% HAPPEN.
% >> Reporter: FOR "HERE & NOW"
% I'M STEVEN POTTER.
% >> Zac: REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING
% TO MAKE CRIME A BIG ISSUE THIS
% FALL.%TIM MICHELS RECEIVED A
PANTS ON
% FIRE FOR MISREPRESENTING A
% RECORD ON PAROLES AND PARDONS
% BUT HASN'T STOPPED IT FROM
% APPEARING IN CAMPAIGN ADS.
% >> WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW IS
% THAT A WHOLE BUNCH OF FOLKS ARE
% MANDTORIAL RELEASED FROM PRISON.
% THE PAROLE COMMISSION HAS NO
% RIGHT TO CHANGE THAT.
% THEY REACH A DATE AND THEY'RE
% LET GO.
% DO I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME
% CHANGES OVER TIME?
% ABSOLUTELY, THINK WE SHOULD LOOK
% AT THAT.
% >> FOR MORE WE TURN TO JEROME
% DILLARD OF EX-INCARCERATED
% PEOPLE ORGANIZING.
% AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO
% REFORM THE PENAL SYSTEM.
% THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, TODAY.
% >> MY PLEASURE, ZAC.
% >> Zac: WHAT'S THE ISSUE WHEN
% THIS GETS POLITICIZED?
% >> IT'S THE TOUGH ON CRIME
% RHETORIC THAT WORKED WELL IN THE
% '90s AND SURPRISED TO SEE IT
% RAISED AT THIS POINT IN TIME BUT
% THE FACTS AREN'T THERE.
% AND OFTEN TIMES OUTRIGHT LIES
% ARE BEING SAID HOW OUR PAROLE
% SYSTEM WORKS AND ALL THESE
% VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
% THE SCARE TACTICS I KNOW FOR A
% FACT THAT THE PAROLE
% COMMISSIONER AND GOVERNOR EVERS
% AND ANY OTHER GOVERNOR ARE
% FOLLOWING THE LAW.
% IT IS LAW THAT WHEN A PERSON IS
% SENTENCED 22 YEARS AGO, OVER 22
% YEARS, A JUDGE HAD IN MIND WHAT
% THE SENTENCE SHOULD LOOK LIKE
% AND KNEW THEY SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE
% FOR PAROLE AFTER 25% AND GOOD
% INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT AND
% DOING THEIR PROGRAMMING THAT
% MADE THEM MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO BE
% IN PAROLE.
% THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS NOT
% ONLY IS THAT PAROLE BUT THERE'S
% MANDATORY RELEASE DATES ATTACHED
% TO THOSE SENTENCES SO A JUDGE
% COULD BE 80 YEARS.
% I KNOW THAT 20 YEARS, I WOULD BE
% ELIGIBLE IF I BEHAVED MYSELF AND
% AT 75% THAT'S MANDATORY RELEASE
% DATE FOR ME.
% >> WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE
% WHO ARE TRYING TO RE-ENTER INTO
% SOCIETY AND TRYING TO START OVER
% WHEN THEY HEAR MESSAGES LIKE
% THIS?
% >> YOU KNOW, I HEAR THEIR
% STORIES.
% LAST YEAR WE HAD A BANQUET WITH
% MANY MANY OR OLD LAW, THAT'S
% WHAT WE REFERRED TO, OLD-LAW
% PAROLEES AND IF YOU DO THE AND
% IF LOOK INTO THE RECIDIVISM
% RATES OF THOSE WHO WERE RELEASED
% ON PAROLE UNDER THE
% ADMINISTRATION ARE JUST GOING TO
% STICK TO THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
% NONE HAVE BEEN RE-INCARCEATED
% FOR A VIOLENT CRIME AND TAKING
% CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND A
% KNOW FROM TALKING TO MANY
% INDIVIDUALS.
% MANY I MET AS YOUNG MEN IN
% MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONS WHO
% STRIVE HARD TO CHANGE THEIR
% LIVES AND THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THE
% ENVIRONMENT THEY COME FROM AND
% SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE.
% THEY'VE REPENTED AND REALLY
% ADJUSTED REAL WELL IN
% CORRECTIONS AND ONCE THEY'RE
% BACK IN THE STREETS, THEY'RE
% THRIVING ONCE THEY'RE BACK,
% THEY'RE THRIVING IN OUR
% COMMUNITY.
% >> Zac: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO
% SEE DONE TO CHANGE EVEN THE WAY
% PAROLES ARE HANDLED OR THE WAY
% THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THEM OR
% THE WAY THE WHOLE SYSTEM WORKS?
% >> I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO
% BE EDUCATED ON HOW PAROLE WORKS.
% DEF
% >> I THINK GIVING THE STORY OF
% THE VOICE OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
% PAROLED 40 YEARS AGO, 10 YEARS
% AGO AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW WOULD
% SHED MORE LIGHT ON TO PEOPLE
% CHANGE AND DESERVE A SECOND
% CHANCE.
% I KNOW I DID.
% >> Zac: THE ISSUE OF HOW TO MAKE
% REFORMS WITHIN THE SYSTEM
% BECOMES POLITICIZED AND WHAT IS
% SAID WILL GO TO THE NEXT
% SESSION.
% >> THERE'S MANY COLLATERAL
% CONSEQUENCES TO HAVING A
% CONVICTION RECORD.
% A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SPEAKING ON
% ARE SOME OF THE COLLATERAL S
% LIKE THE RIGHT TO VOTE, AS LONG
% AS YOU'RE ON SUPERVISION YOU
% CAN'T CAST A BALLOT IN THIS
% STATE.
% IN THE MIDWEST WE'RE ONE OF
% THOSE THAT STILL KEEP THE
% POLICIES IN PLACE YOU HAVE TO
% COMPLETELY FULFILL YOUR SENTENCE
% BEFORE YOU CAN CAST THE BALLOT.
% THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, OUR
% TERMS OF SUPERVISION, WE'RE THE
% THIRD HIGHEST AS LONG AS HOW
% LONG SOMEONE IS ON SUPERVISION
% AND SOME ARE IN SUPERVISION 20
% YEARS AND TWO OF MY STAFF
% MEMBERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
% VOTE UNTIL 2042, 2044.
% YET, STILL THEY'VE BEEN IN THE
% COMMUNITY WORKING FOR A COUPLE
% YEARS NOW PAYING TAXES BUT STILL
% NOT FEELING THEY'RE PART OF
% AMERICA, PERIOD.
% >> Zac: FOR SOMEONE BEING
% RELEASED TODAY, THEY'RE COMING
% INTO AN ENVIRONMENT WITH
% EXTREMELY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT BUT
% HOUSING SHORTAGES AND HIGH
% INFLATION.%SO WHAT IS IT LIKE
?
% WHAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THEY'RE
% COMING INTO?
% >> YOU'RE RIGHT.
% GETTING A JOB NOW IS -- A FEW
% YEARS AGO THAT WAS ONE OF THE
% MAIN BARRIERS WAS FINDING
% EMPLOYMENT.
% AND TODAY HOUSING IS A HUGE
% ISSUE.
% THAT'S WHY SO MANY NONPROFITS
% NOW ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN
% HELP THEM BY HOUSING THEM.
% YOU CAN HAVE A JOB BUT IF YOU
% DON'T HAVE STABLE LIVING HOW ARE
% YOU TO MAINTAIN A JOB?
% HOW ARE YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR
% HYGIENE AND BE SHARP WHEN YOU GO
% TO WORK IF YOU CAN'T GET A GOOD
% NIGHT'S SLEEP?
% IF YOU'RE SLEEPING ON A PARK
% BENCH OR IN A SHELTER IT MAKES
% IT COMPLICATED.
% >> Zac: YOU'RE GROUP HAS BEEN
% AROUND SINCE 2014.
% WE HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT.
% DESCRIBE THE BIGGEST PROGRESS
% YOU'VE SEEN IN THE ISSUES ON
% THIS TIME?
% >> I HAVE SEEN SOME PROGRESS AN
% I HAVE TO SAY THIS
% ADMINISTRATION AND THE
% DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS HAVE
% MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT THEY
% COULD, THAT'S WITHIN THEIR
% BOUNDARIES OR FULFILLING WHAT
% THEY COULD LIKE EXTENDING THE
% RELEASE.
% THEY SAID THEY'RE RELEASING
% DANGEROUS CRIMINALS, THE
% PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION RELEASED
% MORE THAN THIS ADMINISTRATION
% HAS BUT YET THERE WAS NOTHING
% SAID BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE HAD
% MET THEIR MANDATORY RELEASE
% DATE.
% I FEEL OUR PAROLE COMMISSIONER
% DID A GREAT JOB.
% WE CAN LOOK AT HIS RECIDIVISM
% RATES AND THOSE WHO WERE PAROLED
% IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS AND
% THERE'S -- IT'S AMAZING.
% IT'S REMARKABLE HOW LOW IT IS.
% >> Zac: WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT
% THERE.
% THAT'S ALL THE TIME.
% JEROME DILLARD THANK YOU FOR THE