April 19, 2015

Starting in February, 2014, the Adult Spiritual Education and Peace and Social Concerns committees of Richmond Friends Meeting began a series of sessions to read and discuss The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander, and to feature guest speakers on the related topics of the nature of the contemporary the U.S. criminal justice system and mass incarceration. Seven sessions were held and well attended. Some of the sessions had facilitated, small group discussions with enthusiastic participation. Many Friends learned much from the book, discussions and speakers. The sponsoring committees felt that there was considerable interest and energy in the Meeting around the issues raised.

In April, the ASE committee asked that an informal working group be formed to monitor interest and ideas in the meeting for several months after the end of the series. In July, the working group suggested that we continue to look for volunteer opportunities and organized two Listening Circles, one each in August and September, to gather more information and determine how interested people were in more active advocacy. The working group identified several organizations as opportunities for participation and support. After the two Listening Circles, the working group focused on four proposals for further activity: (1) Attending introduction to Quakerism and silent worship at Goochland Women’s Prison (VCCW). (2) Volunteering at Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR), an organization assisting recently released prisoners. (3) Working with VA CURE, an advocacy group that works on mass incarceration policy issues. (4) Visiting prisoners through Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS), a national group supporting federal and military prisoners. Many Friends decided to become involved in one or more of the activities.

The working group met several times in the summer and fall of 2014 to monitor the progress of the active groups. At a meeting of the working group on February 5, 2015, after discussing the status of the on-going activities, the group became clear to issue a final report and lay itself down. The outreach to VCCW will continue under the leadership of Rita Willett with oversight by Ministry and Worship. The remaining continuing activities will be part of the Peace and Social Concerns committee work.

The following are the reports of each of the individual activities monitored by the working group:

• Goochland Women’s Prison (VCCW)

Sunday evening sessions have been held at Virginia Correctional Center for Women twice a month since October. The group discusses Quakerism, particularly in relation to prison experience, and worships together. The group has been small – 2 to 5 women – with some attrition as women have returned to the community. Eleven people from meeting have participated; six have completed volunteer orientation. The QWAC’s are scheduled to sing at VCCW in October. (For more information, contact Rita Willett.)

• OAR

Several of those who completed Michele Alexander’s book wanted to work with offenders reentering life on the outside. Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) came to our attention as a local organization that offers multiple services both in the jails and in the community. We interviewed with the organization. Four of us filled out the volunteer application form. Our plan was to see what volunteer opportunities were available and advise others who were interested. The four of us were assigned to work in the GED program. Each of us independently came to the same conclusions: We were unneeded in this program. We questioned the effectiveness of the program.

After volunteering for many hours, we did not have effective roles and did not think that the clients were being helped.

 

We did not find another volunteer situation for our group. It was disappointing that we didn’t find a way to work collectively but individuals in the group have become involved in varied pursuits including Unitive Justice, prisoner visitation, and CASA volunteer work. (For more information, contact Ada Hammer.)

• VA CURE

At Al Simmons’s request, Julia Hebner assumed the organizational duties of Richmond-CURE (Citizens United for Reformation of Errants) this past year. Al had been the driving force behind Richmond-CURE and remains the member who most closely follows specific bills wending their ways into and (occasionally) through committees. Richmond-CURE meets on a more or less monthly schedule. We have seen varied attendance, from a half dozen to two dozen persons per meeting.

This year, we were able to co-ordinate VA-CURE’s focus with that of the Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration. VAAMI’s perspective on the need for oversight of military equipment under control of Virginia law enforcement departments, the need for body cams and patrol car cams, and the desirability of raising the threshold for grand larceny is informed from a body of experience that prosperous white citizens probably don’t share.

Again this year, we asked meeting attenders to send holiday cards to inmates using names and addresses from VA-CURE. A card and note not only brighten what might otherwise be a bleak season for an individual behind bars, it also humanizes that inmate to at least one other person – the one who mails the card. A simple card sometimes leads to a correspondence, or, at least, to friendship.

On January 19, VA-CURE began its annual lobby day at the meetinghouse. Members put together information packets to distribute to state legislators, reviewed the progress of relevant bills, and coordinated visits at the capitol. The fast pace of Virginia’s short legislative session requires individual CURE members to be attentive to legislation of interest and communicate with lawmakers and each other. VA-CURE emails updates. We don’t keep track of who makes contact and who doesn’t. We trust each person did, and have faith that no effort is in vain, even if we see no immediate results.

Josephine Starks, with guidance and encouragement from Richmond-CURE, is assembling a request to Governor McAuliffe for a reduction of sentence for her son, Henry Brailey. Mr. Brailey’s excessive sentence is an example of how un-just our justice system is. Richmond-CURE seeks to publicize his situation in hopes of winning his freedom and to educate the wider public.

Looking forward, we expect Richmond-CURE meetings to remain a time to share information and craft strategies. We hope that, in coordination with like-minded groups, we can move beyond changing the system one regulation at a time (as important as that is) to creating movement toward a just and equitable system for rich and poor alike. (For more information, contact Julia Hebner.)

• PVS

Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) is a national group begun in 1968 by Philadelphia Quakers. Sponsoring organizations today include most major faith groups. Volunteers visit federal and military prisons to provide friendship, encouragement and a listening ear to prisoners, who get no, or few, other visitors. PVS visitors help prisoners maintain their self-esteem and encourage their efforts to improve themselves so they can live productive lives upon their release back into society. Five individuals from the Richmond Meeting currently volunteer with the program. They each make a monthly visit to the federal prison in Petersburg. Visits are scheduled for early evening and last one hour. Extra time is needed to gain access to the prison. There is a waiting list of prisoners who would like a visitor. (For more information, contact Dave Depp or Bob Alexander.)

Working Group members: Al Simmons, Ada Hammer, Jim Thoroman, Rita Willett, Betsy Brinson, Ben Hebner