Meeting minutes for October 2016

Meeting minutes for Wednesday, 19 October 2016

In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Jeff, Colin, Tilo, John, Marsha, Michelle, Brendan

Welcome and Introductions

Announcements

• 2017 Write for Rights update (Barb)
• Kit now available online
• This year letters can be sent any time between now and December 31.
• Annual dues for chapter (Tilo)
• Tilo usually collects this from each member around this time of year (fall)
• $25/person
• Homa Hoodfar (Canadian-Irish-Iranian professor held in solitary confinement: UA 137/16) has been freed!

Actions

• Rayees Ahmod Mir and Waheed Ahmed Gojree (India, UA 239/16): "Two teenage boys in Jammu and Kashmir are being detained in prison under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), which expressly prohibits the detention of anyone under 18 years of age. The PSA is an administrative detention law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases." (Colin)
• Ali Isa al-Tajer (Bahrain, UA 267/15): "Ali Isa al-Tajer’s trial on terrorism charges began on 23 August. The judge did not respond to the allegation that his confessions were extracted under torture. He is still awaiting to be examined by medical consultants following a referral in December 2015. He remains detained and the next trial session has been set for 3 November." (Bob)
• Mohammed Sadiq Kabudvand (Iran, Group 342 Case File) (Michelle)

New Business

• Mary Shaw: former member of Group 342 recently passed away (Barb)
• Movie night at Tilo's house
• Possible ideas: documentary called Thirteenth (about the 13th amendment)
• Maybe do this on a regular meeting night
• Finalize date next month
• Doctors without Borders exhibit about the refugee crisis
• On Independence Mall next month
• Marsha will send into to group e-mail list

Guest Presentation

• Emily Abendroth and Layne Mullett of Decarcerate PA and LifeLines Project
• Goal: End mass incarceration in PA (3 steps)
• 1. Stop prison expansion (no new prisons)
• 2. Reform system (why people are sent to prison)
• Decarceration
• sentencing, bail campaign, pretrial process issue (bail), parole
• create less punitive sentencing policies
• 3. Community reinvestment (education, health care, programs that address causes) instead of spending on prisons
• Places that decreased prisons saw that money get redirected to policing (which increases problems associated with #2)
• Preferred terminology: "death by incarceration" instead of "life without parole"
• Q&A
• Suggested readings, info on how to contact representatives, postcard campaign

Upcoming Events

• Next meeting: Wednesday, 16 November, 7:30 p..m, Wegmans in Malvern, PA
• Write for Rights event: Saturday, 17 December, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Ten Thousand Villages in Exton