meeting update

A Reminder to everyone that CAJE will be meeting Monday evening, as usual, at 7pm at the first Congregational Church.

Last week we reviewed our work so far and talked about strategies for the next couple of months.

** Our current focus should clearly be on getting our point of view across to the City Council, while our opponents are doing the same. It is important that our council members hear the voices of a large number of their constituents. I think I can even say, a large majority of their constituents, after the enthusiastic responses that all of us had from people we met while knocking on doors during the week before elections. So it is extremely important that we all send thoughtful messages to our City Council reps. now as they are considering whether or not to vote to rezone the property next to the waterfront for a jail. We, of course, are hoping that they will not rezone the property, thereby necessitating that the jail be moved elsewhere.

We decided that we would, at tomorrow's meeting, be considering the positions of each of the City Council and County Board members with the intention of making sure that each one has heard our message.

Ken indicated to us that he is going to be bringing up the suggestion of an amendment to the County Board at his first meeting as a supervisor. This will be to introduce allowing the public the opportunity to speak for at least 3 minutes each on topics of their concern to the County Board before the meetings begin. Up to now, no one other than county board members has been allowed to speak at these meetings. Those of you who attended our first rally will recall that we were warned before entering the board room that we were not allowed to speak at all. Ken would like to change that and I think we all applaud him for this bold move.

The next County Board meeting will be on this coming April 15th, for those who would like to attend. We will all be watching with interest to see if the County Board will choose to listen to its public by accepting Ken's suggestion.

I have been notified that CAJE will need to find an alternative meeting place for May 2, 5, and 19 as the church, which has been very generous to us with meeting space, does have another function for the space on those dates. If anyone has any suggestions or leads on another space, that information would be most welcome.

Kudos go to all who worked tirelessly on getting out the word during the campaigns and all those who have worked on petitions. They just keep coming in, and I plan to have the names counted by tomorrow evening.

Ned and I did a tour of the existing jail on Friday, and it was indeed an eye opener. Clearly something needs to be done, but whereas somewhat bigger and/or more organized may be in order, huge is not better, and I also still firmly believe that if we have a new building that it does not need to be on the waterfront in our historic neighborhood.

I am also more convinced than ever that jail is not the appropriate place for either a mental health facility or a rehab. center and indeed neither is likely to happen with the 20K that they have set aside for programing by the time they build a new 60 million jail. Buildings don't rehabilitate people or give them jobs when they get out of jail, nor do they prevent people from returning to jail.

It is my personal opinion that what funds we have should be spent on programs to treat those with mental illnesses and addictions outside of the jail environment, to increase the ankle bracelet program which seems to be working well according to the Lieutenant who gave us the tour, and to provide work training and jobs for inmates upon release. If we were to do this it is my belief that far fewer secure beds would be needed.

Keep up the good fight.
See you all Monday evening.

from an email by Emily Beach