We Can't Throw Away the Key

[Dazzler]

WE CAN'T THROW AWAY THE KEY

In a packed auditorium last night, at Columbia College, inmate family members, advocates and State officials were inspired to press forward with newly proposed legislation to aid our incarcerated loved ones.  The overflowing crowd of supporters cheered the comments from our own IPT'er Bill Ryan, publisher of Stateville Speaks and leading advocate of Illinois inmates.  He explained the downfall of our parole system and urged guests to continue this upward push to pass HB 4154, the Elderly Prisoner Sentence Adjustment Act, and HB 6651, the Tamms Supermax Prison Reform Bill. 

Our member Madeleine Ward, former Dwight inmate, spoke of the importance of this legislation for long-term inmates, and the need for second chances for deserving inmates.

The program "Throwing Away the Key" was partially hosted by our member Ted Pearson of the NAARPR group.  Ted works tirelessly for better medical treatment for Illinois inmates.  He was responsible for much of the organizing of this successful event.  Good Job Ted!!  In addition to Ted other IPT members helped with the arrangements.  Shaena Fazal of the John Howard Association; Julien Ball, from the Illinois chapter of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty; Ibi Cole, of Not In Vain (NIV), who also spoke last night.  Other IPT member advocates were in attendance including criminal defense attorneys Aviva Futorian, Jean Snyder, Jim Chapman and a representative from Alan Mills office. 

Jim spoke of his volunteer teaching and visits to Stateville, the empty classrooms and the lack of programs for inmates.  Jean spoke of her involvement with Tamms inmates.  She reiterated that Tamms was intended to be used for one year terms of incarceration for discipline adjustment, not ten years of torture that creates serious mental disease for about one-third of the inmates. 

Laurie Jo Reynolds organized the event for the Tamms Ten Year Committee and summarized the proposed legislation of HB6651.

Although only a handful of Illinois state legislators were present they are truly dedicated to bettering the conditions for our inmates, eliminating the torture and needless incarcerations at Tamms Supermax prison and moving forward with this much needed legislation. 

Reps. Art Turner, Eddie Washington, Greg Harris and Ken Dunkin all spoke of the disparity of sentencing, the need for rehabilitation of inmates, education of our youth, and community support/jobs for returning offenders to our communities.  They all recognize the need to change long term sentencing laws and evaluate the Tamms situation.  Rep. Dunkin has two siblings incarcerated in Illinois prisons.  In his moving address it was apparent he feels the same frustrations and desire for reform as most others in attendance.

With an impressive backdrop of photos of every current Tamms inmate, several former inmates of Tamms spoke very emotionally about their terms inside Tamms...the loneliness, mental stress, deprivation of human contact, separation and loss of contact with their families.  Some, victims of the infamous Chicago police Commander Jon Burge, suffered years behind bars with wrongful convictions.  

Former inmates recounting their experiences in prison included: Duffy Clark, Geraldine Smith, Ra Chaka, Johnnie Walton and Larry Campbell.

A highlight of the evening were impromptu remarks by former Stateville Warden Dee Battaglia.  She spoke of her passion:  the need for rehabilitation and schooling for inmates.  Dee was the first African-American maximum security warden in the United States.  She advocated for improved programs for the IDOC but had little success with this current administration. 

Cliff Kelley, radio personality from WVON, humored the crowd with anecdotes and jokes while expressing the need for prison reform in Illinois. 

Several speakers made direct references to Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins, Illinois victims' advocate, and her opposition to any sentence relief for long-term inmates.  In a Q & A session following the program Jenkins commented that she felt 'vilified' by the speakers of the forum.  She particularly chastised Rep. Washington's remarks that inmates are true victims of society, apparently believing only crime victims are legally allowed to be called 'victims'.   Jenkins was angry that she wasn't 'allowed' to be on the panel of speakers. 

In my opinion she posted a very twisted account of the evening on her IllinoisVictims.org blog following the event.  Although she repeatedly makes offers of restorative justice dialogue she neglects to acknowledge the pain and suffering of inmate family members.  Her comments were met with disdain by many in attendance. 

[Ed. note:  Ibi Cole has addressed Jenkins' comments and you can read them following this post.]

The granddaughter of Lillian Getting, a murder victim of the famous 1960 Starved Rock murders, came from Alabama for last night's program.  She respectfully urged those legislators in attendance to use discretion in the release of dangerous offenders, if this long-term sentencing relief is successful.

The program was highlighted by a narrative performance, "Sisters Rising", by seven former women inmates from the Stillpoint Theatre.

Attendees of the forum were urged to appear at the August 20th Legislative hearing of these two House Bills at the Thompson Center.

[PHOTOS FROM THE FORUM FOLLOW:]

Our own Bill Ryan admires a group of supporters displaying shirts promoting the two proposed pieces of legislation.  In the background, IPT member Julien Ball from the Campaign to End the Death Penalty looks on.

Provided by the Tamms Ten Year Committee, photos of every inmate currently being held in Tamms Supermax prison.

Ted Pearson, IPT member and head of NAARPR masterfully co-hosted the event.  An aide to Rep. Eddie Washington listens intently.

 

Representatives Ken Dunkin and Eddie Washington, sponsor of the bills, take questions from the audience.

IPT member 'maddie', Madeleine Ward, stirred the audience with her remarks about life 'inside'.

WVON Radio personality Cliff Kelley discusses long-term incarceration with the packed audience, peppered with amusing stories.

[Dazzler]

[Ed. note:  The highlighted comments following were posted by Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins on her blog at: http://illinoisvictims.org/   Our member Ibi Cole from the Not In Vain organization has responded to Bishop's accusations and half-truths.]:




Victim’s advocate Jennifer Bishop Jenkins is free to tell untruths in a “report” on the August 6th Forum:

Jennifer Bishop Jenkins reports:

“Victims who asked to be included in the panel were refused. Only prisoner advocates were allowed to speak and they did not mention crime victims at all except in adversarial ways, or in ways that echoed the theme "we are all victims"

This is false.  Victim’s were often regarded to with much sympathy and heart-felt understanding for their loss.   Many speakers at the forum, however, felt it necessary to point out that advocating for HB4154 is not against victim’s but in favor of attempting to face crime at the root rather than the rear.  Stating that advocates for HB4154 are not in favor of life without parole because LWOP  serves very few other purposes than stagnant vengeance is: 1) an opinion and 2) far from an “adversarial” depiction of ALL Victims, because ALL victims are not in favor of LWOP.    There was not a single adversary of a victim in the room.  Believing that panelists spoke of  victims as adversaries is somewhat absurd.  I would be hard pressed to find anyone at the event on August 6th that does not sympathize with a person who has been a victim of crime.  In fact, by the end of the evening, many victim-guests openly stated that they were much in support of (and sympathetic to) families of the incarcerated.  There was much love and fusion of the minds.

Many victims who attended were given the floor and microphone to voice their questions and concerns at the end of the forum.  This was the time that was allotted to them.  Some victim’s advocates wanted to speak at the BEGINNING of the event with paneled speakers and that is the only denial that was issued.

Jennifer Bishop Jenkins states:     “ Our answer? We came to YOUR event to dialogue - we came to YOU. You do not come to our memorials. You do not come to our victim support events. You do not advocate for our needs in the criminal justice system.  You do not tell us about your legislation that would so profoundly affect us.  You do not include us in your discussions. You have made us leave your meetings when we came to ask to be included in a true Restorative Justice process. And yet most of the offenders and ex-offenders who spoke at your event did not take responsibility for their crimes at all.”

This is false.  Many speakers openly stated that they are advocates of being tough on crime and advocates for victims and victim’s families.  If one victim does not agree with the tactics in which others believe best carries out efforts to address crime in future prevention.  That is her sole opinion and not a fact or truth.

Many of the offenders who spoke at the event were found innocent of their crimes or were wrongly accused.  Certainly they have the right to claim their innocence without someone calling it a “refusal to take responsibility for their crimes.”

Now, I say to Jennifer:  It appears that the stating of one’s opinion or perspective as fact is far from “reporting.”  Honestly, Jennifer, as you requested an apology from Bill Ryan, you too should apologize for the above false accusations about this event on your “report.”   To misrepresent the truth in order to make another group seem insensitive or shameful at your gain is an action that appears spiteful and quite childish as I am sure you are capable of understanding the difference between fact and opinion.  Nonetheless, it is your web-site.  You can publish whatever you wish.  Hopefully, your readers are capable of discerning the difference between a “report” and an “editorial.”
 

Ibi Cole

[Dazzler]

[Ed. note:  The following text is Ibi Cole's address to the Throwing Away the Key forum]:



"I am an advocate of being tough on crime.   Everyone here wants our leaders to get tougher on crime.  But for the past several years, I have been reevaluating the meaning of that phrase and wondering what it means to those who have the burden of carrying out its purpose.  Is being tough on crime the act of being tougher on people AFTER they have offended victims and hurt families or is it being tougher on PREVENTING those potential criminals from committing a crime in the first place?

One might say that being tougher on criminals in turn PREVENTS or sends a deterrent for potential crime... But for the past several years, the statistics on violent crime have not reflected this. 

This year someone was killed at the taste of Chicago.  Homicides have increased, murder has increased in the past month and everyone wonders how we will host the Olympics here at this rate. 

Just a few months ago the Illinois department of corrections admitted in Springfield that they have purposely been ignoring parole violations to bring the rate of recidivism down on paper.  To make it appear as if crime has gone down.  They too are aware of the tough on crime tactics.   


Crime affects everyone.  It affects victims, victim’s families, future victims and future victim’s families.  But it also devastates children and education and perpetuates a cycle of single parenthood and community degradation.  We want the victims to be at the forefront of consideration when we deal with how to address crime.  But we must also think of those who have NOT YET been victimized.  THE FUTURE VICTIMS of our failure to get to the ROOT of the problem.


Not a single person in this room wants to unleash horrid rapists and murderers onto the streets to terrorize their past victims and reek havoc on society.  The suggestion of that is purely absurd.  Anyone who suggests that anyone here is doing that is absurd.

We are offering a less-traveled solution to a problem that has gotten out of hand.  And as crime rises and the value of a dollar continues to go down.  Time gets more and more of the essence.  Just this past spring, IDOC is begging to close a maximum-security prison.  They can’t afford to run them anymore.  They are overcrowded and lack programs.  They want more programs for minimum and medium security facilities to attempt to lower recidivism. But they don’t have it.  THEY ARE BROKE.

At that same time they are paying millions of dollars on medical care for prisoners who can barely walk from one end of their cell to another let alone steal someone’s purse or lift a weapon.  Prisoners who have spend almost their entire lives in prison.  They are spending millions on making men sorry they were ever born.  Many of who have reformed themselves and have nothing more to do with their time than learn learn and learn at whose expense.  The expense of victims, victim’s families and future victims.  Millions of dollars are spent on reaction that so little is left for prevention.
 
But what purpose does this serve? Justice?   Isn’t justice making right those who have been wronged.  Is there ever a way to make a victim back whole again?  No.  All the confinement and expensive torture until death can never bring back someone from the dead. Life without the possibility of parole serves only vengeance and vengeance without forgiveness can never be satisfied. 

Jennifer Bishop Jenkins, victims advocate has been very versed in expressing the pain and suffering of victims. She is justified. She is justified.  But her pain and the cause of her pain cannot be made the face of every single offender in the Illinois Corrections system.  Her fear cannot be the fear of everyone man woman and child in Illinois. 


A few weeks ago, the city of Chicago attempted to debotch potential crimes by buying back firearms from youth... But yet, they were still left to wonder, how did this 16-year old get his hands on a gun and what might he have done with it?


And when the next 16-year old is standing with a gun, angry at the world and ignorant.  Who is going to council them?  Who is better fit to prevent them from a life behind bars.  Is it a salary paid graduate in psychology? Or is it Ra Chaka, Madeline Ward, Geraldine Smith, Duffy Clark and the late James Yaki Sayles who have vowed to spend the remainder of their lives giving life to the lifeless. Giving hope to the hopeless and attempting go into the eye of the storm stomping out the fire of crime at the bluest flame.  They are the one’s advocating for victims and victim’s families.  They are fighting for redemption and change.  We ask that you let them.  Let them."

Ibi Cole

[wifey]

Wow! Powerful insight and passion....I wish I could have been there...Why isn't something like this in the news? On the front page?

[Kamama]

  for getting us informed so soon after the meeting of yesterday. I experienced it being inspiring to read.
 

[shorty24]

   4 the info cause I wanted 2 know what went on yesterday and    2 u guys I kinda feel like I was there again 

[still]

Dazz,

Thank youfor keeping us so well informed.  I had wanted to make it downthere but ended up working until after 7.