POLICE STATE PRISONS FOR FUN & PROFIT
>
>An entrepreneurial Arizona Sheriff's astute reading of
>the political trends toward a US police state regime
>led him to a successful business -- until a meddlesome
>former judge interfered with his god-given right of
>free enterprise.
>
>From a Middle Ground Prison Reform news release:
>
>"Middle Ground Prison Reform and local attorneys
>Ulises Ferragut, Jr. and Cynthia Leyh have joined
>forces to file a $1.375 BILLION dollar law suit
>against Maricopa County and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, on
>behalf of an estimated 55,000 or more detainees who've
>passed through the booking, intake, and holding cell
>areas of the Madison Street jail since November 24,
>2000, when the lawsuit timeframe begins for the use of
>commercial web cameras in the jail's booking and
>holding cells. The lawsuit alleges that Arpaio
>violated state law by using cameras for other than
>security purposes, in rooms where persons are
>dressing, using the toilet, etc., which is a Class 5
>felony. The lawsuit also challenges the conditions of
>confinement in the holding cells for pregnant women
>and those with diabilities or injuries; accuses the
>sheriff of fostering sexual harassment and a sexually
>hostile environment for male and female prisoners;
>accuses the sheriff of failure to separate juvenile
>arrestees from adults, and accuses the sheriff of
>mixing male and female inmates, all of which are
>violations of state law in Arizona....
>
>A Day With Sheriff Joe
>
>"The named plaintiffs, more than a dozen people who
>have been detained recently in the holding cells at
>the Madison Stree Jail, seek to have the court declare
>the lawsuit to be eligible for class action status.
>It is estimated that since the inception of the
>webcams alone (in July 2000), more than 90,000
>individuals have passed through the booking and
>holding cell areas of the jail, and their images have
>been used for commercial purposes -- without their
>knowledge or consent -- by the sheriff. The sheriff
>promotes and sells a video, entitled, "A Day With
>Sheriff Joe," which sells for $15.00 on the Crime.com
>web site. Other commercial advertisements are
>displayed on the site right along with the live webcam
>images that, until recently, include women using the
>toilet in their holding cell...."
>
>http://www.middlegroundprisonreform.org
>
>Two HUMAN RIGHTS HEROS in Arizona
>
>From The Middle Ground website:
>
>DONNA LEONE HAMM is the founder and executive director
>of MIDDLE GROUND PRISON REFORM, a non-profit
>organization dedicated to a more balanced approach to
>corrections policy and law. She was a lower court
>judge for almost ten years.... Donna Hamm is an
>outspoken opponent of capital punishment and has
>lectured extensively on a variety of justice issues at
>both the state and national level.... As a pro se
>litigant, she filed and won six lawsuits against the
>State of Arizona, the Arizona Department of
>Corrections and/or the Arizona Board of Pardons and
>Paroles. In each case, she prevailed and the
>litigation affected all prisoners and/or their
>families. Working as the Director for Middle Ground
>since its formation in 1983, Donna Hamm has become an
>experienced statewide and national criminal justice
>activist and is the leading prisoner/family advocate
>in Arizona...."
>
>JAMES HAMM, J.D., was paroled in 1992 from the Arizona
>State Prison after serving almost 18 years for a
>drug-related murder committed in 1974. Due to his
>exemplary behavior while in prison and his
>extraordinary accomplishments, his life sentence was
>commuted in 1989 to sixteen and one-half years to life
>by the Governor, making him alsost immediately
>eligible for parole. While in prison, he earned a
>summa cum laude bachelor's degree in Applied Sociology
>with an extended major in corrections. He worked as a
>peer counselor and wrote successful grants for prison
>library services, humanities seminars and educational
>equipment. He taught himself legal and computer
>skills and successfully assisted Middle Ground Prison
>Reform in civil rights and constitutional litigation
>on behalf of all prisoners on a variety of issues.
>Mr. Hamm developed and presented legal skills seminars
>to fellow prisoners.... He graduated from law school
>in December 1997.... In 1998, he was hired by Arizona
>State University as a faculty associate in the School
>of Justice Studies for the spring semester. Along
>with his wife, he has presented training seminars to
>the Maricopa County Public Defender's Office and to
>the Court Clerk Association."
>
>http://www.middlegroundprisonreform.org

Dear Ken:

Have only been on the site for a few months and everyone, including you, have been such a source of inspiration and information for me.

Just had to tell someone that I'll be starting to volunteer in the Middle Ground offices in Tempe, AZ (I'm from Phoenix). Donna and James' work is awesome, innovative and no nonsense. I'm starting out by helping them to update their database. Don't know what my niche will be but this is a start. Wish me luck. Take care.

i live in tempe as well. something needs to be done with that damn arpaio, hes such an ass!

I am from Casa Grande , Az Joe has went over board and how the state alwos him to stay who know , I guess it boils down to who got MONEY!!!!
TERRI

VOTE JOE OUT NEXT YEAR!!

Wow...I did an internship with Donna and James.... last summer.... on children with incarcerated parents..... I was very, very disappointed, with Donna.... I hope your internship goes better than mine :) Best of luck....