Help Wanted $150,000.00 per year+free meals

Direct quote from Pantagraph
State prison guards doubling their salaries through mandatory OT

SPRINGFIELD -- When the state’s new prison chief heads out to tour each of the state’s lock-ups in the coming days, there’s a good chance he’ll meet guards who are making nearly as much money as he is.

Even though top pay for correctional officers is about $55,000 annually, a new analysis of Illinois Department of Corrections salaries shows more than 40 prison guards earned more than $100,000 in 2008.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/06/13/news/doc4a344e0deb0f7756051679.txt

Happy Birthday

Yesterday I visited two friends at Dwight Correctional, a maximum security women’s prison. It is not a nice place, I don’t mean physically, the architecture is fantastic, I mean the atmosphere is obsessive. The air is heavy and the general feeling is one of despair, but it is a prison so as an adult, you do not expect it to be cheerful.
The visiting room is a feeble attempt at normalcy, it is stark and uninviting. The bathrooms have toilet seats that need repair and lack doors for privacy. The guards sit high at a desk on a dais and counting the minutes till you leave, and they can return to their gossip, visitors’ presence an unwelcome intrusion on their lives.
The visitors scatted at tables their faces painted with yellow ‘happy faces ‘attempting brave faces making the best of their situations.
Bobbing in this sea are exceptions, the children, dragged to visit their Mothers, Aunts, Grandmothers; they do not realize they have stepped into an alternate reality. Dressed in their best and told to behave as if in church.
They do not understand that the rules are different behind the prison gate. Children do not comprehend that what is right outside the gate can be very wrong inside the gate.
There are rules if you are to visit a prisoner, and the rules are for the protection and safety of society. They are to prevent the passing of drugs and weapons, the rules are there for a good reason. They are necessary and must be enforced.
This is not about these rules. This is about a boy.
A boy whose name I do not know but who was visiting with his five siblings and his Mother, dressed in their Sunday best, the girl’s hair in cornrows with white bows, sitting perfectly straight you could not help but marvel at the wonderful job the family must be doing. They were so perfectly behaved I comment to the Mother how wonderfully behaved they were, and how I hoped my children when a similar age would have behaved as well. She must be doing a wonderful job, congrats to her and her family.
She said Thank you and by the way it was the boy’s 6th birthday.
I said happy birthday and that it deserved a soda pop did he wish, with his Mother’s permission, to pick one. The prisoner they were visiting was not there at this time.
He did so I proceeded to ask him to accompany me and pick out what he wanted. He got up and put his hand in mine. The officer on duty called me over and berated me as if I was a piece of dirt that ‘I could not talk to the boy and it was wrong, I was very wrong to even talk to them let alone offer to buy a poop, it was against the rules.
I said what rules there was not a prisoner around and it was his birthday, If I made a mistake I was sorry just let but him the pop and I will not do it again. She said was wrong told me to ‘go sit’ and called her supervisor.
I sat, the boy went back to his table without his birthday treat.
I have a feeling the little boy has suffered many disappointments in his life and this was just another broken promise. I realize it is a minor incident but I couldn’t help but wonder if this incident coupled with others might result in his being the one visited behind the gates later in his life.
I know it is a stretch, but isn’t life the culmination of many small incidents? Aren’t we who we are today, because of what we experienced yesterday?
I wish I could have brought that soda. I hope society doesn’t wish it too.
By the way I checked the rules, no cross visiting with prisoners; it does not say anything about visitors talking to each other.

THANK YOU

I was in Springfield, IL the capital of Illinois, the other day lobbying for better health care in our prisons.
The weather was gorgeous and we actually accomplished our mission… to let the legislature’s know we were watching, and prisoners are people and the responsibility of our government.
I was going to write about what was said that day, but will save it for another day.
I want to write about the people I had the honor to join.
They are amazing.
I had forgotten how wonderful the members of PrisonCore group are, all volunteers, not any with a vested interest, i.e., business or personal gain.
They spent their own money and gave willing of their time to support one of the least popular causes in society.
We were in Springfield to give a voice to those without a voice,. our neighbors whom we would prefer to ignore, prisoners, a few who do not belong in prison, but the vast majority, robbers, drug dealers, rapist and some who have committed crimes that should only exist in the imagination of writers.
The people who have lost their rights to live in our community, but have not lost their ability to feel, who are still human, who think, who hurt, who love, who laugh who cry, who get sick and die, who are the brothers and fathers, sisters and mothers, lovers and sons of our neighbors.
They are our responsibility, they cannot go to a Doctor if they get sick, they cannot even go to the local Walgreens or Wal-Mart to buy some aspirin or a cold tablet, get a band aid or something to settle the stomach.
I was honored to be included, thank you all.
I found this poem on the internet; it is by Felix Dennis, http://www.felixdennis.com,
this is for all of you.

For those who never found it too much trouble
To help their fellow man - nor asked the price,
For those who wield their shovels in the rubble
While scholars scoff at building paradise;
For those who fetch and carry for their neighbours,
Or wash the sick or sit beside the frail,
For those who earn a pittance for their labours,
But never play the martyred tattletale:

For those for whom a word of thanks suffices,
Or deem that it was meant, if never said,
For those who run a mile from fame's devices,
And hide their medals underneath the bed;
For those who slave in worn out wards and clinics,
Or work beside the nurses, hand in glove,
For those who pay no mind to whining cynics,
Who know the worth, if not the price, of love:

For those who give their lives to teaching others,
Yet never learn the meaning of conceit,
For those who treat the homeless as their brothers,
For men who empty bins and sweep the street;
For volunteers who listen - but don't lecture,
For coppers who would rather wear no gun,
For juries who can cast aside conjecture
And steel themselves to do what must be done:

For friends who keep their temper, yet stay candid,
For citizens who stand up to the yobs,
For those who bring up children single-handed,
For companies who tailor-make them jobs;
For those who blew the whistle as they hung us,
For those who stood when you and I would fall,
For these, the unsung heroes here among us:
Please raise your glass to bless them, one and all.

Technorati: Discussion about “Mr. Quinn goes to Springfield”

Technorati: Discussion about “Mr. Quinn goes to Springfield”

Posted using ShareThis

Fallen Angels

Today Governor Pat Quinn commuted Debra Gindorf's sentence to time served.
Gindorf was suffering from severe post-partum psychosis in March of 1985 when she gave her 3-month-old son and 23-month-old daughter lethal doses of sleeping medication and then tried to kill herself.
She has been at Dwight for over 20 Years, more time in prison than out.
I wonder how she will adjust?
The rules of survival in prison are different then the rules outside, kindness is often punished, IE a ticket for loaning a coat in the cold, offering someone a piece of candy results in C grade, no phone or other privileges may even result in segregation.
Guards are often bullies and abuse their status, just because they can not because it is right,resulting in the prisoner's feeling like less than a human being.
Common courtesies are almost non existent. A hello, what is happening is often regarded as an intrusion on privacy.
It is not a normal by any stretch existence.
Adjustment will be hard, but in her case she has a loving support system. She will survive.
Congratulations to all who dedicated their lives to helping one 'fallen angel'.
20 is young, as i get older I realize just how young twenty is, too lose the next twenty years to a system that demands retribution is wrong.
If the prison system would implement Electronic Home Detention, maybe, just maybe,justice would not be delayed.
Justice delayed is justice denied, but guaranteed when it does happen it still feels great.
Congratulations to all who helped this fallen angel, now on to the next.

Why Bother?

Why get up in the morning? Why bother earning a living? What is the point? Why bother supporting your family or yourself for that matter, paying bills, and especially taxes?

What is the point? We do it because we believe we have a responsibility to our families, to ourselves. We do it because it is the right thing to do.

We pay taxes in order to allow our government to provide services. We do it because it is right and it is the law? But Why? So that others can spend our money? Without regard to fiscal, let alone social responsibility? An Illinois State government department has consistently operated 'under the radar', and ignored the very statues it job it is to enforce.

The new Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, stated today "... The state is staggering under a shameful mountain of unpaid bills," Quinn said. "Illinois has a moral responsibility to rid itself of this destructive deficit.", http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/03/gov-pat-quinn-pitches-tax-increase-in-budget-speech-to-lawmakers-.html , so how does the Illinois Department of Corrections, one of the largest budget within state agencies, get away with continuing to refuse to cut their costs, especially when all it would take is implementing a law that is already on the books.

A law, 730 ILCS 5/) Unified Code of Corrections, (730 ILCS 5/Ch. V Art. 8A heading), ARTICLE 8A. ELECTRONIC HOME DETENTION, a law that because it has the word "may" instead of shall, they have been able to ignore for over 15 years. The law reads " A person serving a sentence for conviction of a Class 2, 3 or 4 felony offense which is not an excluded offense may be placed in an electronic home detention program pursuant to Department administrative directives…"

It costs less than $2,000.00 per year for Electronic Home Monitoring; it costs between $32,000.00 and $100,000.00 per year to incarcerate a person, depending on age, medical, location.

The reason IDOC gives is "they did not allow Pontiac to close..So our fixed costs would remain the same..The savings on food, drugs, etc., are not that significant, so why bother with putting all the administrative procedures in place?"

How can they say fixed costs are not affected by the prison population and then ask the state for money to hire 200 more correctional officers?

Today Capitol Fax, http://thecapitolfaxblog.com printed this comment: "… Quinn proposes adding about 200 employees to the Department of Corrections, which AFSCME has long warned was dangerously understaffed. But he's actually cutting the personal services budget line for the department by about $54 million. So, how does he add more workers while cutting funding for workers at the same time?..."

Forget the lives the decision affects. Forget the families, the children without a parent, and the parents without their child. Forget the rehabilitation the money would mean to the community, the community service that could be part of their release. The contribution they could make by community service, the repaying of their debt to society.

Why not stop making society pay for crimes they have already suffered, instead making the perpetrator really pay for their crimes by contributing, not taking more from an already broke community?

Call or email Governor Pat Quinn now. Tell him you are tired of paying; let them pay their debt by enforcing the law.

Email: quinn.ltgov@illinois.gov

Phone: 217-782-7884l

 

CURE IL: Women in Prison

CURE IL: Women in Prison

Women in Prison

This piece was written by a high school senior at the Chicago Waldorf High School. Her name is Elizabeth Wilson.
I believe it is an informative outside perspective. Comments are welcome.

When incarcerated in Illinois, many women do not receive adequate health care or treatment due to unsatisfactory funding and lack of sufficient attention. The majority of prisons lack quality care and many of their inmates to suffer throughout their incarceration without proper treatment. Through my research, I realized the most important issues for female prisoners are mothers’ rights, custodial care, rehabilitation and health care, specifically STD testing and treatment. Many legal advocates, healthcare professionals, mothers, sisters, fathers, sons and daughters of the incarcerated women have been working tirelessly to improve the healthcare system. They realize the need for a national movement where families can stand up for their relatives and create change. Health care within the criminal justice system is one of the most overlooked injustices our country faces today. As I followed this story and spoke to people who believe in reformation of the criminal justice system. I believe we are on the edge of change. I feel it is my responsibility to communicate the hard work that is taking place and motivate positive change within the criminal justice system.
There truly is a lack of awareness and understanding of the health care crisis for incarcerated women. Many people are working hard to improve the poor conditions prisoners face everyday. My mission for this project was to raise awareness in my school community, about the health care crisis for incarcerated women. Often issues about the criminal justice system are ignored because of moral beliefs that these women violated the law therefore they deserve nothing. It is also easy to forget about the rights of prisoners because inmates are isolated. What many people overlook, is that these prisoners are our sisters, mothers, daughters and friends, and shouldn’t be treated as social rejects. I hope I have raised awareness, so together we can rise up and help our sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. To provide sufficient health care, prisons are lacking what matters most: humane attention, funding and rehabilitation services. There is a cycle of poverty, poor education and abuse that lies in our history and our inner city communities across the nation. Women become imprisoned, do not receive proper services in the first place, become resentful and are released back onto the streets without sufficient follow- ups, and then raise a new generation who can easily repeat the cycle. We need to stop the cycle, raise awareness and fight for better services. Prisons need to provide rehabilitation instead of punishment. Rehabilitation would keep ex- convicts out of prison, keep non- violent offenders out of maximum security prisons, and teach people to become healthier, well- rounded citizens.

Non- Violent vs Sex Sex Offenders

Re: The Non- Violent First Time offenders vs. Sex Offenders for the EHM.
IDOC releases sex offenders on EHM on regular basis.
However IDOC refuses to adhere to the current EHM laws that relate to first time non-violent offenders being released on EHM.
They claim that they do not have a program in place or the equipment for EHM. However this law has been on the books for well over a decade.
IDOC could in fact borrow the EHM devices from the sex offenders divison and adhere to the law as it exist today.
It is time for IDOC to step to the plate and comply to the law as written.

Just the Facts

(730 ILCS 5/) Unified Code of Corrections, (730 ILCS 5/Ch. V Art. 8A heading), ARTICLE 8A. ELECTRONIC HOME DETENTION is the law. This is a fact.
This law is clear “Home detention" means the confinement of a person convicted or charged with an offense to his or her place of residence under the terms and conditions established by the supervising authority” not out of house, not a threat to the community. This is a fact.
The Illinois Department of Corrections has chosen to ignore this law, even though their job is to enforce the law. This is a fact.
It would save the taxpayers a great deal of money anywhere between $175,000,000. To $305,000,000. This is a fact.
The law requires a person to have a support system in place. This is a fact.
The law only allows first time non violent offenders to be placed on Electronic Home Detention. This is a fact.
It does not allow violent or sex offenders to apply. This is a fact.
The AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY states that” crime peaks in the late teens and early 20s, and declines thereafter” This is a fact.
The majority of those eligible for Electronic Home detention are over 55. This is a fact
The State of Illinois is broke. This is a fact.
It costs about $55.00 per day per prisoner to be incarcerated. It costs less than $1.00 per day for each person on Electronic Home Detention. This is a fact.
The difference in cost is about $54.00 per day. This is a fact.
What would you do with $54.00 per day extra?

$175,000,000. that is Real Money

How much is $174,000,000.00 in real money???
It almost triples the amount the state currently spends on reading improvement, per Illinois state Board of Education’s budget for 2009, , Reading Improvement $79,139,800. 00

It would increase the budget for “Youth Substance Abuse Prevention”, which targets children 9-14, the age most at risk. Before they are in trouble.

Think of what a small portion of this money could do for your community?

It is money the Illinois department of correction would save if they just implemented the current law.

Illinois statue (730 ILCS 5/) Unified Code of Corrections.
(730 ILCS 5/Ch. V Art. 8A heading)
ARTICLE 8A, ELECTRONIC HOME DETENTION, is the law, has been the law for over 10 years yet IDOC is not utilizing this law

This Illinois law calls for people convicted and sentenced to prison for
Non-violent crimes to be eligible for release on Electronic Home Monitoring
(EHM) devices, however officials of the Illinois department of Corrections
say that the technology is being used in very few [give number] cases. The
Reason is that the state is not currently equipped to monitor a large number
of people on EHM. [I expect a call back on this from Jason Garnett, IDOC Deputy Director for Parole Operations and Security-tp.]
The initial cost for ramping up this program would be negligible compared to the savings.
But they aren’t just numbers they are people like:
“Joanna” who has Alzheimer's and less than a year left on her sentence, her lucid days are getting further and further apart. Her family wants her home for at least whatever time she has remaining.
“Danielle” also has less than a year; she was with the wrong crowd, was the wrong color and listened to the wrong people. She did not have any past brushes with the law. She also has less than a year, but God has given her another sentence, she has MS.
“Johnny” is serving time for drunk driving, does not have a past record. He is the Father of a seven year old boy who is very ill, and wants nothing more than his father home. “Johnny” has less than eight months on his sentence. Hope his first event isn’t a funeral.
Ten plus years ago technology was not as advanced as it is today. Electronic Monitoring devices not only have GPS, but monitor drug intake even tobacco. They are smaller and cost less than $2.00 per day to implement. “Joanne”, “Danielle”, “Johnny” names aren’t real, but their stories are. They cost you and I anywhere between $30,000.00 and $150,000 per year.
What would you do with the money?
The Illinois Compiled Statutes declares that "a person serving a sentence
for conviction of a Class 2, 3, or 4 felony offense which is not an excluded
offense may be placed in an electronic home detention program pursuant to
Department administrative directives states “Excluded offenses are basically sex crimes and/or violent crimes against a person”.

Electronic Home Detention

The law in Illinois provides for electronic home monitoring of non violent offenders.
Currently it is not being implemented by the state.
It would save the Illinois taxpayers $175,000,000.00 annually, but that is not the real savings. The real savings would be in lives saved if it was implemented.
Here is one story.
Danielle’s Sister died. Her mother came to tell her in prison. Danielle is serving a 20 year sentence and its almost time for her release.
Her sister had promised her a seven layer salad to celebrate her finally coming home.
Her sister’s death was senseless. Hit by a car while crossing the street. Not a busy street, just a quiet suburban one.
Danielle wasn’t supposed to be in prison.
She was the bright one. She was attending the University of Chicago on a full scholarship when something went haywire. Not her but her friends, a few too many… a dumb idea.. Whatever happened the appellate court reversed and remanded. The outcome was a reduced charge and sentence.
She was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and the wrong color.
Her sister, Dinah was her staunchest ally, visiting often and supplemented by numerous long phone calls, the sisters loved to talk about anything.
Danielle will still be going home. But home will not be the same for her or her Mother who just wanted her two girls to be happy and safe.
Last year the courts reduced her sentence, God gave her another sentence though, she has MS.
She is eligible for electronic home detention, which would allow her to help care for her aging Mother.

Anti-Cruelty to Humans

 

We spend BILLIONS helping animals, shed tears when a dog dies in a movie, empathize with the child who has lost their pet, decry those who abuse animals.

But what about humans? do we care if the convicted felon is being treated humanely by their guardians? or do we simply not pay attention?

1 out of every 32 adults are in prison in the US, per http://www.prisonsucks.com/.

They are our Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, and friends. They are people who have made a mistake and are paying their debt.

How do we as a society justify treating them with less caring then we show for our pets? Feeding them food that our dogs wouldn’t eat, medical care that is substandard, living conditions we would not tolerate.

If we take responsibility for a human life we must treat that life at least as well as our pets.

This is the mission of CURE IL.