Criminal Justice Task Force/Family Advocacy Group

[Ester Holzendorf]

The next meeting of the Criminal Justice Task Force group will be January 5, 2012, Church of the Good Shepherd, 4947 NE Choteau Drive, K.C. Mo. 64155. 6:30-8:30 pm.  Mr. George Lombardi, Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections will be the guest speaker.  Work continues on the long term sentencing bill. LWOP remains one of the top priority concerns. Cases should be reviewed periodically on a case by case basis. More family members of the incarcerated need to get involved with this group. Representative elect Brandon Ellington was the speaker for the December meeting, and expressed concern for the issues having to do with the criminal justice system and promised his support. Of course the group realizes he has to have time to get settled, but were encouraged by Brandon's expressed knowledge of criminal behavior, the effects of drugs on individual lives, and some things that can be done to not just prevent crime and criminal behavior, but to actually begin to get smart on crime, by providing the necessary tools a person needs to be sucessful in life, such as a quality education, employment that pays a liveable wage with benifits, housing, safe neighborhoods, access to quality resources and services within the neighborhoods to include food sources that provide quality food. Mr. Ellington places great emphasis on public safety and what it means to think outside the box to really begin to deal with the causes of crime not just the effects of crime. He has in place Voices of the people along with other organizations he and others are involved with that provide clean up for communities, block by block. He and Ms. E. (G.Y.R.L./Giving yourself real love) are working with United Progressives, Gray Panthers and others to develop a model block to include planting and growing food within the 38 hundred block of Chestnut.   Representative Ellington is also very concerned about long term sentencing especially for young people. Much work is yet to be done, but members of the group are encouraged by the insight Mr. Ellington has in regards to cause and effects of crime. It is obvious he has a heart to serve and a mind to work.

Pastor Louis Webb is developing a program through his organization, Save the Seed, to mentor young men and provide transitional housing to those returning to society from places of incarceration, both Federal and State. This services will also include those released from jails.

Consolidated Social Work Services Inc. continues networking with other groups and organizations that have an interested in community services, and helping to stop the violence and the killings. The Executive President and members of other community based organizations have met with or will meet with city, county, as well as state officials. There is much work yet to be done.

A plan is in place to acquire vacant, abandoned properties in Jackson county that can be used for family resource centers, reading rooms, office space and transitional housing. The plan includes Community casemanagement and working day to day with law enforcement to provide citizens with alternatives, and resources to make quality decisions about their life, and assistance to change the lifestyle that leads to violent behaviors.

Often the failure of people to be successful in a positive way has to do with lack of access. There is much work to be done, and there is no room for competition. This is not about any one individual or organization. This is about community based services and those who have volunteered a number of years, and have reached the point that we realize enough is enough and we plan to do something to stop the violence and the killings.

 

A quality grant writer is needed and any information or recommendations is appreciated. Obviously this is an undertaking that will need help from everyone who believes it's time for the violence and killings to stop. We are volunteers with limited resources and if we are to get things done to change the way things are we need YOUR HELP. The time is now. Each day that we wait another person suffers and sometimes die.  If you are interested please contact me at 816-965-8137.

[Ester Holzendorf]

This is additional information about the importance of what the criminal justice task force is doing. This is a ten (10) year effort. This group has persevered through some storms, and have withstood the test of time. It is important for all to understand this is not just some fly by night group, that just came to town. This group does not receive public funding, and every one involved are volunteers who care about human beings who find themselves in a system and often there does not appear to be any end to the time they serve. Some for drug offences, others for non-violent offences, and some who committed a violent offence and if given an opportunity to live in the "free" world would very likely never reoffend. Some committed a violent offense at a young age, 16, 17, 18, and are serving long term sentencing. 80 years to life, 285 years, life without parole. This is not to minimize what they have done, and we certainly are not forgetting about the victim (s) and thei family, but does it really make sense to sentence a youngster who is 18 years of age, under the influence of a drug gets into a fight, kills someone, or sombody said they killed someone, and in turn there is a Judgement and sentence for the death penalty or life without parole. Does not make sense. Just think, a youngster who can't legally buy beer, can be tried as an adult, and sent to death row. They also go fight wars and some die or come back with eyes, and limbs missing. Think!