The more we imprison, the less we vote

The more we imprison, the less we vote
By Conor Clarke and Greg Yothers May 5, 2008

FOR THE past 12 weeks, we have both been students in an Amherst College class on citizenship. Unlike most college courses, however, this one isn't held in a classroom. Each week, as part of the nationwide program Inside-Out, we meet for 2 1/2 hours in the dimly lit visiting room of the Hampshire County Correctional Facility. Half the students in the class are from the college; half are inmates at the facility.

It is a class on citizenship with a cruel irony: Because of a 2000 amendment to the Massachusetts constitution disenfranchising incarcerated felons, half the students in the class cannot vote. In about a week, all of the Amherst students will leave for the summer; many will volunteer for a presidential campaign. This November, like most adult citizens, they will walk to a local polling station or cast absentee ballots from the comfort of a college dorm. The students inside the facility can't.

American incarceration has received a lot of attention recently. Last month, The New York Times reported that one in every 100 American adults is in prison, the highest rate in the world by a wide margin, and about six times higher than the world median. This drive to incarcerate has been rightly and roundly criticized as too expensive (it costs more per capita to imprison than educate) and too harsh, since the vast majority of inmates are serving time for nonviolent crimes. But amid the controversy over price and punishment, it tends to be forgotten that incarceration imposes a cost on American democracy: The more we imprison, the less we vote.

Why should that be the case? In early 2000, before the amendment passed, Governor Paul Cellucci told Bryant Gumbel of CBS News that disenfranchisement was necessary to ensure that felons did not damage the political process. Cellucci said, after a group of Massachusetts prisoners tried to organize a political action committee in 1997, he "thought that this was a little bit ridiculous, that prisoners would actually politically organize and try to lobby against the very laws that put them in prison to protect the people of this state." The clear implication was that, once you've broken the social contract, you've proved yourself unfit for any social contact, including the right to vote.

But our experience in class suggests that the opposite is true. We all write the same papers, read the same material by John Locke and Alexis de Tocqueville, and are all equally engaged in debating and discussing everything from the role of the good citizen to America's role in the world. There is no reason to think inmates are uniquely unqualified to wield a vote, and no reason to think they can't.

Yes, going to prison necessarily entails the loss of liberty. But the right to vote is in many ways more important than the right to walk freely down the street: Voting is the most basic check against the coercive power of the state. The places where that coercive power is most starkly exercised, such as prisons, are also the places where that most basic of checks becomes more important. The fact that prisoners have a big stake in governmental choices isn't an argument in favor of disenfranchisement; it's an argument against.

And because the vote is so essential to democratic citizenship, it is also an important part of reintegrating inmates with society. Prisons separate and divide, but at their best they also prepare inmates for life after imprisonment. Rebuilding civic engagement is perhaps the most important part of that process.

There are more than 25,000 inmates in Massachusetts correctional facilities, and more than half are racial minorities. Almost all of them will, at some point in the future, exit their cells and return to their homes and families. It would be better if they returned as voting citizens.

Conor Clarke is an Amherst College student; Greg Yothers is an inmate at the Hampshire County Correctional Facility.

Source URL: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/05/05/the_more_we_imprison_the_less_we_vote/

Justices broaden officers' immunity

Justices broaden officers' immunity
08:34 1/23/2008, RawStory.com Headlines
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement officers are immune from lawsuits for mishandling, losing or even stealing personal property that comes under their control in the course of their official duties, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a 5-to-4 decision. The case was brought by a federal prison inmate, but the ruling was not limited to the prison context. It was an interpretation of the Federal Tort Claims Act, which applies to federal employees’ liability for damages and generally waives immunity from being sued.

Job Vacancy

FamilyLifeCenter
841 Broad Street, Providence, Rhode Island, 02907
(401) 781.5808 www.ri-familylifecenter.org

Job Posting: Policy Director, RI Family Life Center

Background:

The Rhode Island Family Life Center was born from a coalition of community-based organizations, churches, and corrections officials uniting to address the disproportionate impact of incarceration on neighborhoods in Providence. The FLC exists to support and advocate for the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to Rhode Island’s communities—by preparing inmates for release, providing strong support during the post-release period, and assisting families of offenders returning home through support and counseling that builds on individual and family strengths. In addition to providing direct service, FLC works to change laws and policies that discriminate against the formerly incarcerated and their families in areas such as housing, employment, government benefits, or political participation. With its dual goals of service and advocacy, the Family Life Center works to assist ex-offenders with their current needs while working towards a world where individuals with criminal records are given the same opportunities to participate and achieve as everyone else.

The Family Life Center has achieved considerable success with its research and advocacy work, including a series of reports and successful policy campaigns which have gained local and national recognition. In the fall of 2006, the FLC ran the Rhode Island Right to Vote campaign, which spearheaded the successful passage of a constitutional referendum to return the right to vote to people on probation and parole. Most recently, the FLC helped to organize the Reinvest in Justice campaign, which advocated for several criminal justice reforms, including mandatory minimum drug sentencing repeal, court fine reform, prostitution reform, and probation reform. The FLC has a staff that is experienced in community organizing and education and has led several successful advocacy campaigns. With strong relationships to formerly incarcerated individuals, access to criminal justice data, and a history of collaboration with leaders at the city, state, and community level, the FLC is a leader in criminal justice policy in the state.

Job Description:

The Policy Director will provide critical leadership, vision, and organization to the Family Life Center. The Director will work closely with Policy staff, consisting of one to two part-time researchers and three part-time outreach workers, and will be immediately supervised by the Executive Director.

The Director will direct the planning and implementing of the Family Life Center policy agenda and will have the opportunity to help lead Rhode Island towards a more just criminal justice system. The Director will oversee and conduct research about criminal justice policy and reentry, including interviews and focus groups with impacted individuals, legal analysis, data analysis, and writing of reports. Research topics include recidivism analysis, prostitution policy and reform, probation and technical violations, substance abuse treatment and sentencing reform, and employment discrimination against people with criminal records.

The Director will oversee public education and advocacy around the policy agenda. This work will include educational presentations and forums with community and policy-makers, organizing public events and advocacy campaigns, and writing op-eds and other media outreach. The Director will oversee the continued development of a discussion group and speaker's bureau that fosters grassroots involvement as well as an advisory committee of community leaders that can offer professional guidance.

The position is a full-time position starting in November 2007 and ending in November 2008, with the potential for continuation.

Major Qualifications:

--At least three years experience doing research or advocacy in a related field.
--A real commitment to social justice issues and working to improve the criminal justice system, and deep personal belief in the importance of grassroots organizing and working with populations that have been affected by the criminal justice process.
--Graduate degree in a related field or J.D.
--Experienced with process of state politics; ideally familiar with Rhode Island political system. Responsibilities will include forming relationships with legislators and other policy-makers.
--Experience organizing, including doing community and media outreach. Responsibilities will include collaborating with other organizations, agencies and churches.
--Experience working with a diverse array of people. The Director will need to outreach and coordinate with the community affected by FLC work, including formerly incarcerated individuals, low-income communities, and African-American and latino communities.
--Skilled manager with the proven ability to organize and lead with vision, enthusiasm, and productive critique.

Other Qualifications:

--Excellent interpersonal communication skills and proven ability to easily and quickly build and maintain productive relationships with individuals in neighborhood, business, faith, and government settings.
--Background in statistics is an advantage, but not required.
--Reliable access to car and ability to travel within Rhode Island as needed.
--Excellent writing skills.
--Proficiency with Windows XP and Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint and Excel).
--Ability to speak Spanish is an advantage, but not required. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Salary: $50,000-56,000 depending on experience, plus full benefits

To Apply:

Please submit a resume, cover letter, three to five page writing sample on a relevant topic,
and three references (1 personal, 2 professional) to Ronn Fortes by October 1st :

Ronn Fortes
Executive Assistant, Rhode Island Family Life Center
841 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907
ronnfortes@ri-familylifecenter.org
Phone: (401) 781-5808 x101 Fax: (401) 781-5361

Learn more about the RI Family Life Center at www.riflc.org.

Patrick's capital investment plan

Hey all,

Here is a link to an article in the Worcester Telegram about the budget's capital investment plan.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20070807/NEWS/708070694&SearchID=73289677759284

Also, here is a link to patrick's press release:

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=pressreleases&agId=Agov3&prModName=gov3pressrelease&prFile=070806_capital_investment.xml

peace,
kim

Medical examiner office gets lambasted

Medical examiner office gets lambasted
Near 'collapse' reported due to mismanagement
By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff August 4, 2007

The state medical examiner's office, long considered one of the worst in the country and wracked by a series of high-profile missteps this year, is on the "verge of collapse" from extreme mismanagement, according to a scathing independent review released yesterday.

State public safety officials said yesterday that they strongly supported the report and would move quickly to reform the troubled office, which is currently "barely able to fulfill its basic legal responsibilities" and will get markedly worse without immediate action, a state-hired consultant found.

But the chief medical examiner, Mark A. Flomenbaum, will not be around to help oversee the fixes. Governor Deval Patrick confirmed yesterday that he has fired Flomenbaum after a three-month internal investigation that revealed "serious concerns" about his performance.

Patrick suspended Flomenbaum in May after the medical examiner's office misplaced the body of a Cape Cod man, which State Police found buried in another man's grave. Flomenbaum's departure followed the resignations of the state's top forensics official and the director of the state crime lab after several blunders there.

Kevin M. Burke, secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety, which oversees the medical examiner, said Flomenbaum showed a "complete disregard for meeting his responsibility in tracking down that body" and in reducing a case backlog.

"The problems are so fundamental there could be no other explanation but failure to meet his responsibilities," he said. "He simply refused to take administrative responsibility."

Flomenbaum, who was hired in 2005 to overhaul the long-troubled office, was out of the country yesterday and not available for comment. His lawyer, Thomas Kiley, said it was too early to say whether Flomenbaum would contest his dismissal.

But Kiley said that his client had been unjustly blamed for the agency's troubles and that he was hired with the understanding that he would be given five years to fix the office's problems.

"Mark accomplished a great deal in a short time," he said. "He delivered what was asked for."

Michael O'Keefe, district attorney for the Cape and Islands, said, "Good scientists don't necessarily make good managers," and said he strongly backed the consultant's recommendation to hire a chief operating officer to oversee all nonmedical functions. The position would have independent authority from the chief medical examiner.

Without a well-run examiner's office, he said, "we are at a disadvantage with respect to other states in doing our job."

Flomenbaum was esteemed in the field for his work in identifying thousands of body parts in New York City after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. But in a blunt 36-page report, Vance, a Virginia-based consulting firm, said the office "has been so thoroughly mismanaged that it current lacks the most basic infrastructure necessary to effectively support its core function."

The report said Flomenbaum, while a very capable forensic pathologist, lacked management skills, unwisely expanded the office's caseload, and developed ill-fated programs. It slammed the office for not having written policies for its core duties.

"It borders on the incredible that the intake and release of human remains [and personal effects] from a government agency is governed by a verbal understanding of the process," the report said.

It described the office's main receiving area for bodies as a "chaos of activity." With such shoddy protocol, Vance found, it is surprising the agency has "not lost more bodies."

The report also said that law enforcement officers at a death scene could not always contact the office after business hours, and that the office struggles to maintain basic supplies such as face shields and gloves.

Other findings included:

No written policies and procedures on body handling and evidence collection;

Little training of employees;

Little focus on the health and safety of employees and visitors;

Poor body handling procedures;

A creeping culture of indifference and a demoralized staff;

Little security of the South End headquarters;

No coordination between the Boston headquarters and Holyoke and Worcester offices.

But supporters of Flomenbaum criticized his dismissal and said he was being made a scapegoat for chronic problems that long preceded his arrival.

"I am quite sure that the office is in better shape than when he arrived," said Patricia O'Malley, director of pediatric emergency services at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. "I am very
disappointed in the outcome."

O'Malley, who worked with Flomenbaum on a child fatality review team, said Patrick's decision to fire him will make it harder to attract a qualified replacement.

"It is not going to inspire confidence," she said.

Joseph Prahlow, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, said he did not believe Flomenbaum received the necessary political and financial backing to overhaul a shoestring operation.

"When you're trying to move bodies and your facilities are not sufficient to handle them, the last thing you're going to have time for is working on a written policy," he said.

Peter Stefan, who runs a Worcester funeral home, said that he considered Flomenbaum a "total victim" and that the office is woefully underfunded.

But the report said below-average funding "does not begin to explain the long-term and persistent problems of this agency. Unlimited funding of this agency would not fix it in its current state."

Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.

Crime lab neglected 16,000 cases

Evidence was never analyzed, probe finds
By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff July 15, 2007

Evidence samples from thousands of crime scenes across Massachusetts, including nearly 1,000 homicides and other deaths and 6,500 sexual assaults, were never analyzed by the State Police crime lab, according to an investigation of the lab ordered by the state.

The lab's failure to process potentially crucial DNA evidence from 16,000 cases means that killers and rapists could be walking free, said two law enforcement officials who have seen the report. The backlog of samples, found in a refrigerated room at the Maynard laboratory, dates to the 1980s and is "of crisis proportions," the report said. The backlog is far greater than previously disclosed; lab administrators had acknowledged a backlog of only about 2,000 cases.

The investigation also found 4,000 rape evidence kits from as far back as 1989 that were never even opened to determine whether there was biological evidence that could help prosecutors identify and charge rapists, the officials said. The study, ordered by the state Executive Office of Public Safety in March, was conducted by Vance, an international risk management consulting firm with an office in Braintree. In their 57-page report, scheduled to be released tomorrow , the consultants conclude that the crime lab's problems, "allowed to fester, led to a crisis which unnecessarily undermined public confidence in a critical law enforcement function."

The two law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the study has not been made public, briefed the Globe on the report, but declined to provide a copy. The report also points to deficiencies that include "lack of audits or independent outside reviews, serious questions concerning the qualifications of personnel . . . incomplete and improper documentation, and profile mistakes." It did not conclude that any DNA testing was conducted improperly or raise questions about any cases that have already been prosecuted.

"The degree to which this report demonstrates a disturbing lack of oversight at the crime lab during previous administrations is deeply troubling," said one official. "The Patrick administration has said it plans to continue its overhaul of the lab and quickly implement many of the recommendations of the report as well as aggressively address the unacceptable backlog that was created by negligent oversight."

The Patrick administration will likely hire a private company and spend as much as $6 million to analyze samples from cases where the statute of limitations has not expired, said the official. State public safety officials will also contact police departments and prosecutors to determine if there are cold cases that they may now be able to solve. The analysis could involve thousands of cases, according to the official.

The state hired Vance to conduct a $267,000 top-to-bottom review of the lab's operations after problems surfaced with the handling of evidence in the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, the FBI-funded computer network that serves as a national registry for DNA samples collected from convicted criminals and arrested individuals. State crime labs compare crime scene DNA evidence to genetic profiles in the national database to try to identify suspects.

The civilian head of the crime lab resigned under pressure in March. The administrator of the lab's DNA database was fired in April, three months after he was suspended for allegedly mishandling CODIS test results, including 13 cases in which he did not tell law enforcement officials about positive DNA matches in unsolved sexual assault cases until after the statute of limitations had expired

Last month, the state's top forensics official, who supervised the crime lab and the troubled state medical examiner's office, also resigned. The FBI, the state Inspector General, and the State Police are also investigating the lab. Joseph Dorant , president of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists, the union that represents the laboratory workers, said backlogs of crime scene samples that are waiting to be analyzed are not unique to Massachusetts.

"The staffing at the crime lab hasn't caught up to the pace of the technology," he said. "The Massachusetts District Attorneys Association did a report recommending that the lab hire an additional 50 chemists. We have some of the best forensic scientists in the state. In the last five years the state has put millions of dollars into a new crime lab and new equipment but now we need the forensic scientists to do the testing. We have a good staff."

In its report, Vance describes a national DNA backlog, but says the situation is much more severe at the crime lab. According to the report, during the laboratory's most productive year, in 2006, it tested samples from 500 cases, up from 200 the year before. In 2006, the laboratory, which had an annual budget of $16.2 million, received a funding increase to hire additional staff. Chemists at the lab, the report said, worked on an average of four cases a month -- about half the national average.

Joseph F. Savage Jr. , chairman of the New England Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal clinic that seeks to exonerate wrongfully convicted people through the use of DNA evidence, said the report "confirms our fears that the lab was a disaster."

Savage, who had called for an investigation into the laboratory by the inspector general, Gregory W. Sullivan, added: "We look forward to getting the complete facts when the Inspector General completes his independent investigation."

Testing of the yet-to-be-analyzed samples could turn up suspects in cases in which someone else has already been convicted and lead to exoneration. Jack McCarthy , a spokesman for the inspector general, declined to comment on the Vance report or his office's investigation.

Public safety officials hope to reorganize the lab, placing all of the state's forensic services, including the arson and ballistics investigative units, under one director to save money and make training standards more uniform. Among the report's 27 recommendations, the report suggests that the state conduct a national search for a new lab director.

Andrea Estes can be reached at estes@globe.com.

The Beating of Black Lawyers

July 5, 2007
by Mumia Abu-Jamal

    No matter who we are, or where we live, folks in Black America have grown up with the lesson of the importance of education as a tool of social mobility.

 

    That's why lawyers are generally so highly regarded in many Black communities, as people who have  undergone years of legal education.

 

    But that respect doesn't go far beyond the community.

 

    Cops in Brooklyn, New York recently showed what they thought of lawyers by beating them up!

 

    Well-known human rights attorney Michael Tarif Warren, and his wife, Evelyn (also a lawyer), were driving down Brooklyn's Vanderbilt Avenue, when they spotted a Black youth being chased by cops across a McDonald's parking lot.

 

    The youngster was tackled to the ground and handcuffed, when the Warrens saw a Sgt. Talvy begin kicking him in the head, the ribs, and stomping on his neck.

 

    The 2 attorneys stopped their car, walked within 10 feet of the beating, identified themselves (as lawyers), and told the cops to stop beating the youth, and simply take him to the nearest precinct.

 

    The Sergeant's response was to shout, "I don't give a f**k who you are, get the f**k back in your car!"

 

    The Warrens returned to the car, where Michael began to write down notes of what he saw, and the license plate numbers of the cop cars present.

 

    Before he could finish his notes Sgt, Talvy walks up to the car, and began to repeatedly punch him through the window, shouting "Get out of the car!"

 

    Warren was then dragged out of his car, his clothes ripped in the process.

 

    His wife, obviously upset at these events, demanded to know why he was attacked, and was promptly punched in the face by this same cop!

 

    Both Warrens were arrested and driven to the 77th precinct and charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

 

    Within hours hundreds of Brooklynites converged on the precinct, demanding the release of the Warrens. People came from all walks of life, for Tarif has a long history, almost 30 years, of representing people who have been victims of police or prosecutorial misconduct in the city.

 

    Groups like the December 12th Movement, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, the International Action Center, and many others quickly mobilized support for the Warrens.

 

    In an interview in the New York Daily Challenge, Evelyn Warren spoke for many people when she said, "We are professionals, if they do this to us in broad daylight on a crowded street, what do they do in the dark when no one is around?  That's what I'm concerned about."

 

    She and others called not only for the removal of Talvy, but of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly as well.

 

    When Black lawyers are beaten in the streets, what about average folks?

 

    What about you?

AZ Group to use $1 mil grant to help ex-cons find jobs

By Audrie Garrison
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 4, 2007 12:00 AM

PHOENIX - An Arizona non-profit organization focused on helping women find employment was awarded a $1 million federal grant Tuesday.

Arizona Women's Education and Employment Inc. will use the money from the U.S. Department of Labor to help men and women between the ages of 18 and 29 who have been in prison find employment. The group was one of five agencies across the country to receive a grant.

"Our goal is to keep people out of prison with this program," said Marie Sullivan, its president and CEO.

Sullivan said the non-profit already does some work with ex-offenders, but that this program will incorporate other faith-based and community organizations. She said the group will provide guidance, technical assistance and money to its partners in the project.

Rhonda Bannard, a spokeswoman for the non-profit, said the U.S. Department of Labor said that the target group of 18- to 29-year-old ex-offenders is an important pool of laborers.

"What they did is they identified this group and said they weren't really being served, and yet, they're a key group," Bannard said. "With the slowing down of the workforce opportunities, they really need to be tapped into."

Sullivan said the program will be target toward Maricopa County residents. She said it will reach out to members through the Department of Corrections and parole officers, as well as the community and faith-based groups they will be partnering with.

Sullivan said the organization helps ex-offenders find jobs both by coaching them in resume-writing and interviewing and by identifying employers who can and will hire people who have spent time in prison.

"We'll work with employers, but we don't actually hand someone a job," she said.

The other grant recipients were Colorado's Department of Labor and Employment, the City of Chicago, the Indianapolis Private Industry Council Inc. and the Director's Council of Des Moines, Iowa.

All five entities will do some sort of project that will help 18- to 29-year-old ex-offenders find jobs.

City Budget Update: Why Councillors Arroyo, Yoon, Turner & Yancey voted no.

Contacts:
Danielle Williams (Arroyo), (617) 635-3115
Mary Grissom (Yoon), (617) 635-4217
Ken Yarbrough (Yancey), (617) 635-3131
Lorraine Fowlkes (Turner), (617) 635-3510

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6-27-07

Four Councillors Oppose FY08 City Operating Budget (Boston, MA) Today, Boston City Councillors Felix D. Arroyo, Sam Yoon, Charles Yancey and Chuck Turner voted "No" on the proposed Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 in the City of Boston.

The Councillors voted "No" because the proposed operating budget only included short-term funding and support for youth opportunity programs and combating the youth violence crisis. The Councillors detailed their top priorities as follows:

1) Summer jobs - The FY08 operating budget included slightly more than $4 million in city operating funding for 2007 summer jobs. With summer already upon us, the Youth Fund infrastructure limits the City's ability to significantly expand the summer jobs program for this year. However, the Councillors asked for a commitment to increase city operating support for summer jobs by $3 million for FY09, bringing the total city commitment next year to $7.3 million. They also asked the City to extend summer job eligibility to 14-year olds for next summer. These requests were rejected by Mayor Menino and his Administration. "Although government cannot do this alone, we feel the city should be a primary guarantor of summer youth employment. We must commit to erasing the gap between the number of jobs available and the number of young people who want and are eligible for a summer job," said Councillor Chuck Turner

2) Year-round/school-year jobs - $400,000 has already been committed by a private foundation this fiscal year for year-round/school-year jobs. This amount of funding will provide for approximately 150 of these jobs this year. The Councillors asked the Administration to commit to providing 350 additional year-round/school-year jobs beginning this September and ending in June 2009. This would have required an increase in the FY08 budget of $920,000 for the Youth Fund. As with the summer job program, the Councillors sought future growth in this program including a commitment of $2.7 million in FY09 to fund 1000 year-round/school-year jobs. These requests were also rejected. "It is essential that we provide school-year and year-round jobs to supplement the summer jobs program if we truly want to reduce violence and provide real opportunities for our City's young people," said Councillor Sam Yoon.

3) Grants to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) - Mayor Menino recently committed $300,000 of city operating funds to support CBOs for summer anti-violence programming. The Councillors acknowledged the commitment of $1.25 million in state and private funds as well. However, they sought an additional $1.2 million in city operating funds which they felt should be committed this year to support CBOs, given the essential work they are doing in the community to develop young people and to prevent violence. They asked the administration for a commitment of city operating funds, rather than a commitment to continue private fund-raising, in order to ensure predictability of funding, and therefore (as with youth employment) budgetary "institutionalization." The Councillors also asked that an additional $1.5 million in new grants be committed for FY09. This would bring the total commitment to $3 million for FY09 -- $1.5 million for continuation grants and $1.5 million in new grants. "Earlier this year, I proposed a new $5 million grant program for community based-organizations. I continue to believe that a significant level of new financial support for local organizations and their efforts is one of the best ways to provide the youth programming needed to reduce youth violence, drug abuse and suicide," said Councillor Felix D. Arroyo.

4) Street Workers - This Spring, the City Council passed a Resolution calling for hiring up to 300 additional Youth and Street Workers. The proposed FY08 operating budget included an increase of just ten new Street Worker positions, bringing the total citywide to thirty. However, the Councillors remain concerned that the Street Worker program is chronically under-funded and that morale is being impacted by the small number of Street Workers compared to the size of the population in need of their outreach. Almost 10,000 high school drop-outs, among thousands of other at-risk youth, cannot be served by such a small number of Street Workers. Therefore, the Councillors asked for at least an additional 25 Street Workers, at a cost of $1 million to be added to the FY08 budget, bringing the total to 55. They also asked for a commitment of an additional $1 million to hire an additional twenty-five Street Workers in FY09, bringing the total to 70. Finally, the Councillors asked that any additional street workers be assigned to geographical areas in our city that include the highest concentration of high-risk youth. These requests were again rejected and not included in the passed FY08 operating budget. "The effective use of street and youth workers not only prevents violence and encourages productive lifestyles, it would reduce long-term need for increase enforcement and the need for excessive police overtime, which last year cost taxpayers more than $28 million," said Councillor Yancey.

The FY08 City operating budget was approved by a vote of 9-4, with Councillors Arroyo, Yoon, Yancey and Turner voting "No." By announcing their intention to oppose the proposed operating budget, these Councillors sought additional negotiations with the Administration on the Operating Budget and inclusion of funding for these youth opportunity and youth violence reduction programs.

Forensics chief exits as probes continue

Forensics chief exits as probes continue
Appointed in '05 to fix 2 agencies
By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff June 27, 2007

The state's top forensics official resigned yesterday following a series of blunders in the State Police crime laboratory and the medical examiner's office, making her exit the most prominent in a string of high-level departures from both operations.

The resignation of LaDonna J. Hatton as undersecretary of forensic sciences comes amid four investigations into the alleged mishandling of DNA test results in about two dozen unsolved sexual assault cases at the crime lab and another inquiry into the disappearance of a body
from the medical examiner's office.

Hatton, 46, was appointed by the Romney administration in 2005 to fix the long-troubled agencies but had struggled with one crisis after another over the past six months. She will leave in August to become general counsel to the State Police.

"There is no perfect time to leave a job with as many challenges as undersecretary for forensic sciences, but I know that this is the right decision and the right time for me personally and professionally," Hatton said in a statement issued by Kevin M. Burke, public safety secretary.

The announcement follows the resignation in March of the civilian head of the crime lab, Carl Se lavka, and the suspension last month of the chief medical examiner, Dr. Mark A. Flomenbaum.

Although the upheaval put Hatton under scrutiny, Burke had vigorously defended her supervision of the lab and medical examiner's office. He told the Globe on March 15 that she had nothing to do with the problems that have roiled both operations and that she was playing a crucial role in addressing them.

"If I had four more LaDonna Hattons, I'd be very pleased," he said.

Yesterday, Burke said Hatton's work "has laid the foundation for the next phase of improvements that need to be implemented."

A spokesman for the Executive Office of Public Safety, Charles McDonald, said that Hatton's departure was voluntary and that Burke, a former Essex County district attorney, will consult with the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association on choosing a replacement. He gave no timetable for appointing a successor.

Hatton, who was paid $125,000 a year, was appointed by the Romney administration despite having little expertise in forensics and was reappointed by Governor Deval Patrick in January.

Burke said she was staying through July to assist with the completion of analyses of the crime lab and medical examiner's office by Vance, a Virginia-based private consulting company. Vance is scheduled to complete a $267,000 top-to-bottom review of the crime lab by Saturday. The company recently began a separate analysis of the medical examiner's office.

Hatton, a former legal counsel to Boston Police Commissioner Paul Evans and Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, told the Globe yesterday morning that she would discuss her departure later in the day but did not return subsequent phone calls.

In the statement issued by Burke, she acknowledged that her resignation comes at a delicate time but said she looked forward to returning to the practice of law.

"There are still many challenges facing the [office of chief medical examiner] and crime lab, but with strong support from Governor Patrick and Secretary Burke, the important changes that have been identified will be made," she said.

Since January, the crime lab has been buffeted by disclosures about the mishandling of DNA test results, which led to investigations by the State Police, FBI, Vance, and the state inspector general's office.

All the investigations are looking into problems with evidence compiled in the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, the FBI-funded computer network that serves as the registry of 3.1 million DNA samples of convicted criminals and arrested individuals that have been collected by law enforcement nationwide. CODIS matches crime-scene DNA to genetic profiles in the database.

Robert Pino, a 23-year civilian employee of the lab who testified in more than 240 criminal cases and helped set up the state's portion of the FBI database, was fired April 13, three months after the agency suspended him for allegedly mishandling test results.

On March 9, Selavka, director of the lab since July 1998 and one of Pino's supervisors, resigned under pressure.

The State Police investigation has found several kinds of problems, including that Pino told law enforcement officials about 13 positive DNA matches in unsolved sexual assault cases after the statute of limitations had expired, too late for the cases to be prosecuted.

In another eight cases, the statute expired because the lab took too long to check DNA from the crime scenes against samples in the database, according to a State Police affidavit filed in February.

The medical examiner's office faced its own crisis in mid-March, when an increase in the number of autopsies caused unclaimed bodies to pile up in the agency's overcrowded Boston headquarters in the South End and in a refrigerated truck parked behind the building. In addition, the plumbing system had clogged, resulting in pools of blood on the autopsy room floor, and basic supplies, including body bags and toe tags, had run out periodically.

On May 3, the Patrick administration suspended Flomenbaum for the misplacement of the body of a Cape Cod man who was mistakenly buried in another man's grave and had to be exhumed

Last week, the Patrick administration restricted a longtime pathologist at the medical examiner's office, Dr. William M. Zane, from examining any potential homicide victims because he made an autopsy error that forced prosecutors to downgrade murder charges against twin brothers from Ayer, who were convicted of manslaughter.

Flomenbaum said in a phone interview from home that he was unaware of Hatton's departure and declined to comment further. Zane did not return a phone call to his office.

Geline W. Williams, executive director of the state's district attorneys association, which has pushed since at least 2000 for improving forensic services relied upon by prosecutors, said both the crime lab and medical examiner's office are victims of years of underfunding and neglect. The state only began addressing those deficiencies in the past few years, she said, and whoever succeeds Hatton will face many of the same challenges.

"The record is clear that the state's forensic services across the board were neglected for almost two decades," she said. "You can't turn that around overnight."

State Senator Jarrett T. Barrios, who cochairs the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said Hatton's new job provides a good opportunity for her and for Patrick.

"This is an important chance for the Patrick administration to take a fresh look at these two agencies that have not been without their problems," he said.

NY state to stop prison phone profiteering

NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE AGREES TO STOP UNJUST PRISON PHONE CONTRACT

Legislation Will Permanently Disconnect Unfair Rates

June 21, 2007, New York, NY--The New York State Senate and Assembly reached agreement at the end of this year's legislative session on legislation that would treat prison telephone service as a right, not as a revenue generator.

"Words cannot describe what this victory means to me--unless they are written on a phone bill that I can now afford to pay," said Cheri O'Donoghue, whose young son is incarcerated in New York State. "It is such a relief that I can now talk to my son more frequently without financial hardship."

For more than ten years, families of inmates have had no choice but to pay phone rates 630 percent higher than normal consumer rates to speak with their loved ones in New York State correctional facilities. In January, Governor Spitzer announced that New York State would forego its nearly 60 percent share of the obscene mark-up. But the corporate mark-up on the contract remained, still more than 200 percent higher than regular consumer rates.

In March, the contract was extended for one year as advocates continued discussions with elected officials and staff to ensure that future telephone systems focus on keeping families together, not on turning a profit. The new contract will take place on April 1, 2008.

The agreed-upon bill centers on one common theme: "that when determining the best value of such telephone service, the lowest possible cost to the telephone user shall be emphasized."

"Today, New York provided strong leadership by setting an example that every other state needs to follow," said Annette Warren Dickerson, campaign coordinator for the NY Campaign for Telephone Justice on behalf of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). "Telephone companies have to stop considering the families of prisoners as if they were captive customers. We thank the bill sponsors for passing this legislation and we thank the Governor for his continuous support."

More than 80 percent of the State's prisoners come from poor New York City neighborhoods, according to the Albany-based Center for Law and Justice. With two-thirds of the prison facilities located three hours or more from New York City, telephone calls become a critical means for families to keep in touch.

The New York Campaign for Telephone Justice works to end the kickback contract between MCI (doing business as Verizon) and the New York State Department of Correctional Services and deliver choice, affordability, and equitable service to the families and friends of those incarcerated in New York State. The campaign is a project of the Center for Constitutional Rights, in partnership with Prison Families of New York, Inc. and Prison Families Community Forum.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is a nonprofit legal and educational organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2 IMPORTANT Announcements

We have 2 very important SHaRC announcements:

1. Testimony by SHaRC members and others supporting HB1723 (the Moratorium Bill) is now available on our website: www.MassDecarcerate.org. There is a linke to the testimony information right from our homepage.

2. A location for our SHaRC meeting on 6/27 at 6:30pm has been confirmed. We will meet at the Community Church of Boston. CCB is located at 565 Boylston St. in the Copley Sq section of Boston.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

-SHaRC

COUNCILORS SIGNAL SUPPORT FOR PAROLE BOARD PICK, OKAY JUDICIAL PENSION

By Jim O'Sullivan
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JUNE 6, 2007….Despite outside lobbying for the appointment of a behavioral scientist to the state Parole Board, the Governor's Council appears likely to confirm next week Gov. Deval Patrick's first nominee, a police officer.

Mark Conrad, like Patrick a Milton resident, won lavish praise from elected officials and other witnesses, and provoked no personal criticism from his opponents.

But several defense attorneys and mental health professionals said the Parole Board should include behavioral scientists instead of another law enforcement official. No behavioral scientist has joined the seven-member board since the Dukakis administration, councilors said.

Also Wednesday, the council approved an early retirement pension of approximately $97,000 per year for a Chelsea judge with coronary artery disease. Marie Jackson, a 27-year veteran of the bench, would have retired at roughly $85,000 per year had she not received approval, her attorney said. Jackson, 59, suffers from several heart conditions.

Answering councilors' questions in the Council Chambers, Conrad said he has "a passion, a zest, a zeal that can't be measured in this room," adding, "You just don't understand how committed I am to this cause."

Conrad said he is empathetic with prisoners, and has a brother who has suffered from mental illness and been in trouble for marijuana possession. "Even as a law enforcement person, I didn't feel that he needed to be locked up," Conrad said.

Conrad's sister, he said, is a prominent Detroit city official, and is a two-time candidate for mayor there.

Conrad said he would make parole decisions based on principles of "fairness," saying, "I'm not going to make the right decision all the time."

Pressed for an express threshold for parole, Conrad said, "There needs to be a sense of remorse, but that should not be the only determining factor."

Patrick, who has worked as both a federal civil rights prosecutor and a defense attorney, was blistered during the campaign for alleged weaknesses in his public safety stances, and responded that as governor he would enact "smarter," more comprehensive policies. The governor backs reform of the state's Criminal Offender Record Information system and wants some minimum mandatory sentencing laws rolled back in favor of stronger post-release supervision for low-level offenders. Public Safety Secretary Kevin Burke is studying sentencing issues and Patrick's anti-crime council will report back next month.

Conrad's nomination drew a series of testimonies from several critics who pointed out that the board includes no psychologists, psychiatrists, or criminal defense attorneys. Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton), House chair of the Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, said she is "deeply concerned about the composition of the parole board," and believes the state is less safe because of it.

About half of the state's inmates are considered ineligible for parole, Parole Board chairwoman Maureen Walsh said. "That's one of the major issues that faces and haunts the Commonwealth."

Leslie Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services, said mentally ill prisoners are paroled less frequently, and described cases where people were denied parole then eventually discharged directly to the street, with no supervision.

An ordained deacon at the Morningstar Baptist Church in Mattapan, Conrad said his life has been shaped by his faith. He grew emotional and paused for several moments when speaking to the council about his mother, who died of breast cancer when he was 14.

Morningstar Pastor John Borders described Conrad with the word integrity, and drew a laugh saying, "He has a dominating presence on his motorcycle."

William Moran, the 18-year-old son of one of Conrad's best friends, said, "He's very respectful, but he doesn't have to say it in order to get it."

Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney said that after speaking with Conrad, and without knowing of his religious work, she would have guessed him a minister. "I don't know how you ever got into police work," she said.

Devaney has been in legal trouble lately, with police alleging she flung a shopping bag with a curling iron in it at a store clerk.

Later, Councilor Thomas Foley, former colonel of the State Police, said he was "kind of surprised at some of the comments that have been made in the room."

Before becoming a police officer, Conrad, who also runs a small security firm, worked in employment development.

At least three councilors said during Conrad's hearing that they planned to vote for him, while none openly opposed him.

The vote on Conrad is scheduled for next week. If confirmed, he will serve until June 2012.

One councilor voted against the retirement package for Jackson. Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning said the system is in need of reform and should not be open to special deals like Jackson's. Manning said private-sector workers don't have the opportunity to make "an end run" around the pension system. Devaney abstained from voting, saying she thought the council should be given another week to weigh the matter.

A New Identity

Our New Home on the Web Formerly www.stopchicopeejail.org, we've begun 2007 with a new identity—a new Web address that better represents our mission and scope of work. Be sure to bookmark our site or add us to your list of favorites.

Greetings

On behalf of the Massachusetts Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition (SHaRC), welcome to our blog.