CALL TO ACTION: Oppose SB 187--Adds more penalties, increases mass incarceration in the Prison Capital of the World

In the Prison Capital of the World, with some of the harshest drug laws for non-violent offenders, legislators continue to pile on laws that will exacerbate racial and class inequities in drug enforcement. Louisiana's RS 40:981.3 defines "drug-free zones" and states that any owner of property can designate a drug-free zone by posting a sign: this includes daycares, schools (private and public), public housing, religious buildings, drug treatment facilities. The drug free zone extends 2,000 feet from any such designated area. Up until now, private homes where no one under 17 is present were excluded from the drug-free zones. Senator Kostelka (R--District 25, includes Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita parishes) is introducing a bill today--SB 187--that now includes private residences within those drug-free zones. The consequences of such a bill are apparent: urban areas--and especially the urban poor--will be most affected by this law. 

Note that the penalties are ENHANCED for those arrested for drugs in a drug-free zone. The Zone was extended from 1000 ft. to 2000 ft. some years ago. Now private homes will be considered in the drug free zone, no matter if a teenager is present or not. And those arrested in their private homes (apartments, public housing) can be charged 1 1/2 the maximum fine and 1 1/2 times the "longest term of imprisonment."

Please do what you can to communicate your opposition to this bill.

Here is the link to Judiciary C, where the bill will be discussed today: http://senate.la.gov/JudiciaryC/default.asp

Here is the link to the members of that committee: http://senate.la.gov/JudiciaryC/Assignments.asp

Here is a link to the bill: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=875684&n=SB187%20Original

For more information on the impact of drug-free zones on certain portions of the population, see: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/04/14/3425658/the-true-price-of-drug-free-zones/

PICO-LA Faith Day Rally at the State Capitol

signs at the Faith Day rally against mass incarceration

Several members of the Northshore New Jim Crow Task Force--Bonnie Schmidt, Bev Mussen, Marlene Hahn, and Anita Dugat-Greene--joined PICO-Louisiana (People Improving Communities through Organizing) and other organizations, represented by several faith leaders and their congregants, on the steps of the state capitol on Tuesday, April 1st, to rally against mass incarceration. Lauren McGaughy, of The Times Picayune, has a report of the rally at the following link: "Faith leaders criticize Louisiana sentencing, prison policies." Several bills are moving through the state legislature during this legislative session that have the potential to help decrease the large prison population in Louisiana and to redress some serious inequities in the criminal justice system.

An eight-part investigative series in The Times Picayune in 2012 helped raise awareness of these issues, and forums in Louisiana towns have brought together people in a bi-partisan movement to reform the prison system. The eight part series in the Times Picayune can be found at the following link: "Louisiana Incarcerated: How We Built the World's Prison Capital."

The Faith Day group gathered on the front steps of the Louisiana state capitol

After the rally, the large group broke up into six smaller groups in order to meet with legislators. The NNJCTF members joined the group led by Dr. Lue Russell of Southern University. 

Of the two or three legislators Dr. Russell requested to leave committee meetings briefly to meet with the group, Rep. Patrick Jefferson (D-District 11) was able to answer the call. 
 

Rep. Patrick Jefferson (D-District 11) with Dr. Lue Russell and Bonnie Schmidt

Rep. Jefferson answers questions posed by a young man who participated in the rally

Rep. Jefferson agreed to support the bills that the group was focusing on today: 

• SB 323 (reducing all penalties for marijuana possession); 
• HB 745 (authorizing courts to waive mandatory minimum sentences in certain non-violent, non-sexual crimes); 
• HB 217 and HB 485 (banning the box--requiring state contractors to avoid denying employment to ex-offenders based on criminal history alone; the seriousness of the offense and the time elapsed since the offense must be considered).

Members of PICO  discuss issues with Rep. Jefferson

Rep. John Bel Edwards was not able to meet with the group.

The participants in the rally then reconvened for a Research Action with Senator Elbert Guillory (R-24). Several persons in the audience were ready to ask questions that were prepared the day before in PICO's Boot Camp. One participant asked Rep. Guillory what propelled him into politics. In answering the question, Rep. Guillory described his first encounter with the law as a black teenager in Louisiana. He said that at the age of 15, he tried to borrow a book from the local library and was apprehended for violating a law that prohibited blacks from white-only libraries. 

Louisiana state senator Elbert Guillory (R-District 24) speaks to the members of the Faith Day rally at the state capitol

 Rep. Guillory assured the group that he would support the bills on which they were focusing during this visit to the state legislature, including the bill that would make possession of marijuana a misdemeanor. He reminded the group that three recent presidents had admitted to smoking marijuana in young adulthood. "If weed is a gateway drug," he said, "the gateway must be to the White House!"

Participants in the Faith Day rally listen to Rep. Patrick Jefferson

Dr. Lue Russell prepares to give instructions for meeting with a state legislator

A participant in the Faith Day rally has a question for Senator Guillory

Faith Day rally on the front steps of the Louisiana state capitol

NNJCTF Gears Up for the Louisiana 2014 Legislative Session

On February 23rd, ten people braved the downpour to attend the Northshore New Jim Crow Task Force's first meeting of the year at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Lacombe. The group was very happy to welcome two new faces, and after introductions, Bonnie Schmidt opened the meeting with a review of recent activities in which members had participated, specifically the PICO-LA meeting in New Orleans and the Together Louisiana meeting in Baton Rouge. The focus of the meeting, however, was on upcoming legislation in the Louisiana legislature and on making our voices heard in the legislative process. Bonnie reminded the group that legislators have until February 28th to file legislation and that the 2014 session begins on March 10th. Although there are many bills worthy of attention, the NNJCTF is focusing on:

• Ban the Box for State Contracts Act (eliminating the felony conviction check-box on employment applications for certain state contractor jobs--HB 217, Smith)
• Reclassifying marijuana possession as a misdemeanor  and reducing mandatory sentencing for marijuana possession: HB 130, Honore; HB 14, Badon (At the time of this writing, the link to the bill of HB14 was incorrectly directed on the Legislature's website; the link here is to the digest or abstract of the bill.)

We hope that passage of these bills will be a step in reducing the high incarceration rates in Louisiana, will allow for fairer and more equal sentencing, and will help ex-offenders returning to the work force.

During the remainder of the meeting, the group discussed ways to communicate our concerns effectively. As part of that discussion, we viewed a Ted Talk by Omar Ahmad, an activist and former mayor of San Carlos, California (link here: http://www.ted.com/talks/omar_ahmad_political_change_with_pen_and_paper) and shared the personal experiences that motivated each of us to become involved in the grass roots movement of prison and sentencing reform.

It is very important that we, as citizens, become informed and active in the political process. Please let your legislators know how you stand on these bills--and others--by writing, e-mailing, or calling your legislators.

Useful links:

1. To find your Louisiana and U. S. Legislators: http://legis.la.gov/Legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx
2. To find links that will direct you to the web page of your state senator and contact information: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Bios.aspx?cid=S
3. To find links that will direct you to the web page of your representative and contact information: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Bios.aspx?cid=H 
4.  To access an index of House and Senate numbered bills: http://legis.la.gov/legisdocs/billindex/14RSbillindex.pdf
5. To follow the Louisiana House of Representatives on Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisianahouse/
6. To follow the State Legislature on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lalegis