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News :: Prisons |
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Judge Difanis Excludes Champaign County Board From Jail Issues Team, Board to Hold Series of Study Sessions Instead |
Current rating: 0 |
by Kimberlie Kranich
Email: kakranich (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
11 Aug 2005
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Champaign County has two jails and some officials would like just one. These officials suggest closing the jail built in downtown Urbana in 1980 and expanding the size of the satellite jail built in 1996 to expand the total available jail space. Talk of a possible jail expansion has sparked the creation of two official but separate jail fact finding teams while raising fears among some citizen activists that as physical jail size increases, so will the number of people incarcerated, particularly black males. |
“I am not inclined to support a jail that is going to incarcerate more African American males,” said community activist Bernell Dixon at a Wednesday meeting of concerned citizens. “There needs to be more crime prevention and less incarceration.”
One jail fact-gathering team is being directed by Champaign County Judge Thomas Difanis of the sixth judicial circuit court. His team consists of State’s Attorney, Julia Rietz; first assistant State’s Attorney Steve Ziegler; County Administrators Debra Busey and Denny Inman; Courts Administrator Roger Holland; Sheriff Dan Walsh; Captain Jim Young of the Sheriff’s office; Public Defender Randy Rosenbaum, Courts Administrator Roger Holland, and Director of Court Services, Joe Gordon. Meetings with the team assembled by Judge Difanis are closed to the public.
“I think there should be public input but the method Judge Difanis used excludes public participation,” Mr. Dixon said. “The fact that there are no African Americans on the judge’s committee is unfair to the citizens of Champaign County.”
Judge Difanis declined comment for this story.
Originally, County Board members were to be included as part of the Judge’s team. This according to a July 24 email from County Board Chair Barbara Wysocki to Democratic caucus members that stated, “I said to Judge Difanis that certainly there needs to be county board members involved and he agreed, leaving it up to us to identify who those individuals would be, how many, and the proportion per party.”
But something changed between the July 24 email sent by Ms. Wysocki and an August 1 letter from Judge Difanis to Steve Beckett, chair of the county facilities committee and Tom Betz, chair of the policy committee. The letter refers to “various justice-related departments” having met to “discuss issues and concerns regarding the current status of the Champaign County correctional facilities…The meetings will be used to gather and analyze information regarding the current status of jail facilities…The meetings will then produce a report detailing the findings I will pass on the County Board for review and discussion.”
Regarding the exclusion of County Board members from the committee led by Judge Difanis, Mr. Beckett said, “I can’t make Judge Difanis do anything.”
Ms. Wysocki seemed to attribute the lack of board representation on Judge Difanis’ team to the board itself.
“In the case of the Democrats, there were more than three people who expressed a desire to serve on this (the Judge’s) committee and it was very difficult for the Democratic caucus to narrow the choices to three,” Wysocki said. “In the case of the Republicans, it was difficult to even identify two people. I do recognize how sensitive this issue is to some people and I heard from some that all three of the Democratic members should be African Americans and I respect that but the fact is there are four African Americans in our caucus and I was not going to put myself in the position of leaving one out.”
Trish Avery, one of the four African American County Board members, said she “disagrees with the process” and “fought very hard to get on that team (the Judge’s team).”
So the Champaign County Board will now conduct its own jail fact-finding sessions in study sessions in September, October and November, according to Ms. Wysocki. The board is a group of 27 elected officials. Board and board committee meetings are open to the public.
“I am hoping that these two tracks (the Judge’s team and the County Board) will converge but I can’t say that with certainty,” Ms. Wysocki said.
“It’s ridiculous for two groups to study the same issue,” Ms. Avery said.
“To go to this study session format allows all four African Americans and anyone else to be involved,” Ms. Wysocki said. “It’s a way to open the process even wider than anyone had imagined in the last two months.”
With regard to the proposed study session, Ms. Avery said, “I’m pleased to hear that at least groups outside the circuit court and State’s Attorneys office can share their input. I’m glad we’re rethinking how to include the public in the discussion.”
A presentation by Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh and County Administrator Denny Inman at the June facilities committee of the County Board seems to have sparked the call for more public discussion of jail-related issues. The issues at stake vary depending on who you talk to.
According to a June 16 memo written by Sheriff Walsh and presented to members of the facilities committee of the County Board, “Our numbers (jail population) are growing and will likely continue to grow.”
Mr. Walsh cited three main factors.
“1. Statutory minimum sentences especially for repeat offenders.
2. Meth related crimes that did not exist in our county four years ago.
3. The police are doing a better job.”
According to the Sheriff’s figures, the downtown jail has 131 housing beds and the satellite jail has 153 housing beds. With 29 overflow beds at the satellite facility, there are a total of 313 available beds for housing inmates.
Figures presented in the Sheriff’s report show an average jail population of between 274 and 287 inmates between January and June 2005.
CHIPS, or the Comprehensive Home Incarceration Program, confines another 40-50 people at home instead of jail.
“We brought the issue of the appropriateness of the jail facility to the county board to try to come up with the solution to what we see is a very serious problem of an overcrowded inappropriate facility at the downtown jail,” said Champaign county State’s Attorney Julia Rietz.
“We built the satellite jail specially to be added on to and we need to start making plans to do that, to close down the downtown jail and add on to the satellite jail. There are some people who think that we are going to add on to what we already have. We have two buildings, one of which is old. And one of which is new and modern and appropriate and we shouldn’t be housing half our inmates in an inappropriate facility and half in a modern appropriate facility.”
In response to Ms. Rietz’s comment, Ms. Wysocki said, “I really want to remain open to any number of possibilities regarding the relationship of the facility to the population that we currently serve and might anticipate serving in the next 10, 15 to 20 years. I really don’t want to comment on what the solution might be at this point. It is too early for me.”
“It doesn’t make sense to have two jails,” Mr. Beckett said. “There should be one jail.”
Taxpayers will have a say as well since most of the funding for any jail expansion would have to be paid for by tax dollars.
Another issue surrounding the jail population is the number of people sitting in jail who have not been convicted of a crime. The overwhelming majority of people in jail are not serving sentences, they are awaiting trial.
“Many of those individuals are sitting there because they are poor,” Ms. Avery said. “They sit there and they cost taxpayers money because they can’t come up with $100 bail money to get out of jail.”
Community activist Esther Patt agrees. “We need to change the system of people being incarcerated prior to being convicted simply because they are too low income to afford bail.”
For example, Ms. Patt cites the case of a 19 year old woman who lives with her five-month old baby and aunt at Dorsey Homes. She was arrested for shoplifting a dress and purse valued at $34.98 from Gordman’s. Her bond was set at $1,000 and she could not afford the $100 bail to get out. On June 10, she had already been in jail for 17 days.
Other people are in jail because they cannot afford to make bail for charges that include obstruction of justice, theft under $300, and driving with a revoked or suspended license.
But Ms. Rietz takes issue with these examples. She says most people in jail awaiting trial are drug dealers, murders and violent offenders.
Ms. Rietz explained that bond is set based on a person’s prior criminal history, history of appearances in court, the circumstances of the offense, whether they pose a risk to society, and whether they have multiple offenses and if have warrants outstanding in other counties.
Even if a person has been convicted of a previous crime and has served her or his sentence, that person’s criminal history is one factor in determining the bond amount.
“Some people are in custody on what you might consider a low bond that they can’t make or what some people characterize as a non-violent offense and have a significant history of failing to appear in court,” Ms. Rietz said. “The court system can’t work if people don’t show up.”
“The public needs to ask the judges, the State’s Attorney and the Sheriff how many people are in jail waiting trial because they can’t make bail?” Ms. Patt said. “And are they a threat to the public? Are they a flight risk or are they just poor?”
Another jail issue on many people’s mind is the mental health of inmates. A national study of the US prison and jail population found that 15 percent of inmates are mentally ill. According to Sheriff Walsh, about 10 percent of Champaign County’s inmates are taking anti-depressants or other psychotropic medications.
Three inmates have committed suicide at the two jails. Joseph Beavers, 37, of Urbana hanged himself on June 26. Marcus Edwards, 18, of Champaign hanged himself on July 11. Terrell Layfield, 23, of Champaign hanged himself on Dec. 4.
“I feel strongly about the mental health needs in this community and the possibility that individuals who need mental health care are getting in our jails,” said County Board member Deb Feinen. “I would like to see steps to get these folks into treatment. Until we have a broader based discussion about those issues, I’m not ready to expand the jail.”
The County Board’s jail study sessions as currently envisioned by Ms. Wysocki will be broken into three areas.
The September session will give Board members the opportunity to visit both jail facilities and might include the public, although members of the public are already able to request a tour of both jail facilities. “This is a time to focus in on the physical nature of the facilities we operate,” Ms. Wysocki said.
The October session would focus on getting information regarding services provided to inmates. “I think Board members would like to know how many of these services meet minimal standards and to what extend they exceed them,” Ms. Wysocki said.
The November session will focus on the demographics of the jail population such as the number of individuals incarcerated, the offenses they are in for, and the disposition of cases.
“I am going to ask the County Board members to give me a list of questions they have about the current facilities we operate. What do they want to know about the jail?” Wysocki said.
When asked if the public could send their questions to the Board, Ms. Wysocki said, “Yes.” Ms. Wysocki's e-mail is bwysocki (at) uiuc.edu and her office phone is (217)384-3772.
“Once I get the plan more concrete, I want to send letters to key organizations in the community who have shown some interest in jail issues and invite them to attend our study sessions,” Ms. Wysocki said. “I will ask county board members for their suggestions, too.”
Ms. Wysocki intends to invite representatives from the Urban League, the League of Women Voters, Restoration Urban Ministries, Mental Health, CU Citizens for Peace and Justice, the Prairie Center and local police chiefs.
The next County Board meeting will take place at 7pm on Thursday, August 18, 2005 at the Brookens Administrative Center in Urbana.
This is the second in a series of articles about Champaign County jail issues. The previous article can be viewed at: http://www.ucimc.org/feature/display/88039/index.php |
This work is in the public domain. |
Comments
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Then Let Difanis Set Out His Tin Cup |
by taxpayer tired of injustice system
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
11 Aug 2005
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If Tom Dinfanis wants to exclude the elected representatives of the people, as well as any direct citizen representation, then let him set out his own tin cup to beg for the funds for this boondoggle. If he isn't willing to take input from those expected to pay for this, then he can be in charge of fundraising.
Let the market (ha!) determine whether he gets a new jail to fill -- or not. Let's put outcome evaluated metrics in place for the injustice system -- too many repeat offenders and dollars get taken AWAY from jails and sent to community-based rehabilitation, for instance.
Republicans and conservatice Democrats think they have a cash cow on my tax dollars, as long as they can claim it helps lock some kid up -- let them prove it works or is just a jobs program for those politically connected enough to theget the rails greased to put them in judgeships, which happens all the time locally, so they are already sitting when they come up for election.
We'd all be better off with spending this money on education and living wage jobs. |
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Re: Judge Difanis Excludes Champaign County Board From Jail Issues Team, Board to Hold Series of Study Sessions Instead |
by John Hilty
jhilty (nospam) shout.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
12 Aug 2005
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They are clearly planning another expansion of the local jail system, and they don't want reporters from the Independent Media Center or activists from the black community speaking up at these meetings or asking too many questions. Hence, their sudden desire for secrecy . . . . .
I truly hope that members of the public are becoming tired of these never-ending plans to expand the local gulag . . . and will exercise their right to veto another increase in their taxes when that day arrives. |
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State's Attorney Admits Jail Not The Answer |
by chris evans
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
13 Aug 2005
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Officials target parolees' criminal habits
By STEVE BAUER
© 2005 THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Published Online August 13, 2005
Ralph Holt is accused of breaking into a car in downtown Champaign early Thursday and, when confronted, threatening to shoot someone.
Sidney Williams is accused of selling drugs north of Urbana in July.
Charles "Chuckie" Mandrell is accused of at least three burglaries since December.
Melvin Dudley is accused of threatening a woman with a knife in Champaign in June.
All four – and authorities say there are many more – are accused of committing crimes while on parole.
Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz said recidivism – when criminals continue to commit crimes – is very high in Illinois.
State and local officials are trying to change that. They say more parole officers and more services to help parolees make the transition to "civilian" life would help.
Rietz spoke Wednesday in Chicago to members of the Public Safety Subcommittee of the Governor's Community Safety and Re-entry Commission.
Representing the Illinois State's Attorneys Association and her own county, Rietz said the focus should first be on the needs of crime victims. They should be notified when criminals are released from prison, she said, and should get help with protection orders, child support and restitution.
And those who violate parole should be held accountable for new crimes they commit, Rietz said.
That said, she agrees that more should be done to help parolees become productive members of society.
In March, Gov. Rod Blagojevich talked about "Operation Spotlight" in his State of the State address, saying that a record 35,000 offenders will be released from Illinois prisons this year. Estimates are that half of those will be back in prison within three years.
His plan aims to reduce recidivism by increasing the number of parole agents and number of parole contacts, with more effective risk management and support services for parolees and by working with local law enforcement and community organizations.
According to Dee Dee Short, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections, there will be 471 parole agents statewide by the end of the fiscal year, which began July 1. There are currently 325 parole officers, with the goal of having 740 within four years, she said.
Without proper supervision and support, there's a good chance parolees will break the law again, according to Short. Then it's up to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board to decide whether to return a person to prison to complete a sentence, as well as any other sentence if a parolee is convicted of a new crime.
"It's case by case," Short said. "It depends on the individual and the kinds of circumstances, what that person has been doing."
Rietz said parolees should be monitored and held accountable for all terms of their parole. Failure to obey curfew, failure to make parole appointments and failure to get a job may be thought of as "technical violations," but those should not be overlooked, she said.
"They are evidence that someone is not living up to their obligations," Rietz said. "They may be heading back into criminal behavior."
Champaign and Vermilion counties have 930 adult parolees, which puts the region fifth behind Cook County, the collar counties, St.Clair/Madison counties and Winnebago County, in regions most affected by parole release of prisoners, according to the commission.
"Those offenders are in need of housing, mental and medical health treatment, employment and counseling," Rietz said. "Many communities are unable to meet their needs, and as a result, the safety of our citizens is jeopardized when releasees, unable to acquire employment, housing and services, revert to a life of crime."
People who are released after serving prison sentences for drug crimes, burglary, robbery or sex crimes often again commit those crimes, she said.
Even doubling the number of parole officers will not be enough, according to Rietz.
"In my opinion, we need to support and increase the number of community-based programs to help people, when they are released from prison, to re-enter and become productive members of society."
Local examples that have shown success include Restoration Urban Ministries, Jesus is the Way and the Canaan Missionary Baptist Church halfway house, Rietz said. |
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Re: Judge Difanis Excludes Champaign County Board From Jail Issues Team, Board to Hold Series of Study Sessions Instead |
by Atom-Man
tomclub (nospam) ptd.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
16 Sep 2005
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It's this author's experience that CCCC overcrowding also has occurred because the Urbana Police Department has jailed men for such petty occurences as "No Bicycle Light." It's true. At this point this author witnessed the sheriff's deputy desk chief ,who'd just come on duty, look embarrased and yell to his inferior "We can't hold someone for no bike light! Release him!" at which point the inmate was released, at 2 am, into the night-fields like a pheasant at Green River Conservation Area.
I was personally framed by a freaky female neighbor, strung out on hooking and drugs, and arrested at 2 AM for stalking. The charge lasted a total of 8 hours. In the morning the charge was changed to tresspassing, but the DA couldn't even name a date of the alleged offense. It turned out this nitwit, pipsqueek girl was intent on fortifying her residence against entry of authority (a misdemeanor) because she was a gay, heroin addicted prostitute, and I'd found out.
It didn't work. Eventually the charges were dismissed, but not after a year of gut wrenching anxiety at the prospect of spending the best 4 years of my life in prison beacause of the pussified behavior of people at large.
Being a man with any dignity in C-U is not impossible, it's a real challenge, particularly when the Urbana city council holds all its meeting IN the police station. How intimidating is that? When the council votes on police budgets, you can bet there's a couple of cops in the hallway waving.
The Urbana City council needs to meet under a tree. The jail investigators on the County Board need to pass a random drug-screening requirement for Urbana city employees to include the people who jail guys for "No Bike Light."
Then you may see the jail population decline. |
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Recidivism is Irrelevant; Addiction is |
by Tomclub
tomclub (nospam) ptd.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
16 Sep 2005
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"No person shall be in jeopardy twice for the same offense" -US Consitution.
My friend, Bob, got 7 years in prison for DUI (his fourth, which was extended from misdemeanor to felony). He did, however, completely murder a US mailbox with his Chevy during the altercation. Mail Fraud was not charged.
Mention of these enhanced, extended sentences, indictments and prosecution (fourth DUI-7 years/felony) to a jury requires in an immediate mistrial, under Illinois statute. That because it's double jeopardy. However, many defendants give up their (constitutional) rights when they plead guilty.
Recidivism, for lack of a better term, often arises when convicts are released and return to the street corner to cop some dope, and get caught somehow. This biological tragedy has many bewdildered, but court supervision and treatment allows many to clean up their act and stand on their own two feet, instaed of winding up back in stir. |
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Illegality of Non-Prison Officials to Enter Jails |
by Atom-Man
tomclub (nospam) ptd.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
16 Sep 2005
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Illinois Statute forbids citizens or anyone not associated with the DOC to enter a jail or prison (except of course the visiting chambers).
This is probably because of the file-in-the-cake syndrome. Who's to say a county board activist is incapable of aiding an inmate's escape? The people who want to play "Jail" on the activist side have a slim chance of getting in if they are a preacher or an ALANON/AA/NA official, in which case they're in a direct position to help inamtes from going stir-crazy, but probably after extensive back-ground checking. "Elected Official" does not give one the right to violate the law, and for the reason stated. It's naive to think so, but the possibilities remain for those who seek to directly help inmates cope.
How expanding an overcrowded but ultra-modern satellite jail and closing down an ancient, worn downtown jail helps inmates and deputies seems obvious. But, it's also obvious that the activists who seek to enter the jail and investigate have never been inside, and just don't understand. |
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Re: Judge Difanis Excludes Champaign County Board From Jail Issues Team, Board to Hold Series of Study Sessions Instead |
by Local Yocal
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
22 Sep 2005
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To Atorn-Man:
You wrote: "....after a year of gut wrenching anxiety at the prospect of spending the best 4 years of my life in prison beacause of the pussified behavior of people at large."
I understand you were accused of something you didn't do, but could you elaborate on how people at large contributed to these unfounded accusations, and what was their "pussified behavior"? |
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