It’s
an election year, in case you haven’t noticed. That means candidates up and
down the ballot must at least give the appearance of listening to the voters.
Many people are interested in the trials and tribulations of prison lifer
Richard J. Wershe, Jr., who got a raw deal by any rational measure. This blog,
which reports almost exclusively on the Wershe case, has had over 92,000 page
views. This translates in to some potential political clout. This week’s post
is about organizations interested in reforming our messed up “corrections”
system. Let’s hasten to add this isn’t a knock on the staff at the prisons. It’s
a knock on the policies and top-level administration. It won’t change unless
someone—you—are willing to step up and be heard.
Anyone who reads Informant America regularly, or even
occasionally, knows Rick Wershe’s life sentence for a non-violent drug
conviction when he was 18 years old is more about politics than it is about law
and order.
He was recruited at age 14 to help the FBI in the War on
Drugs. Without strong guidance Wershe made some bad decisions and wound up with
a life prison sentence. Over the years it has become obvious there are forces
who want to keep Wershe in prison no matter what the facts or anything he may have
done to become a better citizen. As Rick Wershe has said numerous times, “I
told on the wrong people.” They were people with political connections.
In a very real sense, it’s going to take some political
will to set him free. Therefore, anyone who wants to do more than just wish him
well should consider exercising a citizen’s right to show interest in politics.
In this case, corrections reform in Michigan.
The Wershe case, taken by itself, will not move the needle
in the statehouse in Lansing. But if enough people show the politicians his
case is a shining (perhaps that’s not the right word) example of what is wrong
with law and order and corrections “reform” in Michigan.
You don’t have to become a sign-waver at rallies, although
that’s fine. There is nothing wrong, nothing at all, in asking questions and
showing some interest in the making or reforming of laws. It’s called
exercising your right as a citizen. Here are some places to ask questions:
CAPPS—Citizens
Alliance on Prisons & Public Spending
This outfit is serious about the things that are wrong with
Michigan’s Corrections system and they are state-based, not national.
You are invited to explore their Web site (www.capps-mi.org/) and decide
for yourself. They even have sample letters of support if you’d like to help.
Their phone number is:
(517) 482-7753. Their email address is:
LEAP—Law
Enforcement Against Prohibition
This is an interesting national organization of current and
former police officers who agree the War on Drugs hasn’t worked. They correctly
liken the War on Drugs to Prohibition in the 1920s, with about the same degree
of success. You may find it interesting to read some of their positions on
their Web site (www.leap.cc/) Note that their domain name ends in “cc” not .com.
Several former and current Michigan police officers are listed as participants
under “Find A Speaker.” If you have enough people for an audience it may be
worth everyone’s time to ask them to send a speaker.
Their email address is:
Right
on Crime
This is a project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation
with chapters nationwide, including Michigan. It is, as the name suggests, a
conservative policy organization which views current imprisonment policy as
incredibly wasteful of tax dollars. They boast support from the likes of Newt
Gingrich and Grover Norquist. Their Web site (rightoncrime.com) offers insight in to their
view of prison reform issues.
It’s not clear how active their Michigan operation is in
2016 but you can contact their Communications Director to find out. His name is
Dan Isettat. His telephone number is: (512) 472-2700.
His email address is:
Rick’s lifelong friend, Dave Majkowski, who maintains the
Free Richard Wershe Jr. Facebook page
suggests you check out Can-Do: Justice through Clemency. The Web Site (www.candoclemency.com) for this
California-based organization is robust and shows some serious effort.
They have a form you can fill out to get in touch:
Of course, nothing says you can’t contact your Michigan
representative or state senator yourself. They won’t bite. They won’t put you
on a get-even list. Heck, they might even respond to a constituent. Stranger
things have happened.
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