Local Citizens: Support Reform At The Next Meeting Of The Community Criminal Justice Board

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Mr. William Kyger, District 4 member of the Rockingham Board of Supervisors, will be serving as the new chair of the CCJB beginning with its next meeting at 4 pm Monday, August 29, at the Fire and Rescue Room in the southwest corner of the County Administration Building. 

Your respectful presence will show support for the CCJB as it considers such agenda items as the following (this one from from the local Reentry Council): 

The Harrisonburg/Rockingham/Page Reentry Council wishes to collaborate with the CCJB in further evaluating and implementing more of the Moseley Group's recommendations they adopted in December, 2104, to help reduce incarceration:

1. Adult Drug Court 

“…the scientific evidence is overwhelming that adult drug courts reduce crime, reduce substance abuse, improve family relationships, and increase earning potential. …Drug Courts in Virginia saved taxpayers $19,234 per person as compared to traditional case processing, and reduced recidivism rates for the persons completing a program.”

2. Day Reporting Centers

“…to offer enhanced treatment and supervision to probationers or sentenced offenders not on probation; to monitor early released inmates from jail; to monitor arrested persons prior to trial; as a halfway-out step for inmates who have shown progress in community corrections or work-

release centers; and as a halfway-in step for offenders who are in violation of probation. Sometimes referred to as a “one-stop” shop, a Day Reporting Center offers many of programs and services that best practices suggests reduces the likelihood of reoffending; reduces recidivism, and eventually reduce jail bed space requirements, including: individual and group counseling, substance abuse education, anger management, domestic violence prevention, cognitive and life skills training, parenting and family reintegration, community service, education/GED preparation, and reentry services.”  

3. Implement New Programs

“…initiate a long range planning strategy to investigate, develop and implement a continuum of jail-based ...programs and services for persons with mental health and substance abuse issues, and programs and services which target the probation violator population which appears to be utilizing a substantial portion of jail beds.” 

4. Reduce Number of Inmates In Three Categories 

1. un-sentenced detainees awaiting trial (approximately 40% of the inmate population);
2. probation violators (by a number of measures a disproportionally large offender group),
3. offenders with substantial substance/mental health issues that are associated with repeated criminal behavior and contribute to the jail’s “revolving door.” 

5. Increase System Coordination, Goal Setting, Oversight and Planning

“The community has a formal Community Criminal Justice Board (CCJB) with the statutory responsibility to: (1) advise on the development and operation of local pretrial services and community-based probation programs and services for use by the courts in diverting offenders from local correctional facilities; (2) assist community agencies in establishing and modifying programs and services for offenders; (3) evaluate and monitor community programs, services and facilities; and (4) develop and amend criminal justice plans. This group should oversee an ongoing planning effort that focuses the issues associated continuing crowding at all levels.”

6. Have CCJB Form Working Sub-committees

“…reviewing, analyzing and identifying processes and programs within the system that can be enhanced to create a more effective and efficient criminal justice system. These sub-committees should include a broad spectrum of representatives from the criminal justice, public health, higher education communities, as well as concerned citizens.” 

7. Investigate Ways to Reduce Intake

“Programs and administrative practices aimed at reducing intake should be evaluated and implemented. Early and effective pretrial programming should be enhanced with the goal of reducing future intake pressure.”

8. Investigate Pretrial Confinement Policies, Procedures and Administrative Practices

“… determine risk levels of persons incarcerated, bond statuses and reasons for confinement. There are, for example, a large number of detainees who are confined without bond for reasons that are not apparent. In addition, available data suggests that over 90% of ordered secure bonds are for amounts of $5,000 or less – amounts that poor people may not be able or willing to pay. In the face of research that suggests that requirements of small secured bond amounts is not related to public safety or appearances in court, further investigation is recommended.”

9. Increase Pretrial and Probation Staff Levels

“…consider funding new positions rather than waiting for the State funding process…A total of 6.5 pretrial and local probation officers combined to provide services to a community with over 125,000 residents with an annual operating budget of just over $635,000 is not adequate to provide services and programs for the offender population…”

10. Expand Home Electronic and GPS Monitoring For Pre- and Post-trial Supervision

“…provides a viable and effective mechanism for controlling jail crowding.” 

11. Implement and Strengthen New Jail-based Programs

“...including: work release, education release, public work force, electronic home monitoring, weekend sentencing (non-consecutive sentencing).”

12. Expand and strengthen reentry services for incarcerated offenders

“…the provision of reentry and transition services is an important service delivery component of many jail-based programs.”

13. Provide Expanded Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Within the Jail 

“Increasingly, offenders with chronic mental health issues are residing in local and regional jails, and greatly contributing to the ‘revolving jail door’ that is apparent in Rockingham-Harrisonburg.”

"Sharing False Witness"--How Facebook Has Become Farcebook

One of 6 reputable fact checking sites

"What's that smell in this room? Didn't you notice it, Brick? Didn't you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room?"

- Tennessee Williams play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

Facebook and other forms of social media have become virtual tabloids of re-shared half-truths, rumors and outright falsehoods, especially in this political season.

Examples:

Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge Of Allegiance In Schools Nationwide

This site uses what looks like the abc news logo, also the abcnews URL, except for an added ".co" (and the "White House Hotline" number listed is for the Westboro Baptist Church of Orlando!) See https://www.truthorfiction.com/obama-executive-order-bans-pledge-allegiance/

Barack Obama Just Admitted He's a Muslim
Multiple sources refute this widely spread rumor, including 
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/aug/26/18-percent-american-public/obama-muslim-no-hes-not-evidence-has-not-changed/

Clinton Medical Records Leaked- "Dementia, Seizures, Black-outs"
See http://www.vox.com/2016/8/18/12505078/hillary-clinton-health-stroke-conspiracy-fake

City in Michigan First To Fully Implement Sharia Law
See Fact Check http://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/dearborns-anti-isis-rally/

Chick-o-fil President Dan Cathy: "We-Don't Like the Blacks Either"
See Snopes piece http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/chickfila.asp

Trump Will Look Into Ways to Get Rid of All Muslims in the US
Countered by http://wonkette.com/596204/correction-donald-trump-did-not-threaten-to-deport-all-muslims-to-the-moon

Obama Bribed NY Attorney General To Sue Trump University
See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-eric-schneiderman-trump-university_us_57b2340ae4b0a8e15024e470

DNC Hires Actors to Fill Seats Vacated by Bernie Supporters
See https://www.truthorfiction.com/dnc-hired-actors-fill-seats-convention/

How Can We Counter This Kind of Misinformation?

1. Always be skeptical of social media posts. And thoroughly fact check before you share any of them.

2. Always mistrust sites that consistently represent only one side or one particular point of view, like Brietbart, the Drudge Report, the Daily Cos, and multiple other supposed "news sources". Any site names that contain the words liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, red, blue, etc., are sure to represent some form of propaganda espousing a political party or cause.

3. Read and follow more than one news source, recognizing that no news outlet, including those representing the so-called "Lame Stream Media", is totally free of bias. Yet conventional outlets run by professional journalists who check and double check their sources--and cite multiple and diverse sources--are far, far more trustworthy than are most internet sites.

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"Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

-Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Recent interview with TV 3's Bob Corso on "Does The Truth Matter Anymore?"

Important Community Summit Set For 8/27

Please put this on your calendar and register here. Your participation in this non-partisan event, on this important subject, can help make a positive difference in our community.

Some Telltale Signs Of Faulty Reasoning

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Dr. Michael C. Labossiere has put together a comprehensive list of logical fallacies, a fallacy defined as an error in reasoning in which the premises in an argument do not provide logical or reasonable support for the conclusion reached.

A common example is the "false generalization," in which people argue that because some people of a given group are known for certain behaviors, that this is true for all members of the group. This is similar to the fallacy of “guilt by association,” where someone is accused of believing and behaving like those with whom they have collaborated in some previous and maybe random way.

Another common fallacy is “two wrongs make a right,” making the case that because someone else or some other group is doing something reprehensible, that what I or we are doing is justifiable or is not so bad.

Then, of course, a favorite one is the "ad hominem" argument, where we attack the bearer of the message as a bad person, then insist that nothing that person says is worth hearing or believing.

Not only does the use of such logical fallacies abound in opinion pieces and on editorial pages, we use them in our personal relationships and in our endless arguments with our co-workers, friends and family members.

The truth is our friend. Let’s make sure we make every effort to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and always in a spirit of care and respect.

Here's a helpful link to Labossiere's complete list of 42 logical fallacies, complete with explanations and examples. You can feel free to refer to it to point out whenever I'm inadvertently guilty of employing some them myself.

Change In Thirteenth Amendment Urged By American Correctional Association

photo courtesy of  "Prison is the New Slavery"  website

The ACA is a nationwide association which sets accreditation standards for U.S. jails and prisons. Neither our local jail nor the MRRJ is yet accredited by the ACA, though the nearby Albemarle/Charlottesville Regional Jail is.

Here's the text of the resolution passed at the ACA national conference in Boston last week:

SUPPORTING REPEAL OF THE ‘EXCLUSION CLAUSE’ IN SECTION 1 OF THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION

  

WHEREAS, Section 1 of the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution provides that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the united states;” and

WHEREAS, the American Correctional Association decries the historical applicability of slavery and involuntary servitude as acceptable punishments for those convicted of crimes; and

WHEREAS, in its “Code of Ethics”, the American Correctional Association expresses that it “expects of its members unfailing honesty and respect for the dignity and individuality of human beings;” and

WHEREAS, the “Declaration of Principles” of the American Correctional Association stipulates that we have “a special responsibility to protect from harm those who are involuntarily under (our) care and control” and that “contemporary standards for health care, offender classification, due process, fire and building safety, nutrition, personal well-being, and clothing and shelter must be observed;” and

WHEREAS, the American Correction Association believes that periods of incarceration should not be imposed as punishment for crime, but should be utilized to provide activities that enhance self-worth, community integration and economic status through work, education, vocational training, counseling, medical, mental health care and restorative justice programs; and now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Correctional Association finds the ‘Exclusion Clause’ to Section 1 of the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution to be inconsistent with its basic founding principles and standards; and now

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the American Correctional Association supports amendment of the Constitution to repeal the “Exclusion Clause.”

Newspaper Popular Among Amish Will Run No More Trump Ads

photo courtesy of the Budget home page

The national edition of a weekly newspaper called the Budget, published in the little village of Sugarcreek, Ohio, recently ran a Trump ad aimed at potential Amish voters.

The Budget, a paper read faithfully by thousands of Amish and conservative Mennonites all over the nation, consists largely of newsy letters from hundreds of unpaid "scribes" in scattered communities across the US.

The political ad published in the July 13, 2016, edition begins with, "Did you know the 2016 presidential election will be on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016?" then offers a list of "what you need to know about him (Trump)". Among these are that he "never held public office" and that he "owns a family-run business". It also states that Trump doesn't use alcohol and that he will "appoint pro-life judges who protect religious liberty".

There is no mention, of course, that many of Trump's family-run businesses are luxury hotels, expansive golf courses and large gambling casinos, all anathema to the Amish. Nor does it state that Trump has frequently filed for bankruptcy, has often forced contractors to accept less than what was owed them and threatened them with law suits alleging unsatisfactory work, all business practices the Amish would never approve.

Associate publisher Milo Miller, not an Amish, told me in a phone conversation that the ad got responses from a lot his readers, many of them unfavorable, and that the paper decided not to publish future ads of this kind. He also said he's not sure many of his Amish readers would be persuaded by such ads anyway, especially since the Amish generally do not vote or take part in local or national politics.

Perhaps Miller is following the lead of former Budget associate editor A. A. Middaugh, who over a century ago wrote a piece in the February 5, 1913, edition, called "Some Reasons Why the Budget is Safe Literature for Christian Homes". In it he says, "Many ads are rejected because of conscientious scruples, involving quite a loss to the Budget Company." (1)

Sounds like a wise policy.

(1) from "The Budget of Sugarcreek, Ohio, 1890-1920", senior history thesis by Harvey Yoder published in the June 1966 issue of the Mennonite Quarterly Review.

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Here's a link to an article in the Mennonite World Review about the Trump ad.

"What More Can I Do To Prove I'm A Good Candidate For Parole Release?"

Sic Semper Captivas?

This is a copy of one of many letters of its kind I've received from deeply discouraged parole eligible inmates, this one addressed to members of the Virginia Parole Board. Mr. Forbes represents the kind of ex-offender who could make the case that Virginia's Department of Corrections can actually "correct" those it incarcerates and not just forever punish them.
Dear Sir/Madam,

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Roger E. Forbes #1163934. I am a first time offender. I am serving a life sentence plus thirty-eight (38) years, for armed robbery, malicious wounding as well as an additional robbery offense. I was twenty-two (22) years of age when I committed these offenses, I am currently forty-nine (49) years of age now and this is my twenty-sixth (26th) year of confinement.

I am writing you to ask what more can I do to be taken as a serious candidate for parole release? I know that the Parole Board has been appointed by the Governor to deal with matters of parole, but each year I am denied parole release and told to continue my hard work but, unfortunately, my hard work has gone unacknowledged. So can you please tell me, if you can, what more can I do to prove that I am truly a changed human being and good candidate for parole release?

I have been going up for parole review since 2003. It has become quite apparent to me that my sincere, genuine pleas to the Parole Board for a second chance to begin a new life beyond the confines of the prison gates have unfortunately fallen on deaf ears..While I am not happy with the Parole Board's recent (January 19, 2016) decision to not grant me parole at this time. I respect their decision, and understand that public safety is the Parole Board's primary concern in determining who and when an individual is chosen for parole release.

I cannot honestly say that I thoroughly understand what kind of process that the Parole Board goes through in assessing and evaluating those of us that are deemed good candidates for parole release.. I honestly, wholeheartedly believe and know that I am an excellent candidate.

After being turned down for parole release for over a decade thus far. it truly leaves me with a strong feeling of uncertainty about the potential prospect of my future. The message that I am beginning to sense from the Parole Board is that all of my sincere, hard work and efforts committed towards being a better human being is simply in vain. Nevertheless, still I choose to work towards being a better human being.

It is apparent to me that the Parole Board has chosen to only see me through eyes of the past, a part of me that no longer exists. This is reflected in their rationale for not.granting me parole release thus far. While it is not an easy task learning to become a better human being in a negative and abnormal setting, I can honestly say that I have achieved that goal.

For the past fourteen (14) years I have worked very hard toward improving my personal growth and development. Which I have proven by my actions and not just in words. I have taken and completed several treatment programs over years past as well as present; Breaking Barriers, Anger Management, Problem solving skills, Thinking For A Change, as well as P.R.E.P.'s. Each of these programs has been instrumental in helping me to become the person that I am today. Programs in prison really do work, if the individual is receptive to them, and I have been.

Out of the twenty-six (26) years that I have been confined thus far, I can honestly say that I have successfully maintained employment for at least twenty-two (22) of those years. Where I have learned marketable job skills and gained work experience, which I am still continuing to do.

I am currently working for Virginia Correctional Enterprise, sheet metal/wood shop. I am employed as an edge-band operator. I operate a very sensitive and dangerous piece of machinery. It is the most expensive machine in the shop, at a cost of over $700,000. I have also been employed with Virginia Correctional Enterprise at Nottoway Correctional Center in 2006 in their wood shop and at Augusta Correctional Center in 2007 in their tailor shop.

You can see that I have been very busy and productive during the course of my incarceration thus far. I have also worked for Food Service at four (4) different institutions: Greensville Correctional Center in 1991, Red Onion State Prison in 2000-2001, Nottoway Correctional Center in 2005-2006, and Pocahontas Correctional Center in 2012-2013, where I managed to pick up valuable work skills.

I have even held down a supervisory position of employment (Building Assistant) at Green Rock Correctional Center from 2013-2015. Where I was responsible for thirty-two (32) inmate workers, ensuring that they completed their assigned duties as pod workers.

I have also successfully completed a number of vocational courses that I have earned certificates for: C.A.D.D. (Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, 2013-2014); Custodial Maintenance, 2000-2001; Basic Computer Concepts, 2014-2015. While I am not currently licensed, I am a skilled Barber as well. As you can see, I am equipped with employable job skills and training.

I love and adore and miss my family immensely, as they do me. My mother is now sixty-six (66) years of age, a devout Christian and law abiding citizen. I haven't seen her in thirty (30) years. She has been very supportive throughout my incarceration thus far. My sister is forty (40) years of age now. I haven't seen her in twenty-four (24) years, and she too, is a good Christian and law abiding citizen, and has been supportive as well. My brother is forty-five (45) years of age; I haven't seen him since 1978. He is currently incarcerated in Massachusetts. We are close and have been in contact throughout my incarceration thus far. I don't have any children, but I still have aspirations of.someday having a family of my own.

My family has suffered a great deal in my absence in their lives during the course of my incarceration, and I have felt terrible for putting them through this and not being able to support them in some capacity at times when they may have needed it.

With all due respect, I would like to believe that all of the Parole Board members, have the intelligible ability to recognize and believe that there is a good chance that after an individual has served over twenty-five (25) years of prison time, that he or she has had to have made positive adjustments in their overall behavior.

What I would like for you as well as the Parole Board Members to know and understand is that, the individual that I once was no longer exists and hasn't for a long time now. The person that committed those offenses twenty-six (26) years ago deserved the punishment that he received; the man that they're continuing to punish today, with their decision each year to not grant parole release is truly a better human being. This human being is undoubtedly on the right track and plans to stay there. All of the tools (Coping Skills, Job Skills, and Problem Solving Skills) that I absolutely lacked prior to my incarceration; I have them tenfold now. I love the person that I am today, there's no way that I could have said that in the past.

If the Parole Board members would just take a look at who I am today, and not continue to judge me solely on my past, just maybe they will see more parts of the whole of me beyond my past errors.

I made some very bad choices twenty-six (26) years ago, and I am sincerely sorry for them and everyone that was affected by them. The victims as well as my family, neither of them deserved to suffer due to my actions. For that I am absolutely, wholeheartedly sorry to
all of them.

In any event I felt compelled to share my heartfelt concerns with you, because I don't ever get the opportunity to see or speak with any of the Parole Board Members. I understand that it is the Parole Reviewer's position to interpret and convey to Parole Board Members, my sentiments upon his review of my hearing. However, However, with all due respective, I don't believe that the reviewer can truly convey to the members of the Parole Board my true feelings and emotions and overall concerns. The honest reality is that the Parole Reviewer doesn't represent me, and I don't expect him, or her to emote my feelings and concerns to the Parole Board Members the way that I would if I were before them myself.

So again I ask, can you please tell me what more can I do to prove that after twenty-six (26) years of confinement thus far, that I am truly a good candidate for parole release?

In closing, please allow me to add, I hope that you don't in any way misconstrue the content in my letter as being anything other than an individual who has arguably learned through trial and error, and is simply interested in moving forward with his life beyond the past and these prison gates. 

Thank you for your time and patience.

Roger E. Forbes

Here's a link to more posts on parole reform and how to contact the Governor's office, the Parole Board and the Secretary of Public Safety: http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/search?q=parole+reform