WHAT WE DO
At the heart of our work is writing and visiting prisoners and connecting with families of prisoners. Everything else we do radiates from there. Our long term goal is Community Control of Corrections. You can view a still pendin Soros fellowship proposal and last year's grant request in other posts in this blog. The questions asked are good and it gives a detailed description of who we are and what we are doing for anyone considering getting involved.
HOW TO DONATE
FFUP is a 501c3 non profit . We are all volunteers and no one gets wages. Our monetary resources are stretched to the limit: there are many requests for needed help we cannot honor and projects that should be expanded that stay tiny. With your help, we can expand this work.
Send Donations to:
FFUP (Forum For Understanding Prisons) PO Box 285 Richland Center, WI 53581
We are a 501c3 non profit
Also, feel free to email or call with any questions:
swansol@mwt.net
1-608-536-3993
More Details for The Curious about What We DO
Advocacy: When needed we write and call into prisons, to legislators, give support to family members and always network closely with other activists. IF you want to help in this important work or have someone in prison who needs help, email us. We have no magic bullet but often just connecting with others helps to generate new ideas and raise energy levels. We are working on ways to make it easier to access the courts easier.
Prison Action Wisconsin is a new Milwaukee families group and with FFUP and Wisconsin Prison Watch (WPW), another rural group, we are well on our way to building a strong voice for prisoners and their families. PAM's formation is a culmination of 8 years of friendship building between prisoner families in Milwaukee and our rural activists. It is hard to overstress the importance of this group, as more and more prisoner families find their voice.
AT present all our little rural groups are coordinating with the Milwaukee group to push through fair parole laws.
Penpals, Education and Community outreach: With our penpal program,pamphlets and newsletter we try to show the human side of prison. here is a lot of anxiety and horror to deal with in this work if you go to any depth but this is countered by the joy of getting to know these men and women who so dearly need the touch of friendship and are usually so grateful for our caring. Writing to prisoners is the most rewarding part of this work and is what keeps us going and keeps us focused. Part of our mission is to support families of prisoners and anyone who chooses to write to prisoner, so if you choose to become a penpal , you are welcome to email and ask for support , help, or advise.
PRISONER ARTS AND CRAFTS SALE You can help us with our fundraising by purchasing a crocheted hat or your portrait done. This is all in its infancy stages but we will be selling cards made from Donated art also. All moneys eraned will go toward priosner support. Click on link to view blog http://prisonercraftsale.blogspot.com/
Where Your Donations can help
Stamps, Shipping ,copying , expenses and phone are FFUP's major expenses items. We are always stretched to the limit financially as we do not have the extra arms for fundraising and all our expenses at this time come out of pocket. We are all volunteers. Any help with these mundane items is greatly appreciated
Most Common requests from prisoners Unfortunately, due to security concerns, All these items have to be new and unopended, direct from the manufacturer . we help out here when we can. . Replacement Glasses for a Prisoner- if he has a prescription, we can get them for about 25 dollars online. ribbon/ cassettes for word processors and typewriters are in constant demand Art supplies- This is a common request. Also, the new general population in WSPF is wanting to donating crafts to the community and is asking for supplies.hygiene items: Every time they are moved to a new prison, all bottles or containers that are opened (-their skin./ hair/soaps/over- the- counter- medicines etc) are destoyed. Many prisoners who have long sentences lose contact with friends and familyand are indigent. The prisoner must rely on what we are told are woefully inadequate prison handouts. Being able to help prisoners resupply and possibly advocating to make more just rules about moving is on FFUP's wish list. Magazines- A frequently requested item. Again, when prisoners are moved, generally the subscriptions take months to catch up with them In our experience, most prisons do not forward magazines and again, the prisoner loses another vital point of contact with the outside world. There are some outfits that offer reduced rates for prisoners and we use these. Books, legal material , information from the web -reading is the how many prisoners get through. Law books are especially in demand and informational books of all kinds are requested. Many prisoners came to prison illiterate and turn their lives around by reading. There are free books to prisoners programs but the demand far outstrips and thing they can do.
By far the most common request is for typewriters and radios. Writing is one of the few activities prisoners are allowed and carpal tunnel syndrome is rampant in prisons. Typewriters, seldom used out here are very important.
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Sunday, December 6, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
2009 Soros fellowship request
Main Application
Overview: My aim is to provide a bridge between prisoners, their loved ones and the non incarcerated world; to help these outcasts find their voice and get their needs met. I strongly believe that we as a society desperately need this voice if are going to reclaim our humanity. I see a dearth of compassion in this country and prisoners are the scapegoats. In over ten years of work, I have found that putting a human face on this demonized population is the best way to both activate the creative powers of prisoners and to open the hearts of the more comfortable.
The need: Prison is a place of humiliation, where little nurturing goes on and the majority of rehabilitation programs have ceased to exist. Even so, many prisoners will confess that prison is also the reason they are alive, that their destructive lifestyles would have ended in death if not prison. Many of them want to help when they get out- they want to heal their community and /or work with FFUP and yet they have no work experience and often can hardly read or write. They go in at 17 and come out at 35 with virtually no tools and a belly full of pent-up emotions. Others, the older prisoners, have often rehabilitated themselves, learned to be eloquent writers and voracious readers. They need to be heard. One prisoner said to me-“We are like coal. The pressure of prison is supposed to break us. Instead , we become Black Diamonds.”
Most Wisconsin prisoners come from Milwaukee, a city whose inner city children score near the bottom year after year in national reading and math test scores. Milwaukee’s inner city is a community at war and that is where most prisoners go back after release. Wisconsin also has the one of the worst racial disparity scores in the nation yet Madison legislators and leaders are only able to do studies1. I believe there will be no change until the people most effected come to the fore and start programs they need and demand funding for them.
footnote: Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities in the Wisconsin Justice System ,Jim Doyle Governor ;Spencer Coggs . Noble Wray ;Co-Chairs ;Final Report February 2008
“Ten Worst Places to Be Black “ Black Commentator , http://www.blackcommentator.com/146/146_cover_dixon_ten_worst.html
This project as related to other community efforts. I know of no other program that deals with prisoners as directly as FFUP does. MUM, Madison Urban Ministry has a restorative justice program, a program for some ex-offenders and does good educational work. CURE does important lobbying; Wisconsin Books to Prisoners( WBTP)sends donated used books to prisoners around the country. Unfortunately ,Only new books are allowed into the WI prison system . Wisconsin Prison Watch (WPW)puts out an important newsletter and does some advocacy. We are a close coalition- coming together on important issues and presentations. FFUP provided artwork and essays for a recent art exhibit done by WBTP. CURE, WPW, FFUP and a group of families of prisoners, met with the governor’s aides last fall, have conducted rallies together and are now working with the WI ACLU in an effort to get a voting for ex-prisoners bill through the legislature. I also worked with Amnesty international in an effort to make guard /prisoner sex illegal and since that time have an ongoing email connection with WI amnesty international leader. These and other contacts are constant- there is a community here and at one time we all did meet regularly in Madison to discuss cooperation . I also do network with national organizations that educate the public on prison issues. However, I believe I am the only person along with my colleagues from the web, whose core work is with prisoners and in that way, I have become an important bridge between prisoners, the DOC, the WI legislature, and other activists, and the greater public.
Over the 10 years I have been doing this work, the prisoners and I and FFUP have developed a strong mutual trust. They know I feel this work is as important for me and society as it is for them. Our first ten years has been spent largely in finding out what does not work. The need is plain- expansion of access to the justice system and rehabilitation tools.
What are the projects goals?
With this trust and experience, prisoners and I are ready to expand the programs we have begun and start programs we have only dreamt about.
I)Legal network :
a) what we do now: prisoners and I have started a legal network under the rubric of FFUP, which gives us legitimacy. I will include an application form . In it, the prisoner states clearly his/her problem and I send that form to a prisoner litigator. I am working with 5 prisoner litigators and an ex-prisoner paralegal and I am a certified paralegal and act as intake person. I call these prisoners “litigators” when they have done extensive law study and have won cases. Usually theses prisoners help many around them . These “helpers” then advise me whether FFUP should help with the project. If the answer is yes, that helper will continue to work with the prisoner while I keep him supplied with tools he needs. I copy , provide stamps etc. So far it has not gone beyond that. We have one law firm who has agreed to look at civil rights cases for our network. The goal is to help the prisoner do the legal work and go as far as he/she can . Then , if needed , apply to a lawyer with case almost completed.
I have also worked extensively with prisoners’ families in search of lawyers and have been appalled at the waste of money and energy and sheer heartbreak . This network is available to all who need it and we hope to eventually end up with a list of reliable, affordable lawyers and paralegals that we could give out to people in need. We hope to stop the rip-offs of the poor.
b)What I will do to expand program:
Legal self help manual and legal newsletter: Both of these are underway by prisoners, with me as bridge- I am coordinator and prisoners in three different prisons are putting a legal newsletter and manual together that would teach the prisoner step by step litigation. They then want to sell the book to prisoners inexpensively in order to help fund the legal network.
Group actions: There are many class action lawsuits that need to be brought. For example the administrative confinement rules allow the prisons to keep prisoners in segregation without property for years and this is where many of Wisconsin’s mentally ill and its best litigators are found. I will include an effort presently underway which does not yet involve the network but which may lead to a lawsuit. We also need to address those rules that make litigation by prisoners almost impossible .Many issues can be addresses once our network gathers strength. There needs to be a way to hold the prison and prison guards accountable for their actions . Right now there is no balance.
Fundraising: We need to do major fundraising so we can get legal books, help prisoners with fees , and help prisoners study to be paralegals. Also postage and copying expenses are high. I am in contact with many lawyers and will start with them , asking for donations. From there it needs to spread.
II)Expanding program tools that help prisoner use his time in prison to grow spiritually and mentally while giving him/her a voice in the greater community.
There are four prongs to the program
1)Accessing resources already available.
a) Researching the programs and resources already available within the prisons, in correspondence courses and within the community and developing an effective way to disseminate this information. We will concentrate particularly on Medium and maximum prisons as this is where the bulk of prisoners are and remain for years and years of what they call “dead time”.
b) Working with technical colleges and apprenticeship programs in an effort to aid prisoners soon to be released and to prepare prisoners far in advance of release for these programs.
2) Develop a program of regular visits by business people( for example , to talk to prisoners about how to conduct a job interview) and schools ( what skills are needed. ) Also needed are visits by ex- prisoners to prisons to share their experiences with release.
3) “EACH ONE TEACH ONE”
Mentoring prisoners to help them gain writing and reading skills.
a) Although GED is available to younger prisoners as are some funding for college courses, most prisoners cannot access them. They are too old ,or in maximum prisons or in segregation status. Also , the skills needed by apprenticeship programs and technical colleges far exceed what is learned by most students passing their GED. The prisoners and I intend to help bridge that gap with an ‘each one teach one” mentoring program . Later, we will be able to attract people in the larger community.
b) We also hope to expand to be able to make resources available on any topic of interest by working with prison libraries and Books to prisoners programs, programs like college guild etc.
c) Creative writing is another important course several prisoners and I are putting together. I believe writing and sharing can be a tool for healing.
d)We have a few pairings between prisoners now and they are helping us develop the program as we all experiment and find out what works. More skilled prisoners will help mentor, plus later volunteers from the community. The goal is to develop an effective structure that is flexible enough for all to use. We are finding that handout sheets, short writing exercises and frequent interaction between “student” and “mentor” is more effective than merely ordering a language arts or math book for the prisoner student. The “mentor” needs to be as involved as the student to make the most of the learning experience for both.
e) Many prisoners confide that they did not do well while in school because that they were not listened to- that the students come to school with a lot of baggage and need to tell their story before they have room to take in information. We hope to encourage real rapport between mentor and student.
e) The mentoring network with also help prisoner students with their math skills where needed so they can successfully apply for apprenticeship or technical college admittance. Here , we are using copies printed from Math review and GED books. Here it is especially important the mentor work closely with the student. .
4) Special Newsletters
a)Spanish Language Newsletter- Is the brainchild of 2 prisoners in administrative confinement. There are many prisoners who hardly know English and this would be a good tool to help them with their legal work and language learning. This is in beginning stages. Our bilingual paralegal is invested in it and will help with its’ development. Increasingly , I am getting requests from prisoners for special newsletters.
b) Special Needs Newsletter for the mentally ill , those in segregation and those without family: will be discussed at end of this application.
5)Helping the prisoner Get his voice heard- the writing, publishing and web component :
d) We have an extensive web presence where we showcase prisoners’ writing, art , and crafts. This will be expanded and improved: http://www.forumforunderstandingprisons.net/. Through working with published authors, publishers, we hope to get accomplished prisoner writers published in mainstream media. Also, I am working with prisoners on plan for self publishing a book of collected prisoner works.
e) Prisoners who are accomplished writer and I will launch an extensive effort to get published authors involved in the mentoring process. To do this we will need to have a program structure that is attractive to them and does not become burdensome.
f) I have put together a free penpal site, many blogs telling individual stories, and blogs of writings of prisoners and specific prison issues. All these are at present linked and will gradually morph as more and more prisoner use this as an outlet to tell their stories. The web is a great tool for prisoners to feel involved and seems to help them heal. Our web also attacts a growing group of people who know nothing first hand about the justice system in this country and are coming to read prisoners stories. One comment recently said “ I never knew prisoners could be so eloquent” after reading an essay by prisoner Ron Schilling. The web confronts and changes some stereotypes.
4)Networking
Besides the penpal blogs and webs, I offer a FFUP PO Box for people who want to write to a prisoner but are afraid to give prisoners their real address. I also offer email support for any problems that come up . A network of caring people has built up through these email meetings and we are now tackling common problems, with division of labor growing. I intend to expand this networking to include more and more people from different organizations. I have found when people are doing the things that most care about , as they need to do them , the ideas and creativity flow. King Arthur’s round table is the idea, I think , And we sometimes come close.
I am particularly interested in connecting strongly with groups that support the mentally ill.
Also helping with the broad picture in prison work are many of the family member and friends of prisoners I have worked with and tried to help over the years. The process is simple, the old adage of “pay it forward” as they get stronger, they are able to help others.
5) Fundraising : prisoners get less and less family support. Prisoners and I want launch 2 fundraising projects specifically for indigent prisoners and others, who participate and donate crafts. We have cards made of drawing by prisoners and are working out a plan for families to do the packing and sending . This will be a wonderful project for solidarity as the families may too then come together for their own fundraisers.
6) Advocacy for the mentally ill in prison, helping them get through alive. helping them grow
I finish here because this is the most heart rending and heart felt part of my work One of the first prisoner letters I received was from a behavior management cell in the Boscobel Supermax. The man was freezing, naked, in a cell with a camera and light on 24 /7. He had a ghost cellmate who caused him all kinds of problems. This man is now featured on our web with the blog “vanguards of justice.” He is strong and sane. There are others who testify to the fact that nurturing human contact can show a prisoner “the light, ” which is a term many prisoners use when they describe the letters and visits they receive..
What I do now :We know our prisons are our defacto mental institutions. Two of the group of people coming from the internet as penpals are now working with me to develop a program for prisoners at risk- those in segregation, mentally ill , or without family or friends. These email- networkers are writing to many prisoners and are dedicated to helping them keep safe. One prisoner tells another about us and we all get inundated by letter asking for love. We have several “special needs blogs” and are engineering a newsletter with these prisoners that will contain puzzles and games and activities for them to do as well as their stories etc. Some of these as risk prisoners are writing their biographies and we are posting them . It is all a way to keep them from harming themselves and staying string and connected. Often people in seg end up cutting themselves, then get put in the observation cell – naked- etc, just to be put back in the cell – it is a circle over and over and we are trying to break it.
We are putting their writings on the web and are eventually going to publish a book with a couple of prisoners as chief editors.
TO EXPAND PROGRAM using the web and the groups for the mentally ill like NAMI (National Association for the Mentally Ill), we will get more advocates for the mentally ill in prison and gradually open the people eyes to the needs for treatment for the mentally ill , and more importantly , to the need for us all to learn the art of listening and holding reach others pain. The key of healing is caring.
Also, I have a submitted a rule change to the DOC and am always calling , writing letters and advocating to get the basic structure of what we do with the mentally ill changes. There will be no real change , however until the public sees what is happening.
7)Dream: self sustaining farm selling Organic produce and crafts for released offenders. This dream has grown and grown until now there are a few prisoner who are soon to be released, that are working on a plan . Once there are actual ex-prisoners to engineer the thing, we will put together a grant for the farm purchase/lease. This farm would be a place where ex-prisoners could land and unwind and learn their own rhythms again. I live rurally and even have the unoccupied farm picked out (in my imagination.) There are many reason for the high recidivism rate but one of them, I believe, is that many prisoners end up with post traumatic stress syndrome and simply explode upon leaving prison – they need adjustment time.
How My Work relates to Host organization:
FFUP , Forum for Understanding Prisons is a coalition for caring people, prisoner and free. It is more an idea than anything else. We once had a group that met regularly but the work is too hard and individual and we lived rurally. Burnout rate among prison activists is high.
My goal , and I think all our goal, is to understand prisons and to bring about community control of corrections , which is the Projects mission.
Advisory board
1) Frank Van Den Bosch, founder of Wisconsin Prison Watch(WPW) is natural leader and spokesperson And has agreed to be an advisor and media liason for this project should I get the fellowship. He will be useful in deciding on campaign tactics.
2) David Rhodes, a writer and Quaker, Has been editor of our “Bridge of Voices” Newsletter. His views are balanced and he has always been able to bring in the views of the average citizen .
3) Sylvia Benedick: is enthusiastic and unstinting in effort to help prisoners in need. She is not as political as the above people but brings a positiveness to the group . Also, she is a very effective networker and can advise me very well on this.
4) Jeff Voigt is the ex-prisoner paralegal I work with- he is very well versed in the law and can advise me on how to proceed on legal issues as presented buy our legal network helpers.
5) and 6)2 prisoners. I believe it is very important that prisoners be in the decision making body. I have developed the present mentoring program and legal network exclusively with them .They do know the needs and have the vision needed. I have picked two prisoners I have known for a long time. Both now reside 15 miles form me so I can visit them and discuss our projects issues often.
5) Norman Green WSPF prisoners- this man takes the long view on all things and is a fine litigator and good counsel.
6) Bryant Johnson ., Highly enthusiastic, is organizing the men prisoners within the institution on a variety of projects . He is very positive and again, widens the perspective of the project every time I visit him.
TIME LINE
Three months:
1)If I receive his grant, I will hold meetings with other activists with the goal of beginning to coordinate efforts and pool resources and information. I hope there can be an exchange of information and sharing of resources, each activist focusing on their own area of work while working on the building of an effective helping network.
2)Also, I will be able to offer supplies and support to activists who choose to help me with my projects with prisoners. I hope to finally have a helper with each of the broad project areas. I hope to be able to purchase a copier/printer for someone who will help with fundraising and newsletters.
I will:
3)Organize materials , mailing lists, mentoring programs, legal network in such a way that anyone coming in can access information.
2) Improve web and blogs – this is a main avenue for prisoners to reach out to the public. Fundraising pages sites need to be setup , current, advocacy and campaign information and system whereby new prisoners works are easily mounted,.. innocent and wrongly convicted blogs need to be updated and scrutinized – Some prisoners are using these blog to attract lawyers and they need to be updated , others were posted long ago and need to be deleted or the cases investigated.
3)Get 2 new newsletters well established and litigation manual well underway. . Spanish newsletter, special needs newsletter, and legal newsletter and/or legal manual . These are all in the main prisoner projects and will have a limited readership. .The internet helpers and our paralegal and I will help facilitate and coordinate. Once the structure is set up , the prisoners themselves will be a main part of choosing what submissions to use and how to layout The newsletter. The litigation manual is being written by prisoners in one prison and will be reviewed/edited/ corrected by paralegals and networkers I have known the longest and trust the most.
4) work on, perfect, existing bulk main newsletter using new template of having prisoners edit and put together . Soon start to put out one for general public with editor. Same materials will be used in each except emphasis is different. For example, the general public is not interested in how to write a legal motion. The prisoners know all about the mentally ill in prison.
4)mentoring program: Collect, gather and write mentoring program handout sheets and books. This is being done with prisoners, with teachers in the area, using all available resources I can find on the net, and text books I have bought. We are getting some help from College Guild ,a NH mentoring group .They have a 7 month waiting list are swamped but have agreed to allow one of our prisoners jump the line and go through the program . Then we can use his materials as guide in developing our own programs.
5) Research all existing programs available to prisoner in medium and maximum facilities. Research programs available to them upon release. Start putting it together in effective form.
6) start talking ,working with Corrections on cooperative programs – Prisoners want to hear form business and schools- We need to start opening our maximum institutions to the public in a way that now only happens in Minimums. Many people never get to minimum institutions and are released out of mediums or maximum prisons. .
7) collect data to fill in gaps we need for advocacy and for the web. For example- John Doe Law use , real sex offender recidivism data, data from prisoners and their families on issues of concern. FFUP and rest of incarceration coalition is trying to find lawyer to do a parole lawsuit- all this research will be used by FFUP the organization and the coalition.
8) Keep coordinating legal network. As we are working with volunteer prisoner litigators, it needs to unfold. I will be doing a letter writing campaign to get lawyers on board and funding.
9)Mentally ill and segregation campaign- find ways to connect with existing organizations advocating for the mentally ill - like NAMI and Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy- the prisoner issues connects all groups for there is no treatment for the mentally ill poor in this country.
We have announced a contest in our last newsletter for prisoners to submit writings about seg issues to be published in a book of prisoners writings. I am recieving submissions at this point and getting them typed by volunteer prisoners typists. Much of the web is devoted to this issue and needs to be worked on.
Six months,
By this time we should have our litigation manual finished, some sense of fundraising possibilities- what is possible and who will help. We should have a stronger network of volunteers from web, in prisoners and their families. Many prisoner tell me they want to help with FFUP when they get out. We will be able to work on ways to make this possible as by now I will have the projects organized in such a way that division of labor is possible and I can hand over sections. and ,with much effort and some luck , we may have a fundraising tool ready. For example, the prisoners have donated wonderful art and I have put together cards, for example ,using their art work- it is a matter of energy for production . Other things will be visible by this time also. Pamphlets should be finished and and general outreach well established.
Second year-
Book publishing , We dream of self publishing prisoners works. This is possible with help form prisoners.
Legal network should have lawyers on board and a list effective affordable lawyers for referral to families and prisoners who come to us in need. We hope to be able to confront some of the more egregious corruptions within the system .
I am encouraging prisoners to think in detail about what they need and want for themselves . By this time the mentoring program should be supplying some of the tools that make their dreams possible.
Measure of success_
Are more families activated to advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
Are many prisoners using FFUP programs, are mentally ill prisoners feeling more connected to the world.
Are mainstream people coming to the FFUP web ? Has he prison discussion changed at all ? Is their any discussion about society’s responsibility toward the mentally ill? Is there more compassion ?
Are prisoners accessing the legal network ? Is it helping them ? Is the level of expertise in legal advocating rising among prisoners with the litigation manual ?
Are prisoners more focused upon release – do they have better reading and writing skills, are they able to handle their anger better- the latter would be one measure of the success of the mentoring and creative writing program. To help the prisoner feel connected to the greater world.
Hardest: Are prisoners and activists able to hold the DOC more accountable?
Overview: My aim is to provide a bridge between prisoners, their loved ones and the non incarcerated world; to help these outcasts find their voice and get their needs met. I strongly believe that we as a society desperately need this voice if are going to reclaim our humanity. I see a dearth of compassion in this country and prisoners are the scapegoats. In over ten years of work, I have found that putting a human face on this demonized population is the best way to both activate the creative powers of prisoners and to open the hearts of the more comfortable.
The need: Prison is a place of humiliation, where little nurturing goes on and the majority of rehabilitation programs have ceased to exist. Even so, many prisoners will confess that prison is also the reason they are alive, that their destructive lifestyles would have ended in death if not prison. Many of them want to help when they get out- they want to heal their community and /or work with FFUP and yet they have no work experience and often can hardly read or write. They go in at 17 and come out at 35 with virtually no tools and a belly full of pent-up emotions. Others, the older prisoners, have often rehabilitated themselves, learned to be eloquent writers and voracious readers. They need to be heard. One prisoner said to me-“We are like coal. The pressure of prison is supposed to break us. Instead , we become Black Diamonds.”
Most Wisconsin prisoners come from Milwaukee, a city whose inner city children score near the bottom year after year in national reading and math test scores. Milwaukee’s inner city is a community at war and that is where most prisoners go back after release. Wisconsin also has the one of the worst racial disparity scores in the nation yet Madison legislators and leaders are only able to do studies1. I believe there will be no change until the people most effected come to the fore and start programs they need and demand funding for them.
footnote: Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities in the Wisconsin Justice System ,Jim Doyle Governor ;Spencer Coggs . Noble Wray ;Co-Chairs ;Final Report February 2008
“Ten Worst Places to Be Black “ Black Commentator , http://www.blackcommentator.com/146/146_cover_dixon_ten_worst.html
This project as related to other community efforts. I know of no other program that deals with prisoners as directly as FFUP does. MUM, Madison Urban Ministry has a restorative justice program, a program for some ex-offenders and does good educational work. CURE does important lobbying; Wisconsin Books to Prisoners( WBTP)sends donated used books to prisoners around the country. Unfortunately ,Only new books are allowed into the WI prison system . Wisconsin Prison Watch (WPW)puts out an important newsletter and does some advocacy. We are a close coalition- coming together on important issues and presentations. FFUP provided artwork and essays for a recent art exhibit done by WBTP. CURE, WPW, FFUP and a group of families of prisoners, met with the governor’s aides last fall, have conducted rallies together and are now working with the WI ACLU in an effort to get a voting for ex-prisoners bill through the legislature. I also worked with Amnesty international in an effort to make guard /prisoner sex illegal and since that time have an ongoing email connection with WI amnesty international leader. These and other contacts are constant- there is a community here and at one time we all did meet regularly in Madison to discuss cooperation . I also do network with national organizations that educate the public on prison issues. However, I believe I am the only person along with my colleagues from the web, whose core work is with prisoners and in that way, I have become an important bridge between prisoners, the DOC, the WI legislature, and other activists, and the greater public.
Over the 10 years I have been doing this work, the prisoners and I and FFUP have developed a strong mutual trust. They know I feel this work is as important for me and society as it is for them. Our first ten years has been spent largely in finding out what does not work. The need is plain- expansion of access to the justice system and rehabilitation tools.
What are the projects goals?
With this trust and experience, prisoners and I are ready to expand the programs we have begun and start programs we have only dreamt about.
I)Legal network :
a) what we do now: prisoners and I have started a legal network under the rubric of FFUP, which gives us legitimacy. I will include an application form . In it, the prisoner states clearly his/her problem and I send that form to a prisoner litigator. I am working with 5 prisoner litigators and an ex-prisoner paralegal and I am a certified paralegal and act as intake person. I call these prisoners “litigators” when they have done extensive law study and have won cases. Usually theses prisoners help many around them . These “helpers” then advise me whether FFUP should help with the project. If the answer is yes, that helper will continue to work with the prisoner while I keep him supplied with tools he needs. I copy , provide stamps etc. So far it has not gone beyond that. We have one law firm who has agreed to look at civil rights cases for our network. The goal is to help the prisoner do the legal work and go as far as he/she can . Then , if needed , apply to a lawyer with case almost completed.
I have also worked extensively with prisoners’ families in search of lawyers and have been appalled at the waste of money and energy and sheer heartbreak . This network is available to all who need it and we hope to eventually end up with a list of reliable, affordable lawyers and paralegals that we could give out to people in need. We hope to stop the rip-offs of the poor.
b)What I will do to expand program:
Legal self help manual and legal newsletter: Both of these are underway by prisoners, with me as bridge- I am coordinator and prisoners in three different prisons are putting a legal newsletter and manual together that would teach the prisoner step by step litigation. They then want to sell the book to prisoners inexpensively in order to help fund the legal network.
Group actions: There are many class action lawsuits that need to be brought. For example the administrative confinement rules allow the prisons to keep prisoners in segregation without property for years and this is where many of Wisconsin’s mentally ill and its best litigators are found. I will include an effort presently underway which does not yet involve the network but which may lead to a lawsuit. We also need to address those rules that make litigation by prisoners almost impossible .Many issues can be addresses once our network gathers strength. There needs to be a way to hold the prison and prison guards accountable for their actions . Right now there is no balance.
Fundraising: We need to do major fundraising so we can get legal books, help prisoners with fees , and help prisoners study to be paralegals. Also postage and copying expenses are high. I am in contact with many lawyers and will start with them , asking for donations. From there it needs to spread.
II)Expanding program tools that help prisoner use his time in prison to grow spiritually and mentally while giving him/her a voice in the greater community.
There are four prongs to the program
1)Accessing resources already available.
a) Researching the programs and resources already available within the prisons, in correspondence courses and within the community and developing an effective way to disseminate this information. We will concentrate particularly on Medium and maximum prisons as this is where the bulk of prisoners are and remain for years and years of what they call “dead time”.
b) Working with technical colleges and apprenticeship programs in an effort to aid prisoners soon to be released and to prepare prisoners far in advance of release for these programs.
2) Develop a program of regular visits by business people( for example , to talk to prisoners about how to conduct a job interview) and schools ( what skills are needed. ) Also needed are visits by ex- prisoners to prisons to share their experiences with release.
3) “EACH ONE TEACH ONE”
Mentoring prisoners to help them gain writing and reading skills.
a) Although GED is available to younger prisoners as are some funding for college courses, most prisoners cannot access them. They are too old ,or in maximum prisons or in segregation status. Also , the skills needed by apprenticeship programs and technical colleges far exceed what is learned by most students passing their GED. The prisoners and I intend to help bridge that gap with an ‘each one teach one” mentoring program . Later, we will be able to attract people in the larger community.
b) We also hope to expand to be able to make resources available on any topic of interest by working with prison libraries and Books to prisoners programs, programs like college guild etc.
c) Creative writing is another important course several prisoners and I are putting together. I believe writing and sharing can be a tool for healing.
d)We have a few pairings between prisoners now and they are helping us develop the program as we all experiment and find out what works. More skilled prisoners will help mentor, plus later volunteers from the community. The goal is to develop an effective structure that is flexible enough for all to use. We are finding that handout sheets, short writing exercises and frequent interaction between “student” and “mentor” is more effective than merely ordering a language arts or math book for the prisoner student. The “mentor” needs to be as involved as the student to make the most of the learning experience for both.
e) Many prisoners confide that they did not do well while in school because that they were not listened to- that the students come to school with a lot of baggage and need to tell their story before they have room to take in information. We hope to encourage real rapport between mentor and student.
e) The mentoring network with also help prisoner students with their math skills where needed so they can successfully apply for apprenticeship or technical college admittance. Here , we are using copies printed from Math review and GED books. Here it is especially important the mentor work closely with the student. .
4) Special Newsletters
a)Spanish Language Newsletter- Is the brainchild of 2 prisoners in administrative confinement. There are many prisoners who hardly know English and this would be a good tool to help them with their legal work and language learning. This is in beginning stages. Our bilingual paralegal is invested in it and will help with its’ development. Increasingly , I am getting requests from prisoners for special newsletters.
b) Special Needs Newsletter for the mentally ill , those in segregation and those without family: will be discussed at end of this application.
5)Helping the prisoner Get his voice heard- the writing, publishing and web component :
d) We have an extensive web presence where we showcase prisoners’ writing, art , and crafts. This will be expanded and improved: http://www.forumforunderstandingprisons.net/. Through working with published authors, publishers, we hope to get accomplished prisoner writers published in mainstream media. Also, I am working with prisoners on plan for self publishing a book of collected prisoner works.
e) Prisoners who are accomplished writer and I will launch an extensive effort to get published authors involved in the mentoring process. To do this we will need to have a program structure that is attractive to them and does not become burdensome.
f) I have put together a free penpal site, many blogs telling individual stories, and blogs of writings of prisoners and specific prison issues. All these are at present linked and will gradually morph as more and more prisoner use this as an outlet to tell their stories. The web is a great tool for prisoners to feel involved and seems to help them heal. Our web also attacts a growing group of people who know nothing first hand about the justice system in this country and are coming to read prisoners stories. One comment recently said “ I never knew prisoners could be so eloquent” after reading an essay by prisoner Ron Schilling. The web confronts and changes some stereotypes.
4)Networking
Besides the penpal blogs and webs, I offer a FFUP PO Box for people who want to write to a prisoner but are afraid to give prisoners their real address. I also offer email support for any problems that come up . A network of caring people has built up through these email meetings and we are now tackling common problems, with division of labor growing. I intend to expand this networking to include more and more people from different organizations. I have found when people are doing the things that most care about , as they need to do them , the ideas and creativity flow. King Arthur’s round table is the idea, I think , And we sometimes come close.
I am particularly interested in connecting strongly with groups that support the mentally ill.
Also helping with the broad picture in prison work are many of the family member and friends of prisoners I have worked with and tried to help over the years. The process is simple, the old adage of “pay it forward” as they get stronger, they are able to help others.
5) Fundraising : prisoners get less and less family support. Prisoners and I want launch 2 fundraising projects specifically for indigent prisoners and others, who participate and donate crafts. We have cards made of drawing by prisoners and are working out a plan for families to do the packing and sending . This will be a wonderful project for solidarity as the families may too then come together for their own fundraisers.
6) Advocacy for the mentally ill in prison, helping them get through alive. helping them grow
I finish here because this is the most heart rending and heart felt part of my work One of the first prisoner letters I received was from a behavior management cell in the Boscobel Supermax. The man was freezing, naked, in a cell with a camera and light on 24 /7. He had a ghost cellmate who caused him all kinds of problems. This man is now featured on our web with the blog “vanguards of justice.” He is strong and sane. There are others who testify to the fact that nurturing human contact can show a prisoner “the light, ” which is a term many prisoners use when they describe the letters and visits they receive..
What I do now :We know our prisons are our defacto mental institutions. Two of the group of people coming from the internet as penpals are now working with me to develop a program for prisoners at risk- those in segregation, mentally ill , or without family or friends. These email- networkers are writing to many prisoners and are dedicated to helping them keep safe. One prisoner tells another about us and we all get inundated by letter asking for love. We have several “special needs blogs” and are engineering a newsletter with these prisoners that will contain puzzles and games and activities for them to do as well as their stories etc. Some of these as risk prisoners are writing their biographies and we are posting them . It is all a way to keep them from harming themselves and staying string and connected. Often people in seg end up cutting themselves, then get put in the observation cell – naked- etc, just to be put back in the cell – it is a circle over and over and we are trying to break it.
We are putting their writings on the web and are eventually going to publish a book with a couple of prisoners as chief editors.
TO EXPAND PROGRAM using the web and the groups for the mentally ill like NAMI (National Association for the Mentally Ill), we will get more advocates for the mentally ill in prison and gradually open the people eyes to the needs for treatment for the mentally ill , and more importantly , to the need for us all to learn the art of listening and holding reach others pain. The key of healing is caring.
Also, I have a submitted a rule change to the DOC and am always calling , writing letters and advocating to get the basic structure of what we do with the mentally ill changes. There will be no real change , however until the public sees what is happening.
7)Dream: self sustaining farm selling Organic produce and crafts for released offenders. This dream has grown and grown until now there are a few prisoner who are soon to be released, that are working on a plan . Once there are actual ex-prisoners to engineer the thing, we will put together a grant for the farm purchase/lease. This farm would be a place where ex-prisoners could land and unwind and learn their own rhythms again. I live rurally and even have the unoccupied farm picked out (in my imagination.) There are many reason for the high recidivism rate but one of them, I believe, is that many prisoners end up with post traumatic stress syndrome and simply explode upon leaving prison – they need adjustment time.
How My Work relates to Host organization:
FFUP , Forum for Understanding Prisons is a coalition for caring people, prisoner and free. It is more an idea than anything else. We once had a group that met regularly but the work is too hard and individual and we lived rurally. Burnout rate among prison activists is high.
My goal , and I think all our goal, is to understand prisons and to bring about community control of corrections , which is the Projects mission.
Advisory board
1) Frank Van Den Bosch, founder of Wisconsin Prison Watch(WPW) is natural leader and spokesperson And has agreed to be an advisor and media liason for this project should I get the fellowship. He will be useful in deciding on campaign tactics.
2) David Rhodes, a writer and Quaker, Has been editor of our “Bridge of Voices” Newsletter. His views are balanced and he has always been able to bring in the views of the average citizen .
3) Sylvia Benedick: is enthusiastic and unstinting in effort to help prisoners in need. She is not as political as the above people but brings a positiveness to the group . Also, she is a very effective networker and can advise me very well on this.
4) Jeff Voigt is the ex-prisoner paralegal I work with- he is very well versed in the law and can advise me on how to proceed on legal issues as presented buy our legal network helpers.
5) and 6)2 prisoners. I believe it is very important that prisoners be in the decision making body. I have developed the present mentoring program and legal network exclusively with them .They do know the needs and have the vision needed. I have picked two prisoners I have known for a long time. Both now reside 15 miles form me so I can visit them and discuss our projects issues often.
5) Norman Green WSPF prisoners- this man takes the long view on all things and is a fine litigator and good counsel.
6) Bryant Johnson ., Highly enthusiastic, is organizing the men prisoners within the institution on a variety of projects . He is very positive and again, widens the perspective of the project every time I visit him.
TIME LINE
Three months:
1)If I receive his grant, I will hold meetings with other activists with the goal of beginning to coordinate efforts and pool resources and information. I hope there can be an exchange of information and sharing of resources, each activist focusing on their own area of work while working on the building of an effective helping network.
2)Also, I will be able to offer supplies and support to activists who choose to help me with my projects with prisoners. I hope to finally have a helper with each of the broad project areas. I hope to be able to purchase a copier/printer for someone who will help with fundraising and newsletters.
I will:
3)Organize materials , mailing lists, mentoring programs, legal network in such a way that anyone coming in can access information.
2) Improve web and blogs – this is a main avenue for prisoners to reach out to the public. Fundraising pages sites need to be setup , current, advocacy and campaign information and system whereby new prisoners works are easily mounted,.. innocent and wrongly convicted blogs need to be updated and scrutinized – Some prisoners are using these blog to attract lawyers and they need to be updated , others were posted long ago and need to be deleted or the cases investigated.
3)Get 2 new newsletters well established and litigation manual well underway. . Spanish newsletter, special needs newsletter, and legal newsletter and/or legal manual . These are all in the main prisoner projects and will have a limited readership. .The internet helpers and our paralegal and I will help facilitate and coordinate. Once the structure is set up , the prisoners themselves will be a main part of choosing what submissions to use and how to layout The newsletter. The litigation manual is being written by prisoners in one prison and will be reviewed/edited/ corrected by paralegals and networkers I have known the longest and trust the most.
4) work on, perfect, existing bulk main newsletter using new template of having prisoners edit and put together . Soon start to put out one for general public with editor. Same materials will be used in each except emphasis is different. For example, the general public is not interested in how to write a legal motion. The prisoners know all about the mentally ill in prison.
4)mentoring program: Collect, gather and write mentoring program handout sheets and books. This is being done with prisoners, with teachers in the area, using all available resources I can find on the net, and text books I have bought. We are getting some help from College Guild ,a NH mentoring group .They have a 7 month waiting list are swamped but have agreed to allow one of our prisoners jump the line and go through the program . Then we can use his materials as guide in developing our own programs.
5) Research all existing programs available to prisoner in medium and maximum facilities. Research programs available to them upon release. Start putting it together in effective form.
6) start talking ,working with Corrections on cooperative programs – Prisoners want to hear form business and schools- We need to start opening our maximum institutions to the public in a way that now only happens in Minimums. Many people never get to minimum institutions and are released out of mediums or maximum prisons. .
7) collect data to fill in gaps we need for advocacy and for the web. For example- John Doe Law use , real sex offender recidivism data, data from prisoners and their families on issues of concern. FFUP and rest of incarceration coalition is trying to find lawyer to do a parole lawsuit- all this research will be used by FFUP the organization and the coalition.
8) Keep coordinating legal network. As we are working with volunteer prisoner litigators, it needs to unfold. I will be doing a letter writing campaign to get lawyers on board and funding.
9)Mentally ill and segregation campaign- find ways to connect with existing organizations advocating for the mentally ill - like NAMI and Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy- the prisoner issues connects all groups for there is no treatment for the mentally ill poor in this country.
We have announced a contest in our last newsletter for prisoners to submit writings about seg issues to be published in a book of prisoners writings. I am recieving submissions at this point and getting them typed by volunteer prisoners typists. Much of the web is devoted to this issue and needs to be worked on.
Six months,
By this time we should have our litigation manual finished, some sense of fundraising possibilities- what is possible and who will help. We should have a stronger network of volunteers from web, in prisoners and their families. Many prisoner tell me they want to help with FFUP when they get out. We will be able to work on ways to make this possible as by now I will have the projects organized in such a way that division of labor is possible and I can hand over sections. and ,with much effort and some luck , we may have a fundraising tool ready. For example, the prisoners have donated wonderful art and I have put together cards, for example ,using their art work- it is a matter of energy for production . Other things will be visible by this time also. Pamphlets should be finished and and general outreach well established.
Second year-
Book publishing , We dream of self publishing prisoners works. This is possible with help form prisoners.
Legal network should have lawyers on board and a list effective affordable lawyers for referral to families and prisoners who come to us in need. We hope to be able to confront some of the more egregious corruptions within the system .
I am encouraging prisoners to think in detail about what they need and want for themselves . By this time the mentoring program should be supplying some of the tools that make their dreams possible.
Measure of success_
Are more families activated to advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
Are many prisoners using FFUP programs, are mentally ill prisoners feeling more connected to the world.
Are mainstream people coming to the FFUP web ? Has he prison discussion changed at all ? Is their any discussion about society’s responsibility toward the mentally ill? Is there more compassion ?
Are prisoners accessing the legal network ? Is it helping them ? Is the level of expertise in legal advocating rising among prisoners with the litigation manual ?
Are prisoners more focused upon release – do they have better reading and writing skills, are they able to handle their anger better- the latter would be one measure of the success of the mentoring and creative writing program. To help the prisoner feel connected to the greater world.
Hardest: Are prisoners and activists able to hold the DOC more accountable?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
2008 Resist Grant Application
RESIST GRANT APPLICATION FORM
Below is the bulk of a grant we sent to RESIST is April, 2008. We are still awaiting their decision. Grant sent to :
RESIST, 259 ELM STREET, SUITE 201, SOMERVILLE, MA 02144;(617) 623-5110;
REQUEST FOR FUNDING
1. Amount requested: $3000 (Not to exceed $3,000 per year)
2. Please provide a one sentence description of your organization.
We are a prisoner support group that writes and visits prisoners, works with their families, legislators and prison staff to create a system where the prison as well as the prisoner is accountable to the public.
HISTORY
3. Briefly describe the history of your organization.$ When, why, and by whom was it started? FFUP was started simply enough. As fundraiser for our local Nicaragua Sister City Organization, I sent letters to 40 prisoners in the newly opened Boscobel Supermax inviting their participation in an art/craft sale. I asked them to submit drawings and writings. From there, I started to write them as individuals. Diane Block, the second member of our group, met me at the art show and started writing prisoners after viewing their work. Slowly others did the same as and after some advertising we formed the organization.
$ If applicable, how has your organization changed over the years? We were at one time a group of about twenty and we met regularly. The motives ranged from those who had been wounded terribly by the system and needed a support group where they could share their pain, to those who were committed activists. We had a few fundraisers and forums and gradually, those of us who needed to work more directly with prison issues started to focus on those and our mission narrowed. We stopped meeting regularly and connected through email and phone, each working on his or her own stack of prisoner letters and advocacy issues and connecting on the big issues. Although there are no formal FFUP meetings at this time, we do gather and visit distant prisons or at general prison meetings held for statewide activist groups. We have good relations with 2 legislators, some media, and the some DOC Staff. We are also known throughout the Wisconsin prisons and are hated by some prison staff. We each fund our own advocacy out of our own pockets with donations going to general FFUP fees, newsletter and some postage. We have not done a bonafide newsletter for about a year as we lost our copier . FFUP workers are spread all over the state, networking with activists in other states as well. Our web master lives in Holland, She became active when a countryman was incarcerated unjustly in Wisconsin.
VISION
4. Briefly describe your organization's vision of social change, both in terms of the work of your organization and the way you see your organization fitting into a larger movement for social justice.
I was astonished at how fast my view changed when I started this work, from one of helping the needy to one of growing respect for men and woman who see the world most of us fear to even glance at. We have come to see the prisons as an integral part of an ongoing WAR on the poor, where illegitimate power reigns and is determined to continue ruling until climate change and or global war and famine end civilization. Our help will not come from the comfortable, from government, they have just too much too lose and lack the vision.
We need the voice of those who see the shadow side of our way of living- prisoners and their families. We have started a group in Milwaukee of prisoners families and friends (PAM-Prison Action Milwaukee) and work closely with them to help strengthen that voice. We are now working on a transportation grant for them also, with donors to come from one of several Milwaukee foundations. We have many projects- the penpal project, book project, legal network, that all spring out of our work with prisoners and their families.
The biggest change has been the growth of our passion for this work. We have made true friends of many of the prisoners and their families. They are a major part of our lives. So it is not only our outrage at the injustice of our “just us “ system (as the prisoners call it) that drives us, it is also our continuing and growing respect for the resilience and learning power of many of these individuals who continue to grow and love despite their conditions. As one prisoner explained to me: “ They try to crush our spirit , instead we become Black diamonds.”
PROGRAM
5. How does your organization’s work over the coming year deal with the root causes of the problem that your organization addresses? Please include in your answer:$
the goals of your organization; Very broadly ,our goal is to help create a path for the underheard and underserved to change the conditions under which they live. Specifically, our task is to become a an effective voice and conduit for the incarcerated and their families. We want to create a structure that will outlast us and will be usable by others to follow. Our goal for the next few years is to expand the services we already render and to engender an effective fundraising arm . This is how a grant from your organization resist would be used.
$ your plan to achieve these goals, including a time line;
We have all the needed basic projects underway in infancy form. There are some prisoners who are or will be coming out of prison this year and many “free people”connecting via internet who want to work with us. It is a time to craft an organization that can outlast the few of us stalwarts who devote all our spare time and money to this work and expand to include those who will do this work for pay and those who are interested but do not want to devote their lives to it. What we do works. We now have to morph into an effective money raising organization too, in order to let the infant projects become really useful.
Fundraising:In order to do this, we need a fundraising person. We need to be able to pay expenses for someone to use the wonderful donated art work, writings and offered crafts, to put together a working internet site for selling . I have a blog for selling but as all of us involved now are swamped with advocacy work and other projects, it is not effective. We have in mind a prisoner who will be out of prison in April. He is an excellent artist and has expressed enthusiasm for doing the fundraising for us on a part time basis. Gradually, we hope to be able to pay a wage plus expenses. Two of our group have been writing to this man for years.
Once we can get a fundraising program going, we can start listening to other ideas: We have people coming out who want to help us with returned prisoner project. There is even an idea for a organically run farm on which newly released prisoners can adjust to the free world while others to work and live.
legal network:
Another project for this year: We are also ready to form a working legal network where jailhouse prisoners, paralegals, volunteers and consulting lawyers help prisoners change the system . I am working with several paralegal prisoners in drafting a plan for a committee to assess prisoner’s requests for legal help. Also, I am nearly finished with the Blackstone paralegal course myself and hope to be of service to such a network.
working with legislature
The final big goal for this year involves our legislature. We need to hone our lobbying skills and have started this year by coordinating with other prison activists in trying to defeat a bill that would further curtail prisoner’s rights and we are going on now other legislative causes. We work closely with 2 legislators, and the new Milwaukee group, P.A.M., we helped form, and are trying to learn new speaking and researching skills. This year we hope learned enough to be a real force for change in our repressive laws. It is difficult work as none of us were prepared for the aggressive prejudice held against prisoners by many of our legislators.
. $ any events and/or projects your group is planning; and ongoing projects.
1)Penpal project: to bring a human face to our prisons
· prisoner penpals: See website www.friendsofprisoners.org. This is a free site for prisoners. It needs better advertising and we hope this will be part of the fundraiser’s duties.
· pamphlets about prisoners, their stories- we will and have gone into churches etc to try to promote goodwill toward our prisoners- the pamphlets give prisoners names, addresses and stories.
· Book project eventually, when we have staff. We have incredible art and writings we would like to share in tabletop hardcover book form- or even as pamphlet.
· Fundraising site- a start but needs an internet love/expert to get going: http://prisonercraftsale.blogspot.com
2) Most of our work is answering prisoner letters, working with their families and advocating for them . It is the core of our work and keeps us committed. It is hard as it sometimes involves calling into the prisons and working with people who really believe our prisoners are evil. There is not much success But we have learned the power of love. Even if we cannot “fix” the inmate’s condition, just knowing someone cares and is trying to help means a lot to prisoners. We also often must help these people as they leave prison. One of the returning prisoners wants to start a “Project Return “in our corner of the state where he will help others as we helped him . All in the future.
3) Legal network- it is going as much as it can with few funds. We copy, send inquiries to lawyers, some of whom will consult and advise, we send law books , copy cases, as we can . Along with this is a general stream of information on any subject requested that goes to prisoners and the encouraging of writing, often to those who are really desperate in solitary and have no one to turn to. We have been doing this long enough that we have prisoners’ respect and a few prisoners are working out ways we can appeal to law firms for help through our 501c3 tax incentives. We have attempted this before and hope for better success using our jailhouse lawyers as advisers in how to compose the letters.
4) PAM Prison Action Milwaukee- this is a group we helped start last summer. Most prisoners in Wisconsin come from Milwaukee’s inner city and it has taken us these 8 years to build enough trust among families to start the independent organization. It has a very dedicated leader and connects closely with us while still being a separate organization. We are working together on several areas, including finding adequate transportation for families to prisons and are trying together to help defeat 2 bills promise to be very detrimental to prisoners’ rights. Another huge project that we work with PAM on is parole reform- meetings are ongoing between PAM and the parole chairman about changing the structure that has effective eliminated parole in this state and has given us intolerably crowded and under funded prisons. We keep PAM informed on the conditions of specific prisoners and on prisons in general.
5) As we become more effective, the Department of Corrections has become more aggressive against us. We are now trying to help a prisoner who has been threatened with an “inciting a riot” conduct report because of his work with us . At the time of this writing they have not issued a conduct report but are “grilling” him for information on our network” and obviously trying to get him or us to act out. I wrote a letter to the ppeople in power here and will include it in the displays.
$ how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts.
First, we look for changes in conditions in the prisons fostered by our work, which are few. We ask about effectiveness of our communication: We do have some DOC employees listening to us, are working with a few legislators and have the respect of some media people. We have a growing voice that simply was not there before in Wisconsin. One of our final goals of success will be when we have effective parole laws and prisoners are given the right to vote, where there is general support for healing and not just retribution. We also are constantly reminded by prisoners of the importance of our work- that they know some people care about them . It is incredible how much this compassion is needed.
6. What has been your organization’s most significant accomplishments and challenges over the last few years? Starting PAM in Milwaukee was for me a huge event. Only with this voice can change come, and it is so much bigger than the prisons. For the first time , in early February there was a group of people, some black , some white speaking in the legislature against a retaliatory Bill.
Also, We have worked long enough with the Head of Health in the Doc that he trusts us and is taking some of our suggestions seriously. We gave him a list of prisoners too long in segregation and he has agreed to study if he can at least move them to a different prison- (new staff may help these struck men). We are becoming known as people who are good source of information about prisoners by some media, some legislators, an occasional lawyer and many family members. An alternative view to the constant scapegoating of prisoners. What we want is real community oversight of prisons.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION
7. Briefly describe how your group operates in terms of:
$ who makes decisions and sets priorities for your organization; $ the responsibilities of the board, staff and members; $ the number of members you have; $ your strategies to recruit new members; and $ the number of paid staff.
Up till now we have each worked alone; spending our own money, connecting by email and discussing broader strategies. We come together at prison events, Madison legislative events etc put on now by other community education groups.
This year we are ready to morph into a more structured organization in order to get structure for the long dreamed of legal network and to decide exact details of spending any moneys coming from grants or successful fundraising. We are working with a prisoner on exactly how a legal network board will look which decides which prisoners legal pleas will get help from our group. This board will be made up of people from within our present activist coalition and will include prisoner litigators as we can. Many prisoner litigators have offered to be part of the network. The plans abound, but the reality will be different as we will have to gain some respect from the Department of Corrections to be allowed to facilitate legal work by prisoners. For decision making on spending for other needs- postage, specific prisoner requests, we will use current long term FFUP workers . We will be acquiring new structure as needs arise. The part of our funds allocations that are automatic is our PO Box fee; renewal of postal 501c3 permit; and newsletter postage and copying.
We do not have a hierarchy or membership. - we have a division of labor. We are constantly hearing from new people asking for help through our internet sites and their work with the Milwaukee group. Prisoners also spread the word. Most people start this work by asking for help. Then they get interested in helping on a small scale because they start to see the bigger picture.
Our little group, those who Identify as FFUP, consist of about 7 people. Because FFUP lost it’s copier, the organization Wisconsin Prison Watch , now publishes our news as well as that of PAM in his newsletter. FFUP’s webmaster lives in Holland. I do blogs and she does the main web, we coordinate through email.
Because most of us live rurally and far apart, we are a coalition of individuals who agree to help each other. It makes the most sense. It is as country living always is-we depend on our neighbor in times of need. We will organize more obviously as the need arises. If we get this grant , or as we expand the legal networking beyond it’s present tiny scale, we will quickly gain structure. We want to include the prisoners in as much of the decision making process as is possible for the legal network. Day to day use of funds will be decided by present workers via email and phone. I expect a few face to face meetings to get a structure going .
8. RESIST supports organizations addressing social justice issues that have leadership and constituents drawn from the communities most affected by those issues. Please use the attached chart to illustrate the make-up/diversity of your group’s Board, Staff, Volunteers and Members. How have you taken steps to increase that diversity?$
We work with people as diverse as our prison population. Again, we do not have membership.
We are dedicated people and because this is such painfully difficult work, we can only do those things that strike us individually as important . No one can tell my cohort how to spend her money so that is not part of FFUP funding . All FFUP donations go to it’s maintenance as an organization – (the PO Box and non profit postal fees)- and for stamps, and our newsletter.
With a fundraiser hired and actual money being donated, I as founder, I will write out a proposal for the money’s use and send it to each of my coworkers to comment on and we will continue to discuss priorities until we agree. This is how we have been conducting business matters. We all have the same general goal and each person’s ideas and input is important to coming up with a general plan.
Part of the needs that a fundraiser will help with:
Internet fees for advertising our programs:(URLs for blogs, advertising and spreading the word about penpal projects and innocent pleas, fees involved in downloading cases , research and books,) STAMPS; help with getting families to prisons (gas); books , magazines etc for prisoners without support. Biggest -Printer/ copier that can do law materials and newsletters both sides.
FISCAL MANAGEMENT/FUNDING SOURCES
9. Please discuss how you keep track of your income and expenses (your financial management practices). FFUP’s expenses are its postal fee obligations and PO Box, this is about 250 dollars a year. All donations go into a bank account and are used for these fees or for postage on newsletters or resource lists and pamphlets we send out generally. Anything left over goes for postage on letters to individual prisoners. Everything else we do is on an individual level because we use our own money . This will change with a fundraiser position. As I said above, (no. 8 )I will start a proposal and others will add, detract from it . This method works well .
10. Please list all other foundations you have applied to in the past three years and the results of those applications. Are you currently applying to other foundations? If so, please indicate which foundations and whether the request is pending, secured or turned down.
In the beginning I applied unsuccessfully to your organization and a more local organization. In 2006 I made an enquiring to the SOROS Foundation for a grant for a legal fund and they said we would need a consulting attorney to get a grant. I have been working on that angle since and now have the respect of a couple lawyers and a few jailhouse lawyers who are helping me make enquires.
POLITICAL FOCUS
11. RESIST funds organizations that can demonstrate an understanding of the important connections across the broad spectrum of issues that progressive activists struggle to address. As part of the application process, please provide an honest evaluation and specific information that illustrates the: 1) programs, 2) coalition work, and 3) position of your group in relationship to the rights and concerns of each of the following:
a) people of color: most of the people we work with are either Hispanic or Black .Probably one in four of the prisoners we write, have on our penpal blog or in some ways connect to are Caucasian. Most are Black. There are probably 5 to 8 Native Americans, 3 to 5Asians total .
b) working class and poor people: Most of the families are working class and have no internet or computers . We spend much time on phone with family members. It is expensive as is traveling to Milwaukee, where they live. It has been a boon to finally have an organization in Milwaukee we can work with.
c) women (include your group's position on reproductive and abortion rights)Mothers are the usual activists in this struggle. My position on abortion is that it is such a difficult decision , it must be up to the woman.
d) gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people- I work with one transsexual person- a woman in a man’s prison – Her life is torture, I am well aware of the prejudices of our culture.
e) people with disabilities- we advocate for people with disabilities in prison all the time . The big scam is mental health. Our society doesn’t deal with the mentally ill except to funnels its problems into the prisons., where diagnosis’s are fudged so those with major problems can legally be held eternally in isolation cells. A major major problem.
f) older people and g)youth- most of us FFUPers are older. We range in age form 50 to 75.. Ex prisoners coming now to help are young and Black – youth. Families and prisoner are all ages.
12. How does the ongoing work of your organization respond to and address US domestic policy and/or US foreign policy? We work in the trenches with the most horrendous aspects of our failed policies.
g) Important group to include on our diversity tabulation is inmates and ex - inmates. The returning prisoners are an especial target group for because we can help them stay out of prison.
COLLABORATION
13. How does your organization collaborate with other organizations? It is the core of our work. We have a network of caring individuals . There still is not much any one can do about basic conditions or the laws that create these huge populations of prisoners and there won’t be until there is a stronger voice for the poor. We also coordinate with Demeter foundation- which works with Taychedah, a woman’s prison; WI CURE, which works on meetings with important people-( then everyone is invited to go); Wisconsin prison Watch , who’s most important functions at this time is a newsletter- mouthpiece for all of us. Nationally we work with Bonny Kerness of American Friends ( Quakers) we support each other on Supermax and other isolation issues and FFUP contributes stories of prisoners for her ongoing writing project . Soon we are planning connect with CER, An Illinois group promoting Earned Release, for we both have constipated parole systems. There are many more. Basically anyone in prison work can send a shout out via email when there is something important for us all to work on or if they just want to “talk”. . We are so isolated and so few, it keeps us all strong.
$ Please describe groups or coalitions you currently work with or have worked with in the past.For about two years there was a coalition meeting in Madison “INCARCERATION COALITION” As it turned out, most of the most active members , who attended meetings, came from the east (Milwaukee) and west ( WI PRISON Watch and FFUP). It was too much driving since most of the Madison groups , where the meeting was, seldom attended. So when this coalition lost its paid coordinator, the meetings stopped. The coalition listserve still exists and the name is sometime used but, we members who are still active , work via email .
$ Are there other organizations in your community that do similar work? FFUP and Wisconsin prison Watch are the only organizations who’s main work is directly with prisoners and their families. The others focus more on much needed public education and together all these organizations make a good team. Also, FFUP and WPW has most it’s members in far Western Wisconsin, the other organizations are in Milwaukee and Madison. Living in the country, we bring a different perspective.
$ If so, how do your organizations cooperate with each other?(see above)There is much networking between organizations.
$ What work do you do that crosses issues and constituencies? (see above)Everything Crisscrosses, it is all connected. I believe I have answered this question adequately above. However, to be precise, we tend to be a connecting link between prisoners and their families and the other organizations. For example , Our web master or PAM leader will direct a prisoner family member to me , I will try to help them make their complaint known to legislators, prisons staff , ACLU or wherever . Similarly, most of our projects start with an individual prisoner’s issues. Because we receive complaints from so many prisoners, we can see patterns and are somewhat valued by the network for this. For example, we are coordinating the sending of abuse complaints to the US Department of Justice, started because we saw patterns of abuse. There are many examples whereby our direct contact with prisoners give us the needed information to at least get relevant dialog and questioning started.
LOBBYING
14. If your organization will engage in lobbying, please estimate how much of RESIST’s grant will be spent for direct lobbying activity and how much for grassroots lobbying, as those terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Service Regulations under 501(h).
$ Direct lobbying $ Grassroots lobbying
None of Resist money will be used directly at lobbying ,however our main goal IS to change the revenge policy of this government and country to one of healing , to effect laws and policies and attitudes that make community control of corrections possible. Although “lobbying” per se forms a minor part of our work now, I expect that as we get stronger, we will be doing more of it. That means , we will be a supporting link in getting more groups from Milwaukee to Madison where they will join us in speaking “truth to power”.
Financial Statement
If you prepare organizational budgets, you may submit them in their original forms. Financial Statement(last year's actual income/expenditures) Annual Budget (current year)
no statement made
Fiscal Year-End Date:
INCOME
RESIST Request 3000000
Individual Contributions 300 donations 300
Foundation Grants
Government Contracts
Membership Dues
Special Events/Sales Income $5000 projected with help from ex prisoner fundraiser$1000 projected from lawyers asked to help with legal network
In-Kind Contributions
Other
Total Income 300 9300
EXPENSES
Salaries $3000 hour wage salary for part-time fundraiser, an ex prisoner
Benefits
Professional Fees $300 for hiring web expert for online fundraising (we know someone)
Occupancy (rent, utilities)
Insurance
Telephone ( plus internet hook up) (about $2000out of pocket) this will continue to be out of pocketnote: we stalwarts will continue using our own money as we can but this becomes tougher as our own household expenses rise.
Postage/Shipping/ copying/ printing/ Supplies (about $4000 out of pocket)$200FFUP postal 501c3 fees$100 FFUP newsletter, misc letters note: we will continue to use our own money as we can $200 postal 501c3 fees$3000 expanded services
Major Equipment $800 copier/printer for bulk 2-sided
Travel/Transportation About $500 out of pocket. $1000 help with gas money for families
Fundraising $1000 expenses for fundraiser, an ex prisoners
Promotion/Publicity/Outreach
Training/Technical Assistance
Other:
BALANCE 0 for FFUP 9300 income – 9300 expenses= 0
Organizational Diversity Chart - a rough Estimate
core workers non-incarcerated friends/helpers prisoners writing to/ using our services, offering help
Total Number 7 approximate, conservative 30 about 300
Diversity by Race/Ethnicity
African American 7 15 over 50 %
Asian Pacific Islander 0 0 1
European-American/Caucasian 7 6 About 20%
Latina/Latino/Hispanic 0 8 about 20%
Multi-Racial/Mixed Heritage 0 1 about 5 %
Native American 0 1 about 5%
Other
Diversity by Gender
Female 5 25 2%
Male 2 5 98%
Transgender 0 0 1
Diversity by Age
Individuals Age 65 and Older 2 8 none
Individuals Age 21 and Younger 0 0 about 30 %
Other Diversity Characteristics
Low-income all 30 most
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual unknown unknown unknown
People with Disabilities 2 10 many
Other Diversity Categories that are Important to Your OrganizationReturned prisoners: about 5; Prisoners, about 300
Grant sent to :
RESIST, 259 ELM STREET, SUITE 201, SOMERVILLE, MA 02144;(617) 623-5110; resistinc@igc.org; www.resistinc.org
Back to FFUP index
Back to fundraiser page
Below is the bulk of a grant we sent to RESIST is April, 2008. We are still awaiting their decision. Grant sent to :
RESIST, 259 ELM STREET, SUITE 201, SOMERVILLE, MA 02144;(617) 623-5110;
REQUEST FOR FUNDING
1. Amount requested: $3000 (Not to exceed $3,000 per year)
2. Please provide a one sentence description of your organization.
We are a prisoner support group that writes and visits prisoners, works with their families, legislators and prison staff to create a system where the prison as well as the prisoner is accountable to the public.
HISTORY
3. Briefly describe the history of your organization.$ When, why, and by whom was it started? FFUP was started simply enough. As fundraiser for our local Nicaragua Sister City Organization, I sent letters to 40 prisoners in the newly opened Boscobel Supermax inviting their participation in an art/craft sale. I asked them to submit drawings and writings. From there, I started to write them as individuals. Diane Block, the second member of our group, met me at the art show and started writing prisoners after viewing their work. Slowly others did the same as and after some advertising we formed the organization.
$ If applicable, how has your organization changed over the years? We were at one time a group of about twenty and we met regularly. The motives ranged from those who had been wounded terribly by the system and needed a support group where they could share their pain, to those who were committed activists. We had a few fundraisers and forums and gradually, those of us who needed to work more directly with prison issues started to focus on those and our mission narrowed. We stopped meeting regularly and connected through email and phone, each working on his or her own stack of prisoner letters and advocacy issues and connecting on the big issues. Although there are no formal FFUP meetings at this time, we do gather and visit distant prisons or at general prison meetings held for statewide activist groups. We have good relations with 2 legislators, some media, and the some DOC Staff. We are also known throughout the Wisconsin prisons and are hated by some prison staff. We each fund our own advocacy out of our own pockets with donations going to general FFUP fees, newsletter and some postage. We have not done a bonafide newsletter for about a year as we lost our copier . FFUP workers are spread all over the state, networking with activists in other states as well. Our web master lives in Holland, She became active when a countryman was incarcerated unjustly in Wisconsin.
VISION
4. Briefly describe your organization's vision of social change, both in terms of the work of your organization and the way you see your organization fitting into a larger movement for social justice.
I was astonished at how fast my view changed when I started this work, from one of helping the needy to one of growing respect for men and woman who see the world most of us fear to even glance at. We have come to see the prisons as an integral part of an ongoing WAR on the poor, where illegitimate power reigns and is determined to continue ruling until climate change and or global war and famine end civilization. Our help will not come from the comfortable, from government, they have just too much too lose and lack the vision.
We need the voice of those who see the shadow side of our way of living- prisoners and their families. We have started a group in Milwaukee of prisoners families and friends (PAM-Prison Action Milwaukee) and work closely with them to help strengthen that voice. We are now working on a transportation grant for them also, with donors to come from one of several Milwaukee foundations. We have many projects- the penpal project, book project, legal network, that all spring out of our work with prisoners and their families.
The biggest change has been the growth of our passion for this work. We have made true friends of many of the prisoners and their families. They are a major part of our lives. So it is not only our outrage at the injustice of our “just us “ system (as the prisoners call it) that drives us, it is also our continuing and growing respect for the resilience and learning power of many of these individuals who continue to grow and love despite their conditions. As one prisoner explained to me: “ They try to crush our spirit , instead we become Black diamonds.”
PROGRAM
5. How does your organization’s work over the coming year deal with the root causes of the problem that your organization addresses? Please include in your answer:$
the goals of your organization; Very broadly ,our goal is to help create a path for the underheard and underserved to change the conditions under which they live. Specifically, our task is to become a an effective voice and conduit for the incarcerated and their families. We want to create a structure that will outlast us and will be usable by others to follow. Our goal for the next few years is to expand the services we already render and to engender an effective fundraising arm . This is how a grant from your organization resist would be used.
$ your plan to achieve these goals, including a time line;
We have all the needed basic projects underway in infancy form. There are some prisoners who are or will be coming out of prison this year and many “free people”connecting via internet who want to work with us. It is a time to craft an organization that can outlast the few of us stalwarts who devote all our spare time and money to this work and expand to include those who will do this work for pay and those who are interested but do not want to devote their lives to it. What we do works. We now have to morph into an effective money raising organization too, in order to let the infant projects become really useful.
Fundraising:In order to do this, we need a fundraising person. We need to be able to pay expenses for someone to use the wonderful donated art work, writings and offered crafts, to put together a working internet site for selling . I have a blog for selling but as all of us involved now are swamped with advocacy work and other projects, it is not effective. We have in mind a prisoner who will be out of prison in April. He is an excellent artist and has expressed enthusiasm for doing the fundraising for us on a part time basis. Gradually, we hope to be able to pay a wage plus expenses. Two of our group have been writing to this man for years.
Once we can get a fundraising program going, we can start listening to other ideas: We have people coming out who want to help us with returned prisoner project. There is even an idea for a organically run farm on which newly released prisoners can adjust to the free world while others to work and live.
legal network:
Another project for this year: We are also ready to form a working legal network where jailhouse prisoners, paralegals, volunteers and consulting lawyers help prisoners change the system . I am working with several paralegal prisoners in drafting a plan for a committee to assess prisoner’s requests for legal help. Also, I am nearly finished with the Blackstone paralegal course myself and hope to be of service to such a network.
working with legislature
The final big goal for this year involves our legislature. We need to hone our lobbying skills and have started this year by coordinating with other prison activists in trying to defeat a bill that would further curtail prisoner’s rights and we are going on now other legislative causes. We work closely with 2 legislators, and the new Milwaukee group, P.A.M., we helped form, and are trying to learn new speaking and researching skills. This year we hope learned enough to be a real force for change in our repressive laws. It is difficult work as none of us were prepared for the aggressive prejudice held against prisoners by many of our legislators.
. $ any events and/or projects your group is planning; and ongoing projects.
1)Penpal project: to bring a human face to our prisons
· prisoner penpals: See website www.friendsofprisoners.org. This is a free site for prisoners. It needs better advertising and we hope this will be part of the fundraiser’s duties.
· pamphlets about prisoners, their stories- we will and have gone into churches etc to try to promote goodwill toward our prisoners- the pamphlets give prisoners names, addresses and stories.
· Book project eventually, when we have staff. We have incredible art and writings we would like to share in tabletop hardcover book form- or even as pamphlet.
· Fundraising site- a start but needs an internet love/expert to get going: http://prisonercraftsale.blogspot.com
2) Most of our work is answering prisoner letters, working with their families and advocating for them . It is the core of our work and keeps us committed. It is hard as it sometimes involves calling into the prisons and working with people who really believe our prisoners are evil. There is not much success But we have learned the power of love. Even if we cannot “fix” the inmate’s condition, just knowing someone cares and is trying to help means a lot to prisoners. We also often must help these people as they leave prison. One of the returning prisoners wants to start a “Project Return “in our corner of the state where he will help others as we helped him . All in the future.
3) Legal network- it is going as much as it can with few funds. We copy, send inquiries to lawyers, some of whom will consult and advise, we send law books , copy cases, as we can . Along with this is a general stream of information on any subject requested that goes to prisoners and the encouraging of writing, often to those who are really desperate in solitary and have no one to turn to. We have been doing this long enough that we have prisoners’ respect and a few prisoners are working out ways we can appeal to law firms for help through our 501c3 tax incentives. We have attempted this before and hope for better success using our jailhouse lawyers as advisers in how to compose the letters.
4) PAM Prison Action Milwaukee- this is a group we helped start last summer. Most prisoners in Wisconsin come from Milwaukee’s inner city and it has taken us these 8 years to build enough trust among families to start the independent organization. It has a very dedicated leader and connects closely with us while still being a separate organization. We are working together on several areas, including finding adequate transportation for families to prisons and are trying together to help defeat 2 bills promise to be very detrimental to prisoners’ rights. Another huge project that we work with PAM on is parole reform- meetings are ongoing between PAM and the parole chairman about changing the structure that has effective eliminated parole in this state and has given us intolerably crowded and under funded prisons. We keep PAM informed on the conditions of specific prisoners and on prisons in general.
5) As we become more effective, the Department of Corrections has become more aggressive against us. We are now trying to help a prisoner who has been threatened with an “inciting a riot” conduct report because of his work with us . At the time of this writing they have not issued a conduct report but are “grilling” him for information on our network” and obviously trying to get him or us to act out. I wrote a letter to the ppeople in power here and will include it in the displays.
$ how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts.
First, we look for changes in conditions in the prisons fostered by our work, which are few. We ask about effectiveness of our communication: We do have some DOC employees listening to us, are working with a few legislators and have the respect of some media people. We have a growing voice that simply was not there before in Wisconsin. One of our final goals of success will be when we have effective parole laws and prisoners are given the right to vote, where there is general support for healing and not just retribution. We also are constantly reminded by prisoners of the importance of our work- that they know some people care about them . It is incredible how much this compassion is needed.
6. What has been your organization’s most significant accomplishments and challenges over the last few years? Starting PAM in Milwaukee was for me a huge event. Only with this voice can change come, and it is so much bigger than the prisons. For the first time , in early February there was a group of people, some black , some white speaking in the legislature against a retaliatory Bill.
Also, We have worked long enough with the Head of Health in the Doc that he trusts us and is taking some of our suggestions seriously. We gave him a list of prisoners too long in segregation and he has agreed to study if he can at least move them to a different prison- (new staff may help these struck men). We are becoming known as people who are good source of information about prisoners by some media, some legislators, an occasional lawyer and many family members. An alternative view to the constant scapegoating of prisoners. What we want is real community oversight of prisons.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION
7. Briefly describe how your group operates in terms of:
$ who makes decisions and sets priorities for your organization; $ the responsibilities of the board, staff and members; $ the number of members you have; $ your strategies to recruit new members; and $ the number of paid staff.
Up till now we have each worked alone; spending our own money, connecting by email and discussing broader strategies. We come together at prison events, Madison legislative events etc put on now by other community education groups.
This year we are ready to morph into a more structured organization in order to get structure for the long dreamed of legal network and to decide exact details of spending any moneys coming from grants or successful fundraising. We are working with a prisoner on exactly how a legal network board will look which decides which prisoners legal pleas will get help from our group. This board will be made up of people from within our present activist coalition and will include prisoner litigators as we can. Many prisoner litigators have offered to be part of the network. The plans abound, but the reality will be different as we will have to gain some respect from the Department of Corrections to be allowed to facilitate legal work by prisoners. For decision making on spending for other needs- postage, specific prisoner requests, we will use current long term FFUP workers . We will be acquiring new structure as needs arise. The part of our funds allocations that are automatic is our PO Box fee; renewal of postal 501c3 permit; and newsletter postage and copying.
We do not have a hierarchy or membership. - we have a division of labor. We are constantly hearing from new people asking for help through our internet sites and their work with the Milwaukee group. Prisoners also spread the word. Most people start this work by asking for help. Then they get interested in helping on a small scale because they start to see the bigger picture.
Our little group, those who Identify as FFUP, consist of about 7 people. Because FFUP lost it’s copier, the organization Wisconsin Prison Watch , now publishes our news as well as that of PAM in his newsletter. FFUP’s webmaster lives in Holland. I do blogs and she does the main web, we coordinate through email.
Because most of us live rurally and far apart, we are a coalition of individuals who agree to help each other. It makes the most sense. It is as country living always is-we depend on our neighbor in times of need. We will organize more obviously as the need arises. If we get this grant , or as we expand the legal networking beyond it’s present tiny scale, we will quickly gain structure. We want to include the prisoners in as much of the decision making process as is possible for the legal network. Day to day use of funds will be decided by present workers via email and phone. I expect a few face to face meetings to get a structure going .
8. RESIST supports organizations addressing social justice issues that have leadership and constituents drawn from the communities most affected by those issues. Please use the attached chart to illustrate the make-up/diversity of your group’s Board, Staff, Volunteers and Members. How have you taken steps to increase that diversity?$
We work with people as diverse as our prison population. Again, we do not have membership.
We are dedicated people and because this is such painfully difficult work, we can only do those things that strike us individually as important . No one can tell my cohort how to spend her money so that is not part of FFUP funding . All FFUP donations go to it’s maintenance as an organization – (the PO Box and non profit postal fees)- and for stamps, and our newsletter.
With a fundraiser hired and actual money being donated, I as founder, I will write out a proposal for the money’s use and send it to each of my coworkers to comment on and we will continue to discuss priorities until we agree. This is how we have been conducting business matters. We all have the same general goal and each person’s ideas and input is important to coming up with a general plan.
Part of the needs that a fundraiser will help with:
Internet fees for advertising our programs:(URLs for blogs, advertising and spreading the word about penpal projects and innocent pleas, fees involved in downloading cases , research and books,) STAMPS; help with getting families to prisons (gas); books , magazines etc for prisoners without support. Biggest -Printer/ copier that can do law materials and newsletters both sides.
FISCAL MANAGEMENT/FUNDING SOURCES
9. Please discuss how you keep track of your income and expenses (your financial management practices). FFUP’s expenses are its postal fee obligations and PO Box, this is about 250 dollars a year. All donations go into a bank account and are used for these fees or for postage on newsletters or resource lists and pamphlets we send out generally. Anything left over goes for postage on letters to individual prisoners. Everything else we do is on an individual level because we use our own money . This will change with a fundraiser position. As I said above, (no. 8 )I will start a proposal and others will add, detract from it . This method works well .
10. Please list all other foundations you have applied to in the past three years and the results of those applications. Are you currently applying to other foundations? If so, please indicate which foundations and whether the request is pending, secured or turned down.
In the beginning I applied unsuccessfully to your organization and a more local organization. In 2006 I made an enquiring to the SOROS Foundation for a grant for a legal fund and they said we would need a consulting attorney to get a grant. I have been working on that angle since and now have the respect of a couple lawyers and a few jailhouse lawyers who are helping me make enquires.
POLITICAL FOCUS
11. RESIST funds organizations that can demonstrate an understanding of the important connections across the broad spectrum of issues that progressive activists struggle to address. As part of the application process, please provide an honest evaluation and specific information that illustrates the: 1) programs, 2) coalition work, and 3) position of your group in relationship to the rights and concerns of each of the following:
a) people of color: most of the people we work with are either Hispanic or Black .Probably one in four of the prisoners we write, have on our penpal blog or in some ways connect to are Caucasian. Most are Black. There are probably 5 to 8 Native Americans, 3 to 5Asians total .
b) working class and poor people: Most of the families are working class and have no internet or computers . We spend much time on phone with family members. It is expensive as is traveling to Milwaukee, where they live. It has been a boon to finally have an organization in Milwaukee we can work with.
c) women (include your group's position on reproductive and abortion rights)Mothers are the usual activists in this struggle. My position on abortion is that it is such a difficult decision , it must be up to the woman.
d) gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people- I work with one transsexual person- a woman in a man’s prison – Her life is torture, I am well aware of the prejudices of our culture.
e) people with disabilities- we advocate for people with disabilities in prison all the time . The big scam is mental health. Our society doesn’t deal with the mentally ill except to funnels its problems into the prisons., where diagnosis’s are fudged so those with major problems can legally be held eternally in isolation cells. A major major problem.
f) older people and g)youth- most of us FFUPers are older. We range in age form 50 to 75.. Ex prisoners coming now to help are young and Black – youth. Families and prisoner are all ages.
12. How does the ongoing work of your organization respond to and address US domestic policy and/or US foreign policy? We work in the trenches with the most horrendous aspects of our failed policies.
g) Important group to include on our diversity tabulation is inmates and ex - inmates. The returning prisoners are an especial target group for because we can help them stay out of prison.
COLLABORATION
13. How does your organization collaborate with other organizations? It is the core of our work. We have a network of caring individuals . There still is not much any one can do about basic conditions or the laws that create these huge populations of prisoners and there won’t be until there is a stronger voice for the poor. We also coordinate with Demeter foundation- which works with Taychedah, a woman’s prison; WI CURE, which works on meetings with important people-( then everyone is invited to go); Wisconsin prison Watch , who’s most important functions at this time is a newsletter- mouthpiece for all of us. Nationally we work with Bonny Kerness of American Friends ( Quakers) we support each other on Supermax and other isolation issues and FFUP contributes stories of prisoners for her ongoing writing project . Soon we are planning connect with CER, An Illinois group promoting Earned Release, for we both have constipated parole systems. There are many more. Basically anyone in prison work can send a shout out via email when there is something important for us all to work on or if they just want to “talk”. . We are so isolated and so few, it keeps us all strong.
$ Please describe groups or coalitions you currently work with or have worked with in the past.For about two years there was a coalition meeting in Madison “INCARCERATION COALITION” As it turned out, most of the most active members , who attended meetings, came from the east (Milwaukee) and west ( WI PRISON Watch and FFUP). It was too much driving since most of the Madison groups , where the meeting was, seldom attended. So when this coalition lost its paid coordinator, the meetings stopped. The coalition listserve still exists and the name is sometime used but, we members who are still active , work via email .
$ Are there other organizations in your community that do similar work? FFUP and Wisconsin prison Watch are the only organizations who’s main work is directly with prisoners and their families. The others focus more on much needed public education and together all these organizations make a good team. Also, FFUP and WPW has most it’s members in far Western Wisconsin, the other organizations are in Milwaukee and Madison. Living in the country, we bring a different perspective.
$ If so, how do your organizations cooperate with each other?(see above)There is much networking between organizations.
$ What work do you do that crosses issues and constituencies? (see above)Everything Crisscrosses, it is all connected. I believe I have answered this question adequately above. However, to be precise, we tend to be a connecting link between prisoners and their families and the other organizations. For example , Our web master or PAM leader will direct a prisoner family member to me , I will try to help them make their complaint known to legislators, prisons staff , ACLU or wherever . Similarly, most of our projects start with an individual prisoner’s issues. Because we receive complaints from so many prisoners, we can see patterns and are somewhat valued by the network for this. For example, we are coordinating the sending of abuse complaints to the US Department of Justice, started because we saw patterns of abuse. There are many examples whereby our direct contact with prisoners give us the needed information to at least get relevant dialog and questioning started.
LOBBYING
14. If your organization will engage in lobbying, please estimate how much of RESIST’s grant will be spent for direct lobbying activity and how much for grassroots lobbying, as those terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Service Regulations under 501(h).
$ Direct lobbying $ Grassroots lobbying
None of Resist money will be used directly at lobbying ,however our main goal IS to change the revenge policy of this government and country to one of healing , to effect laws and policies and attitudes that make community control of corrections possible. Although “lobbying” per se forms a minor part of our work now, I expect that as we get stronger, we will be doing more of it. That means , we will be a supporting link in getting more groups from Milwaukee to Madison where they will join us in speaking “truth to power”.
Financial Statement
If you prepare organizational budgets, you may submit them in their original forms. Financial Statement(last year's actual income/expenditures) Annual Budget (current year)
no statement made
Fiscal Year-End Date:
INCOME
RESIST Request 3000000
Individual Contributions 300 donations 300
Foundation Grants
Government Contracts
Membership Dues
Special Events/Sales Income $5000 projected with help from ex prisoner fundraiser$1000 projected from lawyers asked to help with legal network
In-Kind Contributions
Other
Total Income 300 9300
EXPENSES
Salaries $3000 hour wage salary for part-time fundraiser, an ex prisoner
Benefits
Professional Fees $300 for hiring web expert for online fundraising (we know someone)
Occupancy (rent, utilities)
Insurance
Telephone ( plus internet hook up) (about $2000out of pocket) this will continue to be out of pocketnote: we stalwarts will continue using our own money as we can but this becomes tougher as our own household expenses rise.
Postage/Shipping/ copying/ printing/ Supplies (about $4000 out of pocket)$200FFUP postal 501c3 fees$100 FFUP newsletter, misc letters note: we will continue to use our own money as we can $200 postal 501c3 fees$3000 expanded services
Major Equipment $800 copier/printer for bulk 2-sided
Travel/Transportation About $500 out of pocket. $1000 help with gas money for families
Fundraising $1000 expenses for fundraiser, an ex prisoners
Promotion/Publicity/Outreach
Training/Technical Assistance
Other:
BALANCE 0 for FFUP 9300 income – 9300 expenses= 0
Organizational Diversity Chart - a rough Estimate
core workers non-incarcerated friends/helpers prisoners writing to/ using our services, offering help
Total Number 7 approximate, conservative 30 about 300
Diversity by Race/Ethnicity
African American 7 15 over 50 %
Asian Pacific Islander 0 0 1
European-American/Caucasian 7 6 About 20%
Latina/Latino/Hispanic 0 8 about 20%
Multi-Racial/Mixed Heritage 0 1 about 5 %
Native American 0 1 about 5%
Other
Diversity by Gender
Female 5 25 2%
Male 2 5 98%
Transgender 0 0 1
Diversity by Age
Individuals Age 65 and Older 2 8 none
Individuals Age 21 and Younger 0 0 about 30 %
Other Diversity Characteristics
Low-income all 30 most
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual unknown unknown unknown
People with Disabilities 2 10 many
Other Diversity Categories that are Important to Your OrganizationReturned prisoners: about 5; Prisoners, about 300
Grant sent to :
RESIST, 259 ELM STREET, SUITE 201, SOMERVILLE, MA 02144;(617) 623-5110; resistinc@igc.org; www.resistinc.org
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