Group to protest building of new jail

The city of Denver is committed to building a new city jail, even though Denver voters turned down a bond initiative for $325 million in 2001. In November 2002, the city of Denver purchased a downtown site for $16 million, with the intention of pushing forward a new initiative to build an even more expensive jail.

This new jail is another assault on the poor and will increase the jail capacity by 75 percent, to a total of 1,500 beds, even though arrests are reportedly down by 25 percent. (Rocky Mountain News, Jan. 22)

Activists in Denver are mounting a campaign to stop this new jail and draw attention to the outrageously bogus claim that the old jail is in violation of human rights because it is overcrowded. The real violation of human rights occurs because so many people, especially people of color, are being locked up for offenses of opportunity--crimes that people commit because of poverty, because they are trying to make a living under dire circumstances.

The total cost of constructing the new jail comes to $545 million over 20 years. So much could be done with this amount of money.

Crimes of survival and the capitalist dog-eat-dog mentality could easily be eliminated with a socialist reorganization of society. Imagine a workers' state: universal healthcare from cradle to the grave, free schooling up to the university, a shorter work day and week, more time to spend with loved ones, living wages, free public transportation. All this is possible, and would be just the beginning. The idea of incarcerating people for being addicted or for trying to eke out a living would just simply melt away.

However, the city of Denver is currently looking at the hard facts of a capitalist economic crisis.

Some 11,000 homeless people live in Denver alone, and the new jobs opening up are at low-wage companies like Wal-Mart. The cost of living is climbing even higher, and the Bush administration is attacking all the social programs that workers and oppressed people won through struggle. Where will poor people go as things get worse, and the tension between the capitalist rulers and the workers and oppressed begins to strangle this inhumane system? Denver's answer: to jail or prison in even greater numbers.

As an opening barrage in the fight against jails and prisons, particularly Denver's new city jail, activists have formed a coalition dubbed the Committee of Resistance. The committee has come out with a statement of intended action, penned by founding committee member Terry Leichner, a staunch anti-war activist. The statement partly reads:

"WE SUBMIT: The City and County of Denver and the State of Colorado has failed its citizens in provision of basic needs to live a healthy life. Hunger, homelessness, addiction, mental health, prenatal care, education and freedom from oppression by police are fundamental issues of life. These issues far outweigh the need for building more jail cells in this city and this state.

"These issues of peace and justice are basic stepping stones to ending violence and war that has plagued this country for so long. Only by caring for the weakest and the poorest can we have a great society. Only by providing opportunity for marginalized people to live in dignity can we have peace. Only by sharing our wealth and using our tax dollars on these basic issues can we prevent future problems of violence, hate and war.

"THEREFORE: A coalition of community activists, peace activists and concerned citizens of Denver and the State of Colorado will take action in peaceful protests and demonstrations during the NBA All Star weekend of February 18, 2005--February 20, 2005.

"This coalition will petition the NBA Players Association to endorse this list of priorities that should come before the construction of a new jail in the City and County of Denver.

Furthermore, this coalition intends to inform the public and the many members of the media coming to Denver for the All Star game of the misguided proposal to build a new jail when so many issues need attention first.

"The coalition intends to dramatically but peacefully demonstrate our concerns and our objections at all events of the All Star Weekend.

"This coalition fully intends to bring all these issues to light during the time millionaire players entertain the rich and famous. We intend to make the affluent uncomfortable with the facts. We intend to fully portray the oppressed and impoverished viewpoint.

"We invite all concerned individuals and groups to join this action. Now is the time to act. This is the event to bring forth the issues of true social and economic justice. Now is the time to confront our government and the American people with reality.

"The large media turnout for this event provides great opportunity to do so."