by Brian Dugas

On Thursday a man and his daughter were taken off a street in Dunmore by ICE agents.

In Lehigh Valley ICE arrested 17 people in June who were working on an “unoccupied property.”

In Honesdale employees at a restaurant were detained.

There are multiple claims of people being detained in Wilkes Barre and the Poconos The Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority is leasing space to Homeland Security Investigations(HSI) which is the investigative arm of ICE The Luzerne County DA has signed an agreement with ICE to participate in the 287(g) program, which deputizes state and local law enforcement for immigration enforcement.

As ICE activity in the region continues to grow, a small group of concerned citizens have met repeatedly to get organized and figure out what we can do. There are two of us enrolled in a program with Villanova that trains and certifies people to provide legal support, which is currently nonexistent in Wilkes Barre. The closest agency certified to do it is Catholic Social Services in Scranton, and while that trip isn’t too bad for those of us with a car, it is an enormous challenge for someone without access to a vehicle.

I have learned a lot since I started on this quest to work with immigrants in our region. As Joyce Myers said “ It’s never too late for a new beginning in your life.” I didn’t ask for this, and I certainly wasn’t looking for it. As far as I’m concerned I’m just reacting to what is happening in our country. In a strange way this crisis is giving me the opportunity to reinvent myself once again. I never really considered myself much of a rebel, but I can see that our country needs a few of them right now.

And I’m once again reminded that you are never too old to learn something new. I have learned that there is a large population of immigrants living in Wilkes Barre. They are working and thriving in our community with very little interaction with the rest of us. That there are some very real heroes working with them, but they are few in number, and have very little support. And of course, they are all terrified of what is happening all around them.

I have been reminded again that if you truly want to understand someone, you need to hear their story. I learned this lesson the first time in my high school classroom where a bunch of obnoxious little teenagers changed my perspective on many things, and started me down a path that has taken me all over the world and then right back here to NEPA.

I am thankful to the VIISTA program and the local community members who have once again forced me out of my comfort zone and introduced me to a group of wonderful people who are just trying to survive.
If you have the desire and the courage to step out of your comfort zone, Beth and I are driving down to Hazleton to meet with the people who are running the Hazleton Integration Project which is “a community based effort that seeks to unite the people of many different cultures who call Hazleton home”. We will be leaving Monday at 5:00PM if you would like to join us.

or

You may feel more comfortable providing a Christmas gift (toys) to children aged newborn to 13. A group called Latinos Unidos en NEPA will be distributing them to children at a couple of locations on December 20th. You can either provide the gift or join us at the locations.

The bottom line is that none of us asked to be living in times like this. But here we are. As Gandalf said to Frodo when he learned about the crisis their world was facing, and expressed his desire for a less difficult life “ So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”

The world is filled with heroes who never wanted to be. They were people just like you and me who stepped forward when the times demanded it. Those times are here again. See you on the front lines.

by Jenny Blanchard

Both the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times failed to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, breaking a decades-long tradition of doing so. Journalists across the globe have condemned this decision as a dereliction of duty in an election where the choice could not be starker. It is important to note that both papers are owned by billionaires whose own fortunes would benefit from the economic and tax policies of a Trump administration. 

Newspapers should be an independent public forum exempt from the interests of corporate entities or high net worth individuals. The failure to endorse reflects cowardice on the part of both papers, and a number of senior editors have resigned in protest. The Washington Post is fond of boasting that “democracy dies in darkness.” It appears that sometimes it dies in broad daylight.

by Brian Dugas

Community Justice Alliance 1st Work session, Monday, October 13th at 6:00PM, The Peace and Justice Center’s Office 57 North Franklin St, WB, Kirby Health Center Annex, 3rd floor

October 18th No Kings National Day for Mobilization

• Wilkes Barre, Public Square, 11:00AM to 1:00PM
• Scranton, Courthouse Sq, 2:00PM to 5:00PM
• Tunkhannock. Feed Mill Park, 3:00PM to 4:30PM

Food Pantry - Food getting close to expiration, don’t want to waste, 6 months in advance of expiration. Food needed.

Food prices soaring increase of 3.19% year after year due to inflation, but now additional stresses on the system. Including: lingering supply chain issues, high energy costs, labor shortages, conflicts around the world, and of course our import tariff’s - significant increases in coffee, sugar, and bananas. Going to get worse. Need to ensure the Food Pantry stays well stocked.

Community Garden update: November 2nd after the service workday and discussion of next year's community garden plans. Bring your own tools and dress for the weather.

Positive update: The PA Department of Agriculture has purchased the development rights for 2079 acres of farmland across 14 counties in Pennsylvania. Through the purchase of preservation easement, farmers profit from their land without selling it for commercial or residential projects. A total of 5.7 million dollars will ensure 24 properties stay farmland, mainly in Central PA where there is enormous pressure to develop their land.

Criteria:

• At least ½ of the land must either be harvested cropland, pasture, or grazing land and must contain 50% soil capability.
• Minimum of 50 acres with some exceptions, must use conservation practices, nutrient management and control of soil erosion and sedimentation. 

Since 1988 the program has protected 6621 farms and 658,681 acres in 58 counties from future development.

With all of the things happening in this country right now, it is more important than ever that we relearn how to live with nature and grow our own food. Please join us on November 2nd at the garden.

Declaration of Independence: Talks about something called the Unalienable Rights - Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government,....... which is most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Vote November 4th!

by Lilly Gioia

The Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE was invented by President Trump supposedly to root out waste, fraud and abuse. Its true purpose is to create a vast central data base holding the personal information of every American.

Recently a Social Security whistle-blower exposed how DOGE has secretly relocated the files of 73 million beneficiaries to an unsecured cloud platform that only they have access to. This unsecured cloud could be hacked by identity thieves around the globe. Outraged Social Security advocates are demanding that Senator Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Finance Committee institute an immediate investigation and hold public hearings, which so far, he hasn’t done. If this troubles you, you may want to call Senator Crapo and demand he act, as I’ve done.

The issue of protecting our private information held by government agencies goes far beyond Social Security. The Trump Justice Department is also demanding every state surrender its data bases to the federal government, under the pretext of assuring election security. Thus far Governor Shapiro and Secretary of State Al Schmidt have refused, asserting that such a federal mandate is illegal. 

Last week the national League of Women Voters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, along with five individual plaintiffs, filed a class action lawsuit. They are challenging the unlawful creation of massive government data bases that consolidate sensitive and legally-protected personal information on millions of people to unlawfully open investigations and purge voter rolls.

The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Fair Elections Center. The
lawsuit charges DOGE and the Department of Homeland Security have secretly merged personal data from across the federal government into centralized “Interagency Databases” in direct violation of the Privacy Act of 1974 and the U.S. Constitution.

Records from the IRS, Social Security, US Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Labor Department, and state voter registration databases—containing Social Security numbers, tax information, medical records, biometric data and children’s case files—being secretly and unlawfully collected and consolidated is a “clear example of the constitutional crisis we are living through,” League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart said. “Our federal government is abusing its power to access American’s personal information, and several states are using that private data to harm voters and our individual right to privacy.”

John Davisson at Electronic Privacy stressed that “This country was founded on the principle that the government has no business arbitrarily intruding in our private affairs. Yet this administration is trampling on our privacy at the grandest scale, illegally hoarding our sensitive personal information and threatening our most cherished rights. The law is clear: no national data bank. Together we’ll put a stop to this in court.” The lawsuit is LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS V. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

by Brian Dugas

Meeting of the Community Justice Alliance, tomorrow, 9/29 at 5:30, Maffei Commons Room, King’s College, next to the Chapel up the hill from the Luzerne County Courthouse.

VIISTA certification course, Villanova University. There are many reasons for immigration: warfare, poverty, government collapse, climate change, economic reasons and many more. We have also learned about the ineffective and inept immigration policies in this country. We need an immigration system that recognizes the value and diversity that immigrants bring to this country and provides an effective path to citizenship. That is not what we currently have. The immigrant community is under attack and has asked for our support.

Legal Support
Challenges are great. There is no legal support for immigrants in Wilkes Barre. Hazleton and Scranton are more organized and have access to pro bono Immigration lawyers. Our goal will be to develop the legal network we need in WB or sharing resources with Hazleton and Scranton. VIISTA participation -Fundraising Fidelity Bank.

Other Support
Services and assistance that can be provided by people who do not have partial accreditation. Provide support such as transportation, interpretation, assistance with social services, moral support and friendship.
UUA  https://www.uua.org/loveresists/accompaniment

Love Resists through radical presence and support of local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ​and court accompaniment programs.

Accompaniment programs can make a real difference in our immigration and criminal justice systems. Accompaniment helps stop deportations, reduce bond fees, and keep families together. By centering people’s dignity and choices in a system that takes away dignity and choices, we care for those who are criminalized for their being.

More and more congregations are looking for ways to do this effectively; to resist the current administration’s racist actions and to stop unnecessary deportations. ICE and court accompaniment programs enable supporters to journey alongside people fighting for their own freedom and dignity, and hold the system accountable. In our immigration and criminal justice systems that often results in unjust outcomes, accompaniment programs can make a real difference.

Protection of Rights
ICE operations in NEPA monitor activity, call the hotline, response from a trained investigator.  Hotline, Training, Response.

by Lindsay Riddell

Misericordia University celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children Program last weekend.

Since its founding in 2000, the Women with Children Program has provided free housing and an array of supportive services to economically disadvantaged single mothers and their children, enabling them to pursue their college degrees. One of only eight programs of its kind in the nation, it has served hundreds of families and continues to be a state and nationally recognized two-generation model for access and opportunity in higher education. Through the gift of free housing, financial assistance, access to quality child care and an array of social, academic and family enrichment programming, Women with Children provides a comprehensive response to the needs of families.

Mothers receive support through individual goal planning, academic support and tutoring, career services, on-campus counseling, parenting and informational workshops. Mothers are given priority placement for on-campus work study opportunities and assistance with internship placements. Children are offered the opportunity to pursue extracurricular activities including sports camps, summer camps, swimming lessons, a children’s garden and library and involvement in the Kids on Campus program during the school year. Mothers are assisted in securing childcare by providing information and case management services on state certified day care centers and eligibility requirements for childcare subsidies. The University also offers a 40% subsidy for child care to eligible families.

Katherine Pohlidal, Director of the Program said “This anniversary reminds us that access to education can change the trajectory not only of individual lives, but the lives of entire families. And we now know the positive generational impact our program creates as we see the children of our student mothers achieve college degrees themselves.”

Research has shown that the pathway out of poverty is through affordable housing and education, both which are provided by this program.

For more information or to make a donation to support the Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children Program, please visit, www.misericordia.edu/wwc.

by Matt Thornburg

The legal system in America is not a friendly place for children. The defects of its institutions are well-documented (1) those with wealth can often effectively buy a chosen verdict and (2) systemic inequalities disproportionately benefit and hurt certain races, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, and ethnicities--just to name a couple. Children are sadly often affected by these same inequalities but face additional barriers--the legal system is steeped in language and rituals that are difficult for adults to understand let alone children; and kids just aren't always able to articulate their perspective, needs, and feelings just yet. In Luzerne and Wyoming counties, approximately 500 children reside in the foster care system, victims of abuse and/or neglect. Because of an overburdened and under resourced support system and the challenges court presents to young people,  children swept into this pipeline experience tremendous disruption in their lives.

One solution is the Court Appointed Special Advocate or CASA system. This system uses adult volunteers in the community who are trained to work with children in the foster care system who experience abuse or neglect. CASAs effectively serve as the voice for these children--speaking the language of the court system and leveraging their training in the best interests of the child. CASA of Wyoming Valley is a 501(c)3 that I believe our congregation has support before. I have gone back and forth on whether to get involved and finally reached out to begin training. If you're interested, CASA of Wyoming Valley is easily located online and very responsive to prospective volunteers. In a day and age where it seems our whole society is fraying, helping the most vulnerable in our community is a good first step.

by Brian Dugas 

I was recently contacted by Lizz Parsons who is with the organization called CADBI, The Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration (CADBI) . Their organization is planning a state wide caravan that will start in Pittsburgh and pass through the Wilkes Barre area.

On Wednesday, September 24th at 6:00PM they will be using our church as their meeting place on their caravan, and they hope to draw people from around the region for a discussion and viewing the short documentary of The Man Who Came Home which traces the story of a young Puerto Rican immigrant, Francisco Mojica, finding his way on the streets of Kensington, through three decades in prison, to a devout family man caring for his wife as they age. Mojica’s story captures the cruelty of DBI sentences and highlights the human cost of mass incarceration.

Attendees will meet leaders of the movement to end DBI, engage in discussion about the issue, and learn how to get involved in our movement. When you become a part of our movement you access the knowledge of our collective experiences, resources and emotional support.

Feel free to call Lizz at 570-417-1126 with questions about the event. Attendees are invited to bring a photo or object for the altar of remembrance, honoring those lost to violence.

And since we have mentioned immigration, I want to remind you of the Peace and Justice Centers Annual Gathering/Awards Luncheon on Sunday, September, 21st at 2:00PM at the Apple Tree Terrace, Newberry Estates in Dallas. This year we will be honoring some of the unsung heroes from the Latino population of Wilkes Barre who work behind the scenes to help others in need. Father Fidel from St. Nicks/St Mary’s Parish will be recognized for his unwavering support of the Latino community.

If you would like any additional information on either of these events please speak to me (or Lizz if she is here). Information can be found in the announcements and on the Facebook page, which you should join if you are able.

by Troy Van Denover

In a research paper by Gregmar I. Galinato, WSU Pullman and Ryne Rohla, now working for the Office of the Attorney General Washington State

Private prisons proliferated in the U.S. since the mid-1980s. In 1984, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA, now CoreCivic) established the first privately-owned and -operated incarceration facility in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Mattera et al., 2001). The private prison industry experienced substantial growth through the late-1980s and early-1990s where annual industry revenues rose from $14 million in 1984 to $120 million in 1994 (Mattera et al., 2001). The capacity of private incarceration facilities increased from 3000 beds in 1984 to 20,000 beds in 1990, followed by annual increases of 50% until 1994 where it slowed to an annual increase of 25% for the latter half of the decade (Mattera et al., 2001).2

One hypothesis raised concerns the impact of private prisons on incarceration rates in the U.S., which is highest in the world (Walmsley, 2018). The American Civil Liberties Union asserts private prisons significantly increased the incarceration rate in the U.S. since the mid-1980s (Shapiro, 2011). Stringent crime laws along with the private prisons may have contributed to the rise in incarceration rates. For example, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 ("1994 Crime Bill") increased funding for law enforcement and expanded punishments for a variety of offenses including weapons crimes, immigration violations, hate crimes, sex crimes, and gang-related crime. Such laws can facilitate underlying mechanisms which causally relate the increase in private prisons to incarceration rates.

One potential mechanism is through lobbying and direct contributions to politicians and officials in exchange for favorable policies which increase incarceration rates (Ashton and Petteruti, 2011). Two prominent examples illustrate the plausibility of this mechanism. First, in the “Kids for Cash” scandal in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, two judges received money from two private juvenile detention centers in exchange for harsh judgements on juvenile offenders to increase the number of residents in the centers (May, 2014). The judges sentenced minors convicted of misdemeanors to internment in private youth correctional facilities in exchange for $2.6 million in kickbacks. Second, lobby groups for private prisons supported California's three-strikes rule and Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law for harsher penalties on crimes and longer sentences (Cohen, 2015). CoreCivic lobbied for increased appropriation measures from the Office of Federal Detention Trustee and for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to maintain or increase the “bed quota,” a policy mandating a minimum of 34,000 inmates at any given time regardless of illegal immigration levels (Ashton and Petteruti, 2011).

Another mechanism is overcrowding in public prisons (Wilson, 2014), which might dissuade judges from assigning marginal convicts to prison. Private prisons may reduce this capacity constraint, leading to more incarcerations. The role of these mechanisms remains unstudied. There is also gap in the literature in understanding the channels by which private prisons influence incarceration levels such as incentivizing arrest rates leading to more trials, influencing guilty verdicts, or changing the individual likelihood of incarceration over probation.

Scot Weybright, Washington State University

Today

Current U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was previously a paid lobbyist for Ballard Partners who represented wealthy special interests including The GEO Group, a private prison company that has faced criticism for safety violations, providing inadequate health care, and poor management practices. according to the U.S. Senate Committee of the Judiciary. The GEO Group looks to rake in upwards of billions of dollars with the increased incarceration of those unlawfully detained by ICE and the current rounding up of the homeless and mentally ill.

What You Can Do

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is proposing legislation to prohibit state and local contracts with private prison facilities and corporations in Pennsylvania.

State Representative Perry Warren (D-31) says he intends to introduce legislation to prohibit private prisons in Pennsylvania, highlighting a range of issues associated with them.

Rep. Warren argues that criminal justice is the responsibility of the U.S. government, not for-profit private entities. The memo says that 99,754 individuals were incarcerated in privately owned prisons in the U.S. in 2020, according to the Sentencing Project.

He added that private prisons have a history and are often associated with questionable behavior and poor service when compared to state-run facilities.

According to the Office of Justice Programs, private prisons are often accused of prioritizing profit over inmate well-being, which can lead to increased violence, understaffing, poorly maintained facilities, and other issues.

The memo claims that private prison companies have little incentive to rehabilitate inmates.

“While we cannot change federal law, we must take action as a state to end the privatization of corrections, prisons and immigrant detention centers at the state and local level. There is no acceptable reason for private entities to be in charge of the custody, care and rehabilitation of any incarcerated individual,” the memo says.

The bill has not yet been submitted for introduction.

Please contact your state representatives to urge them to support State Representative Perry Warren in submitting this bill and getting it passed in Pennsylvania. We can lead the way locally and affect the national policy in the coming year.