The July edition of Building Bridges has been issued by the Prison Action Network.
Summary of articles in this issue:
1. Activism: actions, classes, events and meetings happening around the state this month.
2. Full details of the legislation introduced this year in the Assembly’s Correction Committee and/or the Senate’s Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee. Twenty-six bills, some good, some bad. None of them became law. Assembly bills are reintroduced every two years, so this year’s Assembly bills will still be there next session. Senate bills need to be reintroduced every year and get a new number. Both houses of the State Legislature go back into session in January 2012. It will be an election year.
3. The NYS Parole Reform Campaign is planning group District Visits during the summer. If you know who your legislators are, perhaps we can plan to visit them at their district offices.
4. Parole News: May releases and May Board Members (as known).
5. Commentary on closures of four minimum-security facilities for men: Buffalo Work Release; Camp Georgetown; Summit Shock; and Fulton Work Release, in addition to three medium-security facilities for men: Arthur Kill; Mid-Orange; and Oneida.
6. Risk and Needs Assessments - they’re in the law, and we’ve seen a copy used for reentry purposes. We don’t know how they’re scored, nor how they’re applied to parole board decisions.
7. Registration is now open for "Think Outside the Cell: A New Day, A New Way". Anyone who wants to attend the free, day-long symposium is urged to register immediately, since space is limited. Free breakfast and lunch will be available at the event, which is funded by the Ford Foundation.
