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Alabama Farmers Look To Replace Migrants With Prisoners

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:46:09 +0000

Alabama’s expansive anti-immigrant law, HB56, has been so economically devastating that farmers are seeking legislation to force hard labor on prison inmates eligible for work release programs, to “help farms fill the gap and find sufficient labor.” One of the harshest instances of anti-immigrant legislation in the nation, HB 56 requires local police to verify the immigration status of anyone they have a “reasonable suspicion” of being in the country illegally. The law spurred an exodus of mainly Hispanic workers who moved to other states for fear of being deported. The Obama administration has challenged HB56′s constitutionality, arguing that it infringes on federal powers.

In December 2011, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industry officials met with farmers to discuss their proposal to use prisoners in place of migrant workers. Notably, the state’s Department of Corrections opposes the legislation, noting that its approximately 2,000 prisoners eligible for work release already have jobs, and that “the prison system isn’t the solution to worker shortages caused by the law.”

The proposal to employ prison labor for private farming operations is not new. Idaho has used prison labor on potato farms for nearly a decade. The Wall Street Journal (October 2011) has praised the prison-farm business model, noting that inmates are “enthusiastic” about their jobs. In reality, corporate prison labor exploits prisoners by forcing them to work or face longer prison terms or loss of otherwise earned “good time.”

Prison labor-for-profit is possible due to passage of the Prison Industries Act, which ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, championed, and which expanded the existing Prison Industries Enhancement Certification Program (PIE).

Title: Alabama Farmers Look to Replace Migrants with Prisoners

Author: Agence France-Presse

Publication: The Raw Story

Date: 6 December 2011

URL: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/06/alabama-farmers-look-to-replace-migrants-with-prisoners/

Title: Of Course! Inmate Labor in Place of Migrants in Alabama

Author: CanyonWren

Publication: Daily Kos

Date: 8 December 2011

URL: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/08/1043143/-Of-Course!-Inmate-Labor-in-Place-of-Migrants-in-Alabama

Title: The Hidden History of ALEC and Prison Labor

Authors: Mike Elk and Bob Sloan

Publication: The Nation

Date: 1 August 2011

URL: http://www.thenation.com/article/162478/hidden-history-alec-and-prison-labor

Faculty Evaluator: Susan Rahman, Santa Rosa Junior College

Student Researcher: Liliana Valdez-Madera, Santa Rosa Junior CollegeSimilar Posts:

Attica Prison Uprising 101, A Short Primer

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:38:53 +0000

On Sept. 8, 1971, an altercation ensued involving a few prisoners and guards. Inmates were furious at this perceived injustice that had happened to them. The next day a violent riot ensued. From Sept. 9 to 13, 1971, prisoners took about 40 people hostage and took control of the Attica Correctional Facility. After four days of fruitless negotiations, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller ordered that the prison be retaken; 39 people were killed in a 15-minute assault by state police.

The uprising did not come out of nowhere. In September 1971, there were over 2,200 people locked up in the facility that was built to accommodate 1,600. Living conditions in Attica prison were almost unbearable with one shower a week, an outdated library, and race tension boiling, something was bound to happen and unfortunately it was an incident as tragic as this.

We need to reflect on the conditions that precipitated the rebellion and to examine its legacy. In 1970, there were 48,497 people in federal and state prisonsin the U.S. By 2009, there were 1,613,740individuals locked up in our federal and state prisons. This exponential growth of the prison population means that the events of Attica are as relevant today as they were in 1971; perhaps even more so.

Title: Attica Prison Uprising 101, a short primer
Author: Mariame Kaba with contributions by Lewis Wallace
Source: San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper, September 9, 2011
URL: http://sfbayview.com/2011/attica-prison-uprising-101-a-short-primer/

Student Researcher: Louie Pomerantz, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Suzel A. Bozada-Deas , Sonoma State University

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University Student Protests Met with Violent Government Reaction

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Since early 2010, the students at the University of Puerto Rico have been protesting against a proposed fee. The government decided to start charging a “Fiscal Stabilization Fee” to help offset the effects of the weak economy. Many of the University’s students are against this fee because they feel it is an attempt by the government to try to privatize education. Students and law enforcement officers came to blows in January 2011 when the fee was supposed to take effect. The students at the University of Puerto Rico were on an indefinite strike until the school and the government could come to an agreement. The students were protesting when local police and SWAT teams were called in by the government. This came as a surprise to the student body, since the school is supposed to be autonomous. Students at the University of Puerto Rico are asking the Governor to cancel the fee and find other ways of financing the school. Several organizations throughout the country, including the professors at the University of Puerto Rico, are supporting the students in their decision, because they feel all students should have a right to an education. The government refuses to acknowledge the fee as a problem, because they say the protest has little to do with education, and is more of a political movement by extremists.

Student Researcher: William Briggs
Faculty Instructor: Elliot Cohen, Ph.D.
Indian River State College
Sources:
Schepers, E. (2011). Student strike in Puerto Rico met with repression. People’s world. Retrieved from: http://peoplesworld.org/student-strike-in-puerto-rico-met-with-repression/.
Sieben, L. (2011). Students resume protests against fees at U. of Puerto Rico. Chronicle of higher education. Retrieved from: http://chronicle.com/article/Students-Resume-Protests/126299/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en.

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Budget Problem Solved: Tax Stocks and Bonds Transaction

admin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:23:55 +0000

The budget crisis in our country has hit an extreme. States across the country are cutting education, social programs, funding for homeless shelters, and police stations. The property taxes and local taxes are being raised.

Ironically, Speculators do not have to pay for financial purchases, including the high-risk derivatives and credit default swaps. Most of the income increase in the past 30 years has gone to the richest 1%. While the normal household is paying 10 percent tax on normal household items, the rich are not paying anything to purchase stocks and bonds and swap. Economists Dean Baker and Robert Pollin estimated that about $353 billion dollars a year could be made from a financial transition tax and Ralph Nader stated that 1/10th of a percent tax on derivative transactions would gather about $500 billion a year as well.

Many countries around the word have a successful FTT in place that creates revenue to help mend the deficits. The financial industry has say in Government, and they claim that it will kill jobs. The boost of revenue in circulation will create more money to put back into the economy for consumer spending and help with the growing deficit. This tax would also regulate irresponsible spending that helped contribute to the financial collapse and they could help reimbursement America for the bailouts.

Title: How Come Ordinary People Need to Pay Sales Taxes but Wall Street Speculators Don’t?
Author: HYPERLINK “http://www.alternet.org/authors/8554/” \o “View all stories by Paul Buchheit”Paul Buchheit
Source: Alternet , February 23, 2011
URL: http://www.alternet.org/news/150020/how_come_ordinary_people_need_to_pay_sales_taxes_but_wall_street_speculators_don%27t?page=entire
Student Researcher: Katie Havens, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Noel Byrne, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Immigration-Based Policing Too Costly

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:16:21 +0000

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California called on Sheriffs across California to end costly and harmful practices that target immigrant communities. The call accompanies a report highlighting personal stories, cost data and proposals to protect public safety while reducing the fiscal and human costs of local enforcement practices. The report is informed by meetings and correspondence with communities across Northern California and over twenty law enforcement agencies. “Most law enforcement officers do not want to double as federal immigration agents. They know that it discourages witnesses and victims of crime from coming forward and ultimately harms public safety for everyone,” said ACLU-NC Staff Attorney Julia Harumi Mass.

The report reviews the legal framework for current police practices in immigrant communities, noting that California’s large undocumented immigrant population creates significant pressures and challenges for peace officers and departments. Residents with immigrant backgrounds, regardless of immigration status, can mistakenly become targets of unwanted law enforcement attention. This increases local liability risks for law enforcement agencies; the report includes a sample of lawsuits against local law enforcement agencies for actions related to immigration enforcement, including racial profiling. Many cases begin with minor traffic violations before growing into questions of legal residency.

Ninety percent of the state’s counties have formally partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the “Secure Communities” program to check if inmates are legal residents, and all but six rural counties have linked with the “Enforcement Case Tracking System,” a central database of federal immigration records. The database allows local police to check inmates’ legal status by running their fingerprints. When the system makes a match, officers learn a suspect’s entire documented immigration history and whether ICE wants to place a “hold” on the suspect, which requires the police agency to detain the individual until immigration agents can take custody.

These holds, and the related expense, are among the main concerns the ACLU discusses in its report. It states: “ICE provides limited reimbursement only for immigrant detainees who have been convicted of one felony or two misdemeanor offenses and who are held for at least 4 consecutive days. Therefore, available reimbursements do not cover the actual costs of holding pre-conviction immigration detainees.” The report author Amalia Greenberg Delgado says: “At a time of shrinking police departments’ staff and budgets, we hope California’s law enforcement leadership will review unnecessarily costly practices and rebuild trust with communities.”

Title: ACLU to Sheriffs: Immigration Based Policing Too Costly

Source/Author: American Civil Liberties Union February 16, 2011

URL: http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/aclu-sheriffs-immigration-based-policing-too-costly

Title: ACLU: Local taxpayers paying for federal immigration enforcement

Source: CaliforniaWatch.org

Author: Ryan Gabrielson

URL: http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/aclu-local-taxpayers-paying-federal-immigration-enforcement-8711

Title: Costs and Consequences: The High Price of Policing Immigrant Communities

Source: ACLU February 2011

Authors: Amalia Greenberg Delgado and Julia Harumi

URL:http://www.aclunc.org/docs/criminal_justice/police_practices/costs_and_consequences.pdf

Student Researcher: Amy Ortiz, Sonoma State University

Faculty Evaluator: Janet Hess, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Violence and the New Face of Homelessness in America

admin — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:54:56 +0000

In 2009, violence against the homeless was at an all time high, with reports of injuries, vandalism of property, and 43 deaths among homeless persons across the nation. The stressful experiences of becoming homeless and then being victimized create extremely high levels of trauma, leading to elevated rates of mental illness among homeless individuals.

These and other factors have contributed to a significant shift in the profile of homelessness. Homelessness is no longer the unique experience of addicts, the severely mentally ill, or the chronically unemployed. In recent years, homelessness has been on the rise due to soaring unemployment rates, increased levels of poverty, the foreclosure crisis, and a shortage of affordable housing and social services, all of which accompanied the recent economic downturn in the United States. The recent recession has left thousands of formerly hard-working, middle class people without a roof over their heads. Six million Americans have lost their home to foreclosures, leading to the recent surge of tent cities throughout the country. For example, an estimated 1,534 people are living in Los Angeles encampments and 900 in Sacramento, California.

We are currently seeing, for example, an increase in the number of homeless veterans. As of 2007, one in four homeless people were veterans. Veterans often become homeless due to mental illness and/or substance abuse for which they receive inadequate, if any, professional treatment. According to Pete Dougherty, director of homeless veterans’ programs at the VA, forty-five percent of people who use their programs have a mental illness, while three out of four have substance abuse problems.The most common mental illness, and one of the leading causes of homelessness among veterans, is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, living on the streets itself leads homeless individuals to experience the kinds of victimization that lead to PTSD. A study published in 2004 inChild Adolescent Psychiatry found that eighty-three percent of youth living on the streets were physically or sexually victimized. Among these homeless youth, eighteen percent showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus the cycle: homelessness leads to PTSD, while PTSD and other mental illnesses make it even more difficult for homeless people to improve their situation.

Unfortunately, violence against the homeless is not always frowned upon; sometimes, it is, instead, celebrated. In recent YouTube videos, young males are showcased physically and verbally abusing homeless men under the name of “BumHunters” or “Bum Fights.” In some jurisdictions, local police play a role in victimizing the homeless. In one reported instance, a homeless man was approached by a police officer who slapped him on the back and called him names like “punk” and “homeless bitch.”
Sources:

Biagotti, L. & Davis, T. (2008). The Changing Face of Homelessness. Oct. 27th 2010 Retrieved from http://www.coping-with-life.com/2008/05/changing-face-of-homelessness.html

Chen, M. (2009, October 16). Homelessness and the Recession: An Unimaginable Crisis. In These Times. Retrieved from http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5052/homelessness_and_the_recession an_unimaginable_crisis/

Dobnik, V. (2006, July 5). Homelessness a Threat for Iraq Vets. CommonDreams.org. Retrieved from http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0705-04.htm

EducationNews.org. (2010, March 19th). Economic Crisis Devastates Rich & Poor- Tent Cities in America. EducationNew.org. Retrieved from

http://www.educationnews.org/mobile/political/political_releases/76201.html

Student Researchers: Emily Waterman, Jessica Starr, Sara Fitzpatrick, Siena College

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mo Hannah, Siena College

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Police Fight Cell Phone Recording: Witnesses Taking Audio Of Officers Arrested, Charged With Illegal Surveillance

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:26:25 +0000

Simon Glik, a lawyer, was walking down Tremont Street in Boston when he saw three police officers struggling to extract a plastic bag from a teenager’s mouth. Thinking their force seemed excessive for a drug arrest, Glik pulled out his cellphone and began recording. Within minutes, Glik said, he was in handcuffs. The charge was illegal electronic surveillance. Police charged Glik with violating the state’s wiretap law, which bans secret voice recording of communication. A Boston Municipal Court judge threw out the charges because his recording had not been made in secret. (AP February 2010)

In 1968, Massachusetts became a “two-party’’ consent state, one of 12 currently in the country. Two-party consent means that all parties to a conversation must agree to be recorded on a telephone or other audio device; otherwise, the recording of conversation is illegal. The law, intended to protect the privacy rights of individuals, appears to have been triggered by a series of high-profile cases involving private detectives who were recording people without their consent.“The statute has been misconstrued by Boston police,’’ said June Jensen, the lawyer who represented Glik and succeeded in getting his charges dismissed. The law, she said, does not prohibit public recording of anyone. “You could go to the Boston Common and snap pictures and record if you want; you can do that.’’The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit February 1, against Boston police officers who arrested a Glik for useing his cell phone to record their alleged use of force against a suspect.

Title: Police Fight Cellphone Recordings

Source: New England Center For Investigative Reporting, January 12, 2010

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/12/police_fight_cellphone_recordings?mode=PF

Author: Daniel Rowinski,This story was done under the guidance of BU professors Dick Lehr and Mitchell Zuckoff.
And The Associated Press State & Local WireFebruary 1, 2010,

Title: ACLU Says Cops Violated Videotaper’s RightsSimilar Posts:

Undercover Police In Great Britian Caught On Tape Trying To Recruit Activist Spies

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:58:29 +0000

Undercover police in Great Britian are running a network of hundreds of informants inside protest organizations who secretly feed them intelligence in return for cash.
The dramatic disclosures are revealed in almost three hours of secretly recorded discussions between covert officers claiming to be from Strathclydepolice, and an activist from the protest group Plane Stupid.Matilda Gifford, 24, said she recorded the meetings in an attempt to expose how police seek to disrupt the legitimate activities of climate changeactivists. She met the officers twice; they said they were a detective constable and his assistant. During the taped discussions, the officers: The meetings took place in a Glasgow police station and in a supermarket café.
• Indicate that she could receive tens of thousands of pounds to pay off her student loans in return for information about individuals within Plane Stupid.• Say they will not pay money direct into her bank account because that would leave an audit trail that would leave her compromised. They said the money would be tax-free, and added: “UK plc can afford more than 20 quid.”• Accept that she is a legitimate protester, but warn her that her activity could mean she will struggle to find employment in the future and result in acriminal record.• Claim they have hundreds of informants feeding them information from protest organizations and “big groupings” from across the political spectrum.
In a statement, Plane Stupid said: “Our civil liberties were invaded and our right to peaceful protest called into question simply to defend the interests of big business.”

Title: Police caught on tape trying to recruit Plane Stupid protester as spy

Source: guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 April 2009

URL:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/24/strathclyde-police-plane-stupid-recruit-spy

Author: Paul LewisFaculty

Evaluator: Elaine Wellin

Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Stop Killing and Starvation of Samburu People in Kenya

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:15:47 +0000

For the past 8 months, the Kenyan government has carried out a brutal campaign of violence against indigenous Samburu People in north-central Kenya, using their own police and military forces as well as government-funded mercenaries from Somalia. The most infamous attack took place in April, when military forces sprayed a caustic chemical onto group of children, severely burning them. The children were hiding in the bush at the time, while the military “strafed the unarmed villagers with machine guns” from the air and “used clubs to beat them on the ground.” In the weeks leading up to the attack, “Government forces brutally shut down” several wildlife conservancies the Samburu pastoralists managed in collaboration with environmental organizations, explains Cultural Survival, who just received “reports of further air and land attacks on the Samburu by hundreds of Kenyan police troops during the week of November 16.” According to documents released by a Kenyan military officer, the campaign is in large part an attempt to force the Samburu to abandon their way life. The documents explicitly mention an intent to “bring these people into the modern era.” They also showed the attacks, including the one just described, were planned months in advance. Then, in October, the Kenyan government announced it had awarded a set of 18 oil leases to Chinese companies. The lease areas are located within the Samburu’s territory.

Sources:

Ahni “Stop Killing and Starvation of Samburu People in Kenya” November 20th 2009 http://intercontinentalcry.org/stop-killing-and-starvation-of-samburu-people-in-kenya/

Student Researchers: Delana Colvin, Shannon Cree, Anna Kung

Faculty Instructor: Kevin Howley, Associate Professor of Media Studies, DePauw University

Evaluator: Mandy Henk, Coordinator of Access Services, DePauw UniversitySimilar Posts:

Black Teacher Looks at 15 Years for Cutting in Line

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:10:32 +0000

A black woman named Heather Ellis is looking at 15 years in prison for cutting in line at a Wal-Mart store. Ellis, who is a teacher and has been described as respectable, joined her cousin in a check-out line that was moving faster than the line she was previously in. After Ellis joined this line, she alleged that white customers and employees began to use racial slurs, pushed her, and police officers physically and verbally mistreated her. A police report states that Ellis pushed merchandise off the conveyor belt, resisted arrest, and threatened the officers, all of whom were white. Even if Ellis did resist arrest, a 15 year prison sentence seems to be a bit much for such an offense. None of the accusations that the police officers made merit the punishment that they are seeking. It is quite clear that this sentence is the product of outright racism.

Source:

“Black Teacher May Get 15 Years in Prison for Cutting in Line at Wal-Mart.” http://www.alternet.org/rights/144189/black_teacher_may_get_15_years_in_prison_for_cutting_in_line_at_wal-mart/?page=2

www.saveheatherellis.com

Student Researchers: Shannon Cree, Anna Kung, Delana Colvin

Faculty Instructor: Kevin Howley, Associate Professor of Media Studies, DePauw University

Evaluator: Jo MacPhail, Part-time Instruction and Reference Librarian, DePauw UniversitySimilar Posts: