For the 3rd year running, Let’s Get Free teams up with Boom Concepts for a prison justice art fundraiser and series of events. 

Artists were asked to create work around the ideas of home and relationships to create a show that encapsulates the feeling of home: What does home look like? Feel like? A space? A state of mind? 

The call was to create things that literally glowed. People were encouraged to create work with ships and pun off concepts like relationSHIP, friendSHIP, leaderSHIP, etc.

Glow Home is an homage to friends old and new recently released from prison and a prayer that our loved ones still behind bars will be home soon. There will be an altar where you can leave something for a loved one who you wish to come home. 

Over 60 artists from both sides of the prison walls have submitted provocative pieces utilizing ceramics, photography, textiles, beadwork, silk screen, collage, stained glass, digital drawing, water colors etc. There are close to 100 pieces of art up for auction benefiting the work of this local prison advocacy group. The opening and auction will take place on October 4th from 6 – 10pm with the auction closing at 9pm. The show will stay up through October 26th.

Click on photos below a for a quick preview slide show.
Click here for more information on Glow Home

Overview of October Events

Gallery Hours for Glow Home  October 4th – 26th
Gallery Hours are every Thursday thru Saturday 1- 7pm and Sundays 1-4pm
Gallery Hours are suspended during events. Check Boom’s Calendar 

Liberate our Imaginations:  A Vital Step Towards a World Without Prisons
October 12th – 12 – 3pm – Saturday
A 3 hour participatory workshop With Kempis Ghani Songster & etta cetera

Back by popular demand, Ghani Songster returns from Philly to lead an interactive space in effort to free ourselves from the mental chains  that inhibit our progress. Ghani believes that our salvation hinges on our ability to liberate our imagination. etta says, “It’s gonna be like going to the gym for your mind.” How do we stay connected to the bigger movement of abolition?

Listen to Ghani shares 5 Lessons of the Geese from last years workshop.

The event is free but please rsvp letsgetfreepa@gmail.com
Snacks will be provided

Blountly Speaking:
Lifting Up Women in Prison

Words and Songs by Naomi Blount, (Pending Travel Permission but we are speaking it into existence!) Followed by a Panel Discussion:  Impact of DA’s Office on Incarcerated Women with Lisa Middleman and local community leaders.

October 19th – 12pm – 3pm  Saturday @ Boom Concepts – 5139 Penn Ave
Free Lunch served at 1 pm

Naomi Blount, 69, is the second Pennsylvania woman to receive commutation in nearly three decades after serving 35 years of a life sentence. Released this past July, Naomi will share reflections of her experiences from prison to the commutation process as well as lift up the women she left behind.  Community leaders and Lisa Middleman, candidate for District Attorney, will then convene for a panel to speak on the impact that the DA’s office has on people impacted by the criminal injustice system. The event will conclude with a musical performance by Naomi.

The event is free but please rsvp letsgetfreepa@gmail.com

October Monthly Sustainer Drive

Collective Donations towards Collective Liberation!

Sign Up to be a sustaining donor during the month of October to help us reach our goal of 50 new monthly sustainers! You will receive a special Thank You Gift of your choosing including limited edition artwork or a bouncing baby house plant (Pittsburgh only:)

Monthly sustainers are a critical part of community organizing and help us gather unrestricted funds. This money is used for: direct assistance to people in prison and returning citizens (hard to write a grant for that) stamps, printing newsletters and commutation kits, speaker stypens as well as transportation costs to visit prisons, the state capitol and faraway meetings and conferences. 

Our goal is to sign up: 

20 Sustainers @ $5 a month
15 Sustainers @ $10 a month
10 Sustainers @ $15 a month
5 Sustainers @ $20 a month
5 Sustainers @ $25 a month

If achieved would raise collectively $575 a Month. Simply click the donate button and check the “recurring donation box”

Come to Harrisburg with the Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration

Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration(CABDI)
Day of Action to End DBI & Heal Communities 
October 23rd – 7am – 7pm Wednesday in Harrisburg
Sign up for Vans from Pittsburgh by filling out this form

It is proven that access to higher education reduces crime and recidivism. There are currently hundreds of online college level courses free on the internet. Why can’t we figure out a way to get these courses into the prisons?

Let’s Get Smart is a small group of people supporting the ideas of Russell Maroon Shoatz, Brandon Moody and Bray Jibril Murray who are  incarcerated at SCI-Dallas. We believe all people in prison deserve access to higher education regardless of college credit (although that would be nice). Our vision is based upon providing all people in prison including prisoners, correctional, custodial, probation and parole personnel access to 21st century education and training, which is easily accessible and affordable through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s), offered by Harvard, MIT, Stanford and a plethora of other prestigious education and training institutions. Join us in bringing this vision to fruition!

Today we have sent letters to both Governor Wolf and Secretary John Wetzel urging them to support and implement these efforts.  Below is our letter to the Governor. Scroll down to check out the amazing list of endorsers. If you would like to endorse please fill out this form

August 6, 2019

Dear Governor Wolf,

Thank you for voicing support for higher education “behind bars” in Pennsylvania’s prison at the recent pre-screening of the documentary “College Behind Bars”.  It’s gratifying to know that both you and Secretary Wetzel are behind the idea of better-preparing those in prison for the day they will be returned to society. We are writing on behalf of a new campaign called Let’s Get Smart. We share similar ideas of education access and safe communities for people in prison. Our goal is to make college level courses available to all prisoners in the PA prison system.

The Bard program in New York State is certainly an impressive example of how to give prisoners access to post-secondary degrees.  We believe that if there were more education in general regardless of class credit or the sentence of student, society both inside and outside of the prison would improve. Many long timers, those with LWOP sentences and “life by numbers” are often excluded from continuing education classes. These very people are often the mentors to many of the young prisoners. Is there not value in allowing them to further their education so that they may be better equipped to mentor? It is also well known that the lifers keep the peace in the prisons. Why not acknowledge this by creating more access to knowledge.

Did you know that Harvard & MIT founded an online platform that offers 1000’s of college- level courses online for free?  These are known as MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). PA’s own University of Pennsylvania offers MOOC 

Our group is comprised of family members and volunteers who work with people in PA prisons. We have no doubt that there is plenty of interest and ability in our prison populations.

We believe there are innovative ways around a high cost, technology and internet access.  The DOC could implement internet control. For example, a class facilitator would download the course onto a USB drive. The course would be approved by the DOC or facilities security. The class facilitator would show the course to approved students in a classroom setting using monitor. This way you can bypass the need for internet access. All it takes is the motivation to make these already free classes available to people who have a lot of time on their hands and desire to learn.

Whatever technological or security obstacles that may seem daunting can be overcome! We have seen the DOC make very fast and sweeping changes to the prison system. In order to keep the staff and prisoners safe you figured out a way to change the whole statewide mail system in one month! If there is a will, there is a way! And, many institutions set up firewalls to create limited and specific internet access.

But to speak to the point you made the night of the screening,  isn’t this a smarter way to invest in the human potential currently languishing in our prisons?  Mr. Cochran indicated that their program is funded by a combination of public and private resources.  Maybe something similar can be managed in PA.

We would love to meet with you to discuss these ideas. Please connect with us.

Thank you for your time, 

Sharon Shoatz, Sue Wooley and etta cetera

Campaign Coordinators

Endorsers

{Unless listed alone, organizations & institutions are listed for identification purposes.}

Sharif El-Mekki, The Center for Black Educator Development

Lisa B. Freeland, Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Jake Goodman, Executive Director, Opportunity Fund

Gabriel Rockhill, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Villanova University

Marie DiLeonardo, Division Manager of the Petey Greene Program

Five Mualimm-ak, President & CEO of The Incarcerated Nation

James Forman Jr., Yale Law School

Jared Ball, Professor of Communication Studies, Morgan State University

Katy Ryan, Professor of English, West Virginia University

Chris Taylor, Associate Professor, University of Chicago

Sandra Joy, Ph.D., LCSW, Professor Rowen University 

Carl Redwood, Adjunct Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.

Dov CB Chernomorets, Inside Out Facilitator

Danielle M. Wenner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Associate

Director, Center for Ethics & Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

Dan Berger, Associate Professor, University of Washington

Caitlin J. Taylor, Ph.D., La Salle University

Peter Odell Campbell, Assistant Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh

Alison Reed, Assistant Professor of English, Old Dominion University & Director, Humanities Behind Bars

Jasiri X, 1Hood Media

yvette shipman, MA

Priscilla Wahrhaftig

Benjamin Kline , Returning Citizen

Elaine Selan RN, MSN

Bekezela Mguni

Art For Justice

Black Unicorn Library and Archive Project

The Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op 

Alliance for Police Accountability

Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project 

——-

If you would like to join the growing list of endorsers please fill out this form.

Contact us at: letsgetfreepa@gmail.com

We just updated our Commutation Kit with the new information from the Board of Pardon (BOP) website.  Essentially, it’s all the information in this post in an easy to print pdf. All the kits have a copy of the new form for appealing merit review or public hearing outcomes.

•  The Commutation Kit Tips Only (6 Pages)
• The Commutation Kit Tips with Commutation Application (28 pages)
• The Commutation Kit Tips with NO application but with more BOP info but not including the Application (14 pages)

These tips are tailored for people serving death by incarceration

• Ideally you would have a lawyer represent you when you get to the public hearing. If you do not have one, Applicants seeking representation should contact: Ross Miller, Interagency Liaison Bureau of Treatment Services Pennsylvania Department of Corrections 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050  Phone:  717-728-0377
• When we are trying to find out if our people are up for merit review or what is going on with their application we contact John Johnson, Pardons Case Specialist Pennsylvania Department of Corrections 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. Phone: 717-728-0386 johjohnson@pa.gov Let it be known that there is most often incorrect information about who is going up for Merit Review – even if one of the BOP people tell us who is going up. Several times they have listed peoples names and several times they were not on the list. Try to call Johnson the week before the scheduled merit review to obtain the most accurate info.
• Supporters can now email letters of recommendation to the board of pardons. Contact as of July 2019 is Brandon Flood – Bflood@pa.gov He will distribute the letter to the board and put it in the applicants packet. It’s always important to send a paper copy to your person filing the application.
• People in prison can get a copy of the application by going through a counselor. People on the outside can also send an application by downloading it through the Board of Pardons website. As of 2019 there are on longer fees associated with this application.  Let’s Get Free can send person in prison an application on request.
• You can now appeal a negative outcome during the Merit Review phase. You have 30 days to submit a Letter of Reconsideration along with a form you can find on DOC website. Both Naomi Blount and Farouq Wideman were denied at the merit review stage last winter, filed the reconsideration letter, were granted public hearings in May and are now in half way houses as of July 2019 (glory be!) They are part of the 11 people commuted this far under Governor Wolf.

Upcoming Schedule for Board of Pardon Hearings

Thursday, August 8, 2019 – Merit Review Session – Senate Hearing Room – 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Public Hearing – Supreme Courtroom – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 Thursday, September 12, 2019 – Public Hearing – Supreme Courtroom – 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 Friday, September 13, 2019 – Public Hearing – Supreme Courtroom – 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Thursday, November 7, 2019 – Merit Review Session – Senate Hearing Room – 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 18, 2019 – Public Hearing – Supreme Courtroom – 9:00 a.m.-1:00 Thursday, December 19, 2019 – Public Hearing – Supreme Courtroom – 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 20, 2019 – Public Hearing – Supreme Courtroom – 9:00 a.m. and 1:00

NOTE:  The Public Hearings & Merit Review Sessions are NOT held at the Board of Pardons office.

• The Public Hearings are held in the Supreme Court Courtroom, Main Capitol Building, Capitol Rotunda, Room 437, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• The Merit Review Sessions are held in the Senate Hearing Room, 8A East Wing, Capitol Building, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• Scheduled Merit Review Sessions and Public Hearings are subject to change as deemed necessary by the Board.

Tips for writing a commutation application during the Wolf administration Updated July 2019 By Ellen Melchiondo, The Women’s Lifer Resume Project

The new commutation application is free and there is no filing fee. The application is available on the BOP website and in the prison library. Supplemental pages must be used-no “see attachment.” Click her for application

If you are not in prison and assisting an applicant what I do is download the application pdf.  Then on my Mac I click on tools, annotate, text box. (Magically the text box appears without having to do all of that clicking! I don’t know why that is happening these days but its great.)

Here’s a rundown on each section for life sentenced people:

Section 1: Check “Commute Life Sentence to Life on Parole” and do your best to remember each time you previously applied.

Section 2: Just the facts. If using the DOC-Parole for representation click the box, the address is below. If using someone else, give that information.

Section 3:  Less information is asked here. I type two lines of text in bold between two lines for the narrative in role of crime: “place, role and caught.” Use a supplemental page if needed.

Section 4: Fill out Section 4 to the best of your ability however parole provides the rap sheet to the DOC commutation office. No one is expected to pay for their criminal history report.

Section 5: is now totally optional. No more checking boxes to address reasons for applying. However, the line spacing on the page doesn’t line up with any font size or spacing! It’s terrible. So what I do is print a page, cover the lines with a blank piece of paper then print.  I type the narrative in Pages (10-12 font size)  then print on the paper without lines. Looks great and easy to read. Print more than you need. Remember to hit return a few times to get the words below the header.

I think now, less is more in Section 5. An explanation about your life circumstances before and during serving time is good. Accomplishments in list form. Home plan if you have one: the one year required residency at a CCC and then after if you have one.  You can list your supporters and how they will help you.  Be creative!

Section 6: sign and date. Mail to Mechanicsburg on Section 2. Keep a copy for yourself!

Do write a cover letter. State you are applying for commutation, list a few good points about your rehabilitation efforts, home plan if you have one and thank the BOP for considering your application. 2 paragraphs in length.

Good luck!

Ellen

Letters of Support and Letters of Recommendation

A support letter shows real support while on parole: housing, money, job, transportation, clothes, etc…

A letter of Recommendation explains why a person believes you are no longer a threat to public safety and have been rehabilitated. They can express other things like looking forward to spending time with you, showing you how to navigate the free world, etc..

Asking Friends and Family for Letters – Support your friends in supporting you!

Here is a sample letter people in prison can use to mobilize family and friends to write letters:

Re: (Your name) Commutation Support Letter

Dear

I am working on my commutation application. I would like to know if you would be interested in writing a letter of support, a character witness letter to the board of pardons on my behalf.

If you are open to this the letter should be addressed to The Board of Pardons 333 Market St, Harrisburg, PA 17126 and include the following – RE: (commutation applicant’s name) Commutation of Life Sentence, letter writer’s return address and phone number.

The letter should state the following:

1. Briefly touch on who you are, your background, employment, degrees, etc.
2. Include Commutation Applicant’s Name, DOC Number and Prison
3. How we came in contact with each other.
4. Your thoughts on my maturity and rehabilitation.
5. Your thoughts on my remorse for the offense I am convicted of.
6. Your thoughts on my chances for successful reentry into society, employment and participation in society upon my release.
7. Any willingness you would have in assisting in my reentry to society i.e. references, referrals, etc. when I am released.

When you are finished with the letter please send the original back to me. Please also keep a copy for yourself. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

XXXXXXXX

Reminder: Supporters can now email letters to the board of pardons. Contact as of July 2019 is Brandon Flood – Bflood@pa.gov and then he will distribute the letter to the board the applicant’s packet. It’s always important to send a paper copy to your person filing the application.

This following is all from the BOP website: Filing Of An Application:

When an application is received at the Board of Pardons office and is found to be complete and accurate, it is considered “filed.” A letter will be sent to confirm the filing of the application. If incomplete, it will not be considered filed until all requirements have been fulfilled.

Filing an application to commute a Death sentence to Life imprisonment entails special procedures. The presentation may last thirty minutes, and every filed capital application is granted a public hearing. A capital applicant must submit every pertinent piece of material at least ten days prior to the date of hearing. 

Board of Pardons Process Flowcharts for public and incarcerated cases are now available.

Procedure:

After an application has been filed, a copy of the application is sent to the following interested parties:

Board of Probation and Parole – Staff from the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole conduct investigations for the Board of Pardons. They will report all criminal history and driving violations found.  They will also conduct a telephone interview or an in-person interview in your home to provide our Board with your present personal status.

The following is a list of items you will need to gather in advance of the meeting with the investigating staff:

• Residence: rental agreement, mortgage statements, rent receipts, etc. as applicable;
• Marital Status and Family Composition: marriage decrees, divorce decrees, birth and or death certificates, etc. as applicable;
• Employment: pay stubs, W2’s, evidence of income to include alimony, unemployment, VA benefits, etc. as applicable;
• Resources: investment statements, life insurance policies, checking and savings account statements, total family income, value of all property to include vehicles, vacation property, rental property; etc. as applicable;
• Liabilities and Indebtedness: loan statements, mortgage statements, installment (credit card) statements, delinquency on any utilities, etc. as applicable;
• Membership in Organizations and/or other Civic Organizations: membership cards for any volunteer, civic, church related organizations, etc. as applicable;
• Religious interests: interests and activities of the Applicant, as applicable;
• Mobility and Travel: addresses and dates of residences for the past ten years;
• Employment History: record of jobs held for the past ten years as shown by W2’s, pay stubs, etc. as applicable;
• Educational History: history of education as shown by diplomas, certificates, transcripts, etc. as applicable;
• Military Service: branch of service, dates of entry and discharge, type of discharge, rank attained as shown by a DD-214; as applicable;
• Community Reputation and Reference: names and contact information of at least 3-5 references to be contacted by the investigating Agent, or letters of support.

Please Note:  Before submitting your application, please be sure that you are willing to make yourself available to the parole staff and are willing to provide the above requested information. The Board has determined the interview and verification of the information provided as requirements and you must adhere to them.  Failure to make yourself available to parole staff either by telephone or the in-person interview and/or to provide the requested information will result in your application being administratively withdrawn.

If you do not reside in Pennsylvania, parole staff’s standard procedure is to send you a worksheet to complete followed up by a telephone interview to confirm the information contained in the worksheet.

You should expect a delay from the time your application is filed until you are interviewed.  This will ensure that the information regarding your present personal status is current and accurate when it is reviewed by the Board.

Department of Corrections – This agency is responsible for preparing a report for incarcerated individuals only.

District Attorney/President Judge – The District Attorney and President Judge in the county where the crime(s) occurred are given a chance to provide an opinion on the merits of every application. In cases involving more than one jurisdiction, a copy of the application will also go to the appropriate District Attorney and President Judge in that county.

Once all of the necessary reports have been received, the Board Secretary and staff will send to each Board Member in advance an applicant’s file to be reviewed for a hearing. The Board will grant a hearing if two (2) of the five Board members approve. Hearings for lifers or prisoners serving time for crimes of violence may only be granted upon approval of three (3) Board members. Attempted crimes of violence are included in this and offenses committed while in visible possession of a firearm, for which sentencing was imposed, will also require a three (3) member vote. If the required number of votes are not obtained, the process has ended and the applicant will not receive a pardon/commutation.

If a hearing is granted, the following individuals/agencies will be notified of the time and place of the hearing:

• Applicant/Representative
• Board of Probation and Parole
• Department of Corrections (If incarcerated)
• District Attorney, President Judge
• Victim(s) or Victim(s) Next of Kin
• Newspaper in the county where an applicant committed the crime(s) for which he/she is seeking clemency. At least one week prior to the public hearing, notice must be published stating the applicant’s name, the crimes(s) with respect to which the applicant has applied for clemency, clemency type, the institution, if any, in which the applicant is confined and the time and place of the hearing at which the application will be heard. Newspaper publication is required for every application to be heard by the Board.

A calendar is prepared, listing each application to be heard at the specified public session. It is distributed to all interested parties in advance of the public session.

The Hearing:

Hearings are held in the Supreme Court Courtroom in Harrisburg. The Board meets on a regular basis, as determined by the Board. On the scheduled day, the Board convenes at 9:00 A.M. for morning sessions or 1:00 P.M. for afternoon sessions. The Board’s secretary will call the session to order and the Board’s chairman will present opening remarks. Following the opening remarks, the first case, as listed on the calendar, is called to present their case. No more than fifteen minutes is allowed for each applicant’s presentation. Each case is called in consecutive order with each informal presentation adhering to the following format:

• Applicant’s presentation
• Supportive speakers’ presentation
• Victim’s and/or victim’s next of kin’s presentation or anyone who would like to speak in opposition of the application.

Visit the Public Hearing Presentation page for more information on preparing for your presentation to the Board.

The Results:

Following the public hearing session, the Board meets in Executive Session. The Board reconvenes to vote in public. If a majority of the Board vote in favor of an application, the Board recommends favorable action to the Governor. If less than a majority of the Board vote in favor, the result is a denial by the Board and the application is not forwarded to the Governor. Life or Death sentence cases require a unanimous vote by the Board to be recommended to the Governor. The Governor, at his discretion, may approve or disapprove any favorable recommendation submitted by the Board. When the Secretary of the Board has received the Governor’s action, all interested parties will be notified of the decision.

Post Result Actions:

Reconsideration – A request for reconsideration of any decision may be made to the Board. The applicant must show a change in circumstances since the application was filed, or other compelling reasons, sufficient to justify reconsideration. Dissatisfaction with the Board’s decision is not grounds to request reconsideration.

Effective Monday, June 3, 2019, a formal request for reconsideration must be accompanied by a Reconsideration Request Form, which is prescribed by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons (BOP).  From the effective date and anytime thereafter, any request that does not include a Reconsideration Request Form will be automatically rejected by the BOP.

Download Reconsideration Request Form

Reapplication – An application may not be filed before the expiration of 12 months from a final adverse decision on any prior application. If an application receives two consecutive adverse decisions, an application may not be filed before the expiration of 24 months from the last adverse decision.

We are all witnesses.

On June 19, 2018, we watched the video of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II running away, unarmed, with his hands held high. We watched as he was shot three times in the back by Police Officer Michael Rosfeld.

Antwon Rose II was no threat to Michael Rosfeld.

We believe the family and loved ones of Antwon Rose II deserve justice.We believe that in a democratic society, democracy fails when any citizen is denied a pathway to justice.

We believe that holding police accountable is essential for creating a meaningful relationship between the police and the community.

We believe that in order for justice to prevail, Michael Rosfeld must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the murder of Antwon Rose II.

We believe that if the Allegheny County District Attorney convicts Officer Michael Rosfeld, then we can finally begin the process of healing and reconciliation.

The focus should be on convicting Michael Rosfeld, not what a community in pain might or might not do.

We’ve all heard the slogan that Pittsburgh is “America’s Most Liveable City.” However, without justice, without accountability, without racial equality, the question remains, “For WHOM?” Only a two-tier system of justice that offers police preferential treatment would accept the notion that Michael Rosfeld is innocent of wrongdoing. Such a conclusion would send a very clear message to our community and the world that Black Lives Do NOT Matter.

The outcome of this trial can either deepen the division or show that we are truly “Stronger Together”.

The whole world is watching.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizens of Allegheny County

120 Organizations signed onto this open letter initiated by the Alliance for Police Accountability and 1HOOD

To find out how you can support the family email justiceforantwonroseII@gmail.com. You can Cash App donations to: $ANTWONSMOTHER .

Let’s Get Free is pushing off the new year with a flurry of heartfelt activity. Excitement is brewing because we have secured a date for our annual prison justice art fundraiser (October) and our dear friends from Philadelphia are coming to lead a training on self governance. That’s right! Reconstruction Inc. will be here the 3rd weekend of March to share their Capacity Building Curriculum, and you are invited!

We continue to confront laws and policies upholding Death by Incarceration sentences, with our participation in CADBI-West. We have been channeling love in the form of visits, letters, phone calls, books, financial and commutation application support to not just the women at Cambridge Springs but many people serving life sentences.

We are bursting with ideas and an overwhelming workload – perhaps you are ready to get more involved? Next meeting this Wednesday Feb 20th @ 6:30pm at the TMC Annex 5119 Penn ave! You coming?

Read on dear ones for news, updates and ways to participate.

To celebrate this righteous return of people to their communities, you are invited to join on February 14, 2019 for a celebration of love and freedom with dinner, conversation, performances by radical artists, and more!

This secret café pop-up restaurant will begin serving dinner at 6:45, with a short menu made to satisfying all (vegans/carnivores/gf/nut free)

There is no cost for this event, though donation jars will be present for those who feel called to contribute.

~Why do we need a community bail fund in Pittsburgh?~

81% of inmates at ACJ have not been convicted of a crime. They are only being held because they cannot afford to post bail before their trial. Their freedom cannot wait. Black people and other People of Color end up behind bars more than anyone else — Black people get incarcerated at more than five times the rate of white people. People needlessly suffer and often even die in jail while waiting on their hearings, especially if they are POC, trans, disabled, or poor. In 2017, four people died at ACJ due to medical neglect, and historically such deaths occur within the first few days of someone’s arrival.

Join this new exciting group on this day of action in memory of Frank “Bukit” Smart, Jr. and everyone else who has lost their life to the neglect and active abuse of the ACJ. In solidarity with all their families, friends, and loved ones, let’s spread the #LoveBeyondBars!

For more info on Bukit’s story, please visit the Facebook page: Bukit Bail Fund

Call for Artists

Our 3rd annual prison justice art fundraiser is set for October of 2019. Calling all artists on both sides of the walls to create pieces on the theme –  “Glow Home:
Illuminating relationSHIPS”

What does HOME look like? Feel like? A space? A state of mind? how do you glow there?

How would you draw, paint sculpt your dream home? If you are incarcerated, what are your hopes, dreams, fears about coming home?

So many of us had fun creating lamps and light boxes at last years show we wanted to extend that theme. Spruce up a lamp shade or string of lights.

Another angle is that of relationSHIPS. We believe relationships are really what makes coming home GLOW. Think of all the ships:)  relationSHIP. friendSHIP, companionSHIP, hardSHIP, worSHIP, partnerSHIP, citizenSHIP, leaderSHIP -it is a fundraiser. People love ships. loveSHIPs.

Please submit your art by July 31 2019.

As always, we accept old art that wasn’t made specifically for this show. Additionally, if anyone is still inspired to make art out of letters from people in prison please do!

Do you know an incarcerated artist? Share their contact with us so we can send them the call to artists.

Questions, encouragement or need some letters from people in prison?  Contact etta cetera: letsgetfreepa@gmail.com – 443-603-6964

Please watch this new 18 minute documentary produced by Real Stories featuring women in prison at SCI-Muncy. It’s called Dying Outloud. This film features Diane Metzger who passed away this month in prison. We send our deepest condolences out to her family both in and outside of prison. Diane was 69 years old at the time of her death. Her crime, not turning in her husband who killed his ex-wife, is explained in the video. In 1989 Diane received approval from the Board of Pardons for a commutation of her life sentence, but was then denied by Governor Bob Casey. All women featured in the documentary did not commit the murders they are serving life sentences for. They were in the car, the other room, took a plea, etc. Below are two quotes by professionals attempting to understand why the system comes down harder on women than men.  (Please pardon the binary) “There is more tolerance for male violence than there is for female violence because female violence is so rare.” – Brian O’Neil, criminologist “There is a long standing assumption that men commit crime because they are bad or in economic need. For women, the idea that women would commit a crime is a violation of their feminine nature … that they are deviant by virtue for violating a larger cultural norm about femininity.” –Dr. Jill McCorkel, PHD Ricky Olds founder of Let’s Get Free’s new program, The Real Deal on Reentry, spoke as a part of Law & Disorder panel at the Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit on January 25, 2019. The Real Deal is a budding  program supporting returning citizens. The program is organically occurring on the streets of downtown Pittsburgh, on buses across the city and through the prison walls. Ricky has been offering emotional and financial support for fellow returning citizens as well as to his brothers on the inside. To learn more about Ricky’s story

This Saturday members of the Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration-West are hosting a break out session at this years Summit for Racial Justice.

Saturday January 26th
at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
616 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Breakout session: 1 (10:25 am – 11:25 am)
Room: Long 204 (capacity 48)