Connections

Some benefits of productivity, skills training and decent wages used to instill self worth, new thought processes and reduce recidivism & other novel concepts in a prison setting.

___________________________________________________________________

Chipping away the last 15 years of my life while attempting to secure a new trial for a crime I did not commit, many new and strange things have been observed in relation to purported rehabilitation at the hands of the state. It has become evident that the U.S. Prison Industrial Complex, via state sanctioned acts/ omissions, oppressive prison policies sanctioned by DOC attorneys and the perpetuation of the machine has come to the forefront of state budget concerns.

Fighting for better/common sense living/existing conditions, rehabilitative options and basic human dignity have certainly kept life interesting for me and those of like mind. Most people behind bars are merely a product of their past environments, socio-economic predicaments, and lack of meaningful guidance while young. Obviously, no one would choose to go the crooked path but this is what often happens when attention to detail and respect for our family and friends is not taken seriously. It appears that this is not a new aspect of life, but has been going on for thousands of years. Thankfully, the evolution and spiritual advancement of our planet, (and) the near total global economic collapse that has been brought about by greed and recklessness of those in high places has shed some much needed light on dark things in our universe. Sometimes one must hit the lows before creativity flourishes. When a family fails to rear its children properly due to generational lack of understanding, when communities likewise fail, to do the same, when our church communities of all denominations also fall short, the chips are scattered and the burden falls onto the state department of corrections and the citizens who rely on their apparent expertise. In case you have not noticed, we are failing each other on a global scale. If you are waiting for something like the second coming or something of biblical proportion, you probably have a big assed wait, because until WE get our house in order by ourselves, the one born without sin will take his sweet time to arrive! Human dignity is a cornerstone of life and once a man or woman goes to prison it is often stripped and tossed aside. Prison is supposed to be the stop of the last resort, why are we alleged intelligent humans not doing more to create faith and hope in our spiritual/democratic principles that have made this the greatest county on earth?

Why would you charge a citizen inmate .20 cents per copy for legal work when he/she only makes $1.25 per day or less. That tantamount to charging a citizen on the outside $20.00 per photocopy, or 1/6 of $120.00 per day pay? This is obviously a burden that causes injury on a daily basis and thwarts and burdens sound human values at taxpayer expense? Why would you not rather pay a citizen inmate a (living wage), one where he/she can afford to but proper hygiene, writing materials, books and publications, decent snacks, a $2.00 mp3 song now and then maybe even some hobby materials? Lack of financial resources is a huge contributing factor in many crimes and hopeless situations. If we were paid at least $3.00 per day for any prison job and up to $6.00 per day with good work evaluations and service, (for other than minimum wage prison jobs of course), to start, this might show us that and teach that productivity, Hard work, positive effort produces positive results. Perhaps this would reinforce good work ethics at a subconscious level.? I’m no PH.D, but it seems logical to me! $1.25 or less per day is slave wages, what could you instill for a few dollars more? Especially when the state charges it’s taxpayers $32,000.00 per inmate per year. This is a wasted opportunity!!

Another apparent oversight is not using our state colleges pursuant to statute in creating unlimited educational experiences while adding unlimited value to Montana, Local businesses, citizens and inmates. See MCA 53-1-203 (1) (b), ( c ), (d), ( e), ( f), and (3). Maybe we could pipe the great courses college lectures into each cell at virtually no cost to the state. I have proposed this but nothing yet. Maybe we could start a mini ranch on the 38,000+ acre prison ranch and create a tree reforestation project to rehabilitate the many small Montana towns that have been shorned by 100 years of logging, maybe we could start a small fish hatchery and riparian crew to rehab miles of water ways adding value to the entire state, maybe we could do a organic ranch and grow/raise food stuffs for the elderly, single moms, homeless, food banks, and veteran? Citizens and Legislators we need your help! Any ideas or comments should be directed to your local legislators and Casey Rudd.

Richard Raugust / MSP

RE:NONAGENDA ITEMS:By Robert and Barbara Rose

Pursuantto Montana’s Constitution and Montana’s Open Meeting andParticipation Laws, Robert and Barbara Rose submit the followingcomments. We fully expect that the comments presented by us and othermembers of the public should influence the MDO’s actions withrespect thereto.

#1PUBLIC PATICIPATION IN MDOC DECISIONS PUSUANT TO MCA 2-3-103: 

Ourhonorable Governor Schweitzer has made his position very clearconcerning his subordinate state agency’s adhering to Montana’sOpen Meeting and Participation Laws. He has sent written directivesand memorandums clarifying the importance of Montana’sConstitutional and Statutory mandates. He clearly instructs that theagencies (to include MDOC) are to adopt or develop procedures forpermitting and encouraging the public to participate in agencydecision before they are finalized. What has MDOC done to comply withsuch directives? Just allowing a period for the public to commentdoes not equate with encouragingmembers of the public to participate in MDOC decisions. If the MDOCbelieves that the public has no right to participate in PIBdiscussions, then at what meeting is the public allowed to influenceMDOC’s decision making process concerning its prisons? Montana’sConstitution in no way expressed that Montana’s Prison System wasexempt from following Montana’s Open Meeting and ParticipationLaws. Neither has the Legislation. In the Governors directive hestates: “Montanan’shave a Constitutional right to participate in the activities of theirgovernment.” Andthat’s exactly what the writers of our Constitution intended. It’stime MDOC and all of its agents and employees start adhering to theGovernor’s orders and Montana’s Public Policy. The prison systemwould run more efficiently and smoothly. Additionally, thelegislation had mandated that MDOC develop and adopt rules andprocedures that encourage public participation. Where are they? Howmany years will this go on without them? Can anyone find them on theMDOC Policy page? NO….they are nowhere to be found. Ironically,they are to be made available to the public upon request. So, Robertand Barbara Rose hereby specifically request them.

#2MONTANA STATE PRISONS BROKEN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. 

In the last two years the classification system at the Montana StatePrison is not followed. There are inmates in Close-I who classifiedto Close-II and some on the Low Side have too, that is if you followthe classification point system. Inmates point out to unit custody,but are placed somewhere else, most often for staff’s arbitrary andretaliatory reasons. Unit managers hold secret meetings to discusssuch matters far from the public’s eye. Hence, no accountabilityfor their life changing decisions. Example, a few months ago, aninmate who scored to be placed in Close-II when he arrived fromShelby, was instead placed in Close-I, a higher custody level. Within12 hours he was almost beaten to death. He was taken to the hospitalfor emergency care before being placed in the prison infirmary formore than a month. Ironically, when the inmate arrived in Close-I hespecifically requested to not be placed on Lower-A block where theassault later took place. Unit management informed him he would notchoose where he was celled. Nice result huh? A very expensivedecision was made that almost cost a man his life. Had he been placedin Close-II where he scored in the first place and is now doing finewithout any problems. Another example, there are many Close-I inmateswho score to a low side unit who are housed in a higher custody unit.Many are awaiting groups but unit management won’t classify themaccordingly so they can go to the low side to complete such groups.Either there is a classification point system in place or there isnot! Unit management and Admin-review team override more inmates toother custody levels than where they score, most often arbitrarily.If there are more inmate on override rather than where they scorewhat’s the use in scoring them? ACA Standards should be applied andMSP Classification Policies should be re-written to reflect that. Asimportant: inmates should enjoy working their way to a lower custodylevel, with opportunity to advance every six months. The currentpolicy and practice at MSP allows staff to place an inmate in closecustody for 3 years even if he completes all programming and keepsclear conduct. Such practice is ridiculous to say the least! A stepdown program that allows inmates to step down levels from the shu-tomax-to Close-I (level 1-8) should continue through Close-I. An inmatecan progress to level 8 in Close-I in six months and then have to behoused there for another 2 ½ years before he can progress again.Seems this is the administrations way to warehouse inmates on thehigh side at the expense of rehabilitation. Allowing inmates toprogress every six months would alleviate population crowding on thehigh side and would encourage positive change in inmates but that’snot what the MDOC wants is it? 

#3VISITATION

Visitationtimes have been creeping up to the hour later mark than posted timeslately. When the policy states visitors are allowed to enter theprison at 2:15 but we have to wait for a van to bring us onto prisonproperty and it comes at 2:30 and slowly passes by all of the carswaiting in line and officers stare at us and take their sweet timegoing all the way down to the end of the road and turning around andslowly driving back up to the front of the line and bringing usthrough its 2:35 or later and then by the time everyone is processedits 3:00 and inmates start coming to visits at 3:10 sometimes later.If the command post is going to continue to diminish our visitingtime, (which is only a few hours I travel longer in my car to getthere than I get to visit.) by an hour we ask that you extendvisiting times. Something we are quite sure you are unwilling to do.We know the answer to this statement will be that visitation is aprivilege and can be taken away at any time. A threat we are sick ofhearing! Follow your policy. Allow us to visit at the posted time bygetting your staff processing visitors on time. Also, using theexcuse that count hasn’t cleared doesn’t fly when inmates arewaiting on their visit and count had cleared an hour prior. All weask is for the policy to be followed. It seems that this will happenfor a period of time and then all of a sudden the officer’s don’ttake the first group through at 2:45 like Warden Mahoney told themto. Another example of just how convoluted and muddy the policy is atMSP.

AGENDAISSUES:

#1INMATE PAY POLICY

Theinmate pay policy went into effect in July. Who would have thoughtthe administration would go so far as to cut inmate jobs and cut payfor inmates? Many jobs that paid $2.00 a day are now $1.25 or as lowas .64 cents a day. Especially considering there is a surplus in theIWF to cover raises. All inmates should have gotten raises. Morepositions got cuts rather than more pay. This policy needs to berevised as soon as possible.

#2 CORRENSPONDENCE POLICY

Thispolicy is already being pushed through. Now inmates are told they canno longer subscriptions to magazines. MDOC has not been given anylegal authority to take such action.

ColleenAmbrose warned the PIB two years ago that this would cause litigationyet such legal advice ignored-why pay a legal advisor for advisor ifyou’re going to ignore it? Now the department can and will bespending tax payer monies to litigate this policy decision. MCE hasno lawful authority to regulate the sale of magazines throughCanteen. NONE! MDOC/MCE are committing Civil Rights violations by theimplementation of this policy which constitutes mistreatment ofprisoners-a felony under Montana Law. This policy needs revised toreflect no restrictions on inmate subscriptions to magazines orbooks. Such is protected by freedom of speech and expression underMontana and US Constitution.

#3NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR 120 BEDS FUNDS

MDOC/MSPshould utilize the money given by the Legislature for 120 beds tobuild a low side Unit rather a High Side Unit to relieve the holdingof Low Side inmates in High Side Units. It would also encourage HighSide inmates to progress to Low Side faster. Building another HighSide Unit would exacerbate the warehousing of High Side inmates forlong periods.

By:Robert and Barbara Rose.