Small Jails With Large Problems

An article publshed in this week's addition of Mother Jones, exposes what may be considered a counter-intuitive phenomena. In "Small Jails Have Big Suicide Problem", author Mosi Secret writes, "Suicides account for more than two of five deaths at smaller jails, versus fewer than one of five in the country's 50 largest jails, Bureau of Justice Statistics show. Despite improvements in prevention techniques, inmates at smaller jails remain twice as likely as those at larger jails to die by their own hand." Christine Tartaro, an associate professor of criminal justice at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, attributes the trend to smaller jails' lack of resources and attention.

The 680-bed Erie County Holding Facility, a small jail on the shores of Lake Erie in Buffalo, NY, was featured in the article. In that county jail, Mother Jones reports that "six inmates have committed suicide in the past five years, as many as at Rikers Island, the sprawling New York City jail that typically houses about 14,000 inmates." Erie County's Holding Facility's suicide prevention policy is currently being reviewed by chairman of the New York State Commission of Correction, Thomas Beilein.

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SVORI Mutl-Site Evaluation Reports Now Available

To respond to the challenges posed by the release of 600,000 prisoners a year, in 2003 the US Departments of Justice, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services established the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). This program provided $100 million to 69 grantees to develop programming, training, and reentry strategies with the goals of improving the public safety and reducing recidivism.

On March 25, 2010, the final reports from the SVORI Multi-site Evaluation were made available. To read them, click here.

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At first Northern Manhattan Town Hall, Manhattan DA announces new office in Washington Heights

Last night, Manhattan District Attorney, Cy Vance held his first Washington Heights/Inwood Town Hall Meeting at the Isabella Geriatric Center in Washington Heights. Among those in attendance were over 50 community members, over 20 of Mr. Vance's ADAs, the Commanding Officers of the 33rd & 34th precincts, the head District Attorney of the Dominican Republic, the Ambassador to the United Nations for the Dominican Republic, and Washington Heights Councilman, Ydanis Rodriguez.

The District Attorney began by addressing the crowd in Spanish, welcoming them to the meeting and expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to speak about his work and to hear community members' concerns. He focused his speech on "initiatives that . . .may be of particular relevance to Northern Manhattan."

1)Immigrant Affairs
The DA alerted the community to the types of criminal activity that immigrant populations are at risk of in Northern Manhattan including individuals falsely representing themselves as lawyers and the acceptance of money in exchange for the promise of immigration papers. Mr. Vance introduced his Immigrant Affairs Department and encouraged the community to notify an Assistant District Attorney should they fall victim to, or be alerted to, any types of these crimes.

2) Domestic Violence
Over 60% of Domestic Violence cases are reported from Northern Manhattan. The DA pointed the community to his specialized Domestic Violence team and noted that one of his motivations in creating a new DA's Office in Washington Heights is "to deliver our product, public safety, to you."

3) Elder Abuse
Mr. Vance also addressed a lesser known problem, but one that effects many Northern Manhattaners, Elder Abuse. He pledged himself to combat the type of domestic abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and virtual eviction by drug dealers that the elderly face.

4)New District Attorney's Office in Washington Heights
On opening a new office, Mr. Vance said, "I believe that it is important for our office to have a physical presence in this community. I have committed to open a Washington Heights office. . .It's a long way to go to downtown Manhattan if you are resident of Northern Manhattan....People we seek to serve are sometimes unable to or afraid to go down to lower Manhattan and I would like to make our office more accessible."

5) Conviction Integrity
DA Vance announced his new Conviction Integrity program, created to make sure that "we know what causes errors in charging are, and ensuring. . clear protocols to minimize errors in charging."

Following his speech, community members drew the District Attorney's attention to the types of issues they found most problematic in their community. Most frequently spoke about were "predatory" landlords and the reinvigoration of young gangs in the community. The District Attorney committed to speaking individually to more than one individual in the audience and expressed his commitment to combating these issues in Upper Manhattan.

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What's Manhattan's DA up to lately?

*"Cy Vance, Jr. discusses what's on the docket for this term, and how he looks to fill the legendary Robert Morgenthau's shoes" on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show

More on the Creation of the New Conviction Integrity Board

Talk to him yourself this Thursday, March 25 in Washington Heights/Inwood!

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Will prison closings follow decrease in prisoners?

Yesterday, the New York Times reported on data released by the Pew Center on the States providing evidence that the state inmate population "which [has grown] for nearly four decades, [has] begun to dip." In fact, according to the Sentencing Project, New York has reached a 20% reduction in prison populations over the past ten years. Despite this dip, Paterson's proposal to close four upstate correctional facilitites is a topic of great controversy, pitting prison reformists against the Correctional Officer's union and upstate townships where the prisons are located and generate a substantial amount of income. To read about the controversy in the Gotham Gazette, click here.

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Do Reentry Courts Reduce Recidivism?: Results from the Harlem Parole Reentry Court

One of our Senior Researchers at the Center for Court Innovation, Zachary Hamilton, has just published the findings of the effects of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court on recidivism. The Taskforce's pilot case management program, which is currently being implemented, shares a home with the Reentry Court at the Harlem Community Justice Center, and will no doubt, share in the many lessons learned by the study. Here is a short summary of the study findings and the link to the full report.

Do Reentry Courts Reduce Recidivism?: Results from the Harlem Parole Reentry Court
By Zachary Hamilton

A growing number of jurisdictions nationwide are seeking to adapt the drug court model to returning ex-offenders. First conceived by Jeremy Travis in 2000, the Reentry Court model was created to address the risks and needs of returning offenders during the riskiest time of reintegration the period immediately following release. In a first-ever rigorous test of a specialized reentry court, the Center found that the Harlem Parole Reentry Court produced a significant reduction in re-convictions for new crimes, yet also led to increased parole revocations for technical violations. While these results indicate a promising court model, policy implications regarding "supervision effects" (seen in higher technical revocation rates) are discussed as well.

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This Wednesday, March 17, 2010, the Task Force, in partnership with The Reentry Institute at John Jay College and The Fortune Society, will hold the 2nd 2010 Harlem Reentry and Public Safety Forum. This forum will focus on healthcare for reentrants. For more information or to RSVP, click here.

This week Storycorps broadcast a timely piece on one reentrant's life threatening illness and another's selfless act ("I wanted to do something good in my life for the first time. . . All I've done is like, mischief"). In their own words, Felix Aponte and Rob Sanchez tell Storycorps how their shared experience as formerly incarcerated men developed into a friendship that ultimately saved Rob Sanchez's life. Listen to the short piece here.

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New Mexico Becomes Second State to BAN THE BOX

On March 9, 2010, the New York Times reported that New Mexico became the second U.S. state to "ban the box," prohibiting employment applications for government agencies from asking job seekers if they'd been convicted of a crime. Minnesota was the first state to pass such a law.

To learn more about the "Ban the Box" movement, check out All of Us or None of Us,a national organizing initiative started by formerly-incarcerated people to fight against discrimination faced after release and to fight for the human rights of prisoners.

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Learn about "The New York Miracle"

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Call for a LOGO to "Save Our Streets"

Save Our Streets Crown Heights
(S.O.S. Crown Heights)
Stop Shooting. Start Living.

OVERVIEW
The Crown Heights Community Mediation Center is asking artists to assist us in the creation of a unique logo that represents our newest anti-violence initiative, Save Our Streets Crown Heights (S.O.S. Crown Heights). Use of the logo will be widespread; it will appear on the program materials such as stationery, brochures, hats, jackets, t-shirts, signs and posters that are part of public education campaigns. The logo will also appear on billboards, videos and the internet. Additional requests for design submissions are forthcoming in an effort to create a public education campaign emphasizing the strong message that shooting and killing are not acceptable in Crown Heights.

S.O.S. Crown Heights is a community effort to end gun violence in our neighborhood. The program staff, hired due to their street credibility and the positive transformation they have made in their own lives, work with individuals who are the most likely to get shot or shoot other people. S.O.S. Crown Heights staff members provide immediate intervention whenever a shooting occurs in the neighborhood by reaching out to the victim, friends, and family and working to ensure that a retaliatory shooting does not take place. S.O.S. Crown Heights also works closely with neighborhood leaders and businesses to promote a visible and public message against gun violence. Poster campaigns and billboards will be widely promoted with the basic message, “Stop Shooting People.” The goal is to end the spread of violence by encouraging local voices to articulate that shooting is an unacceptable behavior in our community.

Requirements:
*The ideal design will appeal to a broad group of Crown Heights residents including individuals affiliated with gangs, faith-based leaders, seniors, and young people.
Lettering should be clear and legible.
*If you choose to use colors, they can be black and orange or black, white and orange.
*The logo needs to be clear in black and white as well as in color since many times we will not have access to a color printer.
*The design should look good both on extra large t-shirt sizes and on small caps.
*We are unable to use symbols that are associated with local gangs.
*Do not use the image of a gun.
*Please incorporate our slogan, “Stop Shooting. Start Living.” into your overall design.

For information on submission guidelines, check out the Crown Heights Community Mediation blog here.

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A Governor's Pardon Recognizes Redemption

At the December Task Force meeting, retired Judge Corriero told Task Force members the story of Qing Hong Wu, a young man who appeared in front of him at the Manhattan Youth Court where youth are tried as adults for certain felonies under New York State law. The story was later reported on in the New York Times article, "Judge Keeps His Word to Immigrant who Kept His." Qing Hong Wu, who immigrated legally from China, plead guilty to participating in a string of muggings. While sentencing him to three to nine years in a reformatory, the judge "urged him to use his sentence as a chance to turn his life around" and promised that if he did that, "I am here to stand behind you." Qing Hong internalized the judge's words, and was released in three years. Upon reentering society, he supported his mother by working his way up to Vice President for Internet technology at a national company. Though now a model citizen, his former crimes made him a mandatory deportee under immigration laws. Nearly fifteen years later, he came to the attention of authorities while applying for citizenship, and was locked up as a "criminal alien," and subject to mandatory deportation. Judge Corriero learned of Wu's detention and imminent removal from the U.S. when Wu wrote him to remind him of his promise. Judge Corriero wrote a letter to to the governor in support of Mr. Wu, and human rights organizations advocated for his release.

The story has a happy, but rare ending. On March 6, the New York Times reported that Governor Patterson pardoned Mr. Wu in the article, "Paterson Rewards Redemption With a Pardon." Upon learning of the pardon, Corriero commented "is the beginning of the recognition that young people should be permitted to recover from their mistakes."

At the Task Force, our partners work to give all former offenders this opportunity, to be "permitted to recover from their mistakes."

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2010 Harlem Reentry & Public Safety Forum

The Fortune Society, The Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the Upper Manhattan Reentry Task Force would like to invite you to attend the second of four multi-disciplinary community reentry forums to be held in Harlem during the first half of this year.

The forums will address issues impacting the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to Harlem, and will generate community-driven solutions that increase public safety.

Please join us for the second 2010 Harlem Reentry & Public Safety Forum:

Date: March 17, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: The Fortune Society Academy "Castle" in Harlem, on the corner
of 140th Street and Riverside Drive
Topic: Healthcare

Presenters: Alison Jordon - NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Dr. Joshua Lee – NYU School of Medicine
Elaine Schechtel – Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center
Larry White – The Fortune Society, David Rothenberg Center
for Public Policy

*Break out session to be held following panel presentations*
**A light breakfast and full lunch will be served**

Please RSVP promptly, as space is limited, by contacting Daniel Zweifler at 212-691-7554 x238 or dzweifler@fortunesociety.org. Kindly read the full description of the event, below, for additional details.

According to the U.S Department of Justice, over 700,000 men and women return from prisons to local communities each year in the United States. Annually, more than half of all persons released from New York State prisons to Manhattan return to the neighborhoods of upper Manhattan. The Fortune Society and the Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in partnership with the Upper Manhattan Reentry Task Force, will convene four multi-disciplinary community reentry forums in Harlem in the first half of 2010. The Forums will address issues impacting the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to Harlem, and will generate community-driven solutions that increase public safety. The Forums will engage a broad range of stakeholders in the Harlem community, and experts, to identify solutions to the reentry issues that affect the entire community. The lessons learned from these forums will inform the development of a national blueprint for Harlem and other urban jurisdictions facing large numbers of residents returning home from prison. Additionally, the project will develop resources for government agencies, faith-based groups and community-based service providers that will help to increase their capacity to serve formerly incarcerated persons and their families.

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The Task Force Welcomes Its Newest Members!

The Upper Manhattan TaskForce is pleased to welcome the following organizations to the TaskForce

Bethel Gospel Assembly, committed to influencing the world as a loving, learning, and launching church,

Community Service Society, fighting poverty by strengthening New York,

Go So (Getting Out and Staying Out), dedicated to drastically reducing the recidivism rate for 18-24 year old men through purposeful education and directed employment,

New York City Commission on Human Rights, committed to prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on race, color, creed, age, national origina, alienage, or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, and partnership status,

Odyssey House, a comprehensive treatment center helping people in recovery give back in ways that make them stronger and their communities richer,

Upper Manhattan Mental Health, enabling individuals and families, regardless of age, to efficiently and productively meet the many challenges within today's scope of "problems of living" by providing comprehensive community services in a caring environment.

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"Job fair for convicted felons draws thousands, ties up traffic"

(Check out the video here)

by Alex Sanz / 11 News

Posted on March 3, 2010 at 5:43 PM
Updated yesterday at 7:11 PM
HOUSTON – A job fair for convicted felons drew an over-capacity crowd to the United Way Building and tied up traffic for hours on Waugh Drive near Downtown Houston.

Federal stimulus dollars made The Road to Re-entry Job Fair possible. It was meant to give convicted felons job placement skills and training. Organizers expected a crowd of several hundred people. Instead, more than 3,000 showed up by late Wednesday afternoon.

“I'm an ex-con and that's the main thing that's holding me back,” said Lavell Byrd, who went to the job fair searching for an opportunity.

Byrd said he last had a full-time job in December when he worked as a bell ringer for The Salvation Army.

"It's a very, very, very hard thing,” he said. “That people still look at what you did in the past and not what you can do in the future."

Community activist Quannel X told 11 News that people began to line up as early as 8 a.m.

“That says that they want to work,” he said. “That they want to be productive. They just want a chance at employment and they don't want their history to stop them from having that chance."

Don Jones, the president and general manager of Certified Traffic & Flagger Solutions of Texas, said unlike some employers, he thinks it’s a good idea to hire convicted felons.

“Everybody deserves a second chance,” he said “I'm a second-chance company. I believe that anybody, once they've been incarcerated, they've done something, we need to give them a second chance."

Because of the large turnout, organizers said they planned to hold another job fair at a bigger venue, possibly the George R. Brown Convention Center in Downtown Houston.

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Indigent Defense in Crisis

On February 18, 2010, for the first time in ten years, the Department of Justice hosted a conference on the current state, and future, of indigent defense in the U.S. Admitting that the indigent defense system exists in a state of "crisis," the Attorney General recognized that many of the 80% of defendants who cannot afford a lawyer go without the 6th amendment's guarantee of counsel. To hear Eric Holder's speech, click here.

Only a few days ago, the Dept. of Justice confirmed the development of a new program aimed at low-income individuals, called Access to Justice. This program will be lead by constitutional scholar and professor, Lawrence Tribe and will address the systemic inadequecies that contribute to the "crisis" in indigent defense. Additionally, as NPR reports,Tribe will also look to programs outside of the criminal justice system, such as drug courts and mental health courts to address the problem. Tribe assumed his new role as senior counselor for Access to Justice this Monday.

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