Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants Turning Point: The Newsletter of Missouri CURE ♦ P.O. Box 1245 Cape Girardeau MO 63702 Phone 877-525-CURE (2873) Email: [email protected] Web: www.missouricure.org Summer 2012 From the Chair: by Hedy Harden State of the Organization Missouri CURE Officers: issouri CURE had a successful Susan Kelly, a new advisory board mem- Hedy (Edna) Harden, Chair M annual statewide conference ber, is managing the birthday card project. Nancy Hight, Vice-Chair September 15 in Columbia. At Missouri CURE sends birthday cards to all of least 35 people were in attendance. its incarcerated members. Susan has also Becky Williams, Secretary Our speakers included Lewis Diuguid, been hosting our meetings since June when Maria Rubin, Treasurer Kansas City Star Columnist & we began planning for our con- Editorial Board member. I ference. Alesha Scherffius, Public Relations met Lewis last year at the We have become more Turning Point Editor: NAACP banquet held at JCCC involved with prisoner NAACP and was inspired by his pres- chapters and have attended sev- Hedy Harden entation. We also heard from eral in-prison meetings. Prison- Rep. Rory Ellinger, one of the ers and prison groups have CURE Advisory Board: most progressive legislators in made generous financial contri- Michelle Dodson Missouri. I’m proud to say butions to our chapter, and this that he is also my own State has assisted our growth. We Kevin Hammerschmidt Representative. have increased our legislative Ruby Jamerson Paula Skillicorn led the group in an work and have lobbied at the capitol. This exercise designed to test people’s trust in has been a real learning experience and has Susan Kelly each other. She spoke about using our greatly increased our contacts with legisla- Allen X McCarter resources and moderated an open forum. tors. Prisoners are encouraged by even min- ute progress in this area and are grateful for Dolores Owen t’s been an exciting year for MO CURE. news keeping them abreast of legislation. Patricia Prewitt I Nancy Hight, our new Vice-Chair, has The parole board in Missouri has been Roosevelt Price Jr. successfully enlisted the support of keeping prisoners past their time to continue Bryan Cave, a prestigious St. Louis law firm, to qualify for federal truth-in-sentencing Paula Skillicorn to apply for non-profit status. Bryan Cave money. All of the State’s so-called efforts to Jon Marc Taylor has fought for exonerations of Missouri reduce recidivism are a joke when freedom is prisoners such as Josh Keser and George fraudulently denied to long-term prisoners Allen. We are especially grateful to Keith who are rehabilitated and low risk. Inside this issue: Kehrer, a partner at Bryan Cave, who has taken on the filing for our 501(c)3 on a pro ur efforts to expose these issues have Prisons without A/C 2 bono basis. sometimes made dealing with the O JLWOP 2 Nancy has also led the charge as we took DOC more difficult. We have been on the issue of lack of air conditioning at refused admittance to the women’s prison in Changing the Criminal Code 3 some Missouri prisons during this extremely Vandalia for the upcoming NAACP banquet, CURE’s Vision for Justice 4-5 hot summer. See her article on page 2. supposedly because we are not affiliated with Our new Public Relations Officer, the NAACP. At JCCC some prisoners were New Board Members 6 Alesha Scherffius, will be administering our being prohibited from sending green checks Prison Performances 7 Facebook and Twitter pages. An ex-offender, for renewal of their memberships, but we Alesha has made extraordinary contributions have gotten that issue resolved. Parole Problems 7 to our efforts. Dolores Owen is keeping our More than one prison has sought to pre- website updated. Becky Williams, our vent offenders from receiving our newsletter Death Penalty Update 8 secretary extraordinaire, continues her which was mailed to them. We have learned We’re on Facebook, Twitter 8 excellent work. Maria Rubin, our treasurer, is from these battles and in most cases we have helping us update our financial records as we prevailed. Book Review: Lost Innocence 9 apply for nonprofit status. See Organization—page 10 In Gratitude 9 Memorable Quote 10 Page 2 Turning Point Missouri CURE Launches Petition Campaign by Nancy Hight Lack of A/C in Extreme Heat is Cruel and Unusual Punishment issouri CURE is seeking relief We contend that extra ice was pro- CURE M for the thousands of Missouri vided because the supply did not meet believes that prisoners who are housed in demand, that fans mostly blow around hot air- cells without air conditioning. While air and do not adequately relieve the situa- conditioning many of the newer prisons have A/C, the tion, and that not all prisoners have access needs to be older ones do not. Some, such as North- to misting fans and ice on a constant or extended to east Correctional Center (NECC) in as-needed basis. We are skeptical about transporta- Bowling Green, were designed for A/C, checks being made on the elderly and tion, as these but the air is only routed to staff areas, infirm, and we believe that none of the conditions while prisoners swelter in triple-digit heat. remedies, of which the DOC stated it was constitute Hundreds in solitary do not even have “very proud,” were adequate. cruel and unusual punishment as well. fans in their cells, which have no electri- Missouri CURE subsequently Missouri CURE launched a petition cal outlets. notified every State Senator and Repre- drive at our annual statewide conference One prisoner who had a heat attack sentative of this dire situation and asked September 15, 2012 in Columbia. A returned from the hospital after heart sur- for help in rectifying the matter. We petition addressed to the Speaker of the gery, only to be placed in the same over- received responses from outraged Missouri House of Representatives was heated cell. members of the legislature who said they distributed. A copy of this petition is We believe that this is a grave situa- had been unaware of the situation and being sent to all outside members. The tion which has a tremendous negative were “shocked” or “devastated”. petition is also available on our website. impact on the health and lives of all pris- In late August, the Missouri DOC We hope that you will make copies, get oners affected. Missouri prisoners have installed large thermometers in the hous- signatures, and mail them back to us. We suffered cruel and un- ing wings at NECC. We believe this is a plan to initiate an online petition as well, usual punishment dur- positive development in that at least the with a place for comments from anyone ing this summer’s ex- internal temperatures of the buildings can with concerns or information to share. treme temperatures. It be monitored; however, this is only a As the memory of this summer’s is the responsibility of STEP in the right direction. We will not record-breaking heat begins to fade, our the Missouri Depart- be satisfied until air-conditioning is pro- campaign for justice for Missouri prison- ment of Corrections vided for ALL Missouri prisoners. ers will NOT fade. This is a human rights (DOC) to protect the We are also concerned about the issue. We will continue our fight for health and welfare of buses that transport and transfer Missouri humane treatment until justice is served. prisoners in its custody. We demand im- prisoners. We have received a personal If you know of any heat-related inci- mediate steps be taken to correct this account of a six-hour bus transfer in 101- dents affecting prisoners that could help situation. degree heat, with windows tightly shut, this campaign, please write or call us. In late July, the U.S. Fifth Circuit and no water provided for the entire six Whether or not you are a current member Court of Appeals held in a Texas case hours. One prisoner became so sick that of Missouri CURE, you have the potential that, “Allowing a prisoner to be exposed he had to be carried off the bus. His tem- to help thousands of Missouri prisoners by to extreme temperatures can constitute a perature was 104 degrees. Missouri joining this fight for justice. violation of the Eight Amendment.” This was a landmark case for the Texas Civil Rights Project, of which Texas CURE Supreme Court rules against Juvenile LWOP was an active participant. We believe that n June 25 the Supreme Kagan, who wrote the opinion for the Missouri prisoners’ rights have also been Court ruled 5-4 that it is majority. Justices Kennedy, Gins- violated, and we ask the Missouri DOC to O unconstitutional for burg, Breyer and Sotomayor joined in take proactive measures. states to mandate a sentence of that opinion. In August 2012, Missouri CURE and life without parole (LWOP) for Evan Miller and Kuntrell the Kansas City Criminal Justice Task juveniles convicted of murder. Jackson were both 14 when con- Force (CJTF) launched a letter-writing Judges can still impose LWOP victed, Miller of murder in Alabama campaign to the Missouri Department of on youth for individual cases. and Jackson of being an accomplice Corrections. We received a response from We "hold that mandatory life without to a robbery/murder in Arkansas. Dave Dormire, Director of the Division of parole for those under the age of 18 at the The Court had earlier ruled out capital Adult Institutions, stating that the DOC time of their crimes violates the Eighth punishment for juveniles as well as life had supplied extra ice, fans and “misting” Amendment's prohibition on 'cruel and without parole for youth whose crimes did fans, and that they had made additional unusual punishment’," said Justice Elena not involve killing.