October 22, 2024

 

Check out ew blog -under construction: www.ourprisonersspeak.org

FFUP has been under siege and we are finally finding our way forward. The newsletter we sent out in July  disappeared until early October when they started dribbling into my home labeled "unacceptable mail"and now there are stacked here-lots of money and work. The had been approved by the interim Security director of the DOC and we had sent a 200 copy newsletter thru this way successful in the spring-testing this method out. The DOC has agreed to order Textbehind to accept our PDF file of the updated newsletter and send it in- we need to hear form anyone who receives it to make sure the order is complied with.

here is link to original newsletter .It has information on what we are doing as well as addresses to write , instructions on exhausting remedies and this summers Waupun news articles.:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zrCAL8VGU_XMIkU4UhSxcpXFjuhPQS3S/view?usp=sharing

An here is updated version , done about  a month ago- which is about 4 pages replacing july ones. The rest of the pages I took from those returned of the july batch. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZDl0ZlIGk9zlvg2aiWpf2bmULBTs74aq/view?usp=sharing

 

1) Revitalizing our campaign:

  new blog of prisoners writings .Each prisoner who wants it ,gets his/her own post where he or she can add writings whenever they want. After introducing themselves to readers they can send writings on anything and are encouraged to help us educate you the reader on what is really going on behind the walls.

Our families group gains strength and will soon be doing media interviews- families for prisoners speak of their experience with the WIDOC and the trauma the present systemic corruption in the system gives them. 

We will be gathering all this information into reports on issues and will go to legislators  and the courts to get systemic changes. the success of this is depends on our building a power base strong enough to counteract the tough on crime rhetoric that paints all prisoners as murderers , rapists and /or terrorists.

SEE BLOG: www.ourprisonersspeak.org.under construction. The prisoners are listed in alphabetical order in a box on right side of the page..

2)With Textbehind and the new email ""getting out" FFUP is almost complete shut out from communicating with prisoners. I get tons of letters but my letters back take three weeks, That the newsletter did not get in was a big  blow. and a lawsuit on textbehind generally becomes inevitable . corruption is total in our systme and retaliation important.our Destress project has become a vital way to help rpisioners cope- they get relief form the stress and the knowledge that we are and they are not alone.Donations are much needed. see our gofundme page:

If you want to attend our families group- it meets by phone conference and here are the numbers for getting in. :Families for a Second Chance WEEKLY Phone CONFERENCES- 

MONDAYS 6pm/ Wednesdays 5PM

Here are numbers:

getting in: Phone number :267-807-9495

you will be welcomed and asked for 2nd number:#:I.D. 568-065-540

announce yourself as you enter. hope to see you there.

If you are the first one there- here is the host pin to open the site:7568.

contact me with questions:

Peg Swan

Founder, Co-director FFUP

Forum for Understanding Prisons,  501c3 non profit

pgswan3@aol.com, 608-536-3993

29631 Wild Rose Drive; Blue River, WI 53518

 

FFUP UPDATE july 2024

SUMMER BRIDGE OF VOICES PART I, our newsletter, is now on its way to prisoners. It will take two to three weeks to get there but will be  followed by part II quickly. This, we hope, will help us finally get enough hands -on support so we can get the prisoners stories out to the public. 

We  need to focus on this now because IF we are going to change anything in this system, we have to debunk the lies about who we are locking up and how we are treating them. The lies have been so sweeping and long lasting that the politicians and courts are afraid to release anyone who's release isn't mandated by law. We cannot even those dying out on compassionate release no matter how many doctors' reports are signed.. Governor Evers touts his many pardons but he has pardoned NOONE from prison. Only those who have been out of prison for at least 4 years are eligible for pardon under our Governor's rules. EVEN tho he campaigned on halving the prison population, he has blocked all legitimate attempts at doing so and his edicts have torn our heart out many times since he took office. 

With prisoners , their families, and the help of the Media, we have been forming a coalition and at least the tip  of the  ice berg of WIDOC corruption is showing. Below are links to our newsletter, BRIDGE OF VOICES and letters written so far to EVERs and the new DOC Secretary.

 Pasted in full below is  FFUP's letters to the Senate committee that is meeting this week ( week of  July 7,2024)in an emergency meeting on corrections. Write your own letter and help s build a movement !

Latest Newsletter: Bridge of Voices Summer 2024 Part one:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EfB89D1rtIncGmn0jHsr9x2p7tiuNDzf/view

 FFUP to the new WIDOC Secretary Jared Hoy 7 24:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_pDC-pZLTKp6OAYApQnIKSy8UTimKUkf/view?usp=sharing

 

Tim Zilstra to Governor Evers 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12EH3nLt1biamzq1AiaVOjUPQ4HoFbTVw/view?usp=sharing

 

Senate Corrections Committee:

RE: ideas To discuss at upcoming meeting on Corrections

 

Hello,

I have been working with prisoners and their families for over two decades as part of a non-profit. I am writing you as I understand you will be having an emergency meeting on Corrections this coning week and I feel it is important that I share with you some of what I have learned.

Over the decades I have seen the mission of the WIDOC change from one of rehabilitating prisoners and keeping the public safe, which it did to a large extent, to one that does that in name only. It looks like its mission today is more like money making (off the taxpayer), damage control, and duping the public and you senators. All this started with the Clinton Crime bill in the 1990’s and that has brought us here- where no one wants to work in the DOC unless they make a fortune and those that are caring, find that even with the money, they cannot work there. The saying going around is that the WIDOC warehouses only. For many, especially the mentally ill, it is far worse than that- It is torture and prisoners often leave severely traumatized.

Below is a letter I wrote recently to Secretary Hoy which delineates the steps I and my compatriots believe need to be taken for real healing. The problems with our corrections system will not go away with the tearing down of buildings or reshuffling prisoners- You may be able to placate the public for a while, but I challenge you here to do your job and lead us to a new era of honesty and of working to genuinely fix our problems. Please read the letter. In it  I also call for leadership from our new Secretary . Through two decades of prisoner bashing/exaggerations, the public has come to believe prisoners, (all of course rapists and murderers,) are unredeemable. We need to reeducate ourselves and the public on who we have locked up and on our responsibilities toward them.

The prisoners I know want help, they want training and treatment but are stuck in an unending loop of deadtime and negativity. Many are scared that they will go home back to the same neighborhoods they came, with neither training or treatment and with no support.  Is this what we taxpayers are paying billions of dollars for? Please help us lift the curtain and show the public the deeper systemic mess the system is in and help us forge a way forward.

Main Points on our wish list:

1) Reduce population: reinstate real parole for old law prisoners and end Truth in sentencing, changing it to an effective parole system.

2) End revocations without felonies and give grants to non-profits for the setting up of new support networks and connecting with existing housing for newly released prisoners.

3) Mental health treatment is the essential core of WIDOC responsibility since that is where our country is putting the mentally ill. A wide ranging and courageous discussion needs to be had on this issue. Look to Colorado for guidance and our own Rick Raemisch (see attached letter) .

4) Actually rehabilitate: Hire teachers and trainers and ex- prisoners - our prisoners WANY TO LEARN TO BE BETTER and DO BETTER!

 

Thank you for your attention, I  hope we can all work together on this most needed project.

 

 

Peg Swan

Founder, Co-director FFUP

Forum for Understanding Prisons, 501c3 non-profit

pgswan3@aol.com, 608-536-3993

29631 Wild Rose Drive; Blue River, WI 53518

 

ADDRESSES TO WRITE-A START

 ADDRESSES TO WRITE-A START

USDOJ contact info:

United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section

950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20530

(202) 514-3847 or 1-855-856-1247 (tollfree);Telephone Device for the Deaf:(TTY) (202) 514-0716

Email:Special.litigation@usdoj.gov/web:civilrights.justice.gov

 

Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

Established in October 2011,OIG consolidates all program integrity, audit, and fraud investigation activities into one office. It protects Wisconsin taxpayers by tracking and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in public assistance programs administered by DHS, like Medicaid, FoodShare, and Family Care. At the same time, OIG's internal audits protect the accountability of DHS programs and operations. Since its beginning, it has saved taxpayers millions of dollars. Staff works closely with other state and local partners to identify misuses of public assistance funds, and where appropriate, forwards fraud cases to federal, state, and local officials for prosecution.Misuse of public funds affects each person who lives in Wisconsin.

Contact OIG

Send an email to: DHSOIGAdmin@dhs.wisconsin.gov/1 W. Wilson Street, Madison, WI 53703

PO Box 309, Madison, WI 53701-0309/Call us at: 608-266-2521

 

2023 WI  LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES dealing with corrections issues

 Mailing Addresses:  Senate:P.O. Box 7882;Madison WI 53707

Assembly:P.O. Box 8952;Madison WI 53708

 Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

Senator Wanggaard (Chair)/Senator Jacque (Vice-Chair)/Senators Wimberger/ Knodl/ James/ Roys/ L. Johnson

Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families

Senator James (Chair)/Senator Cabral-Guevara (Vice-Chair)/Senators Ballweg/ L. Johnson/ Carpenter

 Assembly Committee on Corrections

Representative Schraa (Chair)/Representative Bodden (Vice-Chair)/Representatives Brandtjen/ Brooks/ Callahan/ Hurd/Maxey/ O'Connor/ Sapik/ Tittl/ Stubbs/ Goyke/Cabrera/Clancy/ Madison

 

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Representative Spiros (Chair)/Representative Schutt (Vice-Chair)/Representatives Duchow/ Novak/ Green/ Donovan/ Schraa/ Steffen/ Wichgers/Sortwell/ Drake/ McGuire/ Emerson/ Stubbs/ Madison

 Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties

Senator Hutton (Co-Chair)/Senator Roys/Representative Goyke

Especially interested in Today’s Corrections problems :

Rep. Ryan Clancy,  (D - Milw)/District 19/(608) 237-9119/(888) 534-0019/Rep.Clancy@legis.wisconsin.gov

Rep. Darrin Madison,  (D - Mil)/District 10/(608) 237-9110/(888) 534-0010/ Rep.Madison@legis.wisconsin.gov

 

Governor Evers:P.O. Box 7863/Madison WI 53707/EversInfo@wisconsin.gov/608-266-1212

Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes/PO Box 2043, Madison, WI 53702-2043

 

 

 

DOC LEADERSHIP

Jared Hoy, Secretary

Melissa Roberts, Deputy Secretary

Sarah Cooper​, DAI Administrator

Stephanie Hove, Assistant Administrator
Paul Kemper, Assistant Administrator

 

Jessica Y. Gross, Director of Health care Administration
Vicki R. Gould, Assistant Director of Healthcare Admin

 

Dr. Daniel LaVoie, Medical Director

Dr. Angelo Panos, Dental Director

Dr. Jeffrey Anders, Psychiatry Director

Dr. Kevin Kallas, Mental Health Director

Dr. Marlena Larson, Psychology Director

Hannah Utter, MSN, RN, CCHP, Nursing Director

Rebecca Kehoe, Pharmacy Director

 

PO Box 7925
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 240-5120 Main

BUREAU OF OFFENDER CLASSIFICATION AND MOVEMENT

Angela Hansen, Director/PO Box 7925/Madison, WI  53704/(608) 240-5811/(608) 240-3310 Fax

For those  incarcerated non citizens wanting to go home to country of origin :

Wisconsin State Contact for International Prisoner Transfer

Statute 302.185.  Transfer to foreign countries under treaty. 
If a treaty is in effect between the United States and a foreign country, allowing a convicted person who is a citizen or national of the foreign country to transfer to the foreign country, the governor may commence a transfer of the person if the person requests. ( Detailed instructions from the USDOJ web available)

 

Addresses for news outlets reporting these day on the WIDOC

1)WPR and PBS Audience Services, WisContext, 821 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706.

Joe Schultz

Sarah Lehr is a state government reporter for Wisconsin Public Radio.Sarah.lehr@wpr.org,

2)WISN /james stratton:”James Stratton is a nationally recognized investigative reporter and anchor with a history of storytelling that leads to change” James.Stratton@hearst.com.Wisn 12 hotline 414-937-1212

3)Wisconsin watch ( WI Center for Investigative Journalism)
P.O. Box 5079/Milwaukee, WI 53205/Office phone: 608-262-3642/

Vanessa Vasquez/Mario Koran/Todd Richmond

4)MSJ ( milwaukee Jounal -Sentinal)Vanessa Swales:vswales@gannett.com /414-308-5881/

Letters to the editor addresses

1) Write a letter to the editor for you local newspaper

2) Letters to the editor Capital Times: Send to tctvoice@captimes.com ;1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53713 ;Main number: 608-252-6400 Fax: 608-252-6445

3)WI State Journal :For letters to the editor, contact letters editor Phil Hands, 608-252- 6123, phands@madison.com.

Other:News tip\Phone: 608-252-6120/Mail: P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708;For local news, email wsjcity@madison.com or call 608-252-6120

4)Milwaukee Journal sentinel ;Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,

P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0371/Email: jsedit@jrn.com

5)Green bay gazette Submit letters via: forum@greenbaypressgazette.com ]Green Bay Press-Gazette,

 Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 23430, Green Bay WI, 54305-3430

AND KEEP REPORTS TO reports coming:Reporters

Remember, they may not respond but they WILL read your stuff- just like me, everyone is swamped. The

addresses are those of the news corp- make sure you indicate reporter clearly.

1)State Journal: Lucas Robinson: lrobinson@madison.com /WSJ, 1901 Fish Hatchery Rd ,Madison, WI 53713

2)center for investigative Journalism: Mario Koran:mkoran@wisconsinwatch.org ;Wisconsin Watch,P.O. Box 5079,Milwaukee, WI 53205

3)Milwaukee Journal Sentinel :Drake Bentley:414- 391-5647/dbentley1@gannett.com, Vanessa Swales:vswales@gannett.com,T: 414-308-5881/http://www.jsonline.com /Mailing address: Journal Sentinel P.O. Box 371 Milwaukee, WI 53201

4)Shawn of Milw Channel 4 WTMJ/ news@tmj4.com ; WTMJ Radio 301 W Wisconsin Ave, Suite 200 MilwWI 53203

 

FAMILIES FOR A SECOND CHANCE CAMPAIGN

       

Campaign plans and latest actions are described in newsletter and following two letters. slowly I will get all published in more reader friendly form here. 

Latest Newsletter: Bridge of Voices Summer 2024

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zrCAL8VGU_XMIkU4UhSxcpXFjuhPQS3S/view?usp=sharing

 Open letter to Secretary Hoy 5 24

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_pDC-pZLTKp6OAYApQnIKSy8UTimKUkf/view?usp=sharing

letter to Governor Evers 5 24:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12EH3nLt1biamzq1AiaVOjUPQ4HoFbTVw/view?usp=sharing

2008 rally by families of prisoners in front of the WI DOC headquarters

                   FAMILIES for a  SECOND CHANCE 

WE invite you to join us in an epic task= Families and concerned people working with prisoners to bring back The DOC’s mission to keep the public safe and to rehabilitate. It does neither now.

   JOIN US by email by phone, in our weekly conference calls. WE NEED YOUR VOICE!!

          Email us: peg: pgswan@aol.com/ Tim:timothy.zylstra@yahoo.com,

          Phone: 608-536-3993 leave you phone number and when to call you back if no answer

          Website: “www,prisonforum.org”

Overriding goals- 

• to bring out the human face of prison, to state emphatically that truth matters and that prisoners are not their crime; everyone deserves a second chance.
•  to start a movement by connecting the various WI prison activist organizations with  each other and with prisoners and their families so we work together, supporting and aiding other more effectively.
• To educate the public on WHO WE ARE INCARCERATING with stories, with facts.

  ACTIONS: 

1)Weekly conference call. ALL WELCOME

                    Mondays 6pm/Wednesdays 5pm: dial 267-807-9495

                                then you will be prompted for this number: 568-065-540

if you are the first on in, punch 7568

•   WE do invidual support as well as strategize on issues that effect all                                                        
• If you cannot attend the  Wednesday meeting- we can meet in smaller groups any time by conference call or 2 of us via regular phone. 

•   so again:

    Phone: 608-536-3993 leave you phone number and when to call you back if no answer         Email us: peg: pgswan@aol.com/ Tim:timothy.zylstra@yahoo.com

2) PETITIONS

FIRST PETITION : put individual hygiene and food in Marcus Catalog.

    SIGN HERE:https://chng.it/QgqKMxnZFD

      Making hygiene and extra food available to all is a big deal for prisoners and their families. Now only those prisoners with lots of money or family support can afford snacks, deodorant, shampoo or soap in quantities needed. We start with this in order to build a coalition that can petition, make calls and write letters on issues that effect all as well as individual issues. If we work together and help each other with issues, we can create a movement for real change, 

OLD Campaign 2023

Madison day in spring. -WE need to prepare now.

This is a combined effort with EXPO and WISDOM  we converge the the capitol and talk to our legislators. This is an incredible opportunity for families of prisoners to actually speak to their representatives. There is much preparation to do as  making APPPOINTMENTS with the legislators is important and this takes a lot of phone tagging.  For those interested:

A) ontact FFUP with your information if you would like to  participate. We need zipcodes  also to assure we  make an appointment with your legislator.

B) A bus or ride share to the capitol is possible I am told, if there are enough people. (Contact info at end)

4)FAMILY LETTERS TO THE MEDIA, LEGISLATORS AND DOC.

•  We need  push-back to the constant barrage of misinformation this election has engendered- I was writing my usual parole letter when  the Rant about rapists and murderers came on the radio and my letter turned into a tirade which in a few paragraphs outlined the whole fiasco. I morphed it into an “OPEN LETTER” to the parole chairman. I suggest you do the same- Let ‘er rip- about whatever your issue- parole/ health care/ wrongly convicted or held/ no support treatment or training/harassment/ abuse- whatever it be.

We will be trying to connect with family members to form an activist group where we can tackle many issues together and support each other with our individual cases. SO if you are interested in composing one of these open letters, or who want to get more involved in other ways, contact us (.-pgswan3@aol.com)

EXAMPLES OF OPEN LETTERS

to new parole Chairman Blythe

to secretary CARR and Governor Tony Evers 

 

5)Spreading your stories through all venues- facebook, blogs, newspapers online and paper etc etc

We are looking for web savvy help to spread our message. If we get the grant, this will be a paid position.

 

 WISCONSIN Center for Investigative Journalism ( WIWATCH) reporter is working with us. We have spread the word about him and he is digesting and gathering the responses, We are working with him on these issues but he is interested in all complaints.

  A)Especially  compelling are stories of the impact of the prisoner’s ordeal on their families- we need contact of prisoners and their families who wish to be interviewed.

B) The mentally ill entombed in RHUs as that story will unwind to include all of the systemic corruption. And we have a doable solution that the DOC once embraced and then abandoned- a mental health treatment center and redoing of policies and rules.

C)health care is the second issue on front burner for Journalist.Let  us know of suits you are pursuing - we can get complaints from PACER and if you have filed complaints but gone no further, sum these to us. Also general stories are appreciated and contact information of families who are invested In helping you. THIS INCLUDES mental health issues also- lack of treatment in general population etc.

C) All other issues and FFUP focus- I will be concentrating on helping WIWatch go forward but also continue to gather and use information on all the issues and will see that WIWATCH gets them when they are ready. We are putting these on a private website  and docs for which we have permission to share, will go on the regular web- I use blogger as it is the most versatile. So keep that information coming - all of it- Although swamped, we learn to move forward anyway and do find a path through that coordinates all the factors

 

FFUP Reaching out for funding and legal help

1)Grant request sent to two grantor foundations in October- waiting

     Starting with grant for pilot project for 3 month room rentals for newly released prisoners- this grant will also give FFUP funds to HIRE STAFF

   One Grant request here:  

   Pamphlet here on pilot project here:

2) Letter of request for representation for two class actions sent- waiting and more going out.

view template letter to Lawyers

attachments sent: 

   issue one:

• "torture in Wisconsin prisons"- a report by FFUP On solitary confinement
•  "What doesn't Kill You Makes you Stronger"- power point doc on the then newly oppen mental health treatment center- what we want.

  issue two: Stop textbehind, the third party mail system

   two magazine articles on the new third party mailing system:

•        PLN:"The Contraband Wars Prison authorities target books and mail, miss the goods coming through the staff door"
•       Prisonpolicy.org: Mail scanning: A harsh and exploitative new trend in prisons