boomslang
10-16-2003, 05:17 PM
I have been involved with the California wing of the PTO for the past few months and I have noticed the despair, frustration and anxiety with the California Prison system.
PTO is a wonderful resource for us to interact and learn about a systems that prefers to remain secretive. We are the lucky ones because we have the means to buy a computer and have online access. Think of the poor souls that are shut out of the system and no access to information or are culturally intimidated by the system.
I must apologize in advance for this long post, but the infomation that is embodied here is difficult to elaborate on in any concise manner.
When an inmate is sentenced in a court of law the inmate of course is a recipient of the punishment of the people but, concurrently the inmates family is also sentence to serve.
The inmate is isolated from his family and deprived of many constitutional and human rights. Conversely the family is also isolated and the constitution is suspended beyond the gates of the prison. The inmates in the eyes of the government become the property of the state, a number and statistic.
Once convicted the courts empowered by the legislature strip away the rights of the inmates and their families and empowers the prisons and their personnel with extraordinary powers of psychological, corporal punishment and death.
Over the years the CDC has lobbyed the legislature for more authority over its inmates, in the interest of safety for its personnel. This has always meant a reduction of priveledges and basic human services. The inmates can complain but for the most part the voices are muted. The families can complain but for the most part are ignored. Only a major riot with the death and destruction of facilities and personnel will the legislature take any notice to remedy defects in the system.
If you wonder why we have to live under the dogma and dictums of the government, it's because we donot have an authorative voice. The legislature, courts and police encounter very few speed bumps and never any walls to prevent them from running rough shod on our loved ones because they are being tough on crime in the eyes of the electorate.
However when a legislator wants to be tough on crime with respect to making guns illegal or to try to impose any restricitions on gun ownership, that legislator will suddenly hit a wall and if he's not careful he could become roadkill at the powerful hands of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Many political careers have been killed at the hands of this very able militia.
But what does the NRA have to do with the plight of inmates?
In the absence of the NRA the congress would have long ago stripped away the 2nd ammendment right to privately own guns. Legislators in the absence of resistance will inact laws to cater to public outcry or outrage. The NRA though its politcal organization, financial clout and public relations teams can rip apart any attempts to further weaken gun ownership.
The NRA, CCPOA, Teamsters are all examples of organized groups of people with a shared sense of values and goals banding together in one cause to oppose those that would injure their causes. Most of these groups are equiped with with organizations called Political Action Commitees or PAC for short. These are also known as "special interests" and lobbyists. They are the politcal equivalent of a S.W.A.T. team in a police force. They are heavily financed by their membership to hire a cadre of talented lawyers and legislative consultants to lobby the legislators or to take a government agency to court. They also employ savvy public relations consultants that can drop stories in major media outlets. Typically they know the rules and laws better than the legislators themselves. They also know how to target pressure to its best effect. They can stop laws or change laws. They can write new laws and have them introduced by a legislature. They intimidate agency heads by the threat of expensive and time consuming litigation. The department head gets uninvited media attention that could raise the ire of those that appointed him. In short it can get very nasty for the targeted legislator(s) or department heads.
We in the inmate community are a divided lot and because we are divided we are easy to conquer. We have no unified voice and no power to change our fates. We are like leaves in the wind. If we could just band together like the aforementioned unions and PACS and organize ourselves under a common cause. We might be able to stop the hemorrhaging of our rights and reverse some of the past wrongs. If you ask most politicians stance on the 3 strikes law, most will say they support it. This is because there is no downside to supporting it only upside from the general electorate. If there was a powerful lobby let say Californian's for Criminal Justice Reform Foundation (CCJRF nonexistant) and they had a Political Action Committee, they could lobby the legislature and take out full page ads informing the elctorate how precious public resources are being squandered by locking up people for life. All of a sudden there is a downside to this issue. Each year the PAC hammers the politicians and starts to pick off some of them at the polls.
The politico's start to respect the PAC and start to lsiten to their grievances.
Any Political Action Committee to be successful has to have the same qualities that drive all other PACS.
1.) They are a chartered professional organization complete with IRS recognition as a non-profit and PAC.
2.) They have a clear mission statement that lays out their purpose for existing, including goals.
3.) They have a defined organizational structure that is approved by its members.
4.) They have clear and expansive means to communicate with members.
5.) They have the means to raise funds to finance projects approved by the membership.
The last is the most significant. Without funding there is no power to the organization. Hiring lawyers, consultants, lobbyist, public relations firms and placing ads all cost money.
If you look at the available pool in California a PAC is able to raise a significant amount of money without straining the budgets of the average family. Here is an example:
Let say that a PAC was formed with 100,000 members and they contributed $25.00 per year or $2.00 per month.
100,000 X $25.00 = $2,500,000.00
This coupled with a staff of professional fund raisers (auctions, bake sales etc) could raise this figure to 3.5 million dollars per year. This is alot of money by anybody's measure and there is alot that could be accomplished with it if it is spent wisely.
1.) To retain top quality legal counsel. The big five boys that none of us could afford. Just their name being associated with us will send shivers down most politico's and department heads.
2.) Hire high end lobbyist in Sacramento $80,000/year. No matter what Arnold says the special interest will remain. These guys have the home numbers of legislators.
3.) Hire inhouse media consultant/public relations to handle press release and provide information to other watch groups such as Amnesty International. To conduct polling on issues to present to politico's.
4.)Research department and Legislative analysts this persons stays on top of what legislation is kicking around that could harm us. He generates studies to support our oppositions to legislation that could harm us. Maintains statistics on prisons-watchdog.
5.) War chest of polictical contributions that goes to sympathetic legislators, District Attorney's and Judges.
6.) Professional fund raiser. This person(s) know how to solicit funds from major charitable groups like United Way, federal grants and faith based groups. This is an enormous source of funding but it requires a respected pro. They are expensive but they more than pay for themselves.
7.) Volunteer coodinator. This post is to coordinate activities of all chapters in recruitment of new members, fund raising and get out the vote efforts to elect or oust a targeted elected official.
8.) Private investigators. Former FBI, police investigators that work in tandem with the legal counsel to gather information to prosecute criminal misconduct by prison officials.
9.) Charitable contributions to the A.C.L.U. and other similar non-for-profits.
10.) Inmate support programs for post release training, school and employment counciling.
The foundation could work as an infomation clearing house about the whole process of being incarcerated, including facilities, rules and a myriad of other information. It could have a grievance intake to handle prisoners complaints and act upon them. It could act as a charity providing assistance to indigent inmates. It could provide material support for inmates by purchasing and providing to the CDC books training materials and other common quality of life issues for inmates. It maintain statistics through a research branch about each prison with respect to lockdowns, injuries and death etc, to bolster its arguments with legislators. It maintains lists of competent attorney's to help in appeals with better prices for members.It would sponsor annual conferences to discuss issues of concern to families and invite the governor and legislator to address the conference. The media would also be in attendance.
The PAC function of the foundation would be to identify pressure points within the system. This is to identify the politcal positions within the chain that the PAC can try to exert pressure. They are as follows.
The Mayors of cities they hire the police chief that sets the tone of activity in a given area.
The Sheriff an elected official and in charge of the county jails.
The District Attorney's; they are the charging entity for the state and is the most in need of reform. They overcharge defendants and contribute to the long sentences and high cost of incarceration. This is an elected and contentious office.
Fund the underdog and get out the vote and he will listen to our side.
Attorney General: He is usually toned deaf to the plight of prisoners and their treatment at the CDC. THere is currently no downside for his attitude. Contribute to his opposition and sue him for malfeasance and that will get his attention fast.
The Governor controls the actions of the CDC if he elects to.
The legislature: they make the laws and change prison rules.
They are always looking for money and vounteers.
State Judges: inordinately harsh judges could be targeted for removal. They usually give deference to the police and DA since there is no lobby from our side to oppose them.
I'm getting tired...but you get the general idea. There is strength in numbers with very little cost to members. I would be willing to support this if it was done in a meaningful way.
It is alot of work and it will take time to get up and running, but we have an election coming up in '04 which could give us a chance to flex our muscles. They will only listen to us if we present ourselves in a professional and determined manner.
We have to become like them.
boomer
PTO is a wonderful resource for us to interact and learn about a systems that prefers to remain secretive. We are the lucky ones because we have the means to buy a computer and have online access. Think of the poor souls that are shut out of the system and no access to information or are culturally intimidated by the system.
I must apologize in advance for this long post, but the infomation that is embodied here is difficult to elaborate on in any concise manner.
When an inmate is sentenced in a court of law the inmate of course is a recipient of the punishment of the people but, concurrently the inmates family is also sentence to serve.
The inmate is isolated from his family and deprived of many constitutional and human rights. Conversely the family is also isolated and the constitution is suspended beyond the gates of the prison. The inmates in the eyes of the government become the property of the state, a number and statistic.
Once convicted the courts empowered by the legislature strip away the rights of the inmates and their families and empowers the prisons and their personnel with extraordinary powers of psychological, corporal punishment and death.
Over the years the CDC has lobbyed the legislature for more authority over its inmates, in the interest of safety for its personnel. This has always meant a reduction of priveledges and basic human services. The inmates can complain but for the most part the voices are muted. The families can complain but for the most part are ignored. Only a major riot with the death and destruction of facilities and personnel will the legislature take any notice to remedy defects in the system.
If you wonder why we have to live under the dogma and dictums of the government, it's because we donot have an authorative voice. The legislature, courts and police encounter very few speed bumps and never any walls to prevent them from running rough shod on our loved ones because they are being tough on crime in the eyes of the electorate.
However when a legislator wants to be tough on crime with respect to making guns illegal or to try to impose any restricitions on gun ownership, that legislator will suddenly hit a wall and if he's not careful he could become roadkill at the powerful hands of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Many political careers have been killed at the hands of this very able militia.
But what does the NRA have to do with the plight of inmates?
In the absence of the NRA the congress would have long ago stripped away the 2nd ammendment right to privately own guns. Legislators in the absence of resistance will inact laws to cater to public outcry or outrage. The NRA though its politcal organization, financial clout and public relations teams can rip apart any attempts to further weaken gun ownership.
The NRA, CCPOA, Teamsters are all examples of organized groups of people with a shared sense of values and goals banding together in one cause to oppose those that would injure their causes. Most of these groups are equiped with with organizations called Political Action Commitees or PAC for short. These are also known as "special interests" and lobbyists. They are the politcal equivalent of a S.W.A.T. team in a police force. They are heavily financed by their membership to hire a cadre of talented lawyers and legislative consultants to lobby the legislators or to take a government agency to court. They also employ savvy public relations consultants that can drop stories in major media outlets. Typically they know the rules and laws better than the legislators themselves. They also know how to target pressure to its best effect. They can stop laws or change laws. They can write new laws and have them introduced by a legislature. They intimidate agency heads by the threat of expensive and time consuming litigation. The department head gets uninvited media attention that could raise the ire of those that appointed him. In short it can get very nasty for the targeted legislator(s) or department heads.
We in the inmate community are a divided lot and because we are divided we are easy to conquer. We have no unified voice and no power to change our fates. We are like leaves in the wind. If we could just band together like the aforementioned unions and PACS and organize ourselves under a common cause. We might be able to stop the hemorrhaging of our rights and reverse some of the past wrongs. If you ask most politicians stance on the 3 strikes law, most will say they support it. This is because there is no downside to supporting it only upside from the general electorate. If there was a powerful lobby let say Californian's for Criminal Justice Reform Foundation (CCJRF nonexistant) and they had a Political Action Committee, they could lobby the legislature and take out full page ads informing the elctorate how precious public resources are being squandered by locking up people for life. All of a sudden there is a downside to this issue. Each year the PAC hammers the politicians and starts to pick off some of them at the polls.
The politico's start to respect the PAC and start to lsiten to their grievances.
Any Political Action Committee to be successful has to have the same qualities that drive all other PACS.
1.) They are a chartered professional organization complete with IRS recognition as a non-profit and PAC.
2.) They have a clear mission statement that lays out their purpose for existing, including goals.
3.) They have a defined organizational structure that is approved by its members.
4.) They have clear and expansive means to communicate with members.
5.) They have the means to raise funds to finance projects approved by the membership.
The last is the most significant. Without funding there is no power to the organization. Hiring lawyers, consultants, lobbyist, public relations firms and placing ads all cost money.
If you look at the available pool in California a PAC is able to raise a significant amount of money without straining the budgets of the average family. Here is an example:
Let say that a PAC was formed with 100,000 members and they contributed $25.00 per year or $2.00 per month.
100,000 X $25.00 = $2,500,000.00
This coupled with a staff of professional fund raisers (auctions, bake sales etc) could raise this figure to 3.5 million dollars per year. This is alot of money by anybody's measure and there is alot that could be accomplished with it if it is spent wisely.
1.) To retain top quality legal counsel. The big five boys that none of us could afford. Just their name being associated with us will send shivers down most politico's and department heads.
2.) Hire high end lobbyist in Sacramento $80,000/year. No matter what Arnold says the special interest will remain. These guys have the home numbers of legislators.
3.) Hire inhouse media consultant/public relations to handle press release and provide information to other watch groups such as Amnesty International. To conduct polling on issues to present to politico's.
4.)Research department and Legislative analysts this persons stays on top of what legislation is kicking around that could harm us. He generates studies to support our oppositions to legislation that could harm us. Maintains statistics on prisons-watchdog.
5.) War chest of polictical contributions that goes to sympathetic legislators, District Attorney's and Judges.
6.) Professional fund raiser. This person(s) know how to solicit funds from major charitable groups like United Way, federal grants and faith based groups. This is an enormous source of funding but it requires a respected pro. They are expensive but they more than pay for themselves.
7.) Volunteer coodinator. This post is to coordinate activities of all chapters in recruitment of new members, fund raising and get out the vote efforts to elect or oust a targeted elected official.
8.) Private investigators. Former FBI, police investigators that work in tandem with the legal counsel to gather information to prosecute criminal misconduct by prison officials.
9.) Charitable contributions to the A.C.L.U. and other similar non-for-profits.
10.) Inmate support programs for post release training, school and employment counciling.
The foundation could work as an infomation clearing house about the whole process of being incarcerated, including facilities, rules and a myriad of other information. It could have a grievance intake to handle prisoners complaints and act upon them. It could act as a charity providing assistance to indigent inmates. It could provide material support for inmates by purchasing and providing to the CDC books training materials and other common quality of life issues for inmates. It maintain statistics through a research branch about each prison with respect to lockdowns, injuries and death etc, to bolster its arguments with legislators. It maintains lists of competent attorney's to help in appeals with better prices for members.It would sponsor annual conferences to discuss issues of concern to families and invite the governor and legislator to address the conference. The media would also be in attendance.
The PAC function of the foundation would be to identify pressure points within the system. This is to identify the politcal positions within the chain that the PAC can try to exert pressure. They are as follows.
The Mayors of cities they hire the police chief that sets the tone of activity in a given area.
The Sheriff an elected official and in charge of the county jails.
The District Attorney's; they are the charging entity for the state and is the most in need of reform. They overcharge defendants and contribute to the long sentences and high cost of incarceration. This is an elected and contentious office.
Fund the underdog and get out the vote and he will listen to our side.
Attorney General: He is usually toned deaf to the plight of prisoners and their treatment at the CDC. THere is currently no downside for his attitude. Contribute to his opposition and sue him for malfeasance and that will get his attention fast.
The Governor controls the actions of the CDC if he elects to.
The legislature: they make the laws and change prison rules.
They are always looking for money and vounteers.
State Judges: inordinately harsh judges could be targeted for removal. They usually give deference to the police and DA since there is no lobby from our side to oppose them.
I'm getting tired...but you get the general idea. There is strength in numbers with very little cost to members. I would be willing to support this if it was done in a meaningful way.
It is alot of work and it will take time to get up and running, but we have an election coming up in '04 which could give us a chance to flex our muscles. They will only listen to us if we present ourselves in a professional and determined manner.
We have to become like them.
boomer