The January edition of Building Bridges has been issued by the Prison Action Network.
Their brief summary is given below. Please see Building Bridges for full details and ways to help.
1. Violence against women in prison.
2. End the Stigma/Expand Opportunities Campaign kicks off with screening of "The Long Shadow of Incarceration's Stigma".
3. Misconception, an article by an incarcerated columnist, says prisoners are not the violent animals the press would have us believe.
4. New Jim Crow Forum presentation in Brooklyn. Senator Eric Adams, Chris Johnson, Glenn Martin, Jason Meyers and parishioners at St. Mary's Episcopal Church Harlem will be speaking.
5. The Parole Reform Campaign hopes you will sign their pledge and give your suggestions.
6. Parole News - November and December releases include Peter Graziano; look for 2012 summary in February issue; comments from a parole applicant; claim that State parole violation rules have been eased.
One of the above December releases was Peter Graziano, a well known name throughout the NYS prison system as the lead plaintiff in Graziano et.al. Although the case was lost, many of the 'et.al' have been released, and now in January Mr. Graziano will also be going home. It was his seventh hearing. He thanks everyone who supported the lawsuit over the years.
Parole Revocation Barred for Defendant Unfit to Stand Trial
The above titled article by John Caher published in the New York Law Journal on January 2 2013 reports that the Appellate Division, First Department, has held in Matter of Lopez v. Evans, 2012 NY Slip Op 09188 that a parolee found mentally incompetent to stand trial on new charges is also unfit to proceed with a parole revocation hearing. Based on the same conduct that led to the charges, Lopez's parole was revoked by an administrative panel that found "mental illness is not an excuse for a parole violation".
7. Commissioner Brian Fischer's testimony on Educational and Vocational Programs in Prison (November 29 2012).
8. Reentry.net/NY calendar lists events and meetings in your area on issues you may care about.
9. Supportive Housing is in trouble.
10. Tribute Dinner to family members of political prisoners and prisoners of war.
11. Yale Law Journal announces winners - four New Yorkers are among them.
