People's Proposition

Human Rights Day - December 10, 2003

From Northern California to Southern California, organizations and individuals are taking our demands to the streets of California!

· Abolish Three Strikes
· End the illegal no-parole policy
· Grant compassionate release
· Provide treatment, not incarceration
· Stop the revolving door

Join us for a Candlelight Vigil

Wednesday, December 10th 6:30 pm At Leimert Park (corner of Vernon & Crenshaw in LA)

Human Rights Day is an opportunity to reflect on human rights abuses throughout the world. This year, we are gathering to expose human rights abuses of prisoners here at home. This event is part of statewide actions in Eureka, L.A., Palmdale, San Diego, and other cities across California!

For more information, call FACTS at 213/746-4844

Partial list of sponsors include: Action Committee for Women in Prison, All of Us or None, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, California Prison Focus, Critical Resistance, Families to Amend California's Three Strikes, Free Battered Women, Justice Now, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Out of Control! Lesbian Committee to Support Political Prisoners, Proyecto Common Touch, Stop Prisoner Rape.

STOP THE INJUSTICE AGAINST CALIFORNIA'S PRISONERS!

The People's Proposition:
A Community Initiative to Bring Our Prisoners Home

Summary:

Our communities are depopulated, our families fractured, and our children are torn from their mothers while the prison population in California skyrockets and the state budget plummets. Other states around the country have taken significant measures to reduce their budget deficits by releasing prisoners who should not be incarcerated but so far California has failed to take any steps in this direction. We the undersigned call upon [the governor-whoever he is] to stop following the orders of the powerful Prison Guard’s Union – CCPOA – and become accountable to the ignored communities of this state. Reverse the crisis by implementing The People's Proposition to begin to bring our prisoners home!

Abolish Three Strikes - It isn't fair, it doesn't work, and it's costing the state billions to lock up people for unreasonable amounts of time. This law hasn't made Californians any safer and it's destroying our communities

End the Illegal No-Parole Policy - Take the politics out of parole and follow the applicable law. Release every prisoner who is statutorily eligible for release if they have demonstrated suitability for parole.

Real Compassionate Release- Release the aged, chronically ill, and the disabled persons who pose no threat to society. Evaluate the cases and base decisions about a prisoner's suitability for release on their entire record not just the commitment offense Release persons diagnosed with a terminal illness as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed rather than waiting until they have only 6 months to live to begin the paperwork.

Stop the Revolving Door – No more discrimination against former prisoners!

End technical parole violations and stop sending people back to prison because they missed an appointment or moved without notifying the parole office. Stop filling the prisons with people who have not committed a crime.

Focus on treatment not incarceration. Drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services cost far less than imprisonment. Furthermore, treatment will salvage lives whereas imprisonment destroys them. Offer treatment to all who need it.

IF YOU SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PEOPLE''S PROPOSITION
THEN EMAIL THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR STATE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE