Get Involved ~~~ HB 2522 is set for a hearing !!

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Get Involved ~~~ HB 2522 is set for a hearing !!

Hearing HB2522 minimum maximum sentencing in MAPS committee

ARIZONA TAXPAYERS ~~ CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES ~~ READ THIS OUT LOUD ~~

Should you wish to speak to the bill when it is heard:

• you will have to arrive early so that you can register at the kiosk (if you have not previously done so)

• create a user name and password

• then sign in to speak to the bill.

• One cannot speak to the committee without being registered.

There are two kiosks on the ground floor of the House where one can register. If you do not desire to speak, you can still register and indicate at the kiosk whether you support the bill or not, and why.

HB2522 is the bill that pertains to pertains to minimum and maximum sentencing, and broadens the discretion of judges so that they can administer sentences that are appropriate to the circumstances.

Here is the description of this bill from the previous email you received:

• As many of you know, one of the policies driving our high incarceration rate is mandatory sentencing — laws that remove a judge’s ability to hand down an appropriate sentence, and instead obligate a one-size-fits-all approach.

• The current prescriptive sentencing provisions have led to many unduly harsh and lengthy sentences which are an affront to what is fair and just.

• The purpose of this bill is to simplify the sentencing statutes by eliminating the strict intermediate prescriptive categories of sentencing, leaving the “mitigating” category as the minimum sentence, and leaving the “aggravated” category as the maximum sentence. This would broaden the range of of sentencing options available to the judges and give them a "safety valve," so that they could more appropriately fit the sentence to the severity of the crime instead of being cornered by a technicality that results in a breach of justice.

• It is important to note that this modification would NOT stop judges from applying the more severe mandatory or prescriptive provisions where appropriate,

This welcome opportunity will happen on Wednesday.

Rep Ash's sentencing bill HB2522 has been calendared on the MAPS committee agenda for Wednesday morning at the House of Representatives at 8:00 a.m., in House Hearing Room 3. The agenda for the MAPS is attached.