Advocate For Justice - Stay Informed                                  
      

     

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NEW!      Download the Advocate 4 Justice Parole Packet here! (PDF Format)

     

Correspondence to the Advocate 4 Justice (PDF Format):

           

President Bush Signs H.R. 1593, the Second Act of 2007

     

April 9, 2008

              The Second Chance Act includes key elements of President Bush's Prisoner Reentry Initiative, announced in the 2004 State of the Union address, which provides for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services. "The bill also helps connect people released from prison and jail to mental health and substance abuse treatment, expand job training and placement services, and facilitate transitional housing and case management services". "The Second Chance Act will provide an oppurtunity for realistic rehabilitation for the more than 650,000 inmates who return to their communities each year", said Senator Specter. "The bill's focus on education, job training, and substance abuse treatment is essential to decreasing the nationwide recidivism rate of 66 percent."        

Article: Behind Bars, Sex Charges The Air; from St. Petersburg Times (FL), 9/24/06

     

Advocate 4 Justice: Shooting At FCI Tallahassee

     

August 14, 2006

     

As many of you know, I retired as a BOP guard to Senior Lieutenant at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida. When I learned of the shooting incident I was devastated. Like many other staff and inmates out there, I too had heard the rumors of certain staff being sexually involved with inmates, and I did my part as a staff and reported it.

     

I guess I always feared that something would one day blow up, and unfortunately it did, and lives have been lost and destroyed. Since the incident I have been following the news articles in the Tallahassee Democrat , and watching CNN and WCTV coverage. On July 26, 2006 the Tallahassee Democrat reported that the trial has been reset for October.

     

Federal court documents revealed that an officer was allowed to resign who later admitted to one count of sexual misconduct with an inmate. Documents further revealed that the guard was summoned in lieu of being arrested. There are several other documents on file that reveal the inconsistency on how the FCI handled each case.

     

So, why the grandstanding with these officers? I ask this because of the appearance of racism, since all the staff involved are minorities, and the guard they allowed to resign previously was not a minority.

     

Like I said, I retired from there and I still remember the names of other staff with allegations of sexual misconduct, one of which I know personally because of my involvement as a supervisor on shift.

     

Whether or not these staff members are guilty or not, they are not the only ones, and until the Federal Bureau of Prisons enforce its existing policies, particularly the" Code of Conduct" in disciplining those staff found guilty of such violations, this will continue.

     

A message from the Advocate 4 Justice:

     

Growing up in North Carolina I thought it was cool to have blacks in office and today I feel the same way. I use to vote for black politicians because they were black. As I grew older I started voting for certain politicians because I was under the impression they were going to address issues concerning the black race. There are some black politicians that addresses black issues and they are doing a great job but on the other hand there are some black politicians that have failed us and sold us out to other interests to continue to have a seat in Congress. Theses are the ones that need to be ousted. An article on The Black Commentator website confirms what I have always thought.

     

Don't take my word for it: read for yourself and see what grade your representative scored. You are going to be shocked! We need to start holding our black politicians accountable for their action. When I attended the Congressional Black Caucus Conference in September, 2005, I discovered they are still passing mandatory sentencing laws, but this time it's directed
to our children. These bills are going to send our under 18 year old children to prison for long periods of time only to be joined by their fathers, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and cousins.

     

Congressman Danny Davis of Chicago has introduced bill H.R.3072 to revive the federal parole in the federal system (on a sad note: there are 43 Congressional Black Caucus members, and only three have co-sponsored H.R.3072.) Congressman John Conyers is in the process of introducing bill H.R.4202 to bring back re-entry programs where the inmates can have housing, educational programs, job programs, and tax cuts for the employer to hire ex-offenders. Charles Rangel has a Second Chance Act for Ex-Offenders bill similar to what Congressman Conyers getting ready to introduced. Sheila Jackson-Lee introduced bill H.R.256 - The Federal Prisons Bureau Offenders Relief Act. This bill will allow for early release of certain non-violent federal prisoners, who have already served at least half of their sentences and are at least 45 years. In the Federal Bureau Of Prisons, almost 80 percent of the inmate population are there for first time non-violent offenses. The above bills will give relief to overcrowded prisons.

     

Why hasn't each member of the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses signed on to the Federal Parole Bill? This bill does not sanction criminal behavior; instead it would allow our fathers, mothers, and children to be released on parole after having satisfied specific requirements. When will the Black and Hispanic leadership, particularly politicians and leaders of mainstream organizations, stop compromising on issues that affect the lives of lower income people? Let us unite and demand that politicians, particularly those that represent our own communities, vote to implement parole for qualifying inmates to return to those communities.

     

In my opinion there are too many bills being passed. I think all the above bills should be combined and introduced as a comprehension 'omnibus' bill. Egos should be put aside to help the masses that are suffering.

     

Visit The Black Commentator at www.blackcommentator.com

     

Staying Informed About Federal Parole

     

Question Always Asked And Answers Never Reported To The Mainstream Media

     

1. What Is The Rate Of Federal Prisons Overcrowding?

     

Federal Prisons were operating at 39 percent over capacity in 2003, whereas state prisons were estimated to be at capacity to 16 percent above capacity in 2003 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2003).

     

2. What Is The Annual Rate Of Growth Of The Federal Prison System?

     

The Nation's largest system, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, grew 5.8 percent in 2003 and 5.8 percent in 2002, whereas the States' prison population grew by 1.6 percent in 2003 and 2.4 percent in 2002.

     

3. What Percentage Of Federal Offenders Are Non-Violent?

     

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it is estimated that over 76 percent of Federal prisoners are non-violent.

     

4. What Is The Race And Ethnicity Of The Federal Prison Population?

     

44 Percent African-American, 35 percent White, 19 percent Hispanic, and 2 percent other races. (USA Today, November 8, 2004)

     

5. Does the Federal Bureau of Prisons House Prisoners In Privately Managed Secure Facilities?

     

Yes, 17,844 federal prisoners. (Federal Bureau of Prisons, Weekly Population Report, December 02, 2004)

     

6. Are There Alternative Programs That Would Reduce The Federal Prison System Population?

     

Yes, Community Service, Probation, Home Confinement, and Drug/Alcohol Treatment. Unfortunately, because of the Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws and the Sentencing Guidelines, federal judges are prohibited from sentencing an offender to a punishment not requiring a term of imprisonment.

     

7. Won't Parole Mean Releasing Dangerous Felons Into The Community?

     

Restoring a federal parole system does not mean that convicted felons who represent a serious threat to the safety and well-being of the community will be automatic released. Restoration of a federal parole system will mean that sensible evaluations of a convicted felon's suitability for releases can be made.

     

8. Would A Federal Parole System Reduce The FBOP Budget? If So, By How Much?

     

Yes, it would reduce the FBOP annual budget by at least $500,000,000 and by as much as $1 billion.

     

9. What Provisions Could Be Included In A Federal Parole System That Would Influence Released Persons To Not Break The Law Or The Conditions Of Their Parole.

     

Job Training, Job Placement, Affordable Housing, Education Programs, Drug/Alcohol Treatment and other re-entry programs.

     

10: We Hear That People Who Leave Federal Prison Have A Very High Rate of Recidivism. Doesn't That Suggest That We Should Not Bring Back Federal Parole?

     

No! The conditions of parole and the conditions of the current system of "Supervised Released" are alike. The rate of recidivism will remain similar until a greater emphasis is placed on job training, job placement, affordable housing, education programs, drug/alcohol treatment, and other re-entry programs.

     

11. What Is The National Rate Of Recidivism?

     

47 percent successfully complete conditions of their supervisions, but, 38 percent return to prison after violation of rules or re-sentencing, 9 percent absconded. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Probation and Parole in the United States)

     

12. How Much Money Is Being Spent To House And Care For Federal Prisoners?

     

According to the national Budget Report for the Fiscal Year of 2004, The Federal Bureau of Prisons was allocated $4,677,214,000 to house and care for its prisoners. Therefore, the average cost per prisoner is well over $25,000.

     
       

"The problem? How to break a vicious cycle of crime by reintegrating ex-offenders back to society. According to The U.S. Department of Justice, there are more than 2 million people in state and federal prisons -- the largest incarceration rate in the world. Worse, Justice Department statistics show that in 2001, there were nearly 2 million black men -- almost 17 percent of all Black men -- who had prison experience, compared to fewer than 3 percent of White men.

       

"This year alone another 630,000 people will leave prison. For too many, there are no support system, no place to live and there are limited job options for those who have felony convictions. As a result, the only option for too many is to return to criminal activity. Solving the problem is difficult and multifaceted. Among other things, it involves developing adequate housing for ex-offenders to ensure a stable environment; pushing for changes in sentencing laws; clearing records through expungement, waivers or executive clemency to allow people to get work, and providing counseling to deal with the social aspects of criminal activity." -- Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL); from Ebony Magazine, December 2003.

       

"These unwise sentencing policies which put men and women in prison for years not only ruin lives of prisoners and often their family members, but also drain the American taxpayers of funds which can be measured in billions of dollars."-- Myron Bright, 8th Circuit Court of Appeals

       

"I resent the fact that the Congress has forced me and put me in a position where I have to send a young man like you to jail for 10 years for a crime which doesn't deserve more than three or four... Because I know what 10 years in jail is going to do to you... This 10 year mandatory minimum is awful. It's just terrible. And I must say that I can't just blame the Congress for doing it. They do it for political reasons. It looks good when some canidate stands up and says 'I voted for a 10-year mandatory minimum.' I wish that canidate could come into this courtroom and sit here and have to sentence this young man to 10 years in jail. They wouldn't find it easy." -- Alan H. Nevas, U.S. District Judge, Connecticut

       

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a tough on crime Reagan appointee, decried harsh and inflexible sentencing policies when he spoke to the American Bar Associations' Annual convention, Justice Kennedy was speaking for legal experts from across the political spectrum when he said the current rules misspent America's crmininal justice resourseces by locking up people for irrational long amounts of time. Justice Kennedy stated mandatory mandatory mandatory minimum and overely harsh federal sentencing guidelines are not wise or just.

       

Judge John Martin Jr; appointed by the first George Bush, has announced that he is leaving the federal bench rather than remain part of a sentencing system that is unnecessary cruel and rigid.

       

     

How A Bill Becomes Law

     

Introduction: Anyone may draft a bill; however, only members of Congress can introduce legislation, and by doing so become the sponsor(s). There are four basis types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions; concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions. The official legislative process begins when a bill or resolution is numbered -- H.R., signifies a House bill and S., a Senate Bill -- referred to a committee and printed by the Government Printing Office.

     

Step 1. Referred to Committee: Bills are usually referred to standing committees in the House or Senate according to carefully delineated rules of procedure.

     

Step 2. Committee Action: When a bill reaches a committee it is placed on the committee's calendar. A bill can be referred to a subcommittee or considered by the committee as a whole. It is at this point that a bill is examined carefully and its chances of passage are determined. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is the equivalent of killing it.

     

Step 3. Subcommittee Review: Often, bills are referred to a subcommittee for study and hearings. Hearings provide the opportunity to put on the record the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters and opponents. Testimony can be in a person or submitted in writing.

     

Step 4. Markup: When the hearings are completed, the subcommittee may meet to "markup" the bill, that is, make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the full committee. If a subcommittee votes not to report legislation to the full committee, the bill dies.

     

Step 5. Committee Action to report A Bill: After receiving a subcommittee's report on a bill, the full committee can conduct further study and hearings, or it can vote on the subcommittee's recommendations and any propose amendments. The full committee then votes on its recommendation to the House or Senate. This procedure is called" ordering a bill reported."

     

Step 6. Publication of a Written Report: After a committee votes to have a bill reported, the chairman instructs staff to prepare a report on the bill. This report describes the intent and scope of the legislation, impact on existing laws and programs, position of the executive branch, and views of dissenting members.

     

Step 7. Scheduling Floor Action: After a bill is reported back to the chamber where it originated, it is placed in chronological order on the calendar. In the House there are several different legislative calendars, and the Speaker and majority Leader largely determine if, when, and what order bills come up. In the Senate there is only one legislative calendar.

     

Step 8. Debate: When a bill reaches the floor of the House or Senate, there are rules or procedures governing the debate. These rules determine the conditions and amount of time allocated for debate.

     

Step 9. Voting: After the debate and the approval of any amendments, the bill is passed or defeated by the members voting.

     

Step 10. Referral to Other Chamber: When a bill is passed by the House or the Senate it is referred to the other chamber where it usually follows the same route through committee and floor action. This chamber may approve the bill as received, reject it, ignore it, or change it.

     

Step 11. Conference Committee Action: If only minor changes are made to a bill by the other chamber, this is common for the legislation to go back to the first chamber for concurrence. However, when the actions of the other chamber significantly alter the bill, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences. If the conferees are unable to reach agreement, the legislation dies. If agreement is reached, a conference report is prepared describing the committee members' recommendations for changes. Both the House and Senate must approve of the conference report.

     

Step 12. Final Actions: After a bill has been approved by the House and Senate in identical form, it is sent to the President. If the President approves of the legislation he signs it and it becomes law. Or, the President can take no action for tens days, while Congress is in session, and it automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill he can veto it;   or if he takes no action after the Congress has adjourned its second session, it is a "pocket veto" and the legislation   dies.

     

Step 13. Overriding a Veto: If the President vetoes     a bill, Congress may attempt to "override the veto".      This requires a two thirds roll call vote ofthe members ho    are resent i suficient numbers fr a quorm. 

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