Originally published in The Seattle Medium

September 1, 2004
by David Bash

The local African American community’s responsiveness to Black prisoners’ pleas for “hope and accountability and redemption” through a Justice Summit at Monroe Penitentiary last Saturday proved to be a draw for a handful of church and community activist, a Department of Corrections staff head, a King County Council member, a state senator, and two state representatives whom are on the primary ballot next month.

Under the banner of “Working Together for Sentencing Reform,” the Black Prisoners Caucus (BPC), a core group of about 30 African American prisoners, of whom many are doing life without the possibility of parole under the three-strikes law, sponsored the summit to re-address disproportionality in three-strikes sentencing, and the lack of effective sentencing review boards.

“I’m a Black Russian, but you can call me Bump,” said Robert Vederoff, who as moderator for the BPC opened the summit acknowledging that sentencing laws are complicated and have lead to public misunderstanding of the sentencing reforms that have shifted from rehabilitative training and education to “lock them up and throw away the key.

Stevan Dozier – the sixth man in Washington state to be sentenced with the three-strikes law – congratulated King County Councilmember Larry Gossett for “exposing” the disproportionate application of the three-strikes law.

“One size sentencing does not fit all,” said Dossier, who was sentenced to the three-strikes life sentence for a burglary conviction. “Most of my community is not aware of the ‘assassination’ of our community members through three strikes and extreme sentencing.”

“We are redeemable,” added Dossier.

Three-strikes inmate Vance Bartley and other inmates at the summit held up graphic photographs of old inmates sick and in declining health. “That’s all we have to look forward to,” he said.

Bartley added that “without hope and accountability” lifers had no incentive to “program” [abide by prison rules and regulations], they would continue to file appeal after appeal thus tying up the courts, they would be an on-going burden on the state (costing approximately $26,000 an inmate per year), continue to aid in the community’s “fatherless cycle,” and be a health care drain to the state’s budget.

“We have to get the message to the senators and the governor’s office and the representatives,” said Larry Gossett, King County Councilmember and Chair of that council’s Budget Committee. “We’ve got to use whatever is necessary to figure out creative ways to influence the legislature. We’ve got to get a budget discussion on the issue.”

Citing statistics that 60% of those going to jail for drug related crimes in King County are African American but they make up only 3% of the population, Gossett said, “I’m for taking three-strikes off the books. But let’s focus on getting (non-violent, weaponless) Robbery II off ‘by hook or crook.’”

Senator Adam Kline, said that he was impressed by the depth of thought and presentations of the issues by the PBC speakers. “The stereotypes, and I have them too, about people here need to be destroyed. You need to be heard beyond this room,” he said, adding that he would check into having their next meeting in ninety days recorded and broadcast on Washington State Television (WTV).

Kline said that he had proposed a bill dropping burglary and Robbery II from the three-strikes law in 2000, which has now been widdled down to exclude only Robbery II.

“Robbery II is a non-violent offense. It was wrong when we turned them into strikes to send someone away for life. We’re human and we [the legislature] made a big mistake on the three-strikes law. It takes time [to change laws]. But that time will be years from now, not months,” he added.

State Representative Eric Pettigrew, 37th District, said that in the political halls of Olympia prisoners are seen as an “entity” not as people.

“Drug felons were not eligible for food stamps until I went back two years ago against the odds and we passed that legislation. This is an issue of right and wrong. For this particular case it’s wrong,” he said.

Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, 37th District, said that data shows that every dollar spent on educating and training equates to a seven dollars savings to the state. She said that she is working to restore a released prisoner’s right to vote and encouraged prisoners to write family and friends and explain how important the vote is and to tell their legislatures how they feel about the three-strikes law, sentencing enhancements and inmate rights.

“Whether you’re in here or not in here we are one community. When you come back to the community we want to welcome you back with open arms,” she said.

Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP) Director, Tony Orange, touting his program’s job readiness, re-licensing and job placement services, complimented the county and state representatives and community and church activists in attendance and said that CAMP would be working with other groups attempting to initiate legislation to remove lesser crimes from three-strike guidelines.