[OccupyCU] Minutes from 2/13 Outreach meeting - County Jail, Move-to-amend petitioning, FlexNGate, etc.
Rachel Storm
rachelstrm at gmail.com
Mon Feb 20 03:44:44 CST 2012
Hi All--
I made this FB event page based on these notes.
http://www.facebook.com/events/169305183185242/?context=create
Please give feedback/ideas. I'm not a great numbers person, but I'm willing
to work on generating noise around the jail from an occupy tactic. Is
someone contacting the Immigration Forum already about taking on the ICE
part of it? If not, I can.
Rachel
On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 1:51 PM, Stuart Levy <salevy at illinois.edu> wrote:
> OccupyCU Outreach meeting of 2/13/2012
>
> Attending - Brook C, Carol Ammons, Amir Ammons, Sandra H, Chris E, Mike W,
> Ricky B, Karen M, Eleanor and her husband, Pam, Stuart, others?
> Brook facilitated, Stuart took notes.
>
> [Also attached is a County Jail fact sheet from CUCPJ which Carol had sent
> around in January]
>
> We opened with long conversation with Carol about the proposed new county
> jail.
> See below for other agenda items including FlexNGate and
> Move-to-Amend/free-speech township referenda.
>
> Carol Ammons had spoken with Sandra, encouraging some aspect of jail
> campaign to be picked up by the group.
>
> Champaign County-wide 1/4cent "public safety" sales tax referendum
> failed in 1997, then passed in 1998,
> with specfic provisions on the ballot: calling for it to be
> automatically
> repealed after bonding for specific projects (satellite jail,
> juvenile detention center, courthouse construction) were paid off.
> The last of those will retire in 2015.
>
> In 2003, County Board - by ordinance - changed that provision,
> without public participation let alone any new referendum.
> They repealed the automatic-repeal provision, so the tax will continue
> indefinitely.
>
> This quarter-cent sales tax is the presumed funding source for the new
> jail project,
> and brings in around $4.5million/year.
>
> If this happens, (most of) that tax money would be devoted to paying off
> the jail bonds until 2029. It would be unavailable for any other
> public-safety-related use, such as mental health services, drug
> treatment/detox, the Public Defender's office, drug court, mental-health
> court, etc. for that long.
>
> This is a very long time to tie up the money when we *haven't even
> established the need for a jail*.
>
> Carol says, We need people who deal with numbers, figures - the tax piece.
> Would OccupyCU, like other Occupy groups, ask, "why are you taking our
> tax money?"
>
> The money for building a new jail would just go into the pockets of those
> with
> existing business relations with the county - builders, architects,
> financiers.
>
>
> As written in original referendum, 5% of the tax money ($200K-$220K/year)
> must go to social services.
>
> This is not a good tradeoff - not nearly adequate. Need support for
> several
> agencies, but even one agency alone could not make the needed impact
> with just $220K. It might pay for one staff person.
>
> BUT, the impact of the other $millions to incarceration in the county,
> if new jail goes forward - that will be massive.
>
> Question: what's the process? when a referendum goes to the public,
> what right does [county govt] have to change the referendum?
> Carol thinks she could put the referendum on the Policy Agenda.
> She could do that as she is the chair.
>
>
> There were tours for the board members ...
>
> Decrepit downtown jail?
> Note: we are *not* out of compliance - no such notice from IL Dept of
> Corrections,
> which reviewed the jail last year.
>
> Carol regularly hears complaints from people who are in that jail, but
> *none of their complaints were about infrastructure* (water leaks,
> rats, roaches, etc.);
> instead they complain about treatment from sheriffs' deputies, about
> treatment by states' attorney's office, ...
>
> But, what to do about it? You don't tear down a building because
> you have rats (which the pro-jail people are suggesting).
> You remediate.
>
> [Already, in IMC building, we have to fumigate regularly to deal with
> rodents... Doesn't mean IMC needs tearing down.]
>
>
> How many prisoners in downtown jail and in satellite?
> downtown jail about 40% full (50 prisoners, capacity 131)
> satellite jail about 80% full (of capacity 171 or 189 or something)
>
> Goal would be for Occupy to look more carefully at dollars.
> "If it costs $500K to remediate, then remediate."
>
> Can numbers of inmates in jail be reduced?
> * 20% right now are just driving cases
> MikeW: talked with Tom Betz of County Board.
> Everyone says ~30% are pretrial, can't come up with bail, stuck in
> jail...
> school/work/childcare messed up.
> Ankle-bracelet trackers, though they can't be used as a *sentence* (due
> to a court's ruling),
> *could* be used as condition of bail pre-sentencing.
>
> Carol: I'm not yet getting the sense - yet - that Betz et al are
> interested in options other than building new jail
> MikeW: Betz, when he understood, said, That's a great idea
>
> SO: what research could we do? Taxes?
>
> Carol: thanks to Chris's find [of the details of the original referendum]
> The Prairie Center Detox Facility in downtown Champaign has been
> defunded.
> The county should have saved the prairie center, and *we would have had
> the money to*
> if we hadn't tied up the money for these other projects.
>
> ** So: If we came up with *specific proposals* for other uses of 1/4cent
> tax,
> it would make them have to step back.
>
> Maybe County *has* a drug court, mental health court, but has little
> used it.
>
> GEO (UofI Grad Employees Union) is looking at matrix of services.
>
> Carol suggests Occupy ask the public - maybe with a survey:
>
> "Do you agree County Board should take $10m/20m/30m and build a jail?"
>
> "It won't cost that" - yes it might, when you count the extra staff,
> and other costs.
> Just as it did for the downtown jail, the County administration
> practices
> piecemeal accounting - presenting one cost for a project, and later
> adding other
> costs that are necessary but weren't included in original estimate.
>
> There's *is* other non-quarter-cent money for social services which
> already
> goes through the Regional Planning Commission.
> But don't be fooled that it's necessarily being well used.
>
> Much of the RPC social services funding "Parenting for Love and Living"
> group -
> run by a friend of Julia Rietz's from St Louis.
> That group has shown *no trace of effectiveness* that Carol knows of.
>
> Another $170K/year of RPC funding goes to Don Moyer Boy's and Girl's
> club, which actually does reach people.
>
> So should Occupy investigate building cost?
> No - others will do that - Better to ask the county taxpayers,
> "Did you intend for this tax to be permanent?"
> as it would be if it were devoted to a bonding issue for a jail.
>
> Could argue, If Board wants public money to be encumbered until 2029,
> you should put the question before the voters.
>
> Chris:
> Courthouse, Youth Detention Facility, and debt on satellite jail -
> those were the conditions for automatic repeal.
> Paid up yet? no, but will be in 2015.
>
> In 2007, *refurbished entire courthouse* using money from that sales
> tax. $6.8million.
>
> If I change the conditions laid out in the referendum, am I committing
> fraud?
>
> They could have used those $6.8M to pay down the debt
> on the 3 buildings listed on original referendum.
>
>
> "They Owe Us $6.8m." Services for court, public defender,
> So let's start there, with what the voters want.
>
> Carol:
> Taking this on - requires us to take it out of the academic comfort zone.
> **When we walked into Chase Bank on University, it changed the game.
>
> The County Board only cares about direct action.
>
> Researching the 2003 repeal-of-repeal: in every news article we looked
> at,
> there was *not a single public hearing* when ordinance was changed.
> Mike Monson wrote about it as something that just happened.
>
> How many on Board are persuadable?
>
> [How long had County been taking kickbacks on jail phone contract
> (issue raised several years ago, and won)? At first, Board was insulted
> that public
> came in to complain that costs for prisoners to use the 'phone were
> extremely high,
> contracted out to a private company that gave the County a cut.
> But ultimately all the Board members switched their votes.
> That change came from the Public. Not for moral reasons.]
>
>
> We can set the campaign tone, "You Have Misappropriated Public Money"
>
> [Scott [Tapeley] (R) during 2003 debate, voted against it. As Kirchner
> did.
> "It is not just unethical but also immoral to ask us to expand this
> jail" - in 2004]
>
> Don't fall for roaches. (I.e. don't let "we're only building this jail
> to
> improve the conditions of the inmates" fool you.)
>
> Rietz could send folks home. If they don't have $200 bail, they're no
> flight risk - where'll they go?
>
> Bringing an issue to the GA...
> People at GA have lots of ideas.
> Clearly CUCPJ is already working on this in bunch of ways... you're
> asking Occupy for a specific piece
>
> Brook asked Carol/Chris for a few written paragraphs on...
> * what the situation is
> * what they'd like Occupy to do
> - yes, we have that kind of material, will send it
>
> Carol: If someone from Occupy wants to join the Jail Committee
> [I think this committee is part of C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice
> -SL],
> we'd welcome it. We don't have a monopoly on good ideas.
>
> Jail Committee usually meets *Friday mornings*.
>
>
> Other efforts:
>
> Immigration Forum wants specifically to look into Secure Communities --
> use of "extra beds" to house ICE detainees, in exchange for Federal
> money.
>
> This could be a cash cow -- one of several reasons the Sheriff may want
> a
> new jail that has excess space to house detainees from elsewhere.
>
> If new jail is planned, would they build to replace existing downtown beds
> (130) or needs (50)?
>
>
>
> Who in the media would handle this sympathetically?
> - Public i
> - Smile Politely!!
>
> Karen:
> Letters to the editor, etc., don't just educate the county board members.
> They're needed to educate the people, so that they influence the board.
>
> 1/4c sales tax - this is generally a regressive type tax, where lower
> income people pay relatively more -
> but there are other kinds of taxes. Property taxes are less regressive.
>
> Re criminal justice system - fees/taxes specifically for the county ...
> Courthouse imposes fines/fees for poor people who go through system -
> insurmountable
> also park district, library, ... sales and property taxes
>
> What other kinds of revenue streams could the county have access to?
> Recent passage of increased property tax for school capital
> construction. so it can happen.
>
> [A reason for this jail project: housing construction has collapsed.
> Relates to Wall St financing. We'll float you the bonds and tie up
> your money far into the future.]
>
> (with that, Carol left with her patiently hungry son Amir)
>
> -----
> Agenda for rest of meeting?
>
> FlexNGate - Ricky has update
> County Board? should we go?
> Bring CUCPJ request to GA
> Mike and Colan's petitions to Townships
> Mayor Gerard says he "doesn't want to be mistaken for an Occupy member",
> can we make hay from it?
>
> Events:
> noon 2/14 demonstration on Quad, just south of Illini Union -
> "University Have a Heart"
> rising tuition, rising president's salary, growth in administration,
> workers on campus aren't getting any of it.
>
> Stephen Zunes on Arab Spring and nonviolent resistance movements.
> Visiting Allen Hall this week. Special interest for us - talk about
> Arab Spring on Wed, 7pm.
>
> FlexNGate
> Workers are a mix - Latin American - US - French-speaking Congolese
> Lots of the congolese live in (some apartment complex) on Mattis
>
> ** All the Congolese families got notices: their leases were not being
> renewed.
> And *only* the Congolese got such notices.
> Apt complex owned by Royce & Brinkmeyer. Royce sits on Champaign human
> rights commission.
>
> (No financial relation they can find between Khan and the
> Royce-Brinkman people, but it may be an old boys' club...)
>
> Will this go on a leaflet? - yes it will.
> Would they want a demonstration in their support? - Yes expect so.
> They want to move in that direction. Are doing research now.
>
> This issue just came up today (Mon 2/13) - very new.
>
> Who's organizing it? - UAW organizers (who are also trying to unionize
> FlexNGate workers)
> So we await word from them? - Yes.
>
> MikeW: Shall we bring word to GA, that We Stand Ready to Help?
>
> Ricky: question of where's the best place if we do a demo.
> FlexNGate (on east University Ave in Urbana) isn't that visible.
> Khan owns Urbana Country Club... FlightStar at the airport...
>
> Pam: are these people being kicked out of their dwellings? vs losing
> their jobs at FlexNGate?
> - dwellings.
> Were there other layoffs recently?
> - Ricky doesn't know of any.
>
> [Good news since then: since Monday, people were urged to call
> Royce-Brinkman to ask them to reconsider. Within hours, they did!
> It appears that at least most, probably all, of the the Congolese
> families
> have been told that they are welcome to renew their leases.]
>
> County Board
> Is it urgent for us to attend?
> Chris: it's urgent every week.
> It *is* televised. The public can see us (whether the board seems to
> be listening or not)
> And we go to remind Board that they're being watched.
>
>
> Who is meeting this week?
> - Jail designing team [called a "team" not a "committee" so that County
> Board has no say in its composition]
> "social justice cmte" - soliciting members - several county board
> members have already stepped up to fill it.
> There'll be attempts to broaden the scope -- within the scope of, Yes
> we'll build a jail.
>
> Is it still worth showing up, even if I can't be there at 6pm to speak?
> Yes. They push jail items until late, so it may be worth staying to
> hear what Board is saying.
> If you arrive in the middle, grab a copy of the agenda and see how far
> along they are in it.
>
>
> Petitions
> MikeW: Colan wrote a petition -
> We Support Move to Amend...
> He will bring it to Township Clerks - checking on the right form needed
> to get it on the ballot for the April 12th Township meetings.
>
> "Whereas CA has long allowed that nondisruptive free political speech
> etc."
>
> Will Mike send copies of current drafts to OccupyCU?
> Yes, but *don't* distribute these drafts widely yet. May need some
> details tweaked.
>
> Brook: has called CCHCC: Can they give us canvassing maps?
> Will bring up next time what she learned from [Julie?] about mental
> health
>
> Bringing CUCPJ's/Carol Ammons's request to GA.
> Carol's request - for research
> It's not hard to frame it as "1%/99%"
> Actions:
> Share what Carol said with GA
> Potential for an OccupyCU working group
> Political focus? (There are so many jail/social-services/tax issues we
> can push,
> which seem most fruitful/important?)
>
> * Misappropriation of funds
> * Effective use of $tax to reduce crime - youth programming, mental
> health, substance abuse counseling
> "The prairie center is closed. The jail is growing. Does this
> make sense?"
> * For veterans services too
>
> (Board member Langenheim said, The new jail will have a mentally-ill
> ward. That'll serve them.
> [but what about people who aren't in jail and wouldn't need to be
> if we had better services outside?]
>
> * Issue of becoming a regional center for ICE (immigration) detainees
>
> * becoming part of the prison-industrial complex
>
> [some recent film at sundance ... what?]
>
> Re studies done of effectiveness of different social programs - has
> that research been done?
> Is it being done by others here now?
>
> Chris: need to do that research. He's hard about some of it - e.g.
> something about $7 spent on X saves $Y on Z. I've been charged
> with cultivating -
> all programs, including all churches with programming,
> pre-jail / for-those-in-jail / post-release. Finding out who
> offers what services.
>
> Asked one: "What's available for ex-cons?" "Maybe something in
> kankakee?"
>
> They closed the Work Release Center - a series of businesses that
> took on these guys when they got out...
> ** These Programs Need to Be Funded.
>
> * others that need funding:
> Public Defender's office.
> Current defenders cover 400 cases/year.
> American Bar Association recommends 150/year.
>
> Lots of under-representation. (Carol A had said: My constituents
> don't
> complain about jail conditions, they complain about the system
> itself.)
>
> Why are we jailing mentally ill people?
> People deemed by police as mentally ill - they're not taken to
> hospital, they're taken to jail.
>
> Current plans call for proceeding with that - continuing to jail the
> mentally ill rather than other possibilities.
>
> MikeW: why? Politicians say, Taxpayers won't pay for a hospital, but
> they will pay for a jail.
>
> * Do we want detox to be the county jail?
>
>
> BC: we need to look at the research alread done by students
>
> What are the costs that aren't being acknowledged? What are the hidden
> costs?
>
> Publicizing to population that "This 1/4cent tax never ended, is this
> what you want?"
>
> A survey could be really useful. "what would you like your tax money to
> go for?"
>
> Ricky: need numbers - most of which are already gathered - some
> smartassery - "you owe $6.8M"
>
> Chris: confronting fundamental notions about the jail:
> Rietz said it: "Only the most violent are in jail".
> Does this make sense, given that people in jail for *driving on
> revoked licenses*?
>
>
> Mandatory minimum sentences? Very few people are sentenced *to* county
> jail (as opposed to prison).
>
> Rietz says there's nothing to be done about mandatory minimums, but no:
> prosecutors choose the charges, which could be lessened.
>
> MW: soft spot should be people with *no sentence at all yet* - awaiting
> trial.
>
> Pam: how long are they in jail?
> MW: many people do skip ... typically 2-3 week before there's even
> enough investigation done
> to reduce bail to affordable - so 2-3wk minimum.
> Most people in jail are bail-able. Just needs more money than they
> have.
> Let them wear an anklebracelet, keep their job, take care of kids,
> ...
>
> Chris: Under John Piland (who was State's Attorney before current Julia
> Rietz),
> the average weekly jail population was *323* (much more than today).
> We had to pay other counties to house our inmates.
>
> Old downtown jail? they let it rot for 10 years, planning to do
> something devious.
>
> Any new construction will take 2-3 years. Costs already ~$2M just to
> fix current jail, plus demolition.
>
> Demolition costs! Board member Pattsie Petrie -
> "I want demolition numbers- What will it cost to tear down downtown
> jail?"
>
>
> Elegant solution would be to demolish downtown jail, and fit those who
> *need to be jailed* into the satellite!
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
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