Leonard J. Jackson
W-70524
Old Colony Correctional Center
1 Administration Road
Bridgewater, MA 02324

THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE,

Do you have a plan for your child's future? Well, the Department of Correction does.

With the closing of schools and extreme cutbacks in educational programs and extracurricular activities for the students, the chances increase greatly that your child will end up being committed to one of many DOC facilities (about the only place impervious to cutbacks), now add that to the newly implemented bullying law and do the math.

I am reaching out to you to help me reduce the chances of your child becoming a ward of the state. You see, I have spearheaded a workshop called "The Power Within" series, which started with our first successful workshop called "The Power of Forgiveness."

Along with Bridgewater State University, Alternatives to Violence Project, God's Open Door Services, Greater Love Tabernacle, and the African Heritage Coalition. We have started the healing process it takes for a successful re-entry into the community. However, I am running into a "glass ceiling" put in place by the DOC's promulgation of illegal and discriminatory policies preventing first degree lifers from participating in the "step down" process. The reason I say that these policies are illegal is because they violate Massachusetts General Laws c.124S 1(e) and (f), which is for all inmates committed to the DOC.

Although first-degree lifers are not eligible for parole our sentence is not absolute, due to the fact that we may have them receive a commutation; however, commutation is not an option due to the fact that there is no viable means to show our reform. So our efforts go unnoticed.

In turn, esteemed programs such as Toastmasters, City Mission, African Heritage Coalition, and the Lifers Group, all directed by Lifers, get overlooked, when it comes to accredited rehabilitative programs. Yet, and still, the DOC's Training Academy just graduated another class of correction officers.

So I ask again--Do you have a plan for your child's future? Because the DOC certainly does.

PERFECT EVALUATION ALWAYS CORRECTS ERROR

By Leonard "Freedom" Jackson