The January edition of Building Bridges is now available from the Prison Action Network.
Items covered in this issue include:
1. Activities around the state
2. Billboard to help ex-prisoners
3. Coalition for Fair Criminal Justice Policies
4. ICARE column on parole denials
5. Lifers and Longtermers Clearinghouse
6. NYS Prisoner Justice Conference
7. Parole News
8. Prison Media
9. PRP2! calls press conference
10. Prisoners of the Census
11. Re-entry grants to implement drug law reforms
12. Rockefeller drug law reforms explained
13. Transportation to prisons
Of particular interest to parole reform:
~ On behalf of the Lifers and Longtermers Clearinghouse, Larry Luqman White presents the second part of their case for parole reform, outlining the justification for a Bill to bring §259(i) into compliance with penal law §1.05. He clarifies the respective roles of the Judiciary, the Department of Correctional Services and the Parole Board and explains that the critical focus of the Parole Board should be solely on the question of whether the parole applicant is ready for reintegration.
~ ICARE community educator Jafar Abbas writes about parole denials from his own experience, and describes the impact they have on families expecting and anticipating the release of a loved one.
