Twenty-seven
people from around Wisconsin came out early on a Wednesday morning to
support fundamental changes on the parole commission. After the
meeting, we held a small debrief and then rally (only a dozen or so people stuck
around braving the below freezing weather). We plan on returning to
attend the next meeting on Wednesday March 4. Next time we will have
our rally immediately after the hearing goes to closed session,
however unpredictable that may be. This month, we learned that public
examination and demonstrations of support is an effective way to
speed the change we need. Hope to see more people on March 4!
The meeting.
It took the DOC 20
minutes to arrange a larger room in the training center for us. There
we waited another ten for commissioners LaCost and Drankiewicz to
join us. Tate said they all left the small meeting room together, but
the others were inexplicably delayed.
The room was chilly.
It reminded formerly incarcerated attendees of the prison housing
units the DOC keeps uncomfortably cold to keep people from being able
to think straight. While we waited for the commissioners to make it
into the room, we asked Chairman Tate to turn up the temperature. He
apologized and said “us being here will warm it up,” then added,
joking “you all brought the heat.”