Group to protest building of new jail
By
Larry Hales
Denver
Published Feb 13, 2005 8:04 PM
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."
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
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