Samantha Stangl and Jacob Eikenberry presented the Mass Incarceration Community Education Initiative from the Clark-Fox Family Foundation. They led their presentation with the trailer from the movie “13th.”
From 1970 to the present, the number of people incarcerated in the United States has grown 500%, and this is the result of bad policy at all levels. The percent of the U.S. population in prison today, is six times greater than the next closest country. The percentage in Missouri is even higher than the national average. In fact, Missouri is now #1 in female incarceration in the country.
Our prison system indirectly impacts families as well. In Missouri there are 100,000 children with parents in correctional institutions, and these children will likely have poorer health, higher stress and lower GPAs as a result.
A combination of factors are driving this growth, including privatization, mandatory sentencing and the high rates of recidivism. (76% of all parolees are re-arrested within 5 years.) If any business had an 80% failure rate, they would be out of business– yet the prison ecosystem is self-perpetuating. Millions of jobs are built into the system; which is defended then by lobbies, unions and corporate financial incentives.
We cannot continue on this trajectory.
This should not be a partisan issue, and there are recent initiatives in other states that show promise. The State of Texas’ rate of incarceration peaked in the 1980s. They introduced changes to the system including programs for substance abuse, transitional housing and caseload limits for prison social workers. They have since been able to close 8 prisons and reduce their budget by $8 Billion.
Jake presented his personal story about how his violent and traumatic childhood led to an early and repeated exposure to the criminal justice system; and how extraordinary effort with a lot of enlightened assistance got him out of the system. He is the proof that change is possible.
To learn more about this initiative and how you can get involved, visit the Clark-Fox Family Foundation.
Legislative Report March 11, 2019 submitted by Glenn Koenen
Federal Items:
Please remember: 53% of all Missourians – and 89% of self-declared Republicans – still support Donald Trump according to recent, respected polls.
Congress has been in session most days: other than hearings on Trump World, their actions have stayed below the radar.
It is critical to note that while important legislation relating to immigration, gun control, taxation, and, entitlement reform has been proposed, progress in major issues remains impossible. The Senate, under Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, refuses to push bills the White House opposes. While Congress has passed resolutions on topics Trump doesn’t like, such as condemning Saudi Arabia’s murder of a journalist, the Senate refuses to challenge the president.
That could change in coming days as the Senate is forced, by its rules, to have a vote on the Privileged Motion from the House condemning the President using an Emergency Declaration to scour “wall money” from defense department and other funds. It is expected that the Senate, thanks to a few Republicans voting with the Democrats, will pass the House measure. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump is expected to Veto the measure and both the House and Senate lack the votes to override.
One area where the Senate is moving rapidly: a number of weak candidates for federal judgeships are being approved by the Senate by party line votes. For example, a 37 year old anti-LGBT activist with virtually no courtroom experience and no time serving on a lower court has been approved for the Court of Appeals in the Fourth District. (When Missouri’s John Hawley expressed reservations about Judge Rushing’s qualifications he was hit with a dump truck by the conservative establishment.)
All of these judges have one thing in common: all are endorsed by the arch-conservative Federalist Society. Their impact on American law will last generations.
The government shutdown through a truckload of monkey wrenches into the federal bureaucracy. The food stamp program, IRS processing of tax returns, Social Security handling retirement paperwork and a myriad of other vital activities will be messed-up for many months.
Please note that the national debt will grow by close to one trillion dollars this fiscal year.
State Items:
Let’s start with money: by the end of February, Fiscal Year To Date general revenue was tracking 5% behind last year. Add-in the 2% expected revenue increase figured into the current budget and, well, the state is staring at a 7% shortfall.
This money shortage will grow worse. Due to gross mistakes in the withholding tables used by employers, many Missourians find themselves owing the state tax money. Reports of people earning $30,000 a year owing the state $500 are common.
Both Democrats and Republicans have proposed letting taxpayers settle their bill in installments, possibly paying 2018 tax bills as late as October 2019.
While those efforts are very humane, they leave Missouri with less money to pay current year bills.
Amid that reality, the House passed a $483 million supplemental appropriation bill for the current fiscal year. The money will cover price jumps for state employees’ health care, Medicaid costs, overtime for some state employees, and, over five million for start-up costs for the medical marijuana system.
The House is working very hard on the budget for the Fiscal Year starting July 1st. Unfortunately, the budget will again be balanced by slashing programs. For example, Missouri will have to shed around 50,000 Medicaid recipients – mostly kids – to hit the proposed $300 million reduction for that program. Killing the “Circuit Breaker” for lower-income seniors who rent their homes (a $52 million item) is expected to become law.
Within the Senate, a half dozen Republicans have created the “Conservative Caucus.” That group opposes any new state debt – including the governor’s proposed $350 million in bonds for bridge repairs.
They are also on record as saying all new revenue ought to be used to reduce existing tax rates. While most elected Republicans have signed the Grover Norquist “No New Taxes” pledge, these conservatives want to go further: on the Senate floor last week, for example, one member suggested the complete elimination of all corporate income taxes no matter what the impact on state revenue.
The House is poised to pass a bill [HB 899] which would give tenants just five days to appeal an eviction order or other adverse action.
Also ready for floor consideration is a measure to require most adults on food stamps to work 20 hours per week or else the family loses benefits. The issue is not the work requirement, rather the state lacks the ability to process and track tens of thousands of weekly reports from participants. The Family Support Division expects that 52,000 kids will lose access to food stamps due to this requirement. (A similar requirement for Medicaid families is also being considered.)
Despite heroic efforts by Senate Democrats, a bad bill favoring corporations over individuals in court actions passed the Senate and seems headed for passage in the House. Several years in the making, this is the bill insulates GOP megadonor David Humphreys’ company from class action product liability suits, among other bad things.
It seems possible that Senate Democrats will be forced many times in coming weeks to filibuster bad bills. The question becomes on what issues will the Republicans call the previous question, a drastic and very un-Senate like procedure which guarantees inaction after it occurs.
Progress is being made on some issues.
For example, municipal court reforms pushed by a bi-partisan group of House members – led by Rep. Dean Plocher – has already been sent to the Senate.
Sentencing reforms sought by many progressive groups have also passed the House. Combined with upcoming Missouri Supreme Court rule changes on bail, Missouri could become a leader in handling non-violent offenders.
Up in the air are several issues, such as updating Missouri’s approach to HIV. While medical professionals and community groups overwhelmingly support the measure [HB 166], the measure is stuck under the thumb of the committee chair. [Mike Stephens, R – Bolivar]