Foundations Program where women in prison live with their children and receive "services" as a model for their work.But the facts speak for themselves: Family Foundations recently came under investigation for patterns of abuse of babies and preschool-aged children resulting in a stillbirth, a child suffering a fractured skull, the wanton neglect of a child with brain cancer, and other lives put at risk.
Time and again, the CDCR has failed to provide effective services, and time and again, the resulting human rights abuses and gross medical neglect are uncovered.
*Instead of building more prisons dressed as "alternatives", we need to reduce the number of people in prison now through legislation like AB 1539 medical release for terminally ill and incapacitated people in prison* and to re-appropriate prison funds to support truly community-run programs that work with people returning home from prison. Funds earmarked for prison construction and operation should go into public resources distinct from the criminal legal system, such as women's health care, housing, education, job support and skill training.
*PLEASE CALL KEY CA DECISION MAKERS
*OPPOSE MORE PRISONS AND SUPPORT MEDICAL RELEASE!*
*Senate President Don Perata / 916-651-4009*
--I'm calling to urge the Senator to oppose AB 76 and "Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Facilities," which would be extremely damaging to women. While AB 76 no longer contains the FRCCCs, the current language which doesn't allow for the repurposing or closing down of the women's prisons without unprecedented legislative approval coupled with the Governor's push for additional beds in FRCCCs, ensures a back-door expansion of the prison system. Previous facilities based upon this model have revealed extensive and severe patterns of abuse.
--I'm also calling to urge the Senator to support AB 1539, medical release for terminally ill and incapacitated people in prison. Rather than building more prisons, we need to reduce the number of people in prison, and AB 1539 presents the perfect opportunity.
*Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger / 916-445 2841 *
--I'm calling to urge the Governor to stop pushing for "Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Facilities," which would be extremely damaging to women. Previous facilities based upon this model have revealed extensive and severe patterns of abuse.
--I'm also calling because I was encouraged by the Governor's remarks earlier this year suggesting he might support medical release for terminally ill and incapacitated people in prison. I urge him to sign AB 1539 into law.
Rather than building more prisons, we need to reduce the number of people in prison, and AB 1539 presents the perfect opportunity.
Vanessa Huang
Campaign Director
Justice Now
1322 Webster Street, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
510 839 7654 x4#
510 839 7615 fax
vanessa@jnow.org
Subject: [PRISONACT] calls needed to stop prison expansion in california! (forward widely)
*STOP PRISON EXPANSION!***
More than 3,300 people in California's women's prisons along with many organizations and advocates across the state together recently stripped Assembly Bill 76 of new prison construction via "Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Centers" (FRCCCs). Some organizations removed our opposition to AB 76 after the bill's author took amendments removing provisions for prison expansion.
*However, AB 76's current language which doesn't allow for the repurposing or closing down of California's women's prisons without unprecedented legislative approval coupled with the Governor's budget provisions for an additional 4,500 prison beds in FRCCCs, ensures a back-door expansion of California's women's prison system.*
Proponents of the FRCCCs state their purported goal as "helping women," pointing to the CDCR's Family Foundations Program where women in prison live with their children and receive "services" as a model for their work.But the facts speak for themselves: Family Foundations recently came under investigation for patterns of abuse of babies and preschool-aged children resulting in a stillbirth, a child suffering a fractured skull, the wanton neglect of a child with brain cancer, and other lives put at risk.
Time and again, the CDCR has failed to provide effective services, and time and again, the resulting human rights abuses and gross medical neglect are uncovered.
*Instead of building more prisons dressed as "alternatives", we need to reduce the number of people in prison now through legislation like AB 1539 medical release for terminally ill and incapacitated people in prison* and to re-appropriate prison funds to support truly community-run programs that work with people returning home from prison. Funds earmarked for prison construction and operation should go into public resources distinct from the criminal legal system, such as women's health care, housing, education, job support and skill training.
*PLEASE CALL KEY CA DECISION MAKERS
*OPPOSE MORE PRISONS AND SUPPORT MEDICAL RELEASE!*
*Senate President Don Perata / 916-651-4009*
--I'm calling to urge the Senator to oppose AB 76 and "Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Facilities," which would be extremely damaging to women. While AB 76 no longer contains the FRCCCs, the current language which doesn't allow for the repurposing or closing down of the women's prisons without unprecedented legislative approval coupled with the Governor's push for additional beds in FRCCCs, ensures a back-door expansion of the prison system. Previous facilities based upon this model have revealed extensive and severe patterns of abuse.
--I'm also calling to urge the Senator to support AB 1539, medical release for terminally ill and incapacitated people in prison. Rather than building more prisons, we need to reduce the number of people in prison, and AB 1539 presents the perfect opportunity.
*Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger / 916-445 2841 *
--I'm calling to urge the Governor to stop pushing for "Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Facilities," which would be extremely damaging to women. Previous facilities based upon this model have revealed extensive and severe patterns of abuse.
--I'm also calling because I was encouraged by the Governor's remarks earlier this year suggesting he might support medical release for terminally ill and incapacitated people in prison. I urge him to sign AB 1539 into law.
Rather than building more prisons, we need to reduce the number of people in prison, and AB 1539 presents the perfect opportunity.
Vanessa Huang
Campaign Director
Justice Now
1322 Webster Street, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
510 839 7654 x4#
510 839 7615 fax
vanessa@jnow.org
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