A Good Time for the Good Time Bill
Posted December 5, 2008 by molly_fair in Events
Support the Good Time Bill and Push for Change in the Federal Prison System!
Dinner, A Movie, (Hoot) and Conversation
Friday, December 5th, 7pm
6th St. Community Center
6th St. btwn Avenues B and C (F/V to 2nd Ave., exit 1st Ave.)
NYC
Three years ago, our dear friend Daniel McGowan was among the first people arrested as part of an FBI offensive against environmental activists and others, now known as the Green Scare. Daniel began serving his seven-year sentence in July 2007. In August 2008, Daniel was moved to the Communications Management Unit in Marion, IL, a facility that bypassed the usual review process and severely restricts inmates' communication with the outside world.
To mark the three-year anniversary of Daniel's arrest, please join us to learn more about Daniel's situation, the Communications Management Units, and our campaign to pass the Federal Prison Work Incentive Act (or "Good Time Bill") - A bill about to be re-introduced to Congress that would reduce the sentences of people in federal prisons by increasing the "good time" credit all federal prisoners receive. This would apply to all federal prisoners except the ones serving life sentences.
Americans inside US federal prisons have had no prospect of early release for decades thanks to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, which abolished federal parole. Since the early 1980’s federal prisons have become increasingly crowded. No provision has been made to decrease the burden to the federal prison system and the expense to the American taxpayer, and there is no incentive for prisoners to work towards changing their behavior while they are incarcerated – no amount of rehabilitation or good behavior will, under the current rules, bring any of the over 200,000 people in the federal system home to be reunited with loved ones and community.
The estimated yearly cost to house one prisoner in the federal system is over $40,000, and lengthy incarcerations are an increasing drain on the health of the US economy. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is more than forty percent over capacity, and prison overcrowding presents real dangers to prisoners as well as staff. Some facilities are one hundred percent above capacity, and there is no plan to relieve the strain on the system. The vast majority of people held in federal prisons are non-violent low-level
drug offenders with very long sentences, and there is significant over-representation of people of color – forty percent of inmates are African-American and sixteen percent are Mexican citizens. Do we want to continue to dump money into an overburdened, dysfunctional federal system, or do we want to give people a second chance to be part of our communities?
A bill about to be re-introduced to Congress would reduce the sentences of people in federal prisons by increasing the "good time" credit all federal prisoners receive. This would apply to all federal prisoners except the ones serving life sentences.
Re-establishing good time credit would save US tax-payers more than 2 billion dollars per year. Representative Danny Davis of Illinois introduced H.R. 7089 – the Federal Prison Work Incentive Act of 2008 – in the last session of Congress, and it is expected to be introduced again when Congress reconvenes. You can read the full text of the bill here
There is a good chance this bill will pass if it becomes a priority on the congressional agenda. Making this bill a priority for Congress will require a concerted push from all corners of the prison reform, political prisoner support, and progressive social justice communities nationwide.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE “GOOD TIME” BILL
* Write, call, and email your Congressional Representatives and urge them to reintroduce and then vote for this bill. You can find out who your Congressional Representative is here or hereby typing in your address and zip code. If you write, write them at the local (not DC) address. Calling is easy and effective. You’ll speak to an aid briefly and they’ll take down your name and your position. The bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. If you have a representative on this committee, urge them to vote it out of committee and support it. In your letter, let your representative know if you know and care about a federal prisoner but you can also bring up crowding issues and the economic drain federal prisons are on the health of the country. You can read more talking points here .
* Set up a meeting with your Congressional Representatives! Especially if you have a loved one in federal prison or if you are part of a progressive organization with a stake in a better future for this country, make this issue real for your representative in the way it is real for you.
* Become an info point person for the Campaign to Support the Good Time Bill! Speak on this issue publicly and privately.
For more info email Friends of Daniel McGowan
And write to Daniel! He'd love to hear from you.
Daniel McGowan
Columbia County Jail
403 Jackson Street
Portage, WI 53901
Comments
I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I TOO HAVE A SON IN PRISON. HE WORKED ON A JOB FOR TWO MONTHS. HE WAS IN TRAINING FOR SIX WEEKS AFTER COMING OUT OF TRAINING HE WAS ACCUSED OF STEALING HE WORKED FOR A TELEMARKETING COMPANY DEALING WITH CELL PHONES AND ACCOUNTS. AFTER TWO WEEKS AFTER COMING OUT OF TRAINING FOR SIX WEEKS HE WAS ACCUSED OF STEALING 21 THOUSAND DOLLARS. HE LISTENED TO SUPERVISOR TELL HIM WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS LEGAL. THE FEDS HAVE BEEN WATCHING THAT COMPANY FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WAS HAPPENING. NOW THE COMPANY IS CLOSING UP, MY SON HAS BEEN IN PRISON ALMOST FOR A YEAR HE HAS EIGHT MONTHS TO GO AND HE STILL HAS HIS GOOD TIME. ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WHEN HE GETS OUT HE WILL HAVE A FELONY ON HIS RECORD.WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND AFTER THEY DO THERE TIME THEY ARE STILL BEING PUNISHED. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUR SON? WE DON'T EVEN HEAR FROM HIS LAWYER MY SON HAS WROTE HIM LETTERS WE HAVE EVEN CALLED HIM, HE WON'T EVEN CALL US BACK. HELP US PLEASE
We have a nephew who received an unjust sentence and would request that the "GOOD TIME BILL" be entered and passed as soon as possible to allow for reasonable senticing and amount of prison time. Please help this young man and his distraught family.
I am hoping that they pass the bill. We are spending hard earned tax dollars to support people in prison where they found repentence early in their sentence and does not need to be inconerated any longer.
Lets start saving some money 2009
i am hoping they pass the bill,some of these non- violent people are in there forever for a crime that wasnt violent,because they couldnt afford an attorney, they are getting more time than someone that has murdered some one
I pray to GOD that this bill passes. Our family has truly been affected by this change. My fiance got time as if he committed a murder but he didn't.
They need the good time behavior back. My ole'man is serving 20 years for a drug charge. We need help on everyone helping to get this law passed..
It's not my problem!! It's not my problem!! In the Belly of the Beast (The Federal Criminal Just-us System)
Written and Experienced by Me!
I just want to add that I was in the belly of the beast and I am currently writing a book on the ordeal. The greatest trick the devil ever did was to convince the people he didn't exist! That is their advantage at this point. More and more people are getting locked up, thus more and more American families are becoming aware and we need that. I can tell you some horror stories in terms of the federal court and prison system because I was there. I am home now and every federal inmate other than those who cooperated with the beast need to tell their fellow man what the hell is going on with the feds. We need not be scared because these people work for us not the other way around. Our laws are too vague in which the government can stretch, fabricate and play foot-loose with the facts and rules. Hey America did you know that hearsay is admissable evidence in the federal system. Hey American why are cameras allowed in any of the federal courtrooms across our so-called great nation? What are they hiding from you America. Let me stop here and just say you can commit murder at the state level and receive less time than a federal inmate!! Its crazy and most folks at home say: It's not my problem; It's not my problem until it happens to them!!! Get involved, you could be next and you don't have to be guilty for your number to come up...
"Open you eyes
It's time to wake up
Enough is enough is enough.
Pass them laws baby.....
My brother and sister in law are both serving 10 yrs on a drug charge. They have 5 children and a family that needs them. I fully support the "Good Time Bill" and pray that congress passes it.
I support the bill for good time. I support rehabilitation, not warehousing. I am tired of paying taxes to lock up people for unwarranted sentences-in particular unwarranted federal sentences. As a former attorney, I know what I am talking about and know of more examples of abuse of power than rational use of legal tools available to correct or identify bad behavior. Jail time is a learning experience...if it is out of proportion, what is the inmate learning?
My boyfriend is currently serving a 30 year sentence in a federal prison. I support this bill 100%, it would make such a huge impact on anyone serving a long sentence for the feds. I have already contacted my representative and signed the online petition in support of this bill.
I support the bill for good time.My family and I strongly support the good time specially forfirst time offenders and non violent,,and also when the judge decides to give sentence because he didnt feel like giving a better one just because you are from a certain country...like one of the lawyers on this case stated people from your country has a mark and when getting a sentence u r already sentence from the beginning with the max..this system has failed we need to do something right now to save our loves ones..please help us to pass this bill
I have a husband who was arrested over 5 years ago. At the time, he did have a minor drug problem. He only used drugs. He NEVER sold drugs. He was prepared to go into treatment. But they kept him in jail instead. They wanted him to "give up" major dealers that he did not even know. A minor user does not have info about serious large quantity dealers. When he told them he did not have that info, he was arrested on massive drug charges. Saying he was the one importing major quantities. Threatening friends and exes to take away their children and lives if they did not testify. Then they mysteriously destroyed all the evidence they had. So my husband was sentenced to 16 years for getting high. I don't want him high. He has children and a wife that loves him and misses him. He is missing his children's lives. He is living in a high security instead of the low security he was sentenced to. Instead of the rehab he needed he can get stoned, high, or drunk anytime he wants. Not to mention he constantly around extremely violent men who always seem to have some weapon. I tell him whenever I can speak with him that I just want him to stay safe. I would honestly feel safer with him here with me. I have had to stay with friends or family members, relying on them because of my disability. This has destroyed many lives based on some genius idea by Regan. PLEASE PASS THIS BILL! IF NOT FOR ME OR MY HUSBAND, THEN FOR THE KIDS MISSING THEIR FATHERS!!!
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Thank you for supporoting this bill. Our son was given an unjust sentence of 10 years for a first time, non violent, white collar offense. While others with much worse things and much, much more $ involed were given 3 to 5 years. The Judge didn't even let him speak, allowed an x-drug felone to read an accusing letter against our son, from another z-drug felone and didn't let him respond. His attorney had many comparative cases showing that people with multi million dollar cases had gotten 3 years, but they weren't taken into account. The Judge read my sons sentence when he was giving out a sentence for the person in front of my son, before he even was brought to the front???? He made a mistake, the Judge...? Our son was set up by Big Wall Street $ people, who are now making lots of money off what they said was the best business plan they've ever seen, our son wrote it. They took it and set him up for a fall, their scapegoat. I sat thre eyears with my son waiting to be sentenced, while he lost everything. He was on a basic house arrest, but received no credit for that. He is a single dad with a 16 yr. old son, who needs his dad. Our son did wrong, being infleuenced by promises from Wall Street people...but they used his niativity to "set him up", as said before. Thank you for supporting this Bill. We will do all we can to help. thank you....Is there anything you can do to help us...?
Posted by: Carole Swanson at January 14, 2009 6:44 PM