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Question for AWARE: should we sign on to the statement below, even
though we won't have had time to discuss it in person?<br>
<br>
C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice and others have been organizing
against Champaign County going forward with plans to build a new
jail, and looking instead at alternatives to incarceration and
better ways to protect public safety.<br>
<br>
On Feb. 21st, 7PM, the County Board will meet with the jail-needs
consultant. CUCPJ will be reading statements of support from local
organizations. We could be one of them.<br>
<br>
Should AWARE sign on to this? Unfortunately it came out too late
to be considered at our Sunday meeting.<br>
<br>
Proposed process: <b>If anyone is at all uncomfortable with either
the statement below, </b><b>or with our making a decision by
e-mail rather than in person</b>, then I think we should
decline. If no one objects and we get at least as many positive
responses as we'd get at a well-attended meeting (say eight people),
then we can say Yes. How about that?<br>
<br>
You can write back either to the list, or to me.<br>
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<br>
<blockquote type="cite">The Champaign County Board is
considering a proposal to
spend $20 million on new jail cells. <span> </span>Under
this proposal, the Board would pay for this jail construction
from our public
safety sales tax which currently brings in about $4 million
per year.<span> </span>We, the undersigned organizations,
believe the
County must change its priorities in terms of public safety.<span>
</span>Instead of building new jail cells, public
safety tax revenues<span> </span>should go to fund
preventive
services and programs that will keep people out of jail. These
include: <span> </span>youth job training, mental health
services, substance
abuse treatment, re-entry programs for people returning home
from prison and measures
to address the racial discrepancies in the jail population. <span> </span>We
urge the Board to work with the community
to make these alternatives to incarceration a reality.<span
class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
</font></span></blockquote>
<span class="HOEnZb"></span><br>
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