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Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform

News Alert

March 13, 2018

Please help pack a rules hearing Tue, April 10, 2018 - 11:00 AM

Come support our bill Apr. 10 to make the NH Department of Corrections get its administrative rules approved by lawmakers

Please come to a public hearing next Tuesday for SB 373, a bill written by CCJR that forces the Department of Corrections to get its administrative rules approved by a 10-member committee of senators and representatives. The bill testimony starts at 11 a.m. in Room 306 of the Legislative Office Building. That’s across the street from the building with the golden dome.

SB 373 sailed through the Senate on the consent calendar last month with crucial support from Helen Hanks, the new commissioner of corrections. She even launched the formal rulemaking process Mar. 16 on the first 120 pages of Corrections rulemaking before the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. We'll keep you posted on hearings this year on another 40 pages of corrections rules that mostly deal with the controversial sex offender treatment program.

We await future public hearings on rules governing probation and parole supervision in the community, the sex offender treatment program outside the walls, the placement of women in the men’s prison, and the use of tiny cages for dangerous prisoners during group counseling.

Unfortunately, the House committee reviewing SB 373 retained a similar bill for further study last year, HB 192. That was a polite way of killing a good bill we also wrote. It's safe to assume we need a strong turnout for SB 373. We’ll be calling folks to help hold Corrections accountable for all of its rules. A copy of the bill is below.

You can read the bill here: https://legiscan.com/NH/text/SB373/2018

Chris Dornin, Chairman Legislative Committee for Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform, cldornin@aol.com

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN COME: Chris Dornin can be reached at cldornin@aol.com.

A Word from our Board Chairman,
Dr. Robert Paradise, P.D.

One more time we are asking you to help us. Our last request resulted in just 6 or 7 people who showed up to the hearing. We need a larger group of CCJR members and friends to come and attend this hearing.

This is a real chance to help create change in the N.H. Department of Corrections. This hearing is the result of a long seven year effort to see some significant improvement with the State Prison and in the therapeutic program of the D.O.C.

If you have ever been incarcerated, or you have a loved one or friend in the prison or if you believe and support rehabilitative principles, than please come and help us.

What can you do?

Come! Your presence will help show community support for the changes we are seeking. Just come and sit with other CCJR supporters.

Please contact Chris Dornin, cldornin@aol.com to let him know you are planning to come.
Thank you,
Dr. Bob

A Letter from a CCJR Member
Melody Bourgeois

Please Watch the WMUR Video (click photo above) about the NH Prison Family Connection Center. On first blush it sounds like a wonderful much needed program, and it is.

However, what this story does not tell you is the Family Connection Center (FCC) does not offer this program to every incarcerated father. There are literally 100’s of fathers and their families who are restricted from participating! This means thousands of children in our communities are not receiving the benefits of this program either! FCC can you tell us why some children are being denied the healing and restoration needed from the trauma and loss of their parents incarceration?

The Family Connection Centers mission statement says the program is designed to “strengthen the connection between incarcerated parents and their families”. But, they are doing nothing to maintain or foster family connections for these fathers and their children whom they have restricted from participating in the program.

My son has been an inmate in Concord for the past 10 months. He has two daughters. He has been denied entry into the program. He has never been given a reason why or an alternative to the program that will help to “strengthen the connection between him and his children ”.

The Family Connection Center states as a result of a parent's incarceration children often suffer from feelings of loss and a sense of being ostracized by their peers and their communities. Wouldn’t the well-being of these children be reason enough to permit all fathers to participate in the Family Connection Center programs? Or Is the FCC saying only some children deserve the benefits of this program while others do not?

Another point this article does not mention is of the 1400 incarcerated men in the Concord facility how many of them are actively enrolled in this program at any given time? And of that number, what crimes have they been convicted of? Who is the FCC permitting to participate and who are they restricting and why? I think the FCC needs to be fully transparent with the public. This would eliminate families from having a false sense of hope of getting into the program when in fact many fathers do not have a chance at all.

And lastly, what is the Family Connection Center and/or the Department Of Corrections doing to “strengthen the connection between incarcerated parents and their families” who are being restricted from this program. These children are innocent of any wrong doing and they are still hurting, still suffering and deserve some answers.

If you know of someone who is incarcerated and has been denied access to this program I would love to hear from you! You can contact me through Facebook or by contacting CCJR using the email address below.

Melody Bourgeois
CCJR Member
info@ccjrnh.org

We need your help and support. Please join Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform https://www.ccjrnh.org/become_member_and_renew_membership_here

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - STILL AVAILABLE - April 2018

The owner of a local Concord, NH restaurant is interested in giving someone with a criminal conviction a job opportunity. The job will probably begin early summer. The job may be in the dish washing or busboy category. all may apply but owner is prefers someone with a non-violent conviction. For more information please contact info@ccjrnh.org

Sharing News from
The New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

(Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform is an organizational member of NHCADP)

House Hearing shows overwhelming support for repeal

April 5, 2018 John Michael reports: The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard testimony for nearly three hours from some two dozen witnesses yesterday, with pro-repeal speakers outnumbering anti-repeal speakers by a ratio of 7 to 1.

Pro-repeal witnesses included family members of homicide victims, criminal defense attorneys, current and former law enforcement and corrections officers, clergy members from various denominations, as well as the prime sponsor, Sen. Kevin Avard, and another senatorial sponsor, Sen. Martha Fuller Clark.

Former NH Supreme Court Justice Chuck Douglas offered his customary full-throated support of the death penalty, even offering an amendment to expand it to include hate crimes. (See his Fosters.com op-ed here.)

You can listen to the full hearing on our YouTube channel here .

Here is WMUR's coverage of the hearing .

Here is the Concord Monitor's coverage .

Here is US News & World Report's (AP's) coverage (also picked up by Seacoast Online and the Union Leader).

The hearing room today was packed with many familiar pro-repeal faces. Thanks to all who made the trek to Concord. You helped demonstrate the overwhelming support and dedication of the NH abolition community.

The Criminal Justice Committee is expected to hold an executive session on the bill as soon as next week. Stay tuned.

John-Michael
Campaign Director

April 2018 - if you previously contacted us about volunteering please resubmit your interest. We are currently seeking at least two to four additional board members. Please click the purple icon to learn more about the open position. Click the blue Become a CCJR Volunteer icon below to email questions and/or volunteer.

There are also positions open in the following committees: Membership, Financial and Fundraising, Social Planning & Events, Editorial and Public Relations. Some of these positions are posted now, others will be soon.

Read our latest newsletters - click on link
https://www.ccjrnh.org/read_our_past_newsletters

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Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform

Please help pack a rules hearing Tue, April 10, 2018 - 11:00 AM

Help make a difference. Become a member of CCJR-NH. Click here to join.

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Help make a difference.
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