FedCURE NEWS and Legislative Updates

FedCURE News: Archives 2oo7 to 2oo3.

 

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FedCURE Report:  13 November 2007

Congratulations America!  H.R. 1593 - The Second Chance Act, Passes the U.S. House 347 to 62.

Congratulations, each and every one of you, for your hard work and perserverieance in supporting H.R. 1593 - The Second Chance Act.  The Bill was passed by a roll call vote during the evening House Session today, 13 November 2007, @ 7:14 PM-EST.  The vote was 347 YEA and 62 NAY.  Onward to the great Senate!

 

America is the land of  second chance.  What a wonderful opportunity this is for America to become a model for all the world to follow.  A world of second chance.   Jonathan Harsch of Kimmitt Senter Coates & Weinfurter, Inc., reporting from DC on behalf of FedCURE, sums it up best in his statement below:

Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 10:11 PM

 

"We are proud see this truly bipartisan legislation pass the U.S. House of Representatives with such strong support. H.R. 1593 is a bill that benefits all Americans because it reinforces the fundamental fairness and moral foundation on which our system of justice was built."
 
Jonathan Harsch,
Kimmitt Senter Coates & Weinfurter, Inc.
Washington, DC 20036
http://kscw.com

 

Also, please find below a "Media Alert" and note of congratulations from the office of Rep. Danny K. Davis (ILL), the author of the bill.  Great job Danny!  That's why you get the big bucks.

 

Ps.  We would remind all that prisoner re-entry is among one of the President's initiatives.  The President, "We know from long experience that if they can't find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison....America is the land of second chance ... "  This is truly a bipartisan bill.

 

Thank You All:

 

Mark A. Varca, J.D., CIO & Executive Dir.,
FedCURE

 

From the Office of Congressman Danny K. Davis (ILL)

 

Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 7:32 PM

Subject: MEDIA ALERT: TOMORROW'S PRESS CONFERENCE

 

347 YEA AND 62 NAY

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE,

ON THE BEHALF OF DANNY K. DAVIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND CONTINUED SUPPORT, IT PAID OFF!
 
Attached, please find the "Media Alert" for tomorrow's press conference. 

[ www.fedcure.org/documents/DannyDavisPressConfSCAM140707-FedCURE.pdf ]
 
AGAIN, THANKS EVERYONE . . . . .

Regards,

Helen Mitchell, MPA
Director of Strategic Planning & Policy Development
Office of Congressman Danny K. Davis
2159 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5006
Fax: (202) 225-5641
www.house.gov/davis

For more information see below.

For updates see:  http://www.fedcure.org/information/Legislation.shtml. 

To learn more about the legislative process see:  FedCURE's Educational links.

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FedCURE Report:  04 October 2007 | Washington, DC

 

Mass Incarceration in the United States: At What Cost?

 

 

Mass Incarceration in the United States: At What Cost?

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C.

 

Julia M. Fantacone, of Kimmitt, Senter, Coates, & Weinfurter, Inc, Washington, DC attended this meeting and filed report on behalf of FedCURE.

 

Witnesses:

Glenn C. Loury (Brown University)

Bruce Western (Harvard University)

Alphonso Albert (Second Chances Program)

Michael Jacobson (Vera Institute of Justice)

Pat Nolan (Prison Fellowship)

 

This was a joint committee hearing focusing primarily on the economic effects of mass incarceration in the United States with consideration of racial disparities, drug sentencing, and prisoner reentry. Congressional members present included Sen. James Web (D-VA), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Rep. Robert Scott (D-VA), Rep. Phil English (R-PA), Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA), and Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY).

 

Members of the committee voiced concerns about the rise of the incarceration rate in the United States over the past decade. Senator Casey called it, "a human tragedy, and a fiscal nightmare." One main concern is that there have been enormous economic costs associated with prison construction and operation as well as productivity and wage loss for prisoners upon reentry. Senator Scott stated that, "the cradle to prison pipeline has many more economic costs than the cradle to college pipeline." A second issue discussed was the disproportionate impact incarceration has had on minority communities. Much of the growth in the prison population is due to changes in legislation, mainly drug policy, not an increase in crime.  Prisoner reentry was a top concern and all members agreed that the Second Chance Act was on the right path to alleviate prisoner reentry problems. Senator Brownback stated, "It's a bipartisan bill with a lot of support. It is ready to go to the floor. I think we can get a signature on it from President Bush."

 

Glenn C. Loury, Professor of Social Sciences, Brown University

Background/Concerns

·        The United States imprisons at a far higher rate than any industrialized democracy in the entire world

·        A high level of imprisonment is not a rational response to high levels of crime

·        The extent of racial disparity among those imprisoned is greater than in any other major area of American social life

·        The war on drugs has not been successful and has had a disparaging affect on the African American community

 

Recommendations

·        Repeal mandatory minimum drug sentencing and release non-violent drug offenders

 

Bruce Western, Department of Sociology, Harvard University

Background/Concerns

·        The rise in incarceration rates today is five times higher than in 1972 with the highest increases in uneducated African American males

·        The economic opportunities for those released from prison have been greatly diminished due to erratic work histories and little education

 

Recommendations

·        Reexamine consequences that limit ex-felons to benefits and employment

·        Support prisoner reentry programs that provide transitional employment and other services

·        Support the establishment of local social impact panels to evaluate unwarranted disparities between juvenile and adult incarceration

 

Alphonso Albert, Second Chances Program, Norfolk, Virginia

Background/Concerns

·        Most incarcerated individuals have families who in turn end up becoming incarcerated

·        Prisoners need pre-release planning and post-release assistance services to assist them in making a positive transition from prison back into their community

·        Prisoners need assistance in attaining identification such as a driver license, housing placement, job training, and employment

 

Recommendations

·        Fund reentry programs that provide pre-release planning and post-release assistance

 

Michael Jacobson, Director, Vera Institute of Justice

Background/Concerns

·        The rate of growth of spending on corrections in state budgets far exceeds that for education, health care, social services, transportation, and environmental protection

·        Putting greater numbers of people in prison as a way to achieve public safety is one of the least effective ways of decreasing crime

·        Once prisoners leave they are confronted with overwhelming barriers to reentry

 

Recommendations

·        Begin to systematically transfer some resources used to imprison people into community based prevention and reentry programs

 

Pat Nolan, Vice President, Prison Fellowship

Background/Concerns

·        Inmates do not leave prison as law-abiding citizens; the skills they learn to survive while in prison make them anti-social.

·        Upon reentry, prisoners will need to find food, shelter, employment. These logistics and choices will create feelings of intense stress, often becoming overwhelming.

 

Recommendations

·        Upon reentry, prisoners need a mentor to assist them with decisions and make them accountable for their choices

·        Reentry planning should begin as soon as a prisoner is sentenced

·        Prison should assist inmates in strengthening family connections

·        Pre-existing conditions of drug abuse, physical abuse, and marital conflict should be resolved while in prison

·        Inmates should be encouraged to participate in faith based programs

 

Questions and Answers

 

Webb: Concerning disparities among minorities in drug cases, the point of arrest identifies the criminal, rather than the crime actually taking place. How does that skew the situation?  

Loury: In my testimony, there is a chart of New York City. It shows the concentration of incarceration rates among neighborhoods. The areas that are in red have the highest rate. You can see that the neighborhoods where blacks live have the highest concentration. In 1985, those were small areas in red but you can see that in 1996 the concentration in those same areas has grown. Strong families are important, but family participation and causation and not correlated. Common factors of distress among these families are underlying issues.

Western: Those incarcerated are not any less likely to have children. Children parallel their parents. There is an increase of divorce and separation among those incarcerated. There is usually a corrosive family structure. In addition, decisions about policing create even more disparities among the already disadvantaged.

Albert: Look at every point in the process of charging someone with a crime. What type of offense was it? How do you charge them? The decision making point in minority areas is often to the extreme.

Jacobson: We are spending money to hold criminals in communities in upstate prisons instead of using that same amount of money in the community where the criminal lives.

Nolan: Prisoners cannot keep in touch with their families. There are shorter and shorter visiting times. Phone bills are skyrocketing and phone call times are becoming shorter and shorter. The prisons need more programs to keep their families together.

 

Casey: Reiterate the statement you were making before about emergency room treatments for drug related maladies.

Loury: The chart in my testimony presents statistics regarding the number of people incarcerated, the number of drug related emergency room visits, and the number of people buying drugs. As you can see, the amount in prisons and emergency rooms is increasing but the amount of drugs purchased is also increasing. If people go to jail or are hospitalized it is not closing down the market, it just makes room for someone else to more in and start selling drugs. Drugs are much cheaper and easier to get.

 

Casey: I am going to play the devils advocate for the committee now. What if someone asked us why we were even arguing about this by saying that if it is against the law to have an illegal substance than that person should be penalized for having one and that is the end of the story? Is this a problem with the policy of arrest or is it a problem with what happens after the arrest?

Albert: When a police officer finds someone with an illegal substance, they have two options. They can take that person to jail. The person would have to post bail or stay in jail and possibly lose their job, family, etc. Alternatively, the officer could give the offender a court summons. The offender could go in front of a judge who could then send them to jail or give them community service. If the offender came to the hearing from the street, they would most likely get community service. If the offender was taking to jail right away and then summoned to court the judge would probably send that person back to prison.

 

Casey: Is there any uniformity on the street level or is it up to the police officer?

Albert: Police reflect the sentiment in their community. It depends where funding and resources are directed. If the community has outreach or service, programs in place than the officer may be inclined to rehabilitate a person instead of sending them to jail. Communities need justice but officers can adjust the way they police based on their community.

Jacobson: We tend to sue jail for every type of crime instead of just the types of crime it is truly useful for. We cannot afford to spend money to keep every person in prison. Most laws that put people in prison are for things that people do not like, not things that are truly harmful to us.

Nolan: Prosecutors are just looking for numbers to fill quotas and make them look tough but they are often just setting people up.

 

Webb: Does length of a sentence deter crime? Is there a different process we can take for people with drug possession?

Loury: We should repeal mandatory minimums and release non-violent drug offenders.

Jacobson: People would be more afraid of swift apprehension than a long sentence. Offenders do not think they can be caught. They are not thinking about how many years the sentence will be, neither are the members of congress who make the sentencing laws. There is no evidence that marginal increases in length of a sentence are deterrents. In addition, we keep many people beyond "crime committing years," into their geriatric years. Too many elderly are in prisons that are not likely to commit another crime.

Nolan: Treatment of drugs is so much more important than incarceration.

 

Report filed for FedCURE by: KIMMITT, SENTER, COATES & WEINFURTER, Washington, DC.

 

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:         (408) 549-8935

 

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FedCURE Report - 28 September 2007  | Washington, DC

 

 

"The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA): A Closer Look at the PLRA and its Unintended Consequences"

 

 

 

A DISCUSSION PRESENTED BY

 

The Coalition to Stop Abuse and Violence Everywhere (SAVE)

"The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA): A Closer Look at the PLRA and its Unintended Consequences"

 

September 28, 2007

 

Julia M. Fantacone, of Kimmitt, Senter, Coates, & Weinfurter, Inc, Washington, DC attended this meeting and filed report on behalf of FedCURE.

 

Approximately 50 attended this meeting, including 30 Senate staff members. Participants voiced concerns and their comments indicated agreement in the need for legislative action to address the consequences of the PLRA. Many were particularly concerned that there seemed to be no internal prison resources available to assist prisoners in retaining their rights. There was also agreement that 15 days is an insufficient amount of time to file a grievance.

 

Featured Panelists:

 

Margo Schlanger, Professor of Law, Washington University School of Law and Member of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons

Garrett Cunningham, Former prisoner in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who was sexually assaulted and raped by a prison guard

 

Moderated by:

 

Jodi Kent, Coalition to Stop Abuse and Violence Everywhere

 

Background

 

Passed in 1996, the Prison Litigation Reform Act was created to reduce frivolous litigation by prisoners. The number of frivolous prisoner lawsuits has declined but the PLRA has had numerous unintended consequences such as preventing rape victims, children in detention, and religious rights violations from reaching federal courts. These unintended consequences of the PLRA have resulted in limited monitoring of prisons around the country and federal courts being unable to deliver justice to prisoners. This briefing discussed proposed reforms that will continue to reduce frivolous prisoner litigation, while also allowing meritorious case to reach the courts. Some legislative recommendations discussed at this briefing are part of draft legislation introduced by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL).

 

Physical Injury Requirement

 

Consequences

• Denies damage recovery to prisoners who complain of sexual abuse, deprivation of religious freedom, and other rights violations unless the prisoner can show that "physical injury" resulted from the violation.
• Other forms of cruel and unusual punishment, such as grossly unsanitary conditions and cavalier disregard of prisoners' medical needs, also do not meet the "physical injury" requirement for such claims.

Legislative Recommendations

• Repeal the provision that prohibits prisoners from bringing lawsuits for mental or emotional injury without demonstrating a physical injury.

Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies

 

Consequences

• Prisoners must exhaust administrative remedies with corrections authorities before seeking redress in court. Prisoners who have suffered abuse at the hands of corrections authorities must utilize grievance procedures before those same authorities. Some administrative remedies include filing administrative grievances within 15 days of the violation, regardless of how emotionally traumatic the violation was.
• Prison and jail grievance systems have created a baffling maze in
  which a barely literate, mentally ill, physically incapacitated, or juvenile prisoner's procedural misstep bars meritorious constitutional claims.
• Non-frivolous claims are automatically dismissed for failure to exhaust.

Legislative Recommendations

• No lawsuit may go forward without first affording the correctional agency the opportunity to resolve the prisoner's grievance through the administrative process.
• The prisoner is encouraged to seek administrative review
• Preserve the rights of prisoners who have made a misstep in the administrative process or missed a single filing deadline. The courts would be deferred to the correctional agency to take administrative action rather than eliminate the claim.

Application to Juveniles

 

Consequences

• The PLRA never intended to apply to juveniles because they do not have a history of filing frivolous claims.
• At many institutions, juveniles must file all grievances themselves without parental assistance
• Juveniles do not have the experience or education to follow complicated administrative procedures.

Legislative Recommendations

• Repeal the PLRA provisions extending its requirements to juveniles

In Forma Pauperis Claims

 

Consequences

• A "three strikes" provision bars the filing of lawsuits by indigent prisoners who made mistakes in prior cases due to their lack of access to counsel or legal training.
• requires certain indigent prisoners who have previously had three cases dismissed to pay the full filing fee up front

Legislative Recommendations

•  Amend the "three-strikes" provision by limiting it to prisoners who have had 3 lawsuits or appeals dismissed as malicious within the past 5 years.

Attorney's Fees/Filing Fees

 

Consequences

• Fee restrictions often make it cost-prohibitive for attorneys to represent prisoners.
• Places greater burdens on courts to process cases in which prisoners, who are not conversant with the law and court rules, must represent themselves.
• Filing-fee provisions deter indigent prisoners whose constitutional rights have been violated from seeking the legal redress to which they are entitled.

Legislative Recommendations

• Allow prisoners who prevail on civil rights claims to recover reasonable attorney's fees like others whose civil rights have been violated.
• Allow indigent prisoners whose cases are found to state a valid claim at the preliminary screening stage to pay a partial filing fee rather than the full filing fee, now $350 in district courts and $450 in appellate courts.

Conclusion

 

The discussion supported amendments to the Prison Litigation Reform Act and was successful at convincing the Senate staff and others in attendance that the most pressing problem facing the PLRA is the inability for prisoners to file meritorious claims regarding constitutional and other violations that occur behind bars. The SAVE Coalition supports Senator Durbin's draft legislation of "The Prison Abuse Remedies Act," which makes several changes to the PLRA without altering the core screening provisions that permit courts to dismiss cases that are frivolous or malicious. 

 

Report filed for FedCURE by: Julia M. Fantacone, of Kimmitt, Senter, Coates, & Weinfurter, Inc, Washington, DC

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:         (408) 549-8935

 

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FedCURE Report:  28 June 2007 | Washington, DC

 

Hearing on Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws - The Issues

 

Tuesday, 26 June 2007

9:30 am - 12:00 pm

2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Hosted by Representative Bobby Scott, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, & Homeland Security                                                                     

 

Report in PDF format:  http://www.FedCURE.org/documents/FedCURE-KSC&W-Report-HearingMandatoryMinSenLaw-260607.pdf

 

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FedCURE Report - 25 June 2007  | Washington, DC

 

Violent Crime-Prevention and Solutions from the Experts: A Summit on Crime Policy.

 

Friday, 22 June 2007

8:30 am- 1:30 pm

2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Hosted by Representative Bobby Scott, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

 

Report in PDF format:  http://www.FedCURE.org/documents/FedCURE-KSC&W-Report-ViolentCrimePreventionSolutions25607.pdf.

 

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FedCURE Report: 26 May 2007

~ Congressional Briefing ~

"Can Probation and Parole Supervision Reduce Recidivism?" 

16 May 2007

 

Dear FedCURE Members, Subscribers and Friends:

It is our pleasure to introduce to you our friend and new FedCURE member and associate:  Mr. Jonathan Harsch of Kimmitt Senter Coates & Weinfurter, Inc., of Washington, DC.  http://www.kscw.com.  Jonathan has committed his lobbying talents to FedCURE and brings with him the support and expertise of his firm's senior partners, to do all they can to support FedCURE's federal parole and re-entry legislative campaigns. 

 

Jonathan jumped right into our legislative campaign.  He attended the  12^th April  and  22^nd May meetings of the re-entry working group at Open Society Institute (SOROS) as FedCURE's representative to support The Second Chance Act.  Jonathan and his senior partner John Weinfurter met with Kenny and Charlie on 19 April 2007 in Washington for a get together-get acquainted dinner.  They became fast friends.  On the 16 May 2007 Jonathan represented FedCURE at the Congressional briefing on "Can Probation & Parole Supervision Reduce Recidivism?" (see full report filed by Jonathan below). 

 

Jonathan and or members from Kimmitt Senter Coates & Weinfurter have committed to attend and represent FedCURE at upcoming OSI meetings, Congressional briefings and other events in Washington, DC.  Many thanks to Jon and his firm for their support.

FedCURE

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FedCURE Report:    Congressional Briefing - "Can Probation and Parole Supervision Reduce Reduction of Recidivism?"   16 May 2007 ~ Washington, DC.   Filed by:   FedCURE's Jonathan Harsch of Kimmitt Senter Coates & Weinfurter, Inc. Date filed:  17 May 2007, Washington, DC. _______   Can Probation and Parole Supervision Reduce Recidivism?   Wednesday, May 16, 2007 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm 2226 Rayburn House Office Building Hosted by Representative Bobby Scott, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

SPEAKERS:   Stefan LoBuglio, Chief, Pre-Release and Reentry, Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Pre-Release Center Cedric Hendricks, Esq., Associate Director, Office of Legislative, Intergovernmental and Public Affairs, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for   the District of Columbia (CSOSA) Alexa Eggleston, Director of National Policy, Legal Action Center Phil Fornaci, Director, D.C. Prisoners' Project, Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs     ATTACHMENTS [55 pages - 8.04 MB .pdf file download] Scanned copies of the documents distributed at the briefing which include: ·         the CSOSA Fact Sheet, ·         the ICCA 5/07 updated Guidelines for Probation and Parole Re-Entry Programs, ·         Mr. LoBuglio's 2007 testimony on Promoting Prison and Jail Reentry Programs, ·         the Urban Institute 2006 paper on the "Whys" and "Hows" of Measuring Jail Recidivism, ·         the 5/14/07 Legal Times article "Few DC Convicts Get Drug Treatment", ·         the Urban Institute's latest data on re-arrests (1994), and the Reform the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA). REPORT:   As expected, Mr. LoBuglio and Mr. Hendricks each gave an overview of their positions based on their previous statements before Congress. Both LoBuglio and Hendricks concentrated on the strengths of their respective correctional programs. Ms. Eggleston and Mr. Fornaci provided the opposing views on how the system is in disrepair and is often the cause of recidivism.   Of most interest to FedCURE was the discussion over why the current system of parole in state systems leads to an increase in recidivism. Phil Formaci of the DC Prisoners' Project explained how, in the DC system, fewer than 25% of those who seek drug and alcohol treatment can get it. 1/3 of violations of parole are technical--generally from a failed urine test or a missed meeting with the parole officer. He stated that many of these technical offenses will land the parolee back in jail. This point was disputed by LoBuglio, Hendricks, and Ed Reilly, Chairman of the US Parole Commission (who only made his presence known once this point was raised). Reilly contended that most of these technical violations only land the parolee back in the prison after the 6th or 7th offense; Formaci countered that this was an exaggeration, but that even if it was true, breaking addiction commonly takes 7+ attempts, and that these trips back to prison only serve to halt the progress being made in treatment as there are often no available treatment programs in the federal prisons (note: since the closure of DC's last prison in 2001, the District's prisoners are transferred to Federal prisons).   One point that the entire panel agreed on is that part of the recidivism problem is that the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) is tasked with maintaining public safety, not with providing treatment and rehabilitation. Alexa Eggleston rattled off a slew of statistics on drug abuse among the prison population including that 70-80% have a past history of drug use, 50-80% (based on each state) are positive for illicit substances upon arrest, that these statistics are similar in both urban and rural locals, and that therefore it is no surprise that 78% of Americans (no cited source for this) are in support of the programs in the Second Chance Act. Labor-HHS grants for substance abuse treatment are currently seriously under funded, unfairly placing the burden on the states to fund these programs.   Given these numbers, the debate turned to the impact that drug abuse has on the current parole system, and why, without increased treatment, the parole system will become increasingly ineffective. Drug technical violations, while not illegal, will restart the parole clock, keeping parolees on an a spiral which not only drags them down but also overburdens the parole system. (Later, during the Q&A session Charlie Sullivan, Co-Director of International CURE brought up the fact that violent parolees have a much lower rate of recidivism, particularly after their long sentences, so it is important to remember that parole can be successful with many of these types of prisoners).   In summary, the discussion was framed to support the Second Chance Act and as such was most successful at convincing the Hill staff and others in attendance that the most pressing problem facing the BOP and the US correctional system in general is the lack of treatment and rehabilitation for those who are incarcerated, on parole or under government supervision.   5/17/07 Jonathan Harsch Kimmitt Senter Coates & Weinfurter, Inc. 1730 M St. NW, Suite 911 Washington, DC 20036 http://www.kscw.com

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FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2007.  All rights reserved.

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FedCURE Report:  14 May 2007

 

 

 

CURE International Convention

Leavenworth, Kansas

 

03^rd  - 07^th May 2007

 

CURE's International Convention was held  03rd thru 07th May 2007 in Leavenworth, Kansas. FedCURE was represented by board member, Fred M. Mosely, J.D., LL.M.  The convention was well attended by representatives of state and issue chapters.

Conventioneers toured the Zephyr Products Work Release Program and the Lansing State Prison Work and Education Program. Following the field trip was a panel discussion dealing with a national overview of employment and education programs in prison.

There were many important issues discussed, at least two of which could directly affect FedCURE's constituency:

• CURE's relationship with inmate organizations.  This issue involved the question of whether or not CURE chapters could sponsor CURE affiliated inmate  organizations. The position taken by the organization on this issue was that each state has the responsibility of screening existing new chapter request and that certain guidelines be met before associating or creating an inmate organization. 
• Report by the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Ethical Considerations for revisions to the Department of Health and Human Services Regulations for Protection of Prisoners involved in research.  This report proposes a more uniform application of regulations and oversight of all research using prisoners. The committee though its representative, Michael Harden requested that CURE endorse the report.  After much deliberation and debate the convention opted not to endorse the report because of a lack of sufficient information.
   
  A report was given to the convention by FedCURE's representative on its efforts over the past year with emphasis on the status of the revival of parole in the federal system.

~~~~~~~

 

Fred M. Mosely, J.D., LL.M,

Board of Directors

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2007.  All rights reserved.

 

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21 April 2007

• FedCURE and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  Report on Meeting of 19 April 2007 in Washington, D.C.

On 18 April 2007 FedCURE's Chairman, Kenny Linn, met with Harley Lappin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and one of his Correctional branch staff for about 1 1/2 hours in his office in Washington, D.C.   Charlie Sullivan, Director of International CURE accompanied Kenny Linn.  FedCURE reports as follows:

1.   FedCURE has established a new liaison within Correctional Services for systemic problems.  Facility problems will remain with the Warden of the particular facility involved.  FedCURE has a new liaison for problems in private facilities.  FedCURE will continue to relay OIA incidents needing investigation through the present member of Central Office staff with whom we work.

2.   The Director continues to justify the use of the ion spectrometers and is convinced that they work.  FedCURE suggested that they be moved to the inmate side of the visiting room and he was intrigued, but we don't expect it to happen.  FedCURE will be able to direct all complaints to the Corrections liaison.  We again talked about speedier processing of visitors.

3.   FedCURE requested a lieutenant be placed in the hospital wing of all medical facilities.  He will look into it, but we don't expect this to happen either.  Terminal inmate release processing has been speeded up.  Other medical issues were not able to be addressed because the medical liaison was not at the meeting due to prior commitments.

4.   The Director will send a memo to all Wardens advising that he expects all facilities to have a "credible" administrative remedy procedure in place.  That means availability of forms and responses within time limits.

FedCURE continues to have unprecedented access to the Director and Central Office and we feel we have developed a very good rapport.

• Federal Parole Legislation:

On 20 April 2007 FedCURE met with the point person for Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois the main sponsor of last year's federal parole bill.  FedCURE also spent about one half hour with Rep. Davis.  We are working on the new parole bill, which will take a different focus.  The main focus will be on significantly increased good time, which will affect about 70% of all inmates.  The other focus will be United State Parole Commission (USPC) review.  We do not want to go into details at this time because the bill is still in a state of flux.  We should be ready for legislative counsel soon and we hope to see introduction before summer recess.

• H.R. 1593/S. 1060 - The Second Chance Act:

The Second Chance Act of 2007 was introduced in the 110th Congress on 20 March 2007 as H.R. 1593. Just a week after the re-introduction of the bill, 28 March 2007, members of the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007. The bill will now be sent to the House floor for consideration, which sponsors say will take place in mid-April. During the mark-up of the bill, members voted down several amendments that would have jeopardized the bipartisan support for the bill. Sen. Bidden introduced S.1060, an identical bill, in the Senate on 29 March 2007. Latest Major Action: 5/9/2007 Scheduled for Debate.  Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 82.. See:  http://www.fedcure.org/information/Legislation.shtml.

For day-to-day e-mail updates join FedCURE's Free Listserve and Discussion Group:

To Subscribe, simply send an e-mail to: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Thereafter, to Post a message send to: FedCURE-org@yahoogroups.com
To Unsubscribe send a e-mail to: FedCURE-org-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
To visit the site go to:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FedCURE-org/

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml.

Kenny Linn, J.D., LL.M., Chairman, 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2007.  All rights reserved.

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

---

07 April 2007

The last day of 109th U.S. Congress was Saturday, 09 December 2006.  Despite our best efforts H.R. 3072 (Federal Parole) and H.R. 1704/S.1934 (The Second Chance Act) failed to pass.  These bills will have to be re-introduced during the 110th Congress which convened 04 January 2007. The new Congress has huge implications for FedCURE and its two legislative initiatives: H.R. 3072 and H.R. 1704/S. 1934. With the Democrats in control of the Judiciary Committee agenda FedCURE is hopeful that we can get hearings on the new bills.

Please see the post of 14 November 2006 below.

Federal Parole and Re-entry Legislation for the 110th Congress

The parole bill will take a new form this year and will have a new number.  FedCURE traveled to Washington, D.C., to work on it with Rep. Davis' office on 18-19 April 2007. A new bill is expected to be reintroduced sometime in May 2007. 

The Second Chance Act of 2007 was introduced in the 110th Congress on 20 March 2007 as H.R. 1593. Just a week after the re-introduction of the bill, 28 March 2007, members of the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007. The bill will now be sent to the House floor for consideration, which sponsors say will take place in mid-April. During the mark-up of the bill, members voted down several amendments that would have jeopardized the bipartisan support for the bill. Sen. Bidden introduced S.1060, an identical bill, in the Senate on 29 March 2007. See:  http://www.fedcure.org/information/Legislation.shtml.

 

For day-to-day e-mail updates join FedCURE's Free Listserve and Discussion Group:

 

To Subscribe, simply send an e-mail to: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Thereafter, to Post a message send to: FedCURE-org@yahoogroups.com
To Unsubscribe send a e-mail to: FedCURE-org-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
To visit the site go to:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FedCURE-org/

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

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H.R.3072 - Federal Parole Bill - Click here for Full Text of H.R. 3072.

Title: To revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] (introduced 6/27/2005)      Cosponsors (12)
Latest Major Action: 8/23/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. 12/09/2006 Died in Committee.

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COSPONSORS(12), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:     (Sort: by date)

Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 9/29/2005	Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 9/21/2005
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 12/7/2005	Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 12/8/2005
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 12/7/2005	Rep McKinney, Cynthia A. [GA-4] - 2/8/2006
Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4] - 12/14/2005	Rep Owens, Major R. [NY-11] - 2/8/2006
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] - 9/21/2005	Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 3/1/2006
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] - 5/9/2006	Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2] - 12/8/2005

American Correctional Association (Supports Federal Parole - 08/16/2006):

 

ACA Resolution on the Reinstatement of a System of Parole For Federal Prisoners.

 

 

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FedCURE Summary on H.R. 3072: Federal Parole/Federal Good Time Allowances

H.R. 3072 SUMMARY:  TO REVIVE THE SYSTEM OF PAROLE FOR FEDERAL PRISONERS AND INCREASE GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES FOR FEDERAL OFFENDERS.  (PDF)   

FedCURE Talking Points On H.R. 3072:

H.R. 3072 TALKING POINTS:  To Revive the System of Parole For Federal Prisoners.  (PDF)

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H.R.1704 - The Second Chance Act - FedCURE News on H.R. 1704/S.1934

Title: To reauthorize the grant program of the Department of Justice for reentry of offenders into the community, to establish a task force on Federal programs and activities relating to the reentry of offenders into the community, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Portman, Rob [OH-2] (introduced 4/19/2005)      Cosponsors (114)
Related Bills: S.1934
Latest Major Action: 7/19/2006 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

 

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14 November 2006

 

Dear FedCURE Members, Supporters and Friends:

 

The new Congress has huge implications for FedCURE and its two legislative initiatives.

 

The new Congress has huge implications for FedCURE and its two legislative initiatives:  H.R. 3072 (Federal Parole) and H.R. 1704/S.1934 (The Second Chance Act).    As you may know, FedCURE authored H.R. 3072 and its predecessor H.R 4036.  H.R. 3072 is a bill to revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners and is our champion cause.  The bill has been stuck in committee in the 109th Congress and we anticipate having to reintroduce the bill in the 110th Congress.  However, H.R. 1704/S. 1934, a bill we also strongly advocate in favor of, has bipartisan support and has already cleared the House Judiciary committee and the likelihood of the Second Chance Act's passage during the upcoming "lame-duck" session remains promising in the Senate.  But even if does fail, its broad bipartisan support will likely continue in the 110th Congress, hopefully carrying it towards final passage. 

 

FedCURE works closely with Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill), who is the key-sponsor of both of these bills.  Many Democratic members of Congress who sponsor FedCURE and with whom FedCURE works with were re-elected and will assume powerful leadership positions when Congress reconvenes in January.  For example:  Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) a FedCURE sponsor and cosponsor of H.R. 3072 and H.R. 1704, will become Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, replacing sentencing reform foe Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who opposed reinstating federal parole and  orchestrated attacks on judicial discretion and sponsored the egregious "Booker-fix" bill, among many other costly and punitive sentencing bills.  You can bet when the federal parole bill is reintroduced to the 110th Congress that he will mark it up for hearings.    Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.), another FedCURE sponsor and cosponsor of H.R. 3072 and H.R. 1704 will become Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, which is the committee where sentencing bills begin. 

The positive relationships FedCURE has built with Republican lawmakers like Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who were re-elected, will also continue. And, of course, we will keep reaching out to more Republicans to build a broad consensus for sentencing reform, which is still necessary to win reforms.

In a  resolution dated 16 August 2006, the American Correctional Association strongly urged Congress to reinstate and fully fund a system of parole for Federal prisoners:  ACA Resolution on the Reinstatement of a System of Parole For Federal Prisoners.

FedCURE's lifetime member and PBS film producer and Soros Justice Media Fellowship candidate, Allan Mason and BNN (Broadcast News Network), is documenting these activities for inclusion in the production of a one-hour special news documentary film titled, The CURE:  America's ailing federal criminal justice system (suitable for Frontline, NOW, or an independent special report for the Public Broadcasting System and their affiliates), examining the ailing federal criminal justice system in the United States and the impact of two pieces of proposed federal legislation that would reduce federal prisons sentences and provide for tax payer relief by enacting smart legislation that would revive the system of parole for federal prisoners; and reduce run-a-way recidivism rates by enacting smart legislation such as "The Second Chance Act," reauthorizing the grant program of the Department of Justice for re-entry of offenders into the community, to establish a task force on Federal programs and activities relating to the re-entry of offenders into the community, and for other purposes.  See H.R. 3072, H.R. 1704 and S. 1934, respectively.

FedCURE needs your support and for you to be informed in these matters.   The 110th Congress could mean big changes for federal criminal justice.  We need you to be engaged in this process with us.  Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml.

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

---

For Immediate Release
October 13, 2006

Contact: Ira Cohen
Director of Issues and Communications
Congressman Danny K. Davis
cell: 773-590-2758

Congressman Danny K. Davis Puts His Legislation on the Fast Track

Sponsor of H.R. 3072 and H.R. 1704 will visit the Iowa Speedway
on Sunday, October 15, 2006

    
Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL07) will team up with sponsor FedCURE and owner/driver, Roger Carter, II, of Carter 2 Motorsports, Statesville, North Carolina, a Limited Late Model and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Busch Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series Racing Team to highlight two bills pending in the U.S. Congress.   FedCURE, is pioneering the concept of using NASCAR and ARCA racing cars to promote federal legislation.

Rep. Davis is the sponsor H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.  This is the first promotion of federal legislation, ever, to ride on a NASCAR or ARCA racing cars.

The H.R. 3072 (car number 60) will run the 2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series "Prairie Meadows 250" on Sunday, October 15, 2006 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton Iowa.  This is a 250-lap race with full event coverage airing live on the Speed TV channel at 2:30 pm EST and rebroadcast several times thereafter.   The ARCA RE/MAX Series has an annual track attendance of 500,000 fans.  Congressman Danny Davis will be trackside to support H.R. 3072 and will tour the track, including the pit area, before the race beginning at 12:30.

FedCURE is a leading advocate for America's ever growing federal inmate population and supports several other bills currently pending in the U.S. Congress, such as H.R. 1704 - The Second Chance Act, which is also sponsored by Congressman Danny Davis.   The Second Chance Act has passed out of Committee and may come to the House floor in November of December after Congress returns from the election recess.

H.R. 3072's first race was the NASCAR Busch East Series 150 Race, in Waterford, Connecticut at the Waterford Speed Bowl on August 19, 2006. The H.R. 3072 races next in the NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, in the Kroger 200.  The series has over 30 million fans in the United States.

The Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa is one of America's newest and most innovative tracks.  With superb seating, easy access, the latest safety features and the latest racing technology including cars which run on alternative fuels such as soy, fans are always treated to a world class racing experience.

Congressman Davis stated, "I think Sunday's event is going to be fantastic.  It's going to be a exciting race . . . and everyone will win if we can spark just a little informed conversation about how we deal with one of America's toughest problems: ensuring that ex-offenders returning to their communities have a real second chance to become positive self-sustaining members of society rather than a burden to their neighborhood."

Links:

Rep. Davis:  http://www.house.gov/davis/
H.R. 3072:   http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:h.r.3072
H.R. 1704:   http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:h.r.1704
FedCURE:   http://www.FedCURE.org
R. Carter:     http://www.Carter2Motorsports.com
ARCA:         http://www.arcaracing.com
NASCAR:    http://www.NASCAR.com
SPEED TV:  http://www.speedtv.com

###

--
Ira Cohen

 

Published By:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:      FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

---

 

02 October 2006 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

FedCURE and Carter 2 Motorsports to Run "H.R. 3072" in the  2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series  on 15th October 2006.

2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series      "Prairie Meadows 250" 

Sunday, October 15, 2006 - Iowa Speedway Track Info

Full Event Coverage - 250 laps.       

As per our previous press releases, FedCURE, is pioneering the concept of using NASCAR racing cars to promote federal legislation.  We are excited to announce that ARCA racing cars will also be included in this unique concept.  FedCURE authored a bill that is now pending in the U.S. Congress known as:  H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.  The bill, H.R. 3072, is the first promotion of legislation, ever, to ride on a NASCAR and now ARCA.  FedCURE supports several other bills, currently pending in the U.S. Congress, and will use this concept to promote those bills.  The NASCAR and ARCA "H.R. 3072"  cars are Driven by:  www.FedCURE.org  -  Co-Driver: Roger Carter, II.

FedCURE has teamed up with owner/driver, Roger Carter, II, of  Carter 2 Motorsports, Statesville, North Carolina, a Limited Late Model and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Busch Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series Racing Team. 

This is H.R. 3072's second race:   2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series  "Prairie Meadows 250"  Sunday, October 15, 2006 at the Iowa Speedway.   Track Info.  This is a 250 lap race and a full event coverage airing live on the Speed channel at 2:30 pm EST.   The ARCA RE/MAX Series has an annual track attendance of 500,000 fans.  Look for car number 60 and H.R. 3072 headlined on the hood.

H.R. 3072's first race, the NASCAR Busch East Series 150 Races, was in Waterford, Connecticut at the Waterford Speed Bowl on 19 August 2006.  The race aired live on Speed and was rebroadcast on 01 September  2006 at 4pm EST.    H.R. 3072 will then go on to race in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, in the Kroger 200.  The series has over 30 million fans in the United States.

FedCURE's lifetime member and PBS film producer and Soros Justice Media Fellowship candidate, Allan Mason and BNN (Broadcast News Network), is documenting these activities for inclusion in the production of a one-hour special news documentary film titled, The CURE:  America's ailing federal criminal justice system (suitable for Frontline, NOW, or an independent special report for the Public Broadcasting System and their affiliates), examining the ailing federal criminal justice system in the United States and the impact of two pieces of proposed federal legislation that would reduce federal prisons sentences and provide for tax payer relief by enacting smart legislation that would revive the system of parole for federal prisoners; and reduce run-a-way recidivism rates by enacting smart legislation such as "The Second Chance Act," reauthorizing the grant program of the Department of Justice for re-entry of offenders into the community, to establish a task force on Federal programs and activities relating to the re-entry of offenders into the community, and for other purposes.  See H.R. 3072, H.R. 1704 and S. 1934, respectively.

FedCURE and Carter 2 Motorsports extend their hospitality to all its staffers and volunteers working these races.  Please e-mail:  FedCURE@FedCURE.org  for arrangements and track credentials.  Bring your digital cameras, laptops with WIFI's. 

Please take a moment to support this FedCURE initiative now!  You can make financial contributions to FedCURE  in two easy and convenient ways:
 
    1.  Via PayPal.com, or by clicking the following link to go to our PayPal page: Donate $ Join Now!. ( http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml ) Once on the page please choose the "JOIN" tab if you are not a member or to renew your annual membership. Or just choose the "Donate" tab to contribute.  Please mark your payment "H.R. 3072 FedCURE/NASCAR."
 
    2. Via check or money order to:

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667

For any other type philanthropy, please e-mail us at : Membership@FedCURE.org.

 
Urgent Action Alert
FEDERAL PAROLE BILL
H.R. 3072 - "A bill to revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners."
[Please click here to go to Alert]
 
http://www.fedcure.org/alerts/07April2004UrgentActionAlertFundraising.shtml

 
Please distribute and post widely.

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:          (408) 549-8935

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

###

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11 September 2006 - Immediate Release

 

Federal Bureau of Prisons:

Program Statement 5100.08 - Inmate Security Designation and Custody Classification

Effective: 12 September 2006.  The BOP states that there are no APA ramifications.

 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE. This Program Statement provides policy and procedure regarding the Bureau of Prisons inmate classification system. The classification of inmates is necessary to place each inmate in the most appropriate security level institution that also meets their program consistent with the Bureau's mission to protect society.

Summary of the Changes

This revision incorporates Executive Staff decisions 03-04-05 and 99-03-03, as well as other procedural changes such as the movement of most designation/redesignation functions (04-08-17) to the Designation and Sentence Computation Center (DSCC), Grand Prairie, Texas.

a. The scoring item "Type of Prior Commitment" has been replaced with "Criminal History Score." (Chapter 4, Page 8 and Chapter 6, Page 5)

b. A new scoring item for inmate "Age" has been added. (Chapter 4, Page 12 and Chapter 6, Page 8)

c. A new scoring item for "Education Level" has been added. (Chapter 4, Page 12 and Chapter 6, Page 8)

d. The "Drug/Alcohol Abuse" scoring item has been added to the BP-337 and has moved from Section C (Custody Scoring) of the BP-338 to Section B (Base Scoring) of the BP-338. (Chapter 4, Page 13 and Chapter 6, Page 9)

e. The "Mental/Psychological Stability" scoring item has been discontinued.

f. The "Responsibility Demonstrated" scoring item has been replaced with "Living Skills" and "Program Participation." (Chapter 6, Page 10)

g. Instructions for scoring the "Family/Community Ties" scoring item have been clarified. (Chapter 6, Page 13)

h. The floor for the Violent Behavior PSF has been reduced from High to Low Security. (Chapter 5, Page 9)

i. New cutpoints and a new Custody Variance Table have been developed. (Chapter 1, Page 2 and Chapter 6, Page 15)

j. An expiration date for the Greater Security Management Variable has been added. (Chapter 5, Page 5)

k. The criteria for the Deportable Alien PSF has been clarified. (Chapter 5, Page 9)

l. Text has been added that formalizes the Bureau's past and current practice of continually assessing the effectiveness of its inmate classification process. (Program Statement Section 6)

m. Text has been added that encourages DSCC staff to consider using a Management Variable when designating inmates where age is largely the contributing factor in the inmate's placement. (Chapter 5, Page 5)

n. Text has been revised that requires the entry of supporting information in the BP-337 "REMARKS SECTION" when there is Pre-Sentence Investigation Report information relevant to that scoring item. (Chapter 4, Page 13)

o. The DSCC Administrator will ensure that designation/redesignation decisions are applied consistently on a bureau-wide basis. (Chapter 4, Page 14)

p. DSCC staff must contact the sentencing court if a Statement of Reasons is not received at the time a request for designation is made. (Chapter 3, Page 1)

q. Inmates who currently qualify for unescorted transfer may be transported by family members via POV from one camp to another camp. (Chapter 7, Page 8)

r. The appendices on Sentence Procedures, Institutions Missions and Parolable Institutions have been removed from the manual, but will be available on the CPB website.

s. The Offense Severity Scale, Definition of Roles involved in Drug Offenses and the Special Instructions appendices have been combined into one appendix.

t. All transfer requests under codes 309 - Disciplinary and 323 - Close Supervision will be directed to the Designation and Sentence Computation Center. "W REDES C" has been eliminated and "W REDES D" has been changed to "W REDES R" to reflect routine redesignations. (Chapter 7, Page 2)

u. The female versions of the BP-337 and BP-338 have been discontinued although certain policies and procedures specific to female offenders are maintained i.e. security levels, cutpoints, Public Safety Factors and Management Variables.

v. The "Release on Own Recognizance" scoring item has been discontinued. (Chapter 4, Page 5)

w. The description of Management Variable "U" has been revised to include all long-term detainees. It no longer applies solely to Mariel Cuban Detainees. (Chapter 5, Page 4)

x. The medical transfer code descriptions were revised to include "Level of Care" language. (Chapter 7, Pages 21-22)

y. The criteria for the Prison Disturbance PSF has been clarified. (Chapter 5, Page 10)

This Program Statement is available online at:  http://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5100_008.pdf

###

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

---

21 August 2006  - Immediate Release

 

H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners 

 

Subject:  American Correctional Association  (ACA) Resolution on the Reinstatement of a System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.

A resolution supporting federal legislation for the "Reinstatement of a System of Parole for Federal Prisoners" was unanimously passed by the American Correctional Association Delegate Assembly on Wednesday, 16 August 2006, in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

 

 

To wit:

 

WHEREAS, a substantial number of Federal inmates are nonviolent drug offenders with long sentences and the majority of this segment of the inmate population is being incarcerated for the first time; and

 

WHEREAS, some Federal inmates are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for nonviolent offenses; and

 

WHEREAS, parole has been eliminated in the Federal system; and

 

WHEREAS, offenders can be rehabilitated and should be given a second chance to lead productive lives; and

 

WHEREAS, prison crowding is a danger to both inmates and staff; and

 

WHEREAS, the cost to house inmates increases substantially with age; and

 

WHEREAS, a Federal agency with inmate release jurisdiction exists to protect public safety;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Correctional Association urges Congress to reinstate and fully fund a system of parole for Federal prisoners.

 

American Correctional Association

 

 

###

Many thanks to FedCURE's Mark A. Varca, J.D., CIO, and Kenny Linn, J.D., LL.M, Chairman and Charles Sullivan, Dianne Tramutola-Lawson of International CURE, for this resolution.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

---

17 August 2006   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

 

H.R. 3072 NASCAR Special Bulletin!

 

FedCURE and Carter 2 Motorsports Bump Up Schedule to Run "H.R. 3072" in the  NASCAR Busch East Series 150 Races on 19th August 2006.

 

As per our previous press releases, FedCURE, is pioneering the concept of using NASCAR racing cars to promote federal legislation.  FedCURE authored a bill that is now pending in the U.S. Congress known as:  H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.  The bill, H.R. 3072, is the first promotion of legislation, ever, to ride on a NASCAR.  FedCURE supports several other bills, currently pending in the U.S. Congress, and will use this concept to promote those bills.  The NASCAR,  "H.R. 3072" - Driven by:  www.FedCURE.org  -  Co-Driver: Roger Carter, II.

 

To promote this concept, FedCURE has teamed up with owner/driver, Roger Carter, II, of  Carter 2 Motorsports, Statesville, North Carolina, a Limited Late Model and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch Series Team.  

 

H.R. 3072's first race was to have been the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Bristol, TN., on 23 August 2006.  This is the 17th race out of 25 on the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Schedule.  H.R. 3072 will then go on to race in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, in the Kroger 200.  The series has over 30 million fans in the United States.

 

However, a bit of good fortune has come our way from the good folks at NASCAR and H.R. 3072  will also be running in two NASCAR Busch East Series 150 Races.  The first, will be in Waterford, Connecticut at the Waterford Speed Bowl on 19 August 2006.  The second, is the Sylvania 125 at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on 16 September 2006.  The races are scheduled to air live on HDNET on 19 August 2006 and on Speednet on 01 September  2006 at 4pm EST.

 

FedCURE's lifetime member and PBS film producer, Allan Mason and BNN (Broadcast News Network), is sponsoring the production of a film to promote this concept and will also be covering the races.  Interviews were filmed in Statesville late last month.

 

FedCURE and Carter 2 Motorsports extend their hospitality to all its staffers and volunteers working these races.  Please e-mail:  FedCURE@FedCURE.org  for arrangements and track credentials.  Bring you laptops with WIFI's. 

 

Please kick in what you can afford to help us out with this project.

 

We don't like asking, but we cannot finance this project ourselves.  We implore you to please take a moment to support this FedCURE initiative now!  You can make financial contributions to FedCURE  in two easy and convenient ways:
 
    1.  Via PayPal.com, or by clicking the following link to go to our PayPal page: Donate $ Join Now!. ( http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml ) Once on the page please choose the "JOIN" tab if you are not a member or to renew your annual membership. Or just choose the "Donate" tab to contribute.  Please mark your payment "H.R. 3072 FedCURE/NASCAR."
 
    2. Via check or money order to:

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667

For any other type philanthropy, please e-mail us at : Membership@FedCURE.org.

 
Urgent Action Alert
FEDERAL PAROLE BILL
H.R. 3072 - "A bill to revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners."
[Please click here to go to Alert]
 
http://www.fedcure.org/alerts/07April2004UrgentActionAlertFundraising.shtml

 
Please distribute and post widely.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:          (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

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12 July 2006   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Bryan Kennedy (D. WI) Candidate for Congress:

Running to Unseat U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R. WI).  Kennedy Supports FedCURE and H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners,  and more.

Bryan Kennedy is running against Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, to be the next U.S. Representative in Wisconsin's 5th district.  As you all should know, Rep. James Sensenbrenner is the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary.   Even though Representative Sensenbrenner supported the interests of FedCURE's parent organization, Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, a total of 40 percent in 2003-2004, he does not support H.R. 3072; and refuses to mark up the bill for a hearing.  This will probably result in the bill dying in committee at the end of the 109th Congress.  This means that H.R. 3072 would have to be re-introduced to the new 110th Congress.

 

Consequently, Mr. Kennedy was asked by FedCURE to support H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.  Whereby, FedCURE asked:   "If you pledge to support this legislation, FedCURE will urge its membership, supporters and friends to give you their vote."  The following  is Mr. Kennedy's statement regarding this request FedCURE received today from Bridget Dooley, Campaign Manager for Bryan Kennedy for Congress:

"Here is Bryan Kennedy's statement regarding your issues:

'I support treatment instead of prison for first time drug offense. I
also believe that prison should be for rehabilitation, and a second
chance for most convicts. There are some who should be locked up
forever, but most people who commit crimes can be rehabilitated and
become contributors to society.'

He supports the bills that you describe on your site, especially HR 663.

If you have any further questions, please let me know.



Bridget Dooley
Campaign Manager
Bryan Kennedy for Congress
P.O. Box 11115
Shorewood, WI 53211
Office: (414) 807-2983
Cell: (414) 431-3693
bridget@bk2006.org
 
- Authorized and paid for by Bryan Kennedy for Congress -"

 

 

Accordingly, FedCURE strongly urges our membership, supporters and friends, to support Mr. Kennedy in his bid to unseat Rep. Sensenbrenner.  Please visit Mr. Kennedy's web site at:  http://www.bryankennedyforcongress.com/ to thank him for his support of H.R. 3072 and let him know that he's got your vote.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:    http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:          (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

 

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Please distribute and post widely.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:          (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

###

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11 July 2006   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

 

FedCURE and Carter 2 Motorsports Team Up to Run "H.R. 3072" in the  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

 

We are going to the races folks!

 

FedCURE, is pioneering the use of NASCAR racing cars to promote federal legislation.  FedCURE authored a bill that is now pending in the U.S. Congress known as:  H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.  The bill, H.R. 3072, is the first promotion of legislation, ever, to ride on a NASCAR.  FedCURE has several other bills currently pending in the U.S. Congress that it supports that will also adorn the NASCAR circuit--Driven by:  www.FedCURE.org.

 

FedCURE has teamed up with Carter 2 Motorsports, of  Statesville, North Carolina, a New Limited Late Model and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Team.  Owner - Driver, Roger Carter, II. 

 

H.R. 3072's first race will be the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Bristol, TN., on 23 August 2006.  This is the 17th race out of 25 on the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Schedule.  We are looking at doing New Hampshire on 16 September, Martinsville on 21 October, and Homestead-Miami on 17 November, 2006.  The series has over 30 million fans in the United States.

 

FedCURE's lifetime member and PBS film producer, Allan Mason, is helping to sponsor the promotion of this venture through his company, BNN (Broadcast News Network) and a show he produces called "96 Seconds."  BNN is going up with a crew to do a 6-7 hour shoot with NASCAR driver, Roger Carter, II and his folks at Carter 2 Motorsports.   The first segment will air on cable to approximately 10-14 million viewers. 

 

Roger Carter has offered hospitality to FedCURE at the 23 August race in Bristol, Tenn.    If anyone can make it for a day or two of racing and to man H.R. 3072's kiosk, please let us know soonest by sending an e-mail to:  FedCURE@FedCURE.org.   Bring you laptops with WIFI. 

 

WE NEED!   Graphic designers and a commercial printer to do the kiosk promotion and to make up banners and signs.  Please contact us immediately if you can donate these services.  E-mail:  FedCURE@FedCURE.org.

 

 

 

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:          (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

###

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03 July 2006 - Convention Report.

 

 

The Annual FedCURE and 9th International CURE Convention

Washington, D.C., 24 - 27 June 2006

 

FedCURE's 2nd Legislative Staff Luncheon and Seminar on H.R. 3072, held on 27th June 2006, in Washington, D.C., was famously successful--standing room only.  Many thanks to all those in attendance and to those who helped to organize and put on this event and make it a huge success, despite the historic, torrential rains and flooding to hit the Capitol during that time. 

Much appreciation to Charlie and Pauline Sullivan, Co-Directors of International CURE, through whom the success of this event is to be credited.

 

Convention Report:

 

The annual FedCURE and 9th international CURE Convention was held in Washington, D.C., on 24 through 27 June 2006.  About thirty chapters and several foreign countries were represented and there was a full agenda for all three and one-half days.  The big topic for discussion was a Board vote to put into our policy a support for inmate chapters in all prisons and/or support for inmate organizations in those prisons to lobby for CURE objectives.  The issue has been tabled for a year and will be studied by a committee.  FedCURE's position on this is to support inmate organizations but to keep CURE's name out of any policy decision.  We do not want to have CURE or FedCURE open to hostility by prison staff and/or inmates, but we do want inmate organizations that will be able to get FedCURE entry into the various prison systems.  We were all able to get meetings with Representatives and Senators to lobby for H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners and the telephone bill and the Second Chance Act (HR 3072 and HR 4466 and HR 1704 and S 1934 respectively).  FedCURE's Chairman, Dr. Kenny Linn, met with Senate judiciary staff and Senator Martinez' and Nelson's staff people to discuss these bills.  He found the judiciary and Nelson staff persons very interested and Martinez' staff person very disinterested.

Legislative Staff Luncheon and Seminar on H.R. 3072:

The event had a very good turnout with over 100 people in attendance and standing room only on Tuesday afternoon, 27 June 2006.  About half of the attendees were staffers and it is noted that many of them were taking notes and asking questions.  Kay Perry from MI CURE gave a presentation on the phone issue and FedCURE gave a presentation on the parole bill, which was very well received because of the number of questions that it drew and the number of staffers that cornered FedCURE staffers after the presentation was over.  All of us at FedCURE are now doing follow-up with the staffers to find out the member's views.

 

FedCURE will publish more information in this regards in the next few weeks.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
www.FedCURE.org  2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

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The Annual FedCURE and 9th International CURE Convention

Washington, D.C., 24 - 27 June 2006

 

Dear FedCURE Membership, Supporters and Friends:

 

The annual FedCURE and 9th national CURE convention will be held in Washington, D.C., on 24 - 27 June 2006.  You are all invited to attend.  FedCURE needs your financial assistance to cover its costs and expenses.  We cannot finance this ourselves.  Please help!

 

Agenda Note:  During the four day convention, FedCURE will host a special legislative staff luncheon and seminar to revisit and to examine the impact on pending bills concerning the federal criminal justice system in the United States, including, but not limited to: H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners (11:30 am to 1:30 pm, 27 June 2006). The complete convention agenda can be viewed at: http://www.curenational.org/new/conventions/cure_agenda_06.pdf.

 

You can make financial contributions to FedCURE  in two easy and convenient ways:

 

    1.  Via PayPal.com, or by clicking the following link to go to our PayPal page: Donate $  Join Now!. ( http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml ) Once on the page please choose the "JOIN" tab if you are not a member or to renew your annual membership. Or just choose the "Donate" tab to contribute.

 

    2. Via check or money order to:

FedCURE

P.O. Box 15667

Plantation, Florida 33318-5667

For any other type philanthropy, please e-mail us at : Membership@FedCURE.org.

 

Many Thanks for Your Support:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:   http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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FedCURE Summary: Federal Parole/Federal Good Time Allowances

SUMMARY:  REVIVE THE SYSTEM OF PAROLE FOR FEDERAL PRISONERS AND INCREASE GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES FOR FEDERAL OFFENDERS.  (PDF)   

 

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FedCURE: Talking Points

TALKING POINTS:  To Revive the System of Parole For Federal Prisoners.  (PDF)

 

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20 March 2006

 

Final Report: United States v. Booker (20 March 2006) 
 

This U.S. Sentencing Commission final report assesses the impact of 

United States v. Booker on federal sentencing.

20 March 2006. (388 Page .PDF)

 

 

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2006.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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18 November 2005

 

- Reports -

 

I.  27 October 2005

 

FedCURE's meeting with Harley G. Lappin, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons.

 

Thursday, 27 October 2005.

 

FedCURE's Chairman, Kenny H. Linn, J.D., LL.M,  FedCURE Board Member, Fred Mosely, J.D., LL.M.,  and Charles Sullivan, Chairman, of National CURE, spent nearly two hours with Federal Bureau of Prisons, Director, Harley G. Lappin.  Mr. Lappin was joined by FedCURE's designated liaison in the Central Office Medical Department.  The first issue discussed was the continuing problems for visitors with the ion spectrometer equipment and the failure of BOP staff to follow their own policy.  FedCURE stressed again the failure of these machines to do what they are designed to do.  Chairman, Linn, is to follow up with the BOP Director of Security on this issue

 

The second issue was the new proposed inmate disciplinary policy statement.  FedCURE stressed that the sanctions were way too long.  FedCURE has already sent its comments to the posting in the Federal Register and  would suggest any of those interested to do the same.

FedCURE also noted that the new policy does not address the continuing problem with inmates confined for lengthy SHU stays even if they are not hit with a shot.  Chairman, Linn, complimented the medical staff for their much quicker response to FedCURE requests for information.  And requested information on how long it was taking for compassionate release for terminal patients and whether it was quick enough.  

 

FedCURE renewed its request for a memo from the Director to each facility requiring visitor processing to begin at the 8:00 AM shift change. 

 

FedCURE had a lengthy discussion concerning the policies in private contract facilities which are now taking many of the new intakes.  The BOP contract expert was called in to join this talk.  The BOP put 12 new facilities on board this year, have 3 more to come on next year and 3 others in the planning stage.  That's it.  No more new prisons planned.  That's the good news.  The bad news is new intakes will be shuffled off to private facilities.  The BOP is trying to keep domestic prisoners and send off non-US prisoners to the private prisons. 

 

FedCURE requested a fee waiver for the one FOIA request we have pending (ion spectrometer complaints) and was given the name of the head of OIP to talk to for further action.  FedCURE asked for an increase in telephone time because of the cutback in visiting and was told that the DOJ was again doing another study to see what new criminal activity is occurring on the phones.  Mr. Lappin did not seem hopeful that we would get any relief in that direction. 

 

FedCURE believes that this was a very good meeting all in all and that the BOP Central Office feels quite comfortable with FedCURE and its staff; and that FedCURE will be able to present grievances and get responses in a timely fashion.  

 

Additionally, FedCURE presented several e-mails received from inmates' families and friends about
different grievances.  Mr. Lappin took serious notes.

 

Report Filed By:

 

Kenny H. Linn, J.D., LL.M., Chairman

FedCURE

 

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II.  28 October 2005

 

FedCURE's Legislative Staff Luncheon and Seminar.

 

Rayburn Building,

Room #2105,

Washington, D.C.

On 28 October 2005, FedCURE hosted a legislative staff luncheon and seminar on H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners. 

 

Attendees

 

FedCURE: 

 

Kenny H. Linn, J.D., LL.M, Chairman, Fred Mosely, J.D., LL.M., Board Member, Jay Hurst, Esq., FedCURE's Of Counsel and Chief of Legislative Affairs, Charles Sullivan, Chairman, National CURE and John Flahive, Director of the WeBelieveGroup.

 

Congressional Offices (Twenty):

 

Congressman Danny K. Davis, C.W. Bill Young, Louis Gutierrez, Nancy Pelosi (Deniss Rodriguez), John Conyers (Matt Thome and Kevin Keller), Albert Wynn (Christopher Wilson and Thomas Stoeiff), Gewn Moore (Reisha Phills, Earl Blumenavre (Michael Shapiro), Solomon P. Ortiz (Shaquane Johnson),  Eddie Bernice Johnson (Rod Hall and Lisa Haver), Tom Lantos (Monica Baumann), Tom Allen (Megan Shannon-Winterson), , Sam Farr (Karen Stevell), Bobby Scott (Jamilo Taylor), Donald M. Payne (Nicechi Mbau), Diane E. Watson (Shaun Garrison), Barbara Lee (Jamila Thompson), Chris Smith (David Kil), Elijah Cummings (Timberely Nos) and Tom Davis (Debara Hayman).

 

Organizations:

 

Pauline Sullivan - D.C. CURE, June Browning - ICCA, Elizabeth Alexander - ACLU/National Prison Project, Marc Mauer and Kara Gotsch - The Sentencing Project, Marc Sherman - Federal Judiciary Center, Julie Stewart - FAMM, Abeo Anderson - ICCA, Dick Bush - National CURE, Michael Israel, Criminal Justice Washington Letter, Bill Piper, Director of the Drug Policy Alliance and Joe Weeden, American Corrections Association.

 

 

Summary

 

FedCURE's Chairman, Kenny Linn, gave the lead presentation, followed by FedCURE board member, Fred Mosely, FedCURE's Chief of Legislative Affairs, Jay Hurst, Esq, Charlie Sullivan of National CURE, John Flahive, Director, WeBelieveGroup and the Honorable Danny K. Davis. 

 

The seminar lasted about two hours.  FedCURE explained the history of the bill, the changes we made to the original bill, why the bill was necessary, how best to get the bill passed and took questions from the audience.  FedCURE stressed an opinion that it was necessary to put all of the various positive criminal justice bills together in a comprehensive package backed by as many legislators as possible and presented as a criminal justice reform measure.  This means that the legislators themselves need to get on the same page.  Some of the major organizations present were Julie Stewart from FAMM, Marc Mauer from Sentencing Project, Bill Piper from Drug Policy Alliance, and Mark Sherman, from the Federal Judiciary Center, who trains all of the Probation Officers.  The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the United States Parole Commission were represented anonymously.  

 

The seminar went extremely well. FedCURE thanks all those who participated and attended this most important function.  

 

Please take a moment to contact the members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and strongly urge them to support H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.   In your message, please request that the Committee inform you of their decision.  Click on the link below.

 

Support H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners
Go to FedCURE's Action Alert Page: http://www.fedcure.org/alerts/07April2004UrgentActionAlertFundraising.shtml.

 

Also, snail mail labels for the House of Representatives, in word.doc format, are available here:  http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.php.

 

Please urge others to do the same and to support FedCURE; and also to send us e-mail addresses for our contact database.

 

Best Regards:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information of   WWW.FEDCURE.ORG.  Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.  Thank You,  WWW.FEDCURE.ORG.     All rights reserved (2005)

 

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14 November 2005

 

Report filed by:

 

FedCURE Board of Director, Rev. Alan Laird.

 

04 November 2005

 

The City of Miami Florida Vista/Americorp Prison Reentry Team participated in FCI Coleman's RE-ENTRY SUMMIT, hosted by Warden Carlyle I. Holder, FCC Coleman, Florida.

 

This was a two day summit, with invited guest from various parts of Florida, Washington, D.C. and New York.  Warden Holder spared no efforts to insure our comfort , along with staff who rolled out the red carpet. The summit was expertly facilitated by Dr. Walter Ridley, a 30 year veteran of corrections administration, completing his career as a director of corrections.

 

To insure that the female and male population would have the opportunity to participate in Summit, Warden Holder utilized  a state of the art video conferencing system , which allowed female inmate in the Camp, and those males in the Medium security access.

 

The City of Miami (Norma Butler, Lasonya Starlin, and FedCURE Board Member, Rev. Alan Laird) delivered a presentation which was well received by the audience. We were also allowed to perform an individual survey of inmates, enlisting their feedback regarding the challenges of re-entry. We were also given a new nomenclature for ex-offenders, which is "FORMERLY INCARCERATED PERSON."

 

Warden Holder, and Dr. Alix McLearen were fantastic hosts of this event and invited those attending to actively participate in re-entry. The City of Miami team is now pursuing organizing a weekend bus trip from Miami to Coleman, to facilitate family visiting. We have a budget of zero, but the tenacity, motivation, and commitment of a million, so it will happen.

 

Warden Holder and staff has implemented a pilot inmate e-mail program, of which FedCURE is the first to participate, linking the female inmates at Coleman's Federal Prison Camp to the outside world, we feel this is very innovative and would like to see the program adopted bureau wide.

 

We take our hats off to FCI Coleman, Warden Holder, Dr. Alix McLearen, and all the staff.

We would also like to commend the inmate culinary staff for a great job preparing and serving our meals.

 

As a board member of FedCURE,  I  also send accolades to Kenny H. Linn, Mark A. Varca, Jay Hurst, Fred Moseley, Chrisa Gonzales, Charles and Pauline Sullivan and all of FedCURE's membership, supporters and friends for committing to such a movement as FedCURE.

 

You are all great !

 

Rev. Alan Laird,

Board of Directors,

FedCURE

 

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03 November 2005

 

As you may all know, we are still reeling from the wrath of hurricane Wilma that hit us last week.  We still do not have power and are running on generators.  For current news and inquires, go to our FedCURE-org Yahoo Group.  Select the join tab on the left.

 

We will be filing a full report, here, regarding FedCURE's Legislative Seminar and Luncheon on 28 October 2005; and our meeting with Harley G. Lappin, Director of the Bureau of Prisons, on 27 October 2005.  However, we can tell you that both events exceeded our expectations.  Stay tuned.

 

Best Regards:

 

Mark A. Varca, J.D., CIO
FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       CIO@FedCURE.org
E-fax:         1.408.549.8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.
 
Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our discussion group, e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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21 October 2005

H.R. 3072:

 

Rep's Charles Rangel (D-NY); John Conyers (D-MI); and William Clay (D-MO) have signed on as cosponsors to H.R. 3072.

 

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FedCURE Summary: Federal Parole/Federal Good Time Allowances (October 2005)

SUMMARY:  REVIVE THE SYSTEM OF PAROLE FOR FEDERAL PRISONERS AND INCREASE GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES FOR FEDERAL OFFENDERS.  (PDF)   

 

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FedCURE: Talking Points (October 2005)

TALKING POINTS:  To Revive the System of Parole For Federal Prisoners.  (PDF)

 

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10 October 2005

Report:  Congressional Black Caucus, Washington D.C.

 

On Friday, September 23, 2005 FedCURE Chairman, Kenny Linn, was privileged to take part in an Issues Forum put on by the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington DC. 

 

Rev. Jesse Jackson was the panel's keynote speaker on the subject of criminal justice reform and the room was full for his presentation.  Rep. John Conyers and Rep. Bobby Scott hosted the panel and made the introductions.  FedCURE's participation was focused on reinstitution of parole and increased good time for federal inmates in general and the passage of Rep. Danny Davis' HR 3072 in particular.  We stressed that our numbers show we could save the country $3.5 billion per year if the old parole guidelines were put back in place.  FedCure hopes to spur the caucus into amalgamating a number of individual bills dealing with criminal justice into one package of bills that all seek a comprehensive reform of what many of us see as a criminal justice system that has gone awry. 

 

We will be trying to get all of the sponsors of these bills together to further our goals.

Kenny Linn, J.D., LL.M., Chairman,

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:    http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

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24th September 2005

 

Dear FedCURE Members, Supporters and Friends:

 

Support H.R. 3072 - A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners.   Please help fund FedCURE's efforts to have this legislation passed into law!

 

Rep's Rangel and Conyers have signed on as cosponsors to H.R. 3072. 

 

FedCURE has scheduled a Legislative Staff Briefing in DC:  Room #2105, Rayburn Building, on 28 October 2005 at 12:00 noon.  FedCURE will host a luncheon and seminar for legislative staff.  We hope to draw about fifty (50) Congressional legislative staff to this seminar (which will be by invitation only), so that we can brief them on H.R. 3072.  They will take our materials and arguments back with them to their Congresspersons.

Also FedCURE has an appointment with BOP Director Harley Lappin in Washington DC on Thursday, 27 October 2005 (this is FedCURE's second meeting with the Director) .  We expect that there will be a full complement of staff at that meeting and we have requested that a couple we deal with regularly from Central Office be present.  Some of the issues to be raised are:

a) Ion Spectrometers, b) Proposed new Inmate Discipline policy statement, c) Medical Issues (including speeding up of compassionate release processing for terminal patients), d) Visitor processing, e) BOP policies in private prisons.  E-mail your comments to:  FedCURE@FedCURE.org.

Lastly, those of us from the Board of Directors of FedCURE who will be present in Washington DC during this time period for these meetings will also be trying to arrange appointments with our own Congressperson to spread the word about H.R. 3072 and FedCURE's mission.

We don't like asking and we don't like bugging you, but we cannot finance this project ourselves.  We implore you to please take a moment to support this FedCURE initiative now!  You can make financial contributions to FedCURE  in two easy and convenient ways:

 

    1.  Via PayPal.com, or by clicking the following link to go to our PayPal page: Donate $ Join Now!. ( http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml ) Once on the page please choose the "JOIN" tab if you are not a member or to renew your annual membership. Or just choose the "Donate" tab to contribute.

 

    2. Via check or money order to:

FedCURE

P.O. Box 15667

Plantation, Florida 33318-5667

 

For any other type philanthropy, please e-mail us at : Membership@FedCURE.org.

 

For more information on H.R. 3072 see below and to act now, please go to:

 

Urgent Action Alert
FEDERAL PAROLE BILL
H.R. 3072 - "A bill to revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners."
[Please click here to go to Alert]

 

http://www.fedcure.org/alerts/07April2004UrgentActionAlertFundraising.shtml

 

Please distribute and post widely.

 

Best Regards and God Bless

Mark A. Varca, J.D., CIO,

Federal Cure, Inc.
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:     FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:       (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

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Federal Parole Information

 

24 August 2005

 

H.R. 3072  Federal Parole Bill

 

H.R. 3072.  A bill To Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners. 

Introduced:  27 June 2005

Sponsor:  Rep. Danny K. Davis (D) (ILL7)

 

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	GPO's PDF Display	References to this bill in the Congressional Record	Link to the Bill Summary & Status file.	Printer Friendly Display - 54,818 bytes. [Help]

HR 3072 IH

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3072

To revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 27, 2005

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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A BILL

To revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PAROLE.

Part III of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting before chapter 313 the following:

`CHAPTER 312--PAROLE

`Sec.

`4201. Definitions.

`4202. Parole Commission created.

`4203. Powers and duties of the Commission.

`4204. Powers and duties of the Chairman.

`4205. Time of eligibility for release on parole.

`4206. Parole determination criteria.

`4207. Information considered.

`4208. Parole determination proceeding; time.

`4209. Conditions of parole.

`4210. Jurisdiction of Commission.

`4211. Early termination of parole.

`4212. Aliens.

`4213. Summons to appear or warrant for retaking of parolee.

`4214. Revocation of parole.

`4215. Appeal.

`4216. Applicability of Administrative Procedures Act.

 

H.R. 3072 - FEDERAL PAROLE BILL
Click Here for Full Text .pdf (43 pgs).

H.R. 3072 - FEDERAL PAROLE BILL
Click Here for Plain Text (20 pgs).

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org   
E-mail:     FedCURE@FedCURE.org

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

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WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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FedCURE Summary: Federal Parole/Federal Good Time Allowances (March 2005)

SUMMARY:  REVIVE THE SYSTEM OF PAROLE FOR FEDERAL PRISONERS AND INCREASE GOOD TIME ALLOWANCES FOR FEDERAL OFFENDERS.  (PDF)   

 

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FedCURE: Talking Points (March 2005)

TALKING POINTS:  To Revive the System of Parole For Federal Prisoners.  (PDF)

 

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22 February 2005

 

FedCURE Conducts Seminars at

United States Penitentry Coleman and FCI Coleman (Low):

 

On 16 February 2005, after two cancellations, FedCURE's Chairman, Kenny Linn J.D., LL.M., conducted seminars at USP Coleman and Coleman LOW, in Coleman, Florida. Our thanks go out to Warden Yates at the USP and Warden Pearson at the LOW for allowing these visits to take place, which in itself is rather extraordinary.

Issues that were covered at both seminars included: 1) FedCURE's upcoming parole bill, 2) ion spectrometers--drug testing equipment, 3) Special Housing Unit (SHU) release procedures, 4) medical, and 5) institutional visiting hours.

The visit to USP Coleman was sponsored by the NAACP chapter. We had a turnout of about 125 inmates and Dr. Linn's presentation lasted over an hour on a tight schedule because of tight security and the fact that the meeting was not opened up to the general population until the 2:00 P.M. movement, which meant that anyone in population (other than NAACP members) had to make a split decision to attend. In addition to the issues that were covered by Dr. Linn, many questions were raised by those in attendance, all of which were answered. The USP inmates intend to do a fundraiser for FedCURE.

The visit to FCI Coleman LOW had a turnout of at least 250 inmates and the presentation lasted about 2 and 1/2 hours. Many questions were raised about the issues FedCURE presented and other issues such as the phones were put to Dr.Linn. FedCURE will check into the matter concerning the 35% increase in phone rates and whether there is any chance that the current 300 ITS minutes can be increased. The Coleman LOW inmates also intend to do a fundraiser for FedCure.

We hope to have other FedCURE board members to visit bureau facilities in the future. These visits normally are held in the chapel and must be hosted by a staff representative - usually of the NAACP chapter (the only club now allowed in BOP institutions). It is the Warden's call as to whether such a presentation will be allowed. As far as we know, we are the only organization that has had an ex-felon permitted to enter a facility in recent memory.

Best Regards:

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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21 February 2005

 

FedCURE Action Alert

 

Dear FedCURE Members and Friends:

 

FedCURE is responding to the many of you who have contacted us this past year asking what you can do to help get the bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners (H.R. 4036) passed into law.What we need right now! Is for all of you to help build our contact database.

 

Please send to: FedCURE@FedCURE.org as many names and e-mail addresses of people you know that we can contact during FedCURE's upcoming campaign to pass the bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners into law.

 

Originally, H.R. 4036 was introduced to the 108th Congress on 25 March 2004, by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D) of Illinois.  It died in committee with the outgoing of the 108th Congress.  Since the bill's introduction FedCURE established a two phase campaign and has been advocating heavily in favor of this legislation. Phase I: Public awareness and fundraising. During this time, FedCURE had its convention, this past June, in Washington, DC, where FedCURE's Executive Committee, Rep. Danny Davis and his point persons on legislative affairs, made amendments to H.R. 4036 and the bill was sent to the legislative counsel for rewrite.

 

Subsequently, FedCURE made further amendments and during January and February 2005 finalized the amendment process. As of this date a discussion draft has been issued by the house legislative counsel covering all of these amendments and we are in the final scoring up process. FedCURE will publish the final version upon completion. You all will be very pleased!

 

We are now gearing up for Phase II of the campaign: Very soon, Rep. Davis and his co-sponsors, will be resubmitting the bill to the new 109th Congress; and FedCURE will mount a full scale campaign to the community urging them to contact congressional members to support this legislation. In preparation thereof, we are requesting our membership and friends to help build our contact database. The more names and e-mail addresses you send in, the larger the contact database and the more potential for support. This is a community effort. Please help!

 

Kindly send all names and addresses offlist to: FedCURE@FedCURE.org. 

 

We need funds to do this work. You can make regular donations to FedCURE at: http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml and select the 'DONATE" button.

 

Warmest and Best Regards:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:        FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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02nd February 2005

 

FedCURE News and Legislative Update on H.R. 4036.

 

Rewrite of H.R. 4036. 

A bill to revive the system of parole for all federal offenders.

 

On Thursday, 27 January 2005, FedCURE's Dr. Kenny Linn, J.D., LL.M., traveled to Washington, DC to meet with United States Representative Danny Davis' staff regarding the pending bill to revive the system of parole for all federal offenders (H.R. 4036).  Dr. Linn was a bit apprehensive that changes were going to be made to the language FedCure had proposed, specifically that some inmates would be excluded from the parole bill.

House staff are nervous that a Charles Manson or a Willie Horton would come back to haunt them!  They wanted to exclude those who had committed "heinous" crimes.  We fiddled with language that could exclude those who had committed "capital" crimes.  As it stands now, FedCURE can thank legislative counsel for leaving FedCURE's language alone.  Rep. Danny Davis' staff was convinced by that person that since the old parole bill made everyone eligible, one would be asking for problems by putting in new wording that would change the old parole statute in that respect. 

 

In addition, FedCURE went over a new section that would reinstate the old good time allowances with some tinkering to add a few extra days monthly for what we are calling "Superior Program Achievement."  Presently, we have three kinds of extra good time in he bill.  FedCURE is waiting for comments from the legislative counsel on that section.  We hope to hear something relating to the bills introduction, to the 109th Congress, in the very near future.  Rep. Davis' staff is trying to decide how to present the bill (i.e. before seeking co-sponsors or after, with fanfare or without, using a celebrity or not). 

 

We are interested in comments if someone personally knows a celebrity that might want to be at an introduction ceremony to publicly support the bill.  Please e-mail: FedCURE@FedCURE.org  

 

FedCURE has promised Rep. Davis that we will have thousands (not hundreds) of people calling their representatives and senators when this bill is introduced.  We cannot let him down. 

 

FedCURE FCC Coleman Presentation.

 

Dr. Linn is once again tentatively scheduled to speak to the inmates at USP Coleman and Coleman LOW on 16 February 2005.

 

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

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28th January 2005

 

FedCURE Legislative Up Dates.

 

All federal bills (legislation) pending in 2004 expired at the end of the 108th Congress and will have to be re-introduced to the new 109th Congress in the year 2005 or 2006.

 

FedCURE will keep you advised on this page.

 

Best Regards:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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12 January 2005

 

Blakely vs. Washington

 

US. Supreme Court Decision:  Booker and Fanfan 

 

FedCURE is reviewing the decision in Booker and Fanfan  which consists of 6 opinions at 118  pages. 

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN SENTENCING GUIDELINES, TOSSING ISSUE BACK TO CONGRESS.  Blakely and Fanfan decision.

   The Supreme Court today ruled 5-4 that judges cannot rely on facts that were not considered by juries nor admitted by defendants when making sentencing decisions. The decision invalidates a common practice in the application of federal sentencing guidelines, and a separate 5-4 opinion rendered the guidelines themselves purely advisory. Congress first enacted criteria for federal sentencing in 1984 (PL 98-473) amid concerns about widely disparate sentencing across the country for defendants committingsimilar crimes.

   Today's rulings are likely to prompt a push by lawmakers for a raft of new mandatory minimum sentences. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., issued a statement saying the ruling "has major implications to America's legal system and the way in which offenders are sentenced for crimes they commit. I intend to thoroughly review the Supreme Court's decision and work to establish a sentencing method that will be appropriately tough on career criminals, fair, and consistent with constitutional requirements."

 

 

To View and or Download Entire Decision

 - Click Here - 

 

 

For continuing updates on this issue, please join our free discussion group by sending an e-mail to:

 

FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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07 January 2005  

 

FedCURE Position Paper.

 

Analysis:  Flaw in H.R. 3602 (LERA) (former 4752)

        

 

    Our attention in this paper focuses on a flaw in H.R. 3602 (former 4752), cited as the Literacy, Education, and Rehabilitation Act (LERA).  The problem is with Title 18 USC Section 3624, the statute LERA seeks to amend, specifically, the phrase "term of imprisonment."   Other issues and arguments are set out in foot notes therein.

 

- Click Here to View Document in .PDF Format -

 

- Click Here to View Document in WORD.DOC Format -

 

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2005.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

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21st December 2004

 

 

Article:  Christmas in the federal prison system:  Christmas is indeed an important part of prison life.

 

By:  Mark A. Varca, J.D., CIO, FedCURE

       (Mark served fifteen years in federal prison with his father)

 

- Click here to read article -

 

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 01st December 2004

 

FedCURE News

 

Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Prisons

 

Memorandum for all Chief Executive Officers

 

Subject:  Blakely Ready -  Talking Points

                 U.S. v. Booker and U.S. vs. Fanfan

 

            "Click here to see memmorandum"

 

 

Best Regards:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2004.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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14th September 2004

FedCURE News

FedCURE CBC Isssues Forum Report

34th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Issue Forums--

    Issue Forum of Congressman Danny K. Davis:  "Re-entry of Ex-offenders", discussing federal, state, and local legislative initiatives and the barriers that ex-offenders face every day in trying to transition back into normal community life after paying their debt to society.

    On Saturday, 9/11, FedCURE's Chairman, Kenny Linn, J.D., L.L.M.,  had the honor to offer a synopsis of what will be an amended H.R. 4036 - a bill to revive the system of parole for federal prisoners, increase good time allowances and provide for compassionate release to about 300 people, attending the 34th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Issue Forums at the new convention center in Washington DC, as part of Congressman Danny K. Davis' Issues Forum on "Re-entry of Ex-offenders." 

 

    This was a first class event.    There were about 15 people on the panel itself, which included Philadelphia Mayor Street, state Congressmen and the head of the State of Ohio DOC among others.  Democratic Vice President elect Edwards was also in attendance.  Dr. Linn expressed that his presentation was well received and he received a number of cards handed to him from people who wanted him to call as well as an invitation to be on a local TV show.  Unfortunately, Dr. Linn had to rush back to his Florida West Coast home to confront the latest hurricane threat of Ivan and had to leave before the Conference was over, but he is convinced and wants to reassure everyone that FedCURE's plan is still intact and that Rep. Davis still has every intention of presenting the bill to revive the system of parole for federal prisoners FedCURE has offered after the election.

 

Best Regards:

 

FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:       FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2004.  All rights reserved.

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

                                                           

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23 August 2004

 

FedCURE NEWS

 

Federal Parole Issues Forum: 

September 11th, 2004 (Washington, DC)

 

FedCURE has been invited by Rep. Danny Davis to be a panel speaker at an issues forum about federal prisons being held in the new convention center in Washington DC on 9/11/04 between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.  We have accepted the invitation to speak on the subject H.R. 4036 -A Bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Inmates (among other things).  There will be many  people from Congress present and there will be an open mic for audience participation. 

 

Rep. Davis' office has asked FedCURE to have as many people as possible there to participate.  We will provide more information as it becomes available.  We hope we can have a good FedCURE turnout.  FedCURE's Kenny Linn, JD., L.L.M., will speak and  Charles Sullivan of CURE National, among others, will attend.

 

 

For more information e-mail:  Information@FedCURE.org  

 

 

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02 August 2004

 

FedCURE Legislative Updates: 

 

What Can You DO?

 

The first thought we would like you to consider, if you have not already, is joining and contributing to FedCURE.  We are the world's leading experts in matters relating to federal inmates.  Collectively, five of FedCURE 's 14 board members has over 50 years of in prison experience--behind the fence--as former federal inmates.   Each holding J.D.'s and two holding Ph. D's.  Our lifetime members include the best criminal attorneys in the United States.

 

H.R. 4036.  We are currently campaigning for H.R. 4036, a bill to Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners, introduced  on 25 March 2004, by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D) of Illinois.  FedCURE is now in Phase I of the HR 4036 campaign:  Public awareness and fundraising.   During the CURE/FedCURE convention, this past June in Washington, DC, FedCURE's Executive Committee, Rep. Danny Davis and his point persons on legislative affairs, made amendments to H.R. 4036 and the bill was sent to the legislative counsel for rewrite.  

 

Phase II, will have Rep. Davis resubmitting the bill to the next Congress and FedCURE will mount a call to the community to contact congressional members to support this legislation. Major developments  will be published to our web site and posted on our FedCURE-org Yahoo discussion group.

 

The rewrite is to amend H.R. 4036 as follows:

 

• The bill will apply to everyone presently in the system whether they are parole eligible or ineligible, old law or new law, violent or non-violent.
• It will call for presumptive parole on the record.
• It will include a second segment that has the old good time statutes for statutory good time plus a new portion that will add extra good time days for what we are calling Â"superior program achievement.Â" This means that everyone will be eligible for extra good time whether they excel in reading or not, so long as they do something to deserve it.
• As of 12th June 2004, FedCURE has added a compassionate release provision that would grant release at age 65 after serving 25 years incarceration without institutional violence.

 

Additionally,  FedCURE is working on H.R. 3575 and supporting H.R.  4676:

 

H.R. 3575.  A bill to provide an alternate release date for certain nonviolent federal offenders.  Status 12/10/03: Referred to Subcommittee.  This is a simple bill, but it does nothing for nonviolent offenders serving life sentences. FedCURE seeks to amend this bill to include all nonviolent federal offenders. See:  http://www.fedcure.org/information/HR3575.shtml.

 

H.R. 4676.  Second Chance Act of 2004: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention. A bill to reauthorize the grant program of the Department of Justice for reentry of offenders into the community, to establish a task force on Federal programs and activities relating to the reentry of offenders into the community, and for other purposes.  Sponsor: Rep Portman, Rob [OH-2] (introduced 6/23/2004)      Cosponsors (18) Latest Major Action: 7/15/2004 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Select Education.  See:  http://www.fedcure.org/information/HR4676.shtml.

 

In the meantime, we are encouraging the community to thank U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D) of Illinois for introducing the bill and to contact other house members to support it.  However, you should mention that you want to see this legislation apply to all federal offenders.  (Please go to the bottom of this page to contact Rep. Davis and  other Congresspersons.)

 

Please note.  Any and all major developments regarding these legislations will be published to our web site and posted on our FedCURE-org Yahoo discussion group.

 

You can download and print FedCURE News Updates and FedCURE Newsletters at: http://www.fedcure.org/newsletter.shtml.

 

You can donate and or join now at:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml. 

 

Best Regards:

 

FedCure
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667
USA

 

Web Site:  http://www.FedCURE.org    
E-mail:      FedCURE@FedCURE.org

 

E-fax:           (408) 549-8935

 

 

Please Donate and Join Now:  http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml

 

Subscribe to our free discussion group e-mail: FedCURE-org-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

 

"Using Technology to Bring About Federal Criminal Justice Reform"  tm
WWW.FEDCURE.ORG 2002-2004.  All rights reserved.

 

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18th June 2004

FedCURE NEWS 

Convention Report:

CURE/FedCURE Convention, Washington, DC. 05th through 09th June 2004

FedCURE's Executive Committee was led by Kenny Linn, J.D., L.L.M. The following are selected highlights of what transpired at the convention:

1. United States Probation Officer Use of the "Association" rule:

    The CURE national board adopted the position of CURE's Executive Committee writing a letter directed to Chairman Edward F. Reilly, Jr., of the U. S. Parole Commission and the current head of Federal Probation Services to clarify their recent use of a condition of post-incarceration supervision that states: [O]ne cannot 'have contact' or 'associate' with those who have a criminal record without the permission of the probation/parole officer. The use of this regulation in this manner prevents persons on supervision (i.e., parole or supervised release) from interacting with others with a criminal record while dealing with the incidental day-to-day business of inmate reentry and prison rights organizations, as in the matter of the recent resignations of FedCURE's, two, most senior officers. Specifically, CURE will do whatever is necessary to end the use of this rule from being applied in this context, including litigation, if necessary. Mr. Tom Hutchison, Chief of Staff, of the United States Parole Commission, and Mr. Alvin Bronstein of National Prison Project were both consulted personally on this matter and are looking into it. We await the outcome. The letter is in draft stages.

2. H.R. 4036---A Bill to Revive Federal Parole:

    FedCURE spent about 90 minutes with Rep. Danny Davis and his point person on legislative affairs to discus FedCURE's amendments to H.R. 4036, the bill to Revive Federal Parole and Increase Good Time Allowances. All of FedCURE's amendments were accepted and the bill was sent on to legislative counsel for rewrite by Rep. Davis the same day. H.R. 4036, as amended, will be presented for resubmission to the next Congress.

The rewrite is to amend H.R. 4036 as follows:

a) the bill will apply to everyone presently in the system whether they are parole eligible or ineligible, old law or new law, violent or non-violent. It will call for presumptive parole on the record.

b) it will include a second segment that has the old good time statutes for statutory good time plus a new portion that will add extra good time days for what we are calling Â"superior program achievement.Â" This means that everyone will be eligible for extra good time whether they excel in reading or not, so long as they do something to deserve it.

c) the reinstitution of PELL grants was yanked from this bill because its inclusion would have meant a need to go to two Congressional subcommittees instead of one without it. We expect to try to get a separate small bill submitted to include PELL grants.

d) As of 12th June 2004, FedCURE has added a compassionate release provision that would grant release at age 65 after serving 25 years incarceration without institutional violence.

    Both the Director of the BOP and the Chief of Staff of the USPC have reviewed FedCURE's new bill and we had no objections from either.

    When H.R. 4036 is re-submitted (and not before), FedCURE has promised Rep. Davis that there will be a ground swell from the community like he has never seen and we must keep our word if this bill has any chance of passing. We are working with the Mr. Allan Beck, head of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, to see how many inmates would walk out the door if the old parole guidelines were put in place. Mr. Marc Mauer of the Sentencing Project is to ascertain this information for FedCURE. This statistic will be extremely important in determining the total dollar savings per year as a result a reduced inmate population. This is the key to conservative support for H.R. 4036. Stay tuned!

3. Other Inmate-related Legislation:

    FedCURE met with the legislative affairs directors for Rep. Young of FL (head of the House Appropriations Committee) and Sen. Nelson (D-FL) to advise them of who we are and what we stand for. They were both amazed at what legislation was actually out there pending in the area of criminal justice reform and promised that they would bring these items to their respective boss' attention and requested that we keep them heads up on what FedCURE is seeking to accomplish in this area.

4. Federal Bureau of Prisons:

    FedCURE met with Mr. Harley G. Lappin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and five of his staff members from the Central Office, the head nurse, the head medical policy chief, the corrections manager, the religious affairs manager and the general policy manager. Attending also were Mr. Charles Sullivan from CURE National and FedCURE's board member, Fred Mosely, J.D., L.L.M. We would be understating the results if we were to say it went well. Mr. Lappin was quite impressive and was well briefed on the five policy areas FedCURE raised, which were: a) the ion spectrometer issue, b) the one year in SHU policy for violations at USPs, c) starting visitor processing at 8:00 A.M., d) medical emergencies and e) ex-felon facility entry for program presentations.

    As for (a), the program statement is being written now and is their first priority. Visitors will be notified what will set the machines off and the calibrations will be raised. Consensual searches will not take place because of concerns over lawsuits that could develop. They will be more sympathetic to false positives and will try to randomly choose other than 80 year old grandmothers.

    As for (b), this policy statement is also being written and -we hope it will include FedCURE's suggestion to codify who it applies to, namely only those who are trying to manipulate transfers.

    As for (c), they will try to put earlier visitor processing into place, which will call for pressure on the local level.

    As for (d), they are currently processing over 100 medical BP 11s at Central Office every month. We know that they are strapped financially, but we must also realize that equivalent medications are going to be used in place of whatever meds were being used on the street and that medically "unnecessary" operations will not be done either. They will try to get answers to FedCURE in two days about particular emergencies.

    As to (e), Fred Mosely will be allowed to develop a program for the Director to promote nationally, so that ex-felons do not have to seek individual warden approval.

    The Bureau is going to respond to FedCURE in writing item by item on every complaint that we presented. We await their response and feel that a rapport has been established which is extraordinary and that FedCURE has a level of communication with the Federal Bureau of Prisons that, to some, would never have foreseen as possible.

    We at FedCURE want to thank those of you that have contributed to our cause thus far and as we work ahead in these next months, we plead for your continued support. If you are not a member, please join. If you have not made a donation, please donate. Donate $ Join Now! Traveling to Washington DC is not cheap and we depend upon our own personal resources and contributions from those that care about what we are doing. This trip kept us all very busy with many other convention items keeping us going non-stop from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM for five days, way too much to write about here.

    Other items on the CURE convention agenda dealt with private prisons, telephones, DC prisoners, international criminal justice issues and individual chapter issues.

Kenny Linn, J. D., L.L.M.
Executive Committee
FedCURE
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 33318-5667

Fax: (408) 549-8935 or (413) 702-6301
E-mail: Information@FedCURE.org  
Web Site: http://www.FedCURE.org  
Donate & Join @: http://www.fedcure.org/join.shtml  

 

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FedCURE NEWS

04 April 2004

NEWS FLASH-------Federal Parole Bill Introduced on 25 March 2004

HR 4036 IH 108th CONGRESS 2d Session

H. R. 4036 A Bill To revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 25, 2004

Rep. Danny Davis (D) of Illinois [http://www.house.gov/davis/] introduced H.R. 4036 on 25 March 2004. H.R. 4036 is a bill to revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners. This is the former Patsy Bill that FedCURE has been working on. There are several issues that we will address as amendments to insure that this legislation applies to all federal offenders, increases good time allowances; and restores PELL grants.

Status: 25 March 2004 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

- Urgent Action Alert -
NEW FEDERAL PAROLE BILL
H.R. 4036 - "A bill to revive the system of parole for Federal prisoners."
[Please click here to go to Alert]

Click here to Read full text and updates..

Click here for: PDF format
Download time depends on connection.

 

Mark A. Varca, J.D.
CIO & Executive Director
Federal Cure, Incorporated
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 3331805667
USA

Fax: (408) 549-8935 or (413) 702-6301
E-mail: CIO@FedCURE.org
Web Site: http://www.FedCURE.org

 

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FedCURE NEWS

10 March 2004

Federal Bureau of Prisons Issues:

Ninety-five (95) percent of all recent federal inmate complaints sent to FedCure are in three areas of concern:

1. USP SHU "Pilot Project" that requires one year clear conduct in order to get out of SHU/Administrative Detention on a 309 (disciplinary) or 323 (close supervision) transfer even if there is no disciplinary action taken.

Response. I have been having discussions with Central Office about particular cases at least once a week. So far, the bulk of the complaints I have received come from Terre Haute, Atlanta and Beaumont USPs. I have managed to get a couple of people ransferred and hope that I am making progress in getting this non-policy sorted out. The so-called "pilot project" was instituted in 2002 via an Ops Memo that was intended to delay transfers, so as not to reward those who sought them by getting into altercations on the Compound. The Ops Memo has been out-of-date for some time and there has been no new policy written that changes the old rules regarding Seg time although I have been told that there will be a new policy forthcoming. In the meantime, many Wardens have taken it upon themselves to place inmates in SHU/Administrative Detention for a year or more even if they have beaten a shot if they are considered trouble-makers. I am working towards getting a memo out from Central Office to all Wardens advising them of the intent of the policy and to state that those who are being involuntarily transferred should not be placed in the one year SHU/Administrative Detention status.

2. Excessive denial of visiting privileges based on false positives from the ion spectrometer scans.

Response. There are false positive complaints in excessive amounts coming from Lompoc, Atwater and La Tuna. There is a new Director of Security and I am waiting for him to finish his review of the use of the spectrometers before I discuss the matter with him. He has been made aware of our concerns and our desire to see the settings changed and/or to make the use of these solely a screening device with a secondary mandatory follow-up before denial of visitation can take place.

3. Loss of visiting time because of delayed processing of visitors.

Response. I am pushing for a memo to go out to all facilities that will allow visitor processing to begin as soon as possible after the 8:00 A.M. shift change, so that visiting can begin promptly at 9:00 A.M.

Special Note:  FedCURE Convention. 05 -08 June 2004. Hotel Harrington, Washington, DC. Register at: http://www.curenational.org/new/index.html  

Kenny H. Linn, J.D., L.L.M
Acting Chairman
Federal Cure, Incorporated
P.O. Box 15667
Plantation, Florida 3331805667
USA

Fax: (408) 549-8935 or (413) 702-6301
E-mail: KLinn@FedCURE.org
Web Site: http://www.FedCURE.org

 

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FedCURE NEWS

01st December 2003

 

1. On the evening of 10/28/03, Kenny Linn, FedCURE Acting Chairman and Executive Director, paid a visit to the FCI Coleman Medium compound. For two hours, it was standing room only in the Chapel for over 300 inmates. It certainly was deja vu for Kenny when the gates clanged shut behind him and more than a bit unsettling. Many questions were asked and the guys want to do a fundraiser for FedCURE. The main issues for these long timers is getting relief which will take into consideration the years that they have already served.

2. On the evening of 11/04/03, Kenny returned to Coleman, this time to the Women's Camp. Again, over 300 inmates (over half of the Camp population) sat in for the session. The women want more programs and Kenny had the opportunity to spend time with the Warden to personally address the womenÂ's concerns. Thanks to Warden Carlyle Holder for allowing these two extraordinary visits to take place. He is the kind of Warden we at FedCURE would like to see throughout the system.

3. On Friday, 11/28/03, Board member Fred Mosely, accompanied by Charlie Sullivan, the founder of national CURE, paid a visit to Sister Susan Van Baalen, the Administrator of the Chaplaincy for the BOP at Central Office. The visit went very well. The purpose was to change our image with the BOP Central Office from one of confrontation to one of working together to help our constituency with their problems on the facility Compounds. We are gratified that BOP Central Office is still willing to try to work with us to solve problems, particularly Sister Susan, who has a unique position with BOP. She has asked for a letter from us delineating our autonomy from any other organizations, which we will provide.

4. Tom Petersik, one of our lifetime members has a proposal he is circulating after consultation with Charlie & Kenny that would totally change the outlook of FPI (UNICOR). His proposal will be on the table on 12/04/03 in DC for a working group of about ten prison reform organizations. FedCURE has suggested that we be in on the next meeting of this group.

5. Kenny Linn and Mark A. Varca, FedCURE's CIO, co chair FedCURE's legislative committee. The Committee is hard at work on legislation to reinstate federal parole, increase good time allowances and provide for compassionate releases. The Committee expects to publish a first draft on the FedCURE web site and on the FedCURE/Yahoo discussion group for review when it is complete. The Committee intends to circulate the final version during the next congressional session. FedCURE will mount a campaign and vigorously lobby for the proposed legislation to become law, after the November 2004 elections.

Sincerely,

Kenny H. Linn, J.D, L.L.M.,
Acting Chairman
FedCURE

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and to Restore PELL Grants, for all federal offenders.

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