[Bookstoprisoners] B2P interest in prison reform policies

[sarah ross]

Dear Keystaff,
Hope you are all well. This weekend Barbara and I were approached by Lori Jo
Reynolds to get us and/or other Books to Prisoners people involved with a
special prison reform committee, who will meet with DOC to address specific
issues. The reform committee is provisionally called Prison Core, but they
will be drafting up info and a new name soon.
People involved in this effort are Lori Jo from Tamms Year Ten, Ted Pearson
from National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Bill Ryan
who got Stateville Speaks going, and works on the Long Term Prisoner Elderly
Sentence Adjustment bill, Jean Synder from the People's Law Office and many
many others. These people represent different issues in the prison system
and are teaming up to form a coalition to bring these issues to DOC. What is
unique here is that they have the ear of DOC!
Prison Core is interested in forming an infrastructure while Dir. of DOC,
Micheal Randle, is in office, as he has been interested in reform efforts to
cut costs and offer more programming. Core has identified 8 areas that need
work and thought that we would be interested in heading up one of them--
Libraries and Books. Other areas are: medical neglect, mental health,
long-term prisoners, programs, jobs, volunteer policy, and Tamms.

What they are asking of us is to come up with issues and policy changes for
libraries and books in the prison system to present to a DOC point person
assigned to us. DOC has agreed to meet with us quarterly. (Our point person
might be Robin Riggs, the woman who Barbara and I worked with to get the
bulk mailing going).

I'm wondering if any of you are interested in this effort. If so, we would
need to meet soon and hit the ground running. The Core group wants everyone
to meet with their DOC point person by April.
If you are interested, could you e-mail back so we can get a sense of who's
on board, and/or I suggest we have a *Special Meeting* for this Friday or
Sunday where we could discuss the pros and cons of our involvement in this
effort. Even if B2P as a group was not involved, it seems like you/we are a
valueable voice here and we could still make policy suggestions to voice at
the table.
Let me know your thoughts! and thanks in advanced for your time!
Warmly, Sarah

  *
*<http://naarpr.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Statement%20on%20HB%204154%2020080430.pdf>

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