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”

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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.