These are new tines, scary and exciting times. Time to be bold. For me, it means reaching out beyond our "comfort zone". Prison activist and advocates alike tend to share their views on our prison system with people who already know prisons- who know the dark side of our culture. In order to change anything significantly- we need to go beyond that , to the folks that believe all the rhetoric about rapists and murderers and define the prisoners as their crime. We have to help these folks see the whole person. .And that is what our campaign is about. With public support, all is possible. Without it, prison legislation aimed at healing a broken system, cannot even get a hearing.
here is a link to our latest newsletter- finally got in after being disappeared. Been since Textbehind was launched since we did a full- out one.
Latest Bridge of VOICES newsletter
or here is the URL if the above does not work:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QJ0i3jnVF9fbJy5J5c2Oo-gh_Y4th0y_/view?usp=sharing
Our newsletters are always stuffed . Prisoners have the time and focus and need this information. The thing is widely shared and loved but hard to read for us on -the -move outsiders. It outlines our many pronged campaign and makes it clear to prisoners that we need their help and their families help. We need to go beyond our comfort zones where we speak and write only people who know the truth and the changes needed. about our most corrupted prisoner system. We need to reach the public, for our leaders are afraid to do what is right.
We will be going to the courts, legislature and governor and need public support be successful in making the changes needed. Her are some of our efforts.
We are starting with 2 efforts
1) getting Drug testing at entry of the prisons for all staff and visitors , The money made in the thriving drug business in there is one of the main reason why reform is so difficult- Secretary HOy has said he would back this provided the legislature backs him. So we start theri- at the correcstions committees. And we will make sure the scanners are non toxic.
coming: more on drugs in the WIDOC ; prisoner testimonies, bogus conduct reports surrounding the trade, parents' letters etc.
2) Petition letter campaign: here a prisoner's loved one writes a letter supportiing release or other actions and an FFUP er adds a letter . Then we send it by email oto r come form of social media toslature back s h the gneral public. We hoep not only to hep the prisoner sbut also to educate the genral public with thiese petition letters. gradually theywill be joned by issue. the re quest for release will go to GOvernor Evers when he leaves office. WEhoepthese letters will give him the courage to do the right thing.
Lawsuits: gathering of plaintiffs
In the background is always my gathering and accurately summing the cases of plaintiffs for our lawsuits- there will be many issues and we need lawyers for each of the class actions. So by November I will have each case summed and ready to go to lawyers. I will use the blogs to organizes.
here are some of- here FFUP would be the plaintiff of the issues: each will need to be a separate suit we are told. Our goal is to do what Colorado did- after massive reform, they have no solitary longer than 15 days and no staff shortages. The guards are trained for two years and know how to deal with difficult prisoners .
There at least a hundred cases here and we will be using them wherever there is any glimpse of a chance to help these men and women:NOTICE_ these cases are on draft right now-
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-no-health-care-physical.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-on-mental-health.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-prisoners-with-no-care-all-issues.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-prea-violations-unaddressed.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/criminal-cases-where-justice-is-needed.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-to-present-to-evers-for-release.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-policy-change-ideas.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-no-treatment-alchohol-and-drug.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/10/cases-retaliation-for-advocacy.html
https://ourprisonersspeak.blogspot.com/2025/01/campaign-tools-links.html
Textbehind- as in getting rid of > here FFUP would be the plaintiff and would not be subjected to the PLRN and FFU would represent prisoners and their families.
legislative actions: Some ideas for issues to present to the legislators on DOC committees:
staff
1)DRUG TESTING OF STAFF and visitors on entering prison( discussed page 1 above)d
2 Excessive tazing by inexperienced guards. The staff shortages, we think caused mainly by poor working conditions and forced overtime, cause the DOC to hire just baout anyone and put them uonduty with littel training. Taazing is supposed to be the last option but in most mazes , it is often the only tool used.
3. misuse of the new point system to use for retaliation.
4)Property regularly stolen by other prisoners as prisoner is transferred to Seg or to another prison. NO attempt by staff to secure propoerty and they often assign cellmates to pack up property and leave it at that. Packing up needs to be an assigned job for staff and prisoners and they need to be held accountable
conditions
2)Bad food and too little
3) long list of unhealthy conditions
4) lack of adequate clothing for those without money to buy exorbitantly priced vendor offerings
6)THE HEAT. With climate change it will only get worse- many people need to gather on this one.
TCI , WCI and RGCI have units where no windows open, most prisoners have no fans and staff shortages mean no nothing during heat waves.Noone wants to talk about this big issue- we need to be first.
Structure
7)Getting rid of TIS and installing a fair parole for all- there are good state examples- this needs a research group and lots of public pushing- money and misinformation,again, rules
8)TEXTBEHIND , tablets and all the newfangles seem to me designed to make serious document exchange and in depth discussions more and more difficult and to hamper prisoner’s contact with the outside. This is always among the top issues on my agenda- Textbehind has crippled FFUP. We have tried unsuccessfully to get representation for a case with me/FFUP as plaintiff. Then no exhaustion is required and we can represent families and prisoners. If you want to help with this-you and your families write me on how Textbehind as effected them and you.
The Governor
Waiver campaign