CLOSEmsdf To Outline Demands Of Next Governor

201 E Mifflin, Central Library, Madison, 9-10 A.M.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES TO OUTLINE DEMANDS FOR WISCONSIN’S NEXT GOVERNOR
#CLOSEmsdf campaign demands prison closure, an end to re-incarceration through alleged “crimeless rule violations” and for savings from prison closure to be invested in locally-run, community-based services for returning community members

WHAT: #CLOSEmsdf campaign members from across Wisconsin will hold a press conference putting forward their demands for Wisconsin’s next Governor. The #CLOSEmsdf campaign shifted the conversation on decarceration in Wisconsin since it launched in 2017. Eight leading candidates for Wisconsin governor committed to working with the #CLOSEmsdf coalition to decarcerate Wisconsin, close Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) and #buildCOMMUNITIES at a forum attended by 700 people in Waukesha in June. #CLOSEmsdf demands that Wisconsin’s elected officials including the next Governor enact policies to:

1. Stop incarcerating people for violations of supervision. Wisconsin keeps people under intensive (post-prison) supervision for much longer periods than most states, and then sends people back to prison for rule violations at a much higher rate than other states. Wisconsin’s “crimeless revocation” process relies on incarceration as the primary response to alleged “rule violations,” giving the Department of Corrections unchecked power. Wisconsin must overhaul supervision laws, allowing people facing potential revocation to remain home until their hearing and abolish the use of incarceration for crimeless rule violations.

2. Depopulate and close the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility. MSDF has already claimed the lives of at least 17 people. It is unsafe for anyone, including people who work there. The cost to Wisconsin taxpayers to keep MSDF open is 40 million dollars per year. Wisconsin must immediately depopulate, shut down, and demolish MSDF.

3. Reinvest the money wasted on MSDF back into communities. The state of Wisconsin must reinvest the excessive corrections spending into workforce development training for formerly incarcerated people, easily accessible expanded mental health services located in communities, and other community-based services. #CLOSEmsdf and #buildCOMMUNITIES.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 6, 2018 from 9:00am-10:00am

WHERE: Madison Central Public Library
201 W. Mifflin St.
Madison, WI 53703

WHO: #CLOSEmsdf campaign in partnership with Madison Organizing in Strength, Equality, and Solidarity (MOSES), EXPO, and local community members.

###

The #CLOSEmsdf campaign was launched in June 2017 by people who have been directly harmed by MSDF. The campaign is led by a coalition of organizations, including: EXPO (EX-incarcerated People Organizing), WISDOM, IWOC (Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee) & JustLeadershipUSA.

For more information, contact Mark Rice at mark@justleadershipusa.org

Take & share a selfie to end the US econ. blockade of Cuba

Support the UN vote on Oct. 31 to Tell the U.S. to end its 55+ year illegal economic blockade of Cuba! Take and Share a Selfie showing your support of the UN vote and opposing the continued U.S. Econ. Blockade,

If you want to use a sign against the blockade, call Lisa at 414 273-1040, and come down to 633 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1410 before 5pm, to pick out a sign and take your selfie to share with your friends and contacts! Or we’ll have materials for you to make your own sign!

This Wednesday, October 31, the United Nations General Assembly will again consider a resolution to condemn the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, which has been overwhelmingly adopted for 25 consecutive years, but has largely been ignored by U.S. media. In recent years at least 193 of 195 member nations voted for it, including almost all U.S. allies. According to the U.S. GAO report “The embargo on Cuba is the most comprehensive set of American sanctions ever imposed on a country.” (Nov. 2007)

To coincide with the vote, protests are planned against this US policy, such as rallies outside the federal buildings in diff. cities. All supporters of ending the blockade are being asked to have some public manifestation, and to use social media to publicize them. Individuals can make signs, take selfies with them, and post them to social media.

Whether or not you can join this Monday night at 7:30 outside of the Oriental to flyer people coming for the film on food in Cuba, could you plan to take and post a selfie on social media with a call to “END THE BLOCKADE—LIFT THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL!”? (You don’t need to be carrying any signs, but if you do, they could demand an end to the blockade, a lifting of all travel restrictions, and the closing of the US base at Guantanamo. See above to find out how to “borrow” one of our signs for your selfie!)

The U.S. economic blockade seriously interferes with Cuba’s ability to trade with third countries, as the U.S. has fined the largest banks in Europe $1 billion each for servicing trade by their business customers with Cuba, and this has affected even hurricane relief donations to Cuba from Turkey. The UN estimates it has cost Cuba $130 billion, and it still continues. See: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-economy-un/us-trade-embargo-has-cost-cuba-130-billion-un-says-idUSKBN1IA00T

Hosted by Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association and Riverwest Public House Cooperative

815 E Locust Street, Milwaukee, 4-6 P.M.

teleSUR English is the English language division of teleSUR, a Latin American-based media outlet committed to principled journalism with a global outlook from the SOUTH. teleSUR English

Per Diannia Merriett, another protest will be held today outside of Greendale HS!! If you can attend, please go stand with and support these young people!! Not sure if I’ll be able to make it, but if I can I’ll definitely be front and center! These young ladies and men have my full support! Racism has NO place in our lives today. We must stand and fight for our PEACE, SANITY, AND BIRTHRIGHT TO THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

6801 Southway, Greendale, WI 53129

Program The Parks MKE

Call (414) 265-8175

Venezuela Under Siege: Challenges from Within and Without

UW-Milwaukee Student Union Room 191, 6:30 P.M.

Hosted by Milwaukee IWW

End Prison Slavery

814 W Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee Public Library, 5 – 6:30 P.M. 

Two IWW members will be at Milwaukee Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin, meeting room 2A, on Monday, November 19, 5:00-6:30 PM. They will be working on some of the activity they regularly do for the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, supporting the campaign against arbitrary regulations at Columbia Correctional, coalition efforts to shutdown the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, and connecting different networks inside prison walls. Our work includes research, writing letters, data entry, and developing ideas for disrupting the horror that is the Wisconsin prison system. Come by if you want to see what’s involved with this organizing, ask questions, and maybe get involved in this. Free coffee and snacks are provided. Let us know if you need a ride to be able to attend. This gathering will be followed by our strategy meeting at 6:30, visitors are welcome to attend this as well.

If you are interested in this event and can’t make this time or location, please post in this event, message us or send an email at iwoc.milwaukee@gmail.com We will schedule the next event to work for your schedule, or followup one-on-one. Also contact us if you would need childcare, translation or other accommodations to be able to attend this event. You can also fill out this online survey to volunteer for specific tasks: https://bit.ly/2vyZam9 You can get more information on Wisconsin prison conditions and resistance to them at our website: https://wisconsinprisonvoices.org/

The Grass is Greener-2018-10-27 Tova Kay: Campus Censorship meets BDS

Tova is an activist and alum of the University of Michigan, where controversy surrounded a talk by artist Emory Douglas, one of whose works compares Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a certain Furhrer. We talk about Israel, BDS, and campus speech.