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