"PhoneJustice"
www.betweenthebars.org/350/luis-d-perez

June 17, 2012 - FATHER'S DAY

[Drawing of flowers]

Phone calls to our loved ones are indeed a very essential way to maintain family ties, in particular when we don't have regular visits and our family is out of State or too far away for visiting.

We are pushed to pay for debit card accounts, because cellular phones do not take collect calls. Another problem is with the regional area where you are calling; if another phone company has a contract, the price is higher and unbearable.

It is a very sad situation when family voices and cultural elements become banished within the prison life style, a subculture within the culture. I personally don't get many visits, so phone calls are the only avenue to keep in touch with my family.

PRIOR FAILURES OF CORRECTING SYSTEMATIC PROBLEMS ON ELECTION YEARS

Massachusetts is very unique when dealing with Justice in Correctional Facilities - greed and arrogance play a major role in a system of government that serious and egregious moral problems, in particular after the Willie Horton Political Affairs. When we have State and Federal Election we have a tradition of finger pointing that ends in the use of the prison system as a punching bag.

Prison Reforms Advocates suffer a set back every time they are close to accomplish something; suddenly something happens and State politicians pull the strings with victims' advocates, resulting in a major media FRENZY that ends in more laws on top of laws. Massachusetts is also taking place when a crime is committed by a person on Parole or by an ex-convict. Most recently a policeman got killed and the entire legal system that deals with Parole and Sentencing laws got revamped all over again as a tool to punish every incarcerated person convicted of a crime.

CONCLUSION

Cost of living inside the prison is constantly increasing, private companies have taken over and the food has deteriorated. Appliances, Canteen Items, Clothing and Phones have been the target of egregious gauging in particular with the appliances by competing companies who finally obtain the State Contracts, including medical services. Companies also share profits with the State as a form of kick-backs.

The Massachusetts prison system does not have enough jobs for their prisoners and the wages never increase at all, those who are new arrivals have their accounts frozen as a result of many court fees being imposed at sentencing. Another way of punishment. While on the other hand, the Better Business Bureau does not take direct complaint from the prisoners because we are a third party customer. The Department of Correction has the sole power to do so, because it is the one who signed the contract. Therefore, the Dept. of Correction does not have complaints against because they benefit from the business transactions.

Without any question, the Massachusetts prison system with more than 26,000 prisoners in State and County Custody represent a multimillion dollar business controlled by many powerful interest groups who can also control the media and the news connected to the prison system.

Maybe if we had family and friends associated with the Lt. Governor we would have good jobs, making extra money and we would have no complaints at all.

If you have further interest, you can e-mail me or write me directly at this address:

Luis Perez W33937
NCCI-GARDNER
P.O. Box 466
500 Colony Road
Gardner, Mass. 01440

[Drawing of phone cord and flowers going through bars]