The Injustice Must End (TIME)

Support Campaign to Lower Michigan Prisoner Phone Call Rates

2011-09-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

In June 2011, the new contract for Michigan prisoner phone service began. The phone call rates nearly doubled, prisoners are now making fewer phone calls to members of the public, and they are being further isolated from society.

Consequently prisoners will have less contact with family and friends, who are a vital part of their survival and, in many cases, maintaining their sanity and sense of self-worth during their incarceration. The life line that the majority of prisoners cling to is slowly drifting away as they painfully witness the erosion of ties with family and friends.

The phone rate increases were unnecessary and avoidable. The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), however, awarded the prisoner phone contract to PCS, a phone company that charges higher rates than other companies for the identical security features they are providing to MDOC to monitor and control prisoner phone use.

To support the campaign to lower Michigan prisoner phone rates, you are encouraged to visit the link at the end of this post and sign the petition.

When you sign the petition, an e-mail opposing the rate increases will be sent on your behalf to Governor Rick Snyder, MDOC Director Dan Heyns, the Chairs of the Corrections Appropriations Committee, and your State Senator and Representative. The petition automatically identifies your state legislators based on your zip code.

If we do not lend our voices to this important campaign, the MDOC could earn $8 million and PCS could earn $3 million from the thousands of prisoners and members of the public being affected over the next four years.

Please share the petition link with others in e-mails, blog posts, and by posting it on Facebook and Twitter. The wider the circulation, the greater the impact. Support for this campaign is growing exponentially and dozens of those who have signed the petition have already received responses from their legislators.

Petition link: http://tinyURL.com/NoMoreSEF

Judge tosses Jordan Brown case to juvenile court

2011-08-27T08:41:00.001-05:00

Boy accused of murdering his dad's girlfriend will not go to trial as an adult

Jordan Brown was in 5th grade and 11-years
old at the time of his arrest.

NEW CASTLE, Pa.-- The murder case against a Lawrence County boy charged with killing his father's pregnant fianceé now goes to the juvenile justice system. A Lawrence County judge issued a ruling on Tuesday that Jordan Brown is considered a juvenile meaning the case now goes to juvenile court. He was facing a trial as an adult because Pennsylvania law requires any child accused of murder to stand trial as a adult.

Brown was 11 years old state police alleged he shot and killed his father's pregnant bride-to-be, 26-year old Kenzie Houke, and her unborn baby in 2009 at a Wampum farmhouse. Brown was arrested and charged with two murder counts. If he would have gone on trial as an adult and later convicted, he could have become the youngest person ever sentenced to life without parole.

Brown's attorneys have argued that the boy's age should become important to the case as he could benefit from rehabilitation in the juvenile justice system. A defense psychologist testified in January that an adolescent's brain does not control impulses in a "mature way." The boy remains in an Erie County juvenile detention center where they say he he has shown he is a candidate for rehabilitation.

The matter has been bounced around with appeals and rulings requiring the presiding judge to reconsider the matter. Now Judge Dominick Motto has ruled the defendant a juvenile.

Brown has remained in custody at a juvenile detention center in Erie since 2009. If he is convicted of the crimes in juvenile court, he cannot be held in custody beyond his 21st birthday.

Article originally appeared on Juvenile Life Without Parole (http://www.jlwop.com/).

Berrien County Prosecutor Lacks Accountability

2011-06-26T12:23:00.002-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

In the Fall of 2009 Berrien County Prosecutor Art Cotter dismissed 40 convictions because Benton Harbor police manufactured evidence, conducted illegal searches, and wrongfully arrested people.

At the time of the case dismissals, Cotter claimed to be reviewing many other cases involving possible police misconduct as well. Cotter defended the police by saying they “didn’t engage in misconduct in every case they did.”

In an August 28, 2009, Michigan Messenger article, Cotter was quoted as saying, “The problem is that everybody who had a case now wants review.”

Cotter has it all wrong however. The real problem is that he would have the audacity to make the latter statement knowing there are likely many other wrongful convictions that occurred under his watch. His inept office reviewed the 40 cases he dismissed before the suspects were arrested and subsequently convicted. Not only did errors abound with the arrests themselves, but the review process by Cotter’s office was riddled with errors as well. Cotter has offered no explanation as to how his office got the review process and prosecutions wrong 40 times.

Rather than be embarrassed by all the errors he is personally responsible for in the cases he dismissed, Cotter has attempted to eschew responsibility altogether.

The reality is that there are only two logical explanations of how so many cases were wrongly prosecuted by Cotter’s office: either he is totally incompetent, or he knowingly allowed it to occur, was complicit, and should be investigated for corruption.

Since Cotter admitted to dismissing the 40 wrongful convictions, he has not publicly shared the findings of the dozens of other cases involving possible police misconduct that he was allegedly reviewing. The print, television and radio media in the area have also not held Cotter accountable for his errors and have not reported about Cotter’s review of the cases he claimed to be conducting. As far as anyone knows, Cotter could be covering up his mistakes as part of his damage control.

The citizens of Berrien County deserve answers. They also deserve to be represented by a prosecutor’s office that cares as much about not committing errors that wrongly rob people of their freedom as it does about protecting the public from crime.

One thing is certain. A large number of Berrien Country voters have lost confidence and respect for Cotter and his office, and rightfully so. He has made many obvious mistakes with impunity, and his hubris prevents him from admitting it.

Voters will be able to express their discontent and restore integrity in the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office next election. The obvious answer for starters will be ensuring Cotter vacates his office.

Citizens shouldn’t keep paying the price for Cotter’s mistakes or malfeasance with their hard earned money or the loss of their liberty. I know firsthand what a heavy price citizens can pay for the mistakes of the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office. I’ve spent 22 years in prison so far to prove it!

Follow Efren Uncaged on Twitter

2011-06-12T08:15:00.001-05:00

The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. has created a Twitter page named "Efrén Uncaged" to share Efrén's thoughts, interests and social activism. The page can be viewed at: Efrén Uncaged

There will be a broad range of subjects covered, including Latino politics, history, culture and identity; comprehensive immigration reform, education, juvenile life without parole sentences, life in prison, and other topics of interest.

Since entering the twittersphere, Efrén's posts have been read and shared by many. He offers a unique perspective and important commentary about a host of current events, and he elects to employ honesty over political correctness.

Efrén's social justice and human rights activism spans the globe and is widely supported and recognized by those in the domestic and international communities. His efforts have been instrumental in reducing violence, ending human rights violations, building institutions of learning, rallying support for or opposition to candidates of political office, and creating paradigm shifts for progressive change in society.

Please share Efrén's Twitter page with others via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter and ask them to do the same. Help us advance Efrén's efforts to make meaningful contributions to humanity one tweet at a time.

New Efren Paredes, Jr., Support Video, produced by Mario Rocha

2011-04-28T18:54:00.001-05:00

by Hans Koppenhoefer, Jr.

A new video supporting Efren's release was recently produced by his friend, supporter, and TIME Committee member, Mario Rocha.

In Mario's description of the video he states:

"Fasters hold a vigil for Efrén Paredes, Jr., who in 1989 was wrongly convicted and sentenced to three life terms, including two without the possibility of parole, in the State of Michigan. Today Efrén is 37-years-old and, in spite of his plight in the fatal hands of the state, devotes himself as a leader for peace, consciousness and youth justice. He writes extensively on issues related to human rights and actively promotes theoretical and practical alternatives to the dehumanizing exercise known as imprisonment."

The person on the phone that people in the video are speaking to is Efren. He called Mario's phone at the event from a Michgian prison and was able to join participants in spirit.

We are grateful to Mario for producing the video and helping us continue bringing global attention to our campaign to free Efren. As long as Efren remains in prison, none of us are free.

Cotter’s criticisms are ironic, given his record

2011-01-28T10:49:00.002-05:00

By Scott Elliott

Editor,

In his Jan. 2 guest column, Berrien County Prosecutor Art Cotter says former Gov.
Jennifer Granholm’s criminal justice record was an unmitigated disaster. While I don’t entirely disagree with him, someone should point out that his own record has been far worse. He cites her last minute reversal of the commutation of Matthew Makowski’s sentence from a 1988 murder conviction as the final insult. Last year alone, Cotter was forced to reverse an astounding 43 convictions handled by his office. Cotter also continues to waste taxpayer money by meddling in areas he is neither qualified nor paid to deal with.

He is engaged in a campaign to discredit the Michigan Department of Corrections in the apparent hope of influencing appointments to top positions. I would not be surprised if he is pushing a promotion for his longtime crony, the infamous Steve Marschke, who is currently in charge of internal affairs for the state prison system.

Marschke was Cotter’s campaign manager in his failed run for a judgeship several years ago. Questions still linger about his involvement in what many believe to be the wrongful death of Eric McGinnis, a black Benton Harbor teenager whose 1991 drowning was described in Alex Kotlowitz’s book, “The Other Side of the River.”

Another mystery is Marschke’s interest in the case of Efren Paredes Jr., who was 15 when he was convicted in 1989 of robbery and murder and sentenced to three life terms, two without possibility of parole. His accusers all admitted their involvement in the crime, given leniency for their testimony and were all later imprisoned for other crimes. Neither Marschke nor Cotter was directly involved in the case, yet both attended the hearing for Efren’s commutation request in December 2009. Granholm denied the request late last year. Cotter must have spent many thousands in preparing his presentation against Efren, and even treated the audience to his own rendition of a 1980s rap song which supposedly reflected the boy’s state of mind at the time of the crime.

In a recent telephone conversation with Barbara Sampson, chairwoman of the Michigan Parole and Commutation Board, I asked what she thought Marschke was doing at Efren’s hearing. She told me that, given her knowledge of politics in Berrien County, partly from having read the Kotlowitz book, she would have been surprised if Marschke had not been there.

At least Cotter’s motives are less puzzling. He does not believe in rehabilitation, especially when it comes to juveniles. At the recent sentencing to life without parole of 14-year-old Dakotah Eliason, who inexplicably shot his grandfather, Cotter absurdly overdramatized the danger to the community if Dakotah were ever to be freed. He said the public would have to sleep with one eye open. I can just see Cotter cringing under his covers at the thought of marauding 14 year olds stalking the quiet hamlets of Berrien County.

Sleep tight, Art, and don’t let the bedbugs (a more real threat) bite.

Scott Elliott Benton Harbor

Please See Art Cotter's Guest Column Below

Guest Column in Herald Palladium, St. Joseph Michigan

2011-01-02T10:37:00.002-05:00

by Arthur Cotter

GUEST COLUMN

Commutation fiasco is Granholm’s final insult

The administration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm ended Saturday. In the arena of the criminal justice system, she has been an unmitigated disaster. From the irresponsible release of violent offenders back into the community, to her unwillingness to address the fundamental question of why it costs $32,000 a year in Michigan to house an inmate while in Indiana it only costs $19,000 a year on average, Granholm’s administration has hurt public safety.

Here in Berrien County, a 4-yearold girl by the name of Zaniya Anderson continues to pay the price for this governor’s ill-conceived corrections’ policies. Zaniya was struck and permanently paralyzed by a stray bullet when a recent parolee, Donnell Williams, was shooting up the streets of Benton Harbor. A review of his record at the time of his release reflected a history of drugs, guns and violent assaults, along with repeated failures on probation and parole. While Williams is responsible for the shooting of this child, it is also true that reckless policies of the governor and her political appointees at the parole board and the Department of Corrections put this violent criminal back on the street prematurely after serving only a minimum sentence from a previous conviction involving the stabbing of a victim in Kent County.

Given Granholm’s dubious criminal justice record, I was nonetheless amazed by her handling of the commutation request of a first degree murderer’s case out of Detroit, as outlined in your Christmas Day edition (“Granholm reverses her decision to release killer”). As reported, Granholm had announced that she was commuting the life without parole sentence of Matthew Makowski, which arose out of the murder of a 19-year-old victim, Pietro “Pete” Puma, in 1988. Apparently Makowski, who was a co-worker with the victim, was not present at the time of the victim’s fatal stabbing, but plotted the robbery of the victim with two other people who actually carried out the robbery and murder. In a Machiavellian twist, Makowski was at the hospital at the time of the victim’s death and comforted family members, as well as delivered the eulogy at the victim’s funeral before being arrested for his involvement in the murder. After a public outcry in the media over the commutation of this murderer’s sentence by the siblings of Mr. Puma (who were unaware of any proceedings to release Makowski), Granholm reversed her decision to commute his sentence under the weight of that public outrage.

What is dumbfounding in this case is the casual attitude with which Granholm and her parole board handled the release of a convicted first degree murderer. It apparently never occurred to a single member of the parole board or Granholm’s staff to attempt to reach out to the family of this victim to seek their input on the possibility of releasing his murderer. The family of the victim did not register under the Crime Victim’s Rights Act to receive notice of any future action on Makowski’s case because they understandably believed that his sentence of life without parole meant exactly that.

I find the most troubling aspect to Granholm’s handling of this case is that her reversal only came after the public outcry over her decision. Your paper’s initial article on this matter reflected that the victim’s parents were deceased and it was his siblings who brought their brother’s murder case to the attention of the media and the public. What if Mr. Puma had no siblings to give voice to the injustice that was about to occur in the unwarranted release of his murderer? The rendering of fair and equitable justice, like character, is not demonstrated best by what one does when everyone’s eyes are upon you, but rather by what you do when no one is looking.

If the commutation of Matthew Makowski’s sentence was truly righteous and just and it had been carefully considered, as it should have been given the gravity of the offense in question, it should not have mattered that the case subsequently received public scrutiny. Granholm owed the citizens of Michigan and a young man by the name of Pete Puma, who was murdered at much too young an age, a far more serious and thorough review of his murderer’s case before deciding to release this first degree murderer back into the community.

I am sad to say that the handling of this case epitomizes her supervision over the criminal justice system during her final term in office.

Arthur J. Cotter is prosecuting attorney for Berrien County.

Tragic crime made worse with Eliason verdict

2010-09-06T19:13:00.004-05:00

The following letter was published in the Sunday (9/5/10) edition of the Herald Palladium in St. Joseph, Michigan. This young man, Dakotah Eliason, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole by the same court that sentenced Efren to die in prison 21 years ago. Both youngsters were tried in Berrien County, as adults, with less than adequate defense, and a prosecutor who was determined to procure a verdict of first degree murder, even though they were only 14 & 15 at the times of the crimes. We should look to other countries for guidance, as we are one of the only countries who treat our youth so abominably.

Editor,

Every once in a while this community is confronted by a tragedy so great it’s hard to get your mind around it. Such is the case with the trial and conviction of 14-year-old Dakotah Eliason for the murder of his stepgrandfather. A family has lost a father and grandfather, a father is going though pain beyond description, and a teenager has lost all his chance at a future with meaning and promise.

In an excellent article Aug. 20 in The Herald-Palladium, Debra Haight reported the reactions of nearly everyone feeling the full impact of this situation.

Briefly, the victim’s daughter said it was a senseless crime that has torn apart a family with no reason why. She said her “Dad was the kindest man you’d ever meet.”

Dakotah’s father said he “couldn’t understand why his son was tried as an adult.” There is disbelief and anguish in his words. “They just ran him through the wringer to prove a point. He’s a 14-year-old juvenile who will never have another chance to live free.”

The defense attorney felt he had presented a good case for second-degree murder, but the prosecutor said, “This was cold, willful, premeditated murder. A verdict of first degree murder ...would be the correct one given the facts of the case.”

Twelve jurors watched a video of Dakotah made right after he was arrested and found they agreed with the prosecutor. I don’t know what you, the readers, think, but if you have a 14-year-old son, or nephew, or grandson, or neighbor, I would suggest you take a good look at him before you decide. Personally, I don’t think this society should just give up on a person that young. There are too many other options if we have the will, the hope and the compassion to try.

And, yes, there is one other voice that hasn’t been heard.

One that was silenced forever, if we let it be. But maybe those closest to him, his family, his friends, can tell us what he would say if he could. What would Dakotah’s stepgrandfather, Jesse Miles (the victim of this senseless crime and the “kindest man you’d ever meet,”) – what would he say?

Charlotte Holton St. Joseph

Justice--or Power Plays?

2010-08-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

by Joyce Gouwens

Once again Mr. Cotter is playing to the grandstand. His recent attack on the Michigan Parole Board for releasing Donnell Williams was launched without checking the actual facts and figures, as was carefully pointed out in the Guest Column by Barbara Sampson, Chair of Michigan's Parole Board. Donnell was not released early as Mr. Cotter stated, and he could have requested that Donnell's release be denied by the board, but didn't. The Michigan Prison Re-entry program has made parolees much safer, and they become more productive citizens when they take part in making a careful plan for their release and are given a helping hand by the community. The longer a prisoner is incarcerated--especilly if in a maximum security prison--the less likely he or she will be to succeed outside the walls. The head of our federal prisons declared that after 10 years in a federal prison system few inmates returned to society without serious mental health problems.

Mr. Cotter has made not one, but two plays for publicity in the tragic case of Dakotah Eliason--a deeply troubled 14 year-old who was experiencing such intense anxiety that he vacillated between suicide and murder throughout the night. Mr. Cotter seems dumbfounded by Dakotah's statement that for five minutes after the crime his unbearable tension left him completely, but I believe that mental health professionals would find nothing strange about this temporary release, and certainly nothing sinister enough to rush the boy into adult court and then on to a life without parole. Why didn't he give mental health treatment in a secure setting a chance for several years before taking this drastic step. That would have given time to determine if this boy would be a threat to society. Crimes within a family usually are not a prediction of crimes against the general public. Spending money on extended treatment would have been a whole lot less expensive than his life in prison at $32,000 a year and rising. Try multiplying that by an expected life span of 50 years or so! And why did Mr. Cotter insist that the murder was premeditated when Dakotah's grandfather left a tempting gun out despite his wife's warning?

Boys in our prisons too often are claimed as "fresh meat" by older and stronger inmates, and are often bullied and beaten to amuse the other prisoners--and sometimes the guards, too. One 16 year-old Benton Harbor boy was beaten last year by three prisoners with a padlock tied in a sock, and has sustained permanent brain damage. If this jury had been able to talk with Michigan's 350 or so life-without-parole prisoners who were sentenced as juveniles to die in prison, they would have thought much longer over their final decision. No other nation in the world now uses this Draconian punishment for its youth, and no prosecutor should press the jury to approve it in order to prove his own power. The Eliason family had not given up on Dakotah. Why should we? They have now lost two members, not one. If Mr. Cotter thinks the public will praise him for this extreme sentence (now being made illegal in several states), I hope he will be greatly mistaken. We should all be outraged!

U.S. Supreme Court Says Youth Deserve Second Chance

2010-05-23T19:06:00.002-05:00

By Efrén Paredes, Jr.

In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on May 17, 2010, ending life without parole (LWOP) sentences for youths in non-homicide cases.

The Court held that, ‘[A] State must …give defendants like Graham [a juvenile] some meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation.’ They further stated, ‘By denying the defendant the right to reenter the community, the State makes an irrevocable judgment about that person’s value and place in society. This judgment is not appropriate in light of a juvenile…offender’s capacity for change and limited moral culpability.’

Several states have pending legislation to end LWOP sentences for youths in homicide cases. Michigan is among those states. Last year Michigan’s House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Mark Meadows, (D-E. Lansing) convened two hearings on bills that would repeal the sentence. The bills have since remained in committee but are expected to receive a final hearing this month. According to a May 22, 2010 Detroit Free Press editorial, Meadows reportedly said the committee will probably approve the bills with amendments.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision is great news for the 2,500 prisoners who were sentenced to LWOP when they were youths. Of that number, Michigan holds 350 of them in its prisons. The Court’s opinion is one important step along the road to removing the shameful stain on our nation being the last remaining country in the world that sentences youth to die in prison.

Not only will more states introduce legislation to end LWOP for youth in homicide cases, but there will also be new cases petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to end the sentences as well. If the Michigan House Judiciary Committee passes the package of bills, the next step will be for a vote on the bills from the full House of Representatives. The bills would then have to be passed by the Senate.

I am asking each of you to please visit an online petition we have asking your state Representative or Senator to vote in support of the package of bills that would end LWOP sentences for youth in Michigan. Please share the petition link with others and ask them to share via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

The bills will not release a single prisoner. What they will do however is make those prisoners sentenced to LWOP when they were juveniles eligible for parole after 15 years. It does not guarantee release, but it begins making release possible by the parole board.

I am encouraged by this news and look forward to seeing a positive outcome. Please keep my family and me in your prayers and join us, as we remain hopeful that the deplorable policy of LWOP sentences for youth will end in the foreseeable future.

Petition to end LWOP sentences for youth: http://tinyurl.com/endlwopinmichigan

U.S. Supreme Court decision on May 17, 2010, in Graham v. Florida, No. 08-7412 ruling that LWOP is unconstitutional in non-homicide cases: http://tinyurl.com/uscourtlwopdecision

Incarcerated for Life at Age 15: Lessons From Efrén Paredes, Jr.

2010-04-13T20:02:00.002-05:00

The inside of a cell will try to erase you. Efrén Paredes, Jr. knows that, just as his life sentence has also taught him how time can relentlessly add up each day, without any hope for release. Convicted for murder and robbery at the age of 15, Paredes's life should trouble us all. But the really troubling question isn't the nature of his crimes, but rather why — after two decades — he still sits inside a cell in a Michigan prison.

It's hard to imagine what that much time does to a person. Harder still to imagine how Paredes, incarcerated at 15, has in over 20 years of prison transformed himself into a passionate advocate for justice, a highly intelligent man and a skilled organizer. During his recent hearing before the Michigan Board of parole, over two hundred people testified — many attesting to his ability to serve as a community asset and to the man that he has become in prison. Others, by contrast, argued that he should remain in prison. Somewhere between these two perspectives, we have lost the idea of justice.

The death of Rick Tetzlaff, who Paredes allegedly killed, was tragic. There's no escaping the brutality of it. There is no escaping the impact of Tetzlaff's death on his family and on his community. But justice here shouldn't mean that a 15-year-old gets sentenced to life in prison without parole.

When I met Paredes, he'd organized a speaking engagement for me at his Michigan prison — the first time I'd been back inside a prison since my release a few years earlier. While reading there from my memoir, A Question of Freedom, I recognized something. Prison is a community all its own, and those confined must lean upon each other for support, understanding and guidance. Too many falter because there aren't enough prisoners who truly represent strength of character, conviction and leadership. Paredes, though, does.

Yet Paredes has recently learned that his petition for release has been denied by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. The question here is not about guilt or innocence. Yes, Paredes maintains that he is innocent, and the family continues to insist that he should remain in prison forever. But the question here is the sanity of sentencing a 15-year-old to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At what moment is a life sentence equivalent to a death sentence, and at what point is that sentence too much?

Paredes just watched his 37th birthday come and go behind bars. His case exemplifies the worst of what we do to juveniles in the name of justice. When he was sentenced, the judge issuing his sentence said, "I must believe that you can do good if you want to." Our system should be able to recognize this possibility — and offer a man like Paredes the opportunity to walk free in the world after years of doing good. Given the marvel of his accomplishments — all of which he has achieved without institutional support — his very life is an argument against juvenile life without parole. And his continued incarceration is a scar on our justice system.

Photo Credit: FriaLOve

R. Dwayne Betts committed six felonies at age 16 and served nine years in adult prison, a journey he chronicles in his recent book, A Question of Freedom.

Letter from Efrén

2010-03-23T19:09:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends,

After careful deliberation and time to regroup from the news of the Governor denying my Commutation of Sentence Request, I have decided that before my family and I make any decisions about what next major steps to take, I want to first make a strong effort to ask the Governor to reconsider her decision and urge her to grant the Commutation Request. I am asking you to please support this as well and to invite others to join us.

There are 10 months remaining of the Governor's term. I know of instances that the Parole Board has asked the Governor to reconsider the denial of a Commutation Request denial, so it is not beyond the realm of possibilities. There are no guarantees our efforts will work, but what I do know is that I believe in the Creator and I know that in Him all things are possible.

What I am asking you to please do, is sign our new online petition at: http://tinyurl.com/Efren2010 and invite others to do so also. Please post the link on facebook, twitter, and ask others to do so as well. You can use the simple message, "Efren's Commutation Request was denied 3/8/10. Please sign our petition asking the Governor to reconsider and reverse her decision at: http://tinyurl.com/Efren2010."

People can also use the text from the petition to print out and send a letter to the Governor at: Governor Jennifer Granholm, PO Box 30013 , Lansing, MI 48909.

Repost the message as often as you can and also please share via email. My family and I will also be working on other things in the meantime and making efforts to keep visibility on the campaign.

Some people may think this avenue will not produce any results. That may be true, but I know that doing nothing won't produce any for sure. There is a part of me that believes the power of people change the world. I believe in our will to thrive, to succeed, to live, to endure.

I am asking you to support this effort and make the decision to keep pressing forward. We still have time. If we use it wisely perhaps we can make a difference.

On another note, know that I am bouncing back from the news of the Governor denying my Commutation Request. It's been three days now and I am gaining more strength each day. I ask that you continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I will continue to work fiercely on the campaign and doing what you have courageously and relentlessly done for me the past two years: Fight for Justice.

Keep in mind the U.S. Supreme Court will also be deciding a case about Life Without Parole sentences for Juveniles any day now which could abolish the deplorable sentences nationwide. There are still a number of developments underway that could change the course of my Commutation Request and other things.

Thank you for your continued support. I'm back!

In Solidarity,

Efrén

Could Facebook Save His Live?

2010-03-15T19:31:00.003-05:00

By Leticia Miranda

Like many people in their 30s, Efrén Paredes Jr. has a lot of friends online (more than 3,400 on Facebook). Unlike most people online, Paredes is incarcerated at a Michigan state prison, and he has no access to the Internet.

Nevertheless, his Facebook account is frequently updated with links to news on youth incarceration, immigration and other topics affecting Latinos. His Twitter and mySpace accounts are equally active with tidbits on what he’s feeling in the moment. And his website and blog are brimming with information ranging from updates on his case to Latin American politics. In response, people across the country are now writing letters and signing online petitions on his behalf asking the Michigan governor to release him.

Read the entire article at:
http://tinyurl.com/Efren-colorlines-031510

Fighting for Their Lives

2010-03-15T19:22:00.005-05:00

By Leticia Miranda

The Supreme Court considers whether it’s cruel and unusual punishment to lock up teenagers for life without parole.

Efrén Paredes Jr. was a 15-year-old honor roll student in rural Michigan when he was convicted of killing an assistant manager at the grocery store where he worked and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Today, he is one of almost 1,775 prisoners who were sentenced as youth and locked up for life without parole, according to a report released by The Sentencing Project, a prison reform research and advocacy organization. A staggering 77 percent of those youth are Black or Latino.

This June, the Supreme Court will decide whether young people can be sentenced to life without parole for crimes that didn’t result in a death. Separately, several states are also considering abolishing life without parole for youth.

The ruling will set a major legal precedent that may affect cases like Paredes’s. In the meantime, Paredes, who is now 36, is hoping that Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm will grant his commutation request by the end of her term this year and release him.

Read the entire article at:
http://tinyurl.com/colorlines-0315

ONE MICHIGAN PRISON'S ADDICTION TO CHEMICAL AGENT ASSAULTS ON PRISONERS

2010-02-13T19:45:00.006-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

February 10, 2010, marked the third time in two weeks that the Warden at the Oaks Facility authorized the use of chemical agents to be sprayed on prisoners who are housed in the upper B wing of 4 Unit. This is a segregation unit.

During that time, one prisoner attempted suicide, one prisoner went on a 5-day hunger strike, and one prisoner was threatened to be shot by gas balls on the yard. These prisoners all were housed on the same floor. The magnitude of this is amplified by the fact that there are only 24 prisoners housed on this floor.

Rather than seeking to prevent the use of chemical agent attacks on prisoners, it appears the facility has instead increased its use in an effort to send a salient message. That message being, “We don’t care about your complaints or problems. Deal with it or we will use chemical agents on you.”

The use of these chemical agents is very dangerous and potentially lethal. Both prison staff and prisoners know this. When the chemical agent is sprayed, the staff who are in the area wear gas masks. The chemicals enter the air when sprayed and every prisoner housed on the floor is exposed to the harmful effects.

When chemical agents were employed on February 10, the impact was so powerful that after an hour of it being sprayed, staff were still wearing gas masks to walk in the hallway. Even the following day staff who worked 24 hours later were coughing in the hallway from the chemicals still lingering in the air.

For the prisoners housed on the floor the impact was much more serious. Many of them experienced severe chest pains, profuse coughing, sinus drainage, burning and water eyes, chronic sneezing, and some vomiting. They were also all forced to sleep in and breathe this unhealthy air until it cleared up. Several prisoners complained that they experienced serious breathing problems.

To illustrate the careless disregard for the seriousness of this matter, just before staff used the harmful chemical agent on February 10, a prisoner asked a staff member when showers would resume. The staff member responded, “No more showers tonight guys, you’re getting gas instead.”

While this is not the mentality of the majority of staff who work responsibly in the housing unit, it does reflect the view of those outside the housing unit with decision-making power. In one conversation with a prisoner before the chemical agent was sprayed on February 10, the unit sergeant stated, “I’ve been telling them about the [meal] trays being messed up. They don’t listen to me.”

Clearly if unit staff was being ignored by their superiors, prisoners who have grievances or problems have no hope of being acknowledged or respected.

I am housed on this floor with 23 other prisoners being exposed to the chemical agent assaults and I speak from direct experience and observation. I am also among the prisoners who were most severely affected by the February 10 incident.

While supporters of the use of chemical agents will argue that the assaults are justified, in none of the three times the chemical agent was used, did a prisoner harm himself or staff. One of the prisoners was threatened with a chemical assault for having paper partially covering his window.

Prison staff will argue that they are not putting any prisoners at serious risk because they remove prisoners from the unit who have documented conditions of asthma or serious respiratory problems prior to spraying the chemical agents.

The problem with this argument is that every prisoner who suffers from asthma or other respiratory problems may not have documentation. Some prisoners may be allergic to the chemicals in the agent used. It is not known how every person will respond to a chemical that they have not been exposed to before. It could be lethal the first time. One of the prisoners housed on the floor where the chemical agents were used only has one lung.

Rather than seek to justify the use of chemical assaults, prison administrators should seek to find out what is sowing the seeds of discontent among the prisoners and leading them to go on hunger strikes, attempt suicide, and risk chemical assaults.

On February 10, several prisoners on the floor refused to return their dinner meal trays because of ongoing problems with the size of the food portions served, missing food items on the food trays, and other issues with food. Some of the prisoners also refused to allow staff to close their door food slot until an administrator came to the unit to discuss their grievances.

Previously, the complaints of prisoners were ignored daily. Complaints about the very hot temperature of the shower water and cold temperature of the rooms continue to go ignored. It wasn’t until prisoners took matters into their own hands on February 10, that staff began to listen. However, it shouldn’t have had to go that far, and could have been prevented, if staff simply took the myriad complaints seriously.

Unfortunately, the reading level of most prisoners is below the fifth grade. This is a barrier that prevents many of them from articulating their problems or grievances verbally or in writing. Prison administration knows this, but they take no steps to try to communicate effectively. Instead, they attempt to silence prisoners through fear and force.

Trying to make problems disappear through the inhumane use of chemical assaults is a dangerous way to show prisoners about conflict resolution. It is no wonder that some prisoners leave prison feeling that using force or violence is a way to solve problems. It has been reinforced by what they have witnessed prison staff do.

This is an unacceptable manner to rehabilitate prisoners and make them productive members of society upon release. We are a nation that does not promote extremism, torture, or abuse of prisoners. This is the reason that the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons were ordered closed.

If it is wrong to employ terror, extremism, torture, or abuse on enemy combatants in prisons abroad, it is equally wrong to use these tactics against citizens imprisoned domestically. When complaints by prisoners are made, (particularly repeated complaints about the same issues) they should be investigated and resolution should be sought.

The psychological, emotional, and mental trauma caused by the use of this invisible violence must not be overlooked. These are scars that can go undetected for long periods of time. Some prisoners can experience post-traumatic-stress disorder by continued exposure to chemical agent assaults.

Violence in any form (including chemical agent assaults) is never the answer to conflict resolution. If that is the only answer administrators have to solving problems, then their professional judgment is seriously in question and should be the subject of House Corrections Appropriations Committee Hearings.

A few years ago, August 6, 2006, a prisoner died at the hands of staff at a prison in Jackson. Timothy Souder’s death completely changed the Michigan Department of Corrections policy about the use of restraints to strap prisoners to their beds in segregation units.

These restraints had been the source of many complaints for years for a number of obvious reasons. It wasn’t until a prisoner died, as a consequence of their use on him and a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit, that things changed.

This should not have to be the same case with the use of chemical agents assaults on prisoners. One day, someone will eventually die from their use or suffer irreparable health damage. It will have been totally preventable. A critical examination of this issue is necessary by outside agencies or legislature.

It is without question that chemical agent assaults are in direct contravention of the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a civilized society.

In simpler terms, it is synonymous with cruel and unusual punishment. A practice we can not afford to persist.

Message from Efrén Paredes, Jr. for Xicano History Month 2010

2010-02-11T21:23:00.001-05:00

It is a pleasure to share this message with you as we give honor to the enormous contributions made by our hermanas toward the advancement of our beloved gente. Their selfless sacrifices cannot be underscored enough. Without them, there would be no Xicano comunidad.

The achievements of our gente are incomplete when we ignore any segment of our comunidad or attempt to elevate some over others. IT is imperative that we celebrate our collective contributions, not fragments separated by hollow voids.

It is a dated and discriminatory practice to establish and maintain societies that revolve around males. It is divisive and relegates women to positions of inferiority. Our focus needs to shift to one that emphasizes balance and equality.

As we jettison the antiquated philosophy of male superiority we will begin to create true mutual respect, heal our comunidad, draw from the best we all have to offer, and empower ourselves together instead of individually. We must reject any practice that is disrespectful to our mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, and other muxeres.

When we celebrate the Xicana this month, we are celebrating the full spectrum of Xicana/o History and Her story, culture, and identity. We are acknowledging the need to replace them with OUR story. It is also an acknowledgment of our genesis, our cradle of civilization and greatness as a people, and a rejection of foreign concepts that have besieged us and eroded our cohesion.

We must know that until we respect ourselves, and all Xicano gente we will never receive the respect of the world. And, until we stop treating muxeres as footnotes we cannot expect others to treat us any differently.

I ask that you also remember our incarcerated hermanas/os who languish in prison cages in Michigan and across the country. We must actively work to end society’s addiction to incarceration as the primary instrument of social control.

The abuses perpetrated against our gente are growing exponentially. In 2008, nearly 2/3 of the hate crimes in this country targeted Latino people. We are being treated as if our lives are disposable and without value. We can not allow our silence to perpetuate these injustices and suffocate our progress.

Xicana/o culture, history, and identity are illuminating the consciousness of Xicanas/os in society as well as behind prison walls. It is a liberating force that ignites the passion to change and to grow. It empowers us and gives us agency, meaning, and purpose.

This is why we celebrate it and honor each other each day. Xicana/o history is not a month, it is our lives.

Eliminating Childhood Obesity, Rescuing Our Future

2010-02-10T20:08:00.002-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

First lady Michelle Obama launched “Let’s Move”, a campaign to help parents combat the national health crisis of childhood obesity. The campaign was announced February 9, 2010. It is available online at letsmove.gov.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 32% of children and adolescents (25 million kids) are obese or overweight. A 2005 study found that kids today may live shorter lives than their parents by two to five years.

In 1965, 4% of children ages 6-11 were obese; today that number is 19.6%. In 1965, 5% of adolescents ages 12-19 were obese; today that number is 18%. Of the kids ages 2-19 who are overweight or obese, 29% are White children, 36% are Black children, and leading this epidemic are Latino children of which 38% are overweight or obese.

Two important areas Let’s Move will target are improving food and increasing physical activity in school. About 31 million kids eat lunch at school every day, and 11 million eat breakfast there as well. It is estimated that 30% to 50% of their calories are consumed in school, underscoring the need to make improvements in this area.

Let’s Move will also focus on promoting gardening, nutrition, more accurate food labeling, better grocery stores in communities that don’t have them, public service announcements, and making child obesity a national conversation.

I urge you to visit letsmove.gov and share the vital information and tools available there to help us create a healthier future for our nation’s children. Parents and educators especially need to learn about this information and we need to engage other adults who do not have children to learn it so that they can mentor kids about the value of physical activity and healthy eating.

Talking about this crisis is a start. Taking active steps to reverse this danger to young people’s lives is what we each need to be doing. Action, not talk, is the key to making a difference.

Aid to Haiti Desperately Needed

2010-01-14T19:52:00.012-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the largest earthquake in more than a century devastated the nation of Haiti. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Latest reports from Haiti are that streets are lined with dead bodies, people are in desperate need of clean water, electricity, and medical supplies. Most hospitals, schools, roads, and homes have been transformed into piles of rubble. Undoubtedly the scale of the relief effort necessary will be one of the largest in recent history.

It is likely that more people could die form the aftermath of the earthquake than from the tremor itself. This painful reality has drawn support from countries and aid organizations from around the globe. It has already been reported that Dengue fever, Malaria, Measles, Typhoid and Meningitis are on the rise throughout areas that have been ravaged by the calamity.

Please consider making private donations which are critical to the relief effort. The lives of millions of people are depending on donations for immediate needs and the organizations contributing to the relief effort you can assist are:

The American Red Cross. People can contribute online at: redcross.org or make a $10 donation by sending a text message with the word "Haiti" to 90999.

The United Nations World Food Program. Donations can be made online at: wfp.org

Action Against Hunger. You can give on line at: actionagainsthunger.org

Project Hope. Provides medical supplies and health care services. You can donate online at: projecthope.org

Join me and others to help make a difference.

What will 2010 Bring?

2010-01-10T18:48:00.005-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

As we usher in the dawn of the new decade many people will ask themselves, "what will 2010 mean to my life?" Some will respond with optimism, others will dread the unknown.

The truth is many of our expectations will be ones that we create ourselves. There are certainly some experiences that will occur beyond our control, but for the things that we can control, we should work to shape them the way we desire.

Believing that we are mere objects with no control of our lives invites negative experiences. It is dis-empowering and relinquishes all of our decision-making authority to other people and circumstances.

When we have a dismal outlook on life and negative self-image the laws of attraction bring toxicity into our lives. It drains us of energy and keeps us in perpetual darkness. People find it difficult to emerge from this state after prolonged periods of time. It is easier to be complacent than to exert the energy to change the tide that erodes our potential.

We can't be afraid to fail or try in life. If we are we will be paralyzed by fear and never progress. Rather than look at potential experiences as stumbling blocks, we need to view them as stepping stones towards something better.

No one experience defines us, whether good or bad. If it did it would always be the best or worst thing we did in life. It doesn't work that way though. We are the sum of our total experiences, not fragments of them.

Our perception will guide us along the way. If we maintain a positive outlook we will celebrate progress more often than failure. Perception colors an experience and defines it before it even manifests. It charts its course.

When we employ this approach into our lives we begin to discover that people and experiences affect us to the degree we allow them to. Nothing can compel us to experience a feeling we do not allow. We are never taught this though, consequently people find themselves looking for people and material things to comfort and satisfy them.

When we make the conscious choice to live a productive, happy life, we will see it manifest, not because it just transpires, but because it is what we want to see materialize. It is what we work towards and the energy we seek to attract.

We have to cease underestimating ourselves and embrace our enormous potential. In so doing we will empower our lives and create experiences we want, not the ones that "just happen."

The answer to what the new year or decade will bring into your lives is very simple. Most often it will bring what you strive for or invite.

"Buried Alive: Breathing in a Living Tomb" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

2009-12-04T05:23:00.004-05:00

Buried Alive: Breathing in a Living Tomb

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Waking in an 8' x 11' concrete box each day is a painful reminder of the walls that forcefully keep me separated from society and the people I love. It is within these merciless barriers that I toil and struggle to keep the flame of hope and liberation burning.

Today, December 4, 2009, marks one complete year since my public hearing was convened. The wait has been arduous and often times seemingly endless. Some days the wait has felt like weeks and months have elapsed, other days it has felt like the past year has been longer than the previous 19-1/2 years of my imprisonment.

A year ago over 150 members of my family, friends and supporters traveled to the G. Robert Cotton Facility through the cold elements to observe the hearing and express their support. They packed a standing room only area, which typically only has one row of chairs reserved for most public hearings. At my hearing there were dozens of rows filled with chairs.

People wore the Free Efrén T-shirt, Free Efrén stickers, and braved the nine hour long hearing in a small room where every seat was filled. Some stood for hours along the wall and others sat on the floor due to the unavailability of seating.

Most people did not even eat a full meal the entire time. They consumed protein bars and other snacks and stayed the entire duration of the hearing so they would not miss any of what would be the longest and most attended public hearing in Michigan history. The only time some people left the room was occasionally to use the restroom.

Seeing the prosecutor and police who investigated my case at the hearing again after two decades since my original trial evokes myriad memories. As I raced through the corridors of my thoughts I felt myself recalling my arrest, court proceedings, sense of hopelessness and the soul-crushing tears I fought hard to suppress as I sat alone for weeks in a cold jail cell (at age 15, under constant light 24 hours a day) wondering when this nightmare would ever end.

I sat during the hearing last year the entire time handcuffed in a chair, shuffling through papers, responding to a barrage of inquiries, and only drank cups of water — all while defending myself against manufactured stories, distortions, verbal assaults, unwarranted remarks, and unprofessionalism of an Asst. Attorney General who argued to the Parole Board that I should remain in prison because "20 years in prison is not a lot of time."

It was a skillfully rehearsed performance of political theatre; one the Asst. Attorney General and Berrien County Prosecutor's Office hoped would result in transforming my prison cell into a death chamber. Their fixation on plotting my extinction was a total abandonment of civility and the concept of redemption — two signposts of their moral impoverishment.

In the midst of it all I felt the warmth, love and strength of all those who came out to support me. I was never discouraged and I never felt alone. I was wrapped in the solidarity we shared and spread widely throughout the room.

While the weight of the past year has been enormous and often disheartening, I have vigorously sought to stave off feelings of disappointment and despair. I have often sought refuge in the Creator, prayer, and meditation, and wrapped myself in the solace of my writings and activism.

Thinking about the people who love and care about me has been a constant source of strength as well. They have provided me with a lifeline when I have been most challenged, confronted with difficult moments, and found myself trudging through the pockets of pathology and ubiquitous darkness of daily prison life. I am grateful for all their love and support and I think about them often. I never take any of them for granted.

Despite everything going on the past year, I have continued to work on my personal growth and development and I persist in my work educating others, promoting worthy causes, and enriching the lives of others. I have not allowed my personal struggle to consume me or diminish my work helping others.

I know the value of service to others because it has been the gracious selfless acts of wonderful people who have helped me become the person I am today. I try to pass those blessings on to others every opportunity I receive.

This experience has not defined me in a negative way. It has only motivated me to fight even more diligently to pursue justice and evolve as a human being. I have worked hard to transform the negative energy into positive energy and use it to fuel my resiliency and determination to never be defeated by lies and inhumane policies.

While my life and future continue to be deliberated by the Hon. Governor Granholm, I ask each of you to please continue inviting people to sign our petition, asking her to grant my commutation request. It is a small contribution to my campaign that will go a long way. The petition is available at http://tinyurl.com/FreeEPJ.

The outcome of the Governor's decision could result in my release in the near future or condemn me to spend many more years in prison — a veritable death sentence. The urgency of this very critical hour cannot be underscored enough.

It is a possibility that I may never again receive this opportunity for release from another Governor of conscience willing to utilize their extraordinary clemency power to correct an injustice.

Collectively we have established that I am a worthy candidate for release, that I would pose no danger to society if released, and that I would thrive and be a productive member of the community. Others, who have achieved less than I have while incarcerated, and contributed less to society than me, have been afforded the opportunity for release. All we have ever said is that I am equally deserving.

Today I will reflect about the past year. I will nourish my spirit and continue exploring new ways to avoid the minefields of self-destructive thoughts. I will also endeavor to persist converting gulfs of sadness into healing sanctuaries, and summon radiant rainbows from storm-filled clouds of despair. I will disallow any embargoes on my creativity.

I intimately know the human capacity for survival. It has taught me to thrive and reminds me that I will emerge from this experience stronger than ever. It has also inculcated in me that the Creator didn't create human beings to live in chains or condemn their lives to expire in them.

As W.E.B. DuBois wrote, "There is in this world no such force as the force of a person determined to rise. The human soul cannot be permanently chained." The onus is on us to make this reality manifest each day.

Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanksgiving Holiday Message from Efrén Paredes, Jr.

2009-11-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

I am writing to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and let you know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

I hope you get to enjoy time with your family and take a break from your every day work schedule to relax from the stresses of your weekly routine. It is easy to become trapped in disappointments and the challenges we face. We often find it more difficult to swim out of murky waters that attempt to drown us in despair than to sulk in them.

Take some time for yourself to reflect on life and the gifts you are blessed with each day. Whether it is the gift of family, friends, employment, happiness, or freedom, they are all deserving of our gratitude and not to be taken for granted.

Each day presents us with infinite possibilities. It is up to us to make the most of each moment. We have to remind ourselves that no matter how difficult times may get, our experiences can not erase our dreams and vision.

Our spirits were created to soar and transcend the challenges of life. They are free and boundless. And, they cannot be held down by gravity or be caged. I know this to be true because these are not mere words I send you as a holiday greeting. It is how I strive to live my life each waking day.

Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Love,

Efrén

New Free Efrén - End Juvenile Life Without Parole Poster

2009-11-16T21:12:00.002-05:00

Click here to download the latest 8-1/2" x 11" Free Efrén poster which also supports an end to life without parole (LWOP) sentences for youth in the U.S.

The U.S. is the only country in the world that is currently imposing LWOP sentences on youth. A movement to abolish LWOP for youth is growing exponentially by human rights advocates from every corner of the globe.

LWOP sentences for youth offends “the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society,” the U.S. Supreme Court’s announced standard for reviewing state punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

Like many adolescent development and neuroscience scholars and experts, Efrén supports an end to LWOP for youth not only because of his own case, but because he does not believe that youth should be condemned to die in prison for crimes they committed (or were accused of committing) when society deemed them too young to vote, join the military, get married, or even visit a prison.

He contends that if society deemed them too young or irresponsible to do lawful things, we cannot punish youth the same way we do adults when they commit crimes. The lives of youth are not dispensable. Any caring parent or knowledgeable educator knows this.

Efrén agrees that youth who commit crimes should and must be punished for the crimes they commit. He also believes that ending LWOP sentences for youth should not result in the release of each youth who committed a crime. Some youth who commit crimes may never deserve to be released if they do not demonstrate they have been rehabilitated and can be productive members of society. However, he opposes policies which condemn youth to die in prison and never being given the "possibility" for parole consideration.

As Professors Elizabeth S. Scott and Laurence Steinberg wrote in The New York Times recently, "[P]sychological experts are unable to distinguish between the young person whose crime reflects transient immaturity and the rare juvenile offender who may deserve the harsh sentence of life without parole. If experts can’t reliably make this determination, then it seems unlikely that juries and judges would be able to do much better."

They added, "There is now a consensus among neuroscientists, for example, that brain regions and systems responsible for foresight, self-regulation, risk assessment and responsiveness to social influences continue to mature into young adulthood. This evidence that adolescents are psychologically and neurologically less mature than adults should be important in deciding how to punish their criminal acts."

It is also well-documented that adolescents subjected to LWOP sentences are also disproportionately children of color. In the county Efrén was convicted in, Berrien County, MI, every juvenile who has received a LWOP sentence has been a youth of color. This statistic is, however, not isolated to Berrien County alone. There are many counties across the U.S. who echo this shameful and racist statistic.

Please download the latest Free Efrén poster, display it on college campuses, and in homes, libraries, churches, offices, and other public places to express your support for Efrén's release and an end to the deplorable sentences that condemn youth to die in prison. You are also encouraged to share the poster with people via e-mail and post about it on the various social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.).

New Video by Nezua Discusses Efrén's Case and Need to Abolish JLWOP Sentences for Youth

2009-11-09T13:30:00.008-05:00

Please view the latest video by Nezua, "The Potential for Progress," which discusses the need to abolish life without parole (LWOP) sentences for youth in the U.S. The article that Nezua wrote which is the foundation of the video is available for your review below. The video and article both reference Efrén's case.

Nezua Limon, is a filmmaker and a published author/artist who blogs regularly at The Unapologetic Mexican. He was recently employed by MTV News Street Team ‘08 after competing to represent the state of Oregon, and was originally trained in the field of Film and Television at New York University.

In 2008, Nezua was selected to be a panel member of Online 100, “the first-ever survey of the top 100 online voices and bloggers tracking trends and attitudes heading toward the 2008 Election Day” (formed by Andrew Rawnsley, the Chief Political Commentator of The Observer).

Nezua is a founding editor of The Sanctuary, an award winning site dedicated to human rights and progressive grassroots action, and La Frontera Times.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the cases of Graham v. Florida, and Sullivan v. Florida. The Court will subsequently decide whether it is cruel and unusual to sentence people to prison to die for crimes they committed (or were accused of committing) when they were youth. The U.S. is the last remaining country who imposes this deplorable sentence on its young. It is our hope that we will soon join the rest of the civilized world and stop ignoring the concept of redemption or inherent dignity in children.

A special thanks to Nezua lending his voice to the international Movement to end LWOP sentences for youth and helping Efrén's case continue to generate global attention and support.

Also featured on The Unapologetic Mexican, La Frontera Times, NuestraVoice, and VivirLatino. Article text appears below:

Juvenile Life Without Parole: The Potential for Progress

By Nezua

The coming Supreme Court term may see the United States move closer to its ideals of justice, or remain stubbornly locked in last place in at least one area—how we treat the smallest and weakest among us. Of all nations in the world, the United States of America is the last to ban sentences that require children to die in prison for crimes committed while young. Additionally, aside from Somalia, the USA stands alone in refusing to ratify Article 37 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Were we to do so, the possibility of parole would have to be given to children.

On the 2008 campaign trail, when asked about the CRC, then-candidate Obama said, “It is embarrassing to find ourselves in the company of Somalia, a lawless land.” He went on to promise that “I will review this and other treaties and ensure that the United States resumes its global leadership in human rights.”

Two cases are currently before the Supreme Court that afford our nation the opportunity to right this wrong and join the modern world. Sullivan vs. Florida and Graham vs. Florida will require the Supreme Court to rule on whether life sentences for juveniles that preclude the possibility of parole (JLWOP) are, in fact, constitutional.

As a nation, we move forward bit by bit. At times we take large strides to correct a slow pace. The issue of Juvenile Life Without Parole is an area that now demands a second look. One day soon, the idea of sentencing children to die in prison without even the possibility to redeem themselves will seem as bizarre as those laws that barred women from voting.

In fact, it was only in 2005, in Roper vs. Simmons, that the Supreme Court finally ruled the juvenile death penalty was unconstitutional. In arguing, the text describes a paradigm that informs legal reasoning in US law and specifically the Eighth Amendment’s barring of cruel and unusual punishment. It does this by consulting “objective indicia of consensus,” or signs in society or practicing of law that certain punishments or rulings or situations are no longer deemed accepted by the social body. The court need not see a definite declaration of as much, it infers this from many indicators.

A simpler way to illustrate this dynamic would be to say given time, the human being grows and evolves. A society is nothing more than a collection of human beings, and as such, evolves. A wise law accounts for the progress a society is making by embodying its current morality or lean toward new mores.

We need only look to our recent past to see examples. What is reasonable at one time to a person, or a nation of people (e.g., child labor, women as property, right to own slaves) can later be understood to be (and have always been) unreasonable or unjust. In general, we forgive a society for being imperfect (as people are imperfect) though we demand it improve at all times.

All apparent indicators in our society today imply that people change over time. That the human condition is not sealed in childhood, but of a developing and transient state. We speak to the young often, reminding them they most likely will look back and see things very differently, such is the change that a human mind and heart travel on the path to adulthood. It makes sense that this understanding would be codified in the sentencing of minors.

Today, parole exists for adults. It is a given that a grown person can see the error of their ways and have changed over time, or simply grow to be something better than they were. Or at least merit a second chance. But aren’t children even more likely to change over time than an adult who has already grown through his or her most malleable and fluid phases of mental and emotional development? And who is more deserving of a second chance than a child? None of this is to say every child sentenced to life in prison would or should walk free. The possibility of parole is just that: possibility. The allowance that a person is not a static thing. A hope for a human being to hold on to while in the hell that prisons are. A reason for them to live, and live well.

To hold that juvenile life without parole sentences are just, one would also have to exclude children from this possibility of potential to change over time. To hold that juvenile life without parole sentences are fair, we also must consider those people—specifically young people—who break a law to be of a type of human unlike the perpetually law-abiding and thus subject to a separate morality. These types of notions on criminal nature was once prevalent in the US in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when doctors and scientists of the era went to great lengths to attempt a codification of forehead measurements or family histories to make a case for criminality being something that marked one apart from the rest of the species. It was a gross and unenlightened view that aided the concurrent eugenics practices of the day. Clearly we have moved beyond the thinking of those times.

Another troubling aspect of the lack of any possibility to redress a life sentence is how people of color are disproportionately affected by so many aspects of law, from who gets stopped more, searched more, and shot more, to sentencing. In the US, African American children are actually ten times more likely than white children to receive a life without parole sentence. In California, the ratio is even more striking, at an egregious 20 to 1. When it comes to Latinos, half of the inmates incarcerated in federal prison have no previous criminal record, are least likely to be both violent and nonviolent recidivists. At the same time, Latinos are less likely overall to be given parole or probation than non-Latinos! These facts all add up to a powerful and destructive form of institutionalized racism. Given we understand those iniquities in our justice system exist and have been documented, are we comfortable with a life sentence in prison for minors, without even the possibility of parole one day? Doesn’t this mechanism resemble a giant tax-payer-funded killing machine aimed at one part of the population?

Finally, what of those who are innocent of the crimes for which they have been accused, and wrongly convicted? A terrible nexus of race and law and injustice frame the case of Efrén Paredes, Jr, a Latino honor student wrongfully convicted at 15 years old of a murder and armed robbery that others have already plead guilty to being involved in. Paredes was convicted and given two life sentences on entirely circumstantial evidence in an one of the US’ top 25 most segregated towns by a nearly all-white police department, court, and jury. Parades’ innocence is maintained worldwide and an effort to free him has been enjoined by activists, authors and experts like world renowned wrongful convictions expert Paul Ciolino, as well as the National Lawyer’s Guild (NLG). Can we truly look at the horror that receiving such a sentence would be to an innocent person and yet insist it makes sense in 2009 to make the possibility of parole something one needs to grow into, like the right to drink? To offer it to adults, but to withhold it from children?

You can help push back against injustices like this. Please take a moment and sign the petition to show your support not only for Efrén’s release, but for the over 2,500 prisoners sentenced to life without parole when they were juveniles. In addition to the myriad holes in the case against Efrén, in September of this year the Berrien County prosecuter who defended the county’s case against Paredes claiming police do not commit misconduct has had to retract those words. Corruption has been exposed in the Berrien county police department’s Narcotics unit, and according to David Robinson, a former Detroit police officer turned attorney, “Someone was asleep at the switch in terms of administrative responsibility to operate the police department.” In his estimate, police misbehavior has gone on “over a significant period of time.”

Surely any reasonable mind understands when humans come together and interact in systems guided by even the most noble intent, injustices will occur. As a principle in general, this is inarguable. To drag out a rather stale cliché and apologize for waking it, “that’s why they put erasers on pencils.” And sometimes this means leaving room not only for the mistakes of the convicted, but for the mistakes that the system—being but system of imperfect persons working together—will inevitably make.

Giving children convicted of life sentences the possibility of parole is simply what a modern society provides itself so that it may maintain the belief that it would never purposefully and unjustly put a child to death in a big, locked box.

May the Supreme Court rule the same way.

Workshop Panelist at Upcoming Conference on Democracy and Direct Action

2009-10-22T22:04:00.007-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

November 6-7, 2009 the Xicano Development Center will be hosting the Conference on Democracy and Direct Action. Day One of the conference will be held at East Lansing High School. Day Two of the conference will be held at Michigan State University.

I will be participating as a panelist of a workshop via phone on Nov. 7 along with other Xicana/o community leaders. We will be discussing my campaign for freedom, the anatomy of effective networking, and the value of Xicano prison programs.

People from across the nation will be presenting at the conference about a variety of important issues including the arts and activism, building solidarity across color lines, indigenous border issues, and other subjects.

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Ward Churchill. Churchill is a prolific American Indian scholar/activist, Ward Churchill is a founding member of the Rainbow Council of Elders, and longtime member of the leadership council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado.

Churchill has written over 20 books and is the former Chair of the University of Colorado/Boulder Ethnic Studies Department, where, until July 2007, he was a tenured Professor of American Indian Studies and where he received numerous awards for his teaching, scholarship and service. Professor Churchill is currently suing the University of Colorado for violating his First Amendment rights by firing him in retaliation for his observations on 9/11 and his exercise of his First Amendment-protected speech and in violation of the doctrine of Academic Freedom.

Also appearing at the conference will be New York Hip Hop group Rebel Diaz. Rebel Diaz came together at a critical moment in U.S. history. In early 2006, as Latinos throughout America found themselves under attack with anti-immigration laws, Rebel Diaz was in the streets of The Bronx, New York, organizing the community to fight against proposed racist legislation. Rebel Diaz performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people in massive protests from Chicago to Washington, D.C.

Using the power of hope and the struggles of the past as inspiration, these sons and daughters of revolutionaries express their wishes and demands for a just and compassionate world. In the streets of every ghetto across the world, one can hear the sound of people fed up with poverty and second-class citizenship. Rebel Diaz arises from these conditions to fan flames of change through songs that inspire, educate, and celebrate life.

I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience about the subjects I will be discussing, and using the opportunity to dispel some of the myths that exist about prisons and those who its walls hold captive. It will be a rewarding and transformative experience for all who attend and aspire to foster a liberating consciousness.

Efrén Will Participate in 2009 Feminism(s) & Rhetoric(s) Conference Workshop Panel

2009-10-06T22:38:00.007-05:00

Saturday, October 10, 2009, a workshop about women advocates of incarcerated men and women will be conducted at the 2009 Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) Conference which will be held at Michigan State University (MSU).

The conference is sponsored by the Coalition of Women Scholars in the History of Rhetoric & Composition and hosted by the Rhetoric & Writing program at MSU. The conference will take place October 7-10, 2009. The theme for this year's conference is "Enabling Complexities: Communities/Writing/Rhetoric".

According to the conference web site, "So our aim in organizing FemRhet 2009 has been to bring together the unique breadth and diversity of our experiences as scholars, teachers, and community members in order focus on the complex knowledge work that we do together."

They add, "In bringing the conference theme—Enabling Complexities—to life, we believe that we have created a conference that both examines the knowledge work we already do as scholars and community activists and that creates more space for the complicated, difficult work that must follow if we want to adequately reflect the deep structure of connections/intersections/overlaps that are critical to our shared future."

Workshop panelists will include Efrén'smother, Velia Koppenhoefer, a Xicana community leader and MSU graduate student, and a former Michigan prisoner who was incarcerated 29 years and served as an advocate for women. Efrén will also be joining the panel via phone to offer his insight from the perspective of an incarcerated male.

There will also be discussion about the global campaign to free Efrén, and an update about the status of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee's petition to Gov. Granholm asking her to grant Efrén's commutation request seeking his release.

Response to Week-Long Article Series in The South Bend Tribune

2009-10-02T11:52:00.004-05:00

For the past six days The South Bend Tribune ran a series of articles about Efrén's case. Below are links to each of the articles for your review.

September 27, 2009 - A fateful workday ends in grisly murder in St. Joseph Township
September 28, 2009 - Manager's murder was St. Joseph Township's first in more than a decade
September 29, 2009 - Teen's stories about night of St. Joseph Township murder vary
September 30, 2009 - Fight for Freedom: Family insists on Efren Paredes' innocence
October 1, 2009 - Fight for Freedom: Prosecutors say case against Paredes solid
October 2, 2009 - Paredes makes case to commute sentence

It appears the author attempted to provide balanced reporting in the series. With the exception of referring to Efrén as a "friend" of Eric and Alex Mui, Steve Miller and Jason Williamson, the remainder of the articles were accurate for the most part.

One thing we want to make clear is that Efrén was not friends with the above-named youths. They were students he knew from school. Even they denied being Efrén's friend. Steve Miller also denied liking Efrén in a statement to police.

The article series demonstrated that there exists clear evidence of problems with Efrén's case and the undeniable fact that he did not receive a fair trial. It did not bring out every piece of evidence which would have increased awareness about other aspects of the case, however, the purpose of the series was obviously not to exonerate Efrén.

Each day a number of comments were made in response to the online version of each article. Some were positive, others were negative, hate-filled and incendiary. Some of the victim's supporters even called for Efrén's execution.

Efrén and our family are committed to not speaking negatively about the Tetzlaff family (i.e., the victims in this case). We will not be a party to dialogue that causes them any further pain. Instead, we will continue to pray for their healing.

We have publicly expressed our condolences to the Tetzlaff family for their tragic loss. We have also always been open to sitting down with their family in an effort to discuss the case and share evidence and information with them in our possession which supports Efrén's innocence. They deserve to know about it more than anyone else.

Our invitation remains open. We are willing to meet with the Tetzlaff family with clergy or in any place of worship to discuss the case, or to help our families and the community find ways to heal. Civil discourse is essential to both families.

Harboring anger or hatred towards Efrén is not going to bring anyone closure, and listening to the inflammatory remarks of outsiders will only serve to further polarize us. If everyone can put their egos to the side for a moment, be open to peace and reconciliation, and put God first we are convinced progress can be made.

Those serious about working to help both the Tetzlaff family and our family truly begin the healing process can contact us via phone at 269-849-9056 or via e-mail. We ask everyone to please keep both of our families in your prayers.

On Behalf of the Family of
Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Velia Koppenhoefer

________________

* We invite people to click here to read a detailed account of what actually occurred in Efrén's case which was prepared by The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Raising Funds for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Fifth Grade Classroom

2009-09-30T23:34:00.008-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

The past week has been challenging. It seems like I haven't had a moment's rest.

Having to prepare assignments for my University of Michigan weekly creative writing workshop, working on various social justice campaigns, raising funds for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign and funds to help a Detroit fifth grade classroom purchase a new laptop and printer, have all been mentally taxing and time-consuming.

This Saturday, October 3, 2009 I will walk in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at the G. Robert Cotton Facility at 1 PM along with other prisoners who helped raise money for the campaign. In all we raised $1,046. That's a lot of money considering prison work assignment pay prisoners less than $50 per month on average.

I am pretty excited about my contribution to help purchase the laptop and printer for the Detroit elementary school classroom. I know the children who will benefit from it will be very grateful. Their school district could not afford these items, so the teacher was compelled to independently raise funds to acquire them. The teacher will use the laptop and printer as tools to teach ESL students how to make comic books.

According to the teacher, ""Making comic books can inspire an emerging ESL learner to spread his or hers artistic wings. They will learn to construct and understand the structure of the English language at their own pace. Reading aloud published work will instill a confidence to teach themselves to self correct their own grammatical errors."

She added, "Constructing comic books is a great role model for demonstrating parts of a story, defining characters, recognize setting, and coming up with some crazy plots and far-out solutions. Showing my students what the power of words can do for written text helps them develop an incredible eye for detail on their own writing. After a few months my shy students are no longer shy but are then replaced with imaginative artist and engaging authors."

The money I helped raise will be used to assist finding a cure and prevention to breast cancer, and also empower the lives of young people in school. I hope that it will also inspire others to help people in need. All our lives are enriched when we make even one contribution to helping make the world a better place.

Ending the Xicana/Latina Drop-Out Crisis

2009-09-09T09:09:00.005-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Yesterday many schools opened across the nation to commence the new school year. For many it will mark new aspirations, for others it will signal the painful reality of dreams deferred and evaporating hopes.

August 27, 2009 a new report titled, "Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation," was released by the National Women’s Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

According to the report, "Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Forty-one percent of Latina students do not graduate with their class in four years—if they graduate at all. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. And the high teen pregnancy rate for Latinas (53% by the age of 20) reflects and reinforces the barriers they face."

The gravity of this disturbing reality is exacerbated by the fact that 80% of the students surveyed want to graduate from college and perhaps go further, and 98% reported they want to graduate from high school. One-third of the girls who were surveyed do not expect to achieve their educational goals.

To help combat the factors that are contributing to the drop-out rate of Xicana/Latina high school students and bring attention to this issue, I asked members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. to create a Facebook group on my behalf named, "I Pledge to Help Xicanas/Latinas Graduate."

With over 250 million Facebook users, according to Nielsen NetView, I felt it would be a great way to connect people who are serious about ending this cycle and offer them a platform to share ideas, resources, programs, and information about ways to accomplish this.

In just 11 days the group has reached 1,300 members and continues to grow each day. This is an indication that people are serious about wanting to end this crisis. Several people have expressed interest in the group and gratitude for conceptualizing the group's creation. People are already networking and sharing important information.

One group of students at Michigan State University is currently creating a mentoring group for Xicana/Latina students in the Lansing area. I recently spoke to the students and offered to help them in any way I can, including helping develop a workshop or offering relevant educational materials they can utilize.

Several students at various universities have also asked to publish my poem "The Wise Latina" in campus newspapers and feature it on their web site. I have granted permission for all of them to do it and have been grateful for the interest it has generated nationally.

I invite everyone to read "Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation" and share it with other parents, educators, clergy, community leaders, and others who can help contribute to the campaign to help Xicanas/Latinas graduate from high school and pursue their dreams.

This call to action is not only to assist members of my own family and friends, but for every other Xicana/Latina student who dreams of graduating from high school and matriculating at a university.

Xicana/Latina students across the nation are depending on us. We have to be their voice and advocates. We have a responsibility to them and it is our mission to fulfill it. Last year half the children born in this country were Xicano/Latino and that number is expected to rise each year.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. But, we also have a lot of hands, strong hearts and brilliant minds to do it.

Click here to join the Facebook group and become a part of this effort. Share the link with others, invite your contacts, and spread the word. You can also download all the reports and fact sheets related to this issue by visiting the MALDEF web site.

President Obama to Deliver Positive Message to School Children

2009-09-07T19:18:00.010-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding President Obama's message to school children which will he plans to deliver to U.S. primary and secondary students via webcast and C-Span Tuesday, September 8, 2008 at 12 PM ET.

Many people initially objected to having President Obama deliver his speech. No such objection was made by Republicans when both George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan delivered their direct-to-the-classroom talks in the 1980s and '90s.

What is very disturbing about this manufactured controversy is the level of hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty being exhibited by people protesting President Obama's message. Some have even tried characterized his message as an attempt to indoctrinate children using subliminal messages cloaked in socialist ideology.

To quell the concerns of parents and educators the White House released the text of the President's prepared remarks on Monday. President Obama wanted to give people an opportunity to review the speech before making a decision about whether or not to allow students to view his message live on Tuesday.

One of the President's staunch opponents of delivering his message was Jim Greer, the Florida Republican party chairman. Last week Greer accused the president of trying to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."

After the text to the prepared remarks the President will deliver were shared with the public yesterday Greer now says he will let his children watch what he calls a "good speech," one the president "should give."

Greer added, "It encourages kids to stay in school and the importance of education and I think that's what a president should do when they're gonna talk to students across the country."

Obama's intentions for Tuesday is tantamount to a presidential pep talk about taking education seriously. The President's message is one that should resonate with every educator and parent across the country, and one that they should encourage children to view/hear.

People would be remiss in their responsibility to our nation's children to pass up this learning opportunity and positive message directed at encouraging children to succeed and do good in life.

Update 9/9/09: You can watch the video of President Obama's message delivered yesterday below.

Efrén Speaks to Youth in Toronto, Urges Calm

2009-08-17T21:13:00.003-05:00

Saturday, August 15, 2009 Efrén spoke to 160 youth via phone at the Second Annual Justice for Alwy 3-on-3 basketball tournament held at Carlton Park in Toronto, Ontario (Canada).

The event is dedicated to all victims of police brutality. It began in 2008 in remembrance of 18-year-old Alwy al-Nadhir, an unarmed teen who was shot and killed by Toronto Police on Halloween night, October 31, 2007 in Riverdale Park, Toronto. Click here to read more about how Alwy died.

After Alwy's tragic death his family, friends, and other local community organizers saw the need to get organized to put an end to the siege on their communities. Together, they created the Justice for Alwy Campaign Against Police Brutality.

Since Alwy's murder tensions between the police and youth have escalated, resulting in conflicts and additional acts of police brutality towards youth. Many Toronto urban youth have conveyed experiences about the daily harassment, false arrests, brutal beatings and verbal confrontations many have had with the police.

Efrén was invited to speak to youth at this year's Justice for Alwy basketball tournament by Pablo Vivanco, community activist and producer at Barrio Nuevo, a Latino community radio program based in Toronto. Efrén has previously appeared on two Toronto-based radio programs, Barrio Nuevo and Radio BASICS, to discuss his case and the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles.

At the basketball tournament Efrén urged the youth to remain calm and exercise patience and restraint. He urged them to take a proactive approach to finding lasting resolutions to existing problems, and cautioned them against allowing themselves to be reactionaries responding to taunts and acts of aggression or unprofessional conduct by police.

Efrén told the youth that there would be serious consequences for acting impulsively and ignoring the future of their actions. He told them that they could end up like many prisoners he sees every day who are condemned to die in prison because of their impulsiveness and refusal to listen to reasoned advice.

During his message Efrén told the youth they should work to resolve conflicts intelligently and in a non-violent manner. He told them they should organize rallies and engage the community in meetings to bring attention to the injustices they are encountering. They can call on local and federal investigations, meet with legislators, file complaints against police officers, initiate legal action against them, and even file human rights charges against the violators in an international forum, if necessary.

Efrén wanted the youth to know that avenues for redress and improving matters exist. He did not want them to feel a sense of hopelessness and or believe that violence or rebelling were the vehicles for them to obtain an illusion of justice.

He told them if elected officials do not listen or respond to their grievances they can always seek to recall and replace them with officials who will fulfill the responsibilities of their office. There is a process for officials to take office, and a process for them to leave if they are ineffective or remiss in their duties.

The event was a success and it was a reminder to all who participated that through organizing and a shared vision we can create space and events we need to achieve a desired purpose.

As Efrén stated, "If the youth could all work together to organize the tournament in Alwy's memory, they can work together to make other things materialize in his honor as well. They just need guidance and encouragement along the way."

Efrén's voice transcending prison walls to reach the listening youth in Canada served to do just that.

"The Wise Latina" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

2009-08-14T05:20:00.020-05:00

The Wise Latina

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Saturday morning,
protected by the colossal frontal columns
of the nation's Supreme Court
that were once like prison bars
seeking to lock you out of its halls —
before the blinding glare
of flashing cameras
bouncing off adorned walls
absent any images celebrating
your likeness —
there you stood,
the Wise Latina.

Your confirmation hearing
the true identity politics,
the underpinnings of tilted scales,
an indictment of a racist patriarchal system
that stains justice
with its misogynist ways.

Opponents clamored to defame you,

attempted to relegate you
to a footnote in history,
dismissing you
as a child of affirmative action,
as another marginalized brown face,
like the ones they built the wall
along the Mexican border to keep out.

Somebody forgot to tell them
affirmative action
didn't do your homework,
didn't graduate you summa cum laude from Princeton,
didn't edit the Yale Law Journal for you,
didn't make difficult choices
or bequeath you wisdom.

Your strength and poise made us proud
as we were fixated to television screens
at viewing parties
in skyscrapers and barrios,
inspired by your courage,
displaying your buttons and posters,
watching you deflect
the barrage of attacks
you bravely endured
to become the nation's
111th U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

The eyes of many Latinas y Latinos
filled with tears,
as their exuberant smiles
brightened the morning sky.

Your detractors never gained an advantage,
even in their failed attempts to diminish you.
They couldn't erase our illustrious past
or replace it with illusions of inferiority.
They couldn't write our Quinceañeras
or love for arroz, maíz y frijoles
out of our rich culture and heritage.

Carrying a legacy of struggle on your back
you transcended the tide of ignorance,
the protests and intimidation,
and rallying cries for your defeat.
The impotent Kyls, McCains and Sessions
couldn't change destiny,
they could only fulfill it.

It was the Wise Latina who prevailed,
who captivated the world.
Speaking loudly through your elegance
and quiet strength
you silenced your critics,
scattering them like the winds
of a fierce Summer storm.

At that moment
we all briefly touched the sky,
danced in the sun's warm glow,
and summoned the Ancestors
to celebrate your victory.

Copyright © 2009 Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Click here to download a PDF version of this poem.

This poem was featured on the Latina Lista blog on 8/14/09. It was featured on La Raza Chronicles on 8/18/09 and most recently appeared on ¡LatinoLA! on 8/19/09. In the Fall the poem will be part of an exhibit at the Cesar Chavez Library, Chicano/Latino Studies Department, Michigan State University.

Update 8/18/09 11:25 PM EST

You can listen to an MP3 recording of Efrén reading this poem to celebrated poet, storyteller and independent media producer, Nina Serrano, on the show "La Raza Chronicles" below.

"Where We Still Discover" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

2009-08-07T22:34:00.001-05:00

Where We Still Discover

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Sitting on our mother's laps,
Speaking in a language
of only our own,
surrounded by the wonders of life,
we see the world
moving ...
shifting ...
Guiding us
as we expand our consciousness.

Our eyes open wide
inhaling the brisk morning air.
Thoughts percolating ...
Releasing the energy
that feeds new experiences.
Pulsating around us like tiny heartbeats ...
We slowly awaken.

Each moment is an opportunity.
A chance to learn
to build
to grow.
Life blossoms
and ushers in the unknown.

We travel
through time and places.
Corridors filled with infinite possibilities
waiting to receive us
with its tender hands
to carefully guide us
along our journey.

In our mistakes
we find lessons.
Like rocks polished to become gems
we enter each experience
and mine its treasures.
We make it a new part of us
and harness its power.

In our Winter years,
after experiencing the fullness of life,
exploring the complexities of its winding roads,
swimming through its vast ocean of dreams,
we find,
this magical place.

It never eludes us,
never far away.
Like the air we breathe,
it is,
in the end,
as in the beginning,
Each Moment,
the place,
where we still discover.

Copyright © 2009 by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Mario Rocha: Another Tragic Story of Injustice Revealed

2009-04-17T13:12:00.009-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

For the past month the documentary, "Mario's Story," has been featured on the cable television network Showtime. It will continue to air each Monday through the end of this month.

The documentary is about Mario Rocha, a 16-year-old student at a Los Angeles high school, who was accused of opening fire at a party in 1996 that resulted in the death of a high school student. Mario was tried as an adult and sentenced to two life sentences in prison. Two others were also convicted.

Mario has always maintained his innocence and adamant that he did not commit the crime he was accused of committing. Several witnesses at the party where the killing took place say they saw Mario run for cover when the shots were fired. They say he had nothing to do with the shooting.

Mario was represented pro bono by a legal team from the high-profile law firm Latham & Watkins. Their work on Mario's appeals for nearly eight years resulted in the reversal of his conviction in 2006 on the grounds of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.

After an appeals court reversal in August 2006 pending the re-filing of charges by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Mario was released on a $1 million bond. Los Angeles County prosecutors announced October 28, 2009 that they would not retry the case and dismissed the charges.

Since his release from prison Mario has been actively involved in several progressive projects and a wide range of social activism. He currently resides in Washington, DC, and is attending George Washington University where he is pursuing a degree in International Affairs and Communications.

Mario is currently working with Bruce Saito, Executive Director, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, developing a re-entry program for ex-offenders in California for people ages 18-25. Last Summer he traveled to Washington, D.C., to teach creative writing in a juvenile correctional facility.

April 9, 2009 Mario appeared at Berkeley Law School where his documentary, "Mario's Story," was screened. After the screening he was interviewed, during which time he discussed his case and problems in the criminal justice system. The event was hosted by the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal.

Mario is a member of the The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. and a staunch supporter of my campaign for freedom. In March 2008 he organized an event in Los Angeles during the Fast for Freedom which was observed on my behalf globally. He has discussed my case during several radio interviews and presentations about the subjects of wrongful convictions or juvenile life without parole sentences.

I am proud to know Mario and call him a friend. His unyielding commitment to pursuing justice is an inspiration to others who have been wrongly convicted. He is also an example to the world that young people who go to prison — unlawfully or otherwise — can and still do positive things with their lives and be productive citizens, if given the opportunity.

Mario is a positive role model for Xicano/Latino youth and he continues to use his life to help others. Though he has lost many years of his own life to wrongful imprisonment, he persists sharing the freedom he was restored only a few years ago to improve the future of our youth. These are selfless acts of generosity that could only be borne in the heart of a person who has unadulterated love for humanity and an intense desire to foster its perpetual evolution.

When I spoke to Mario via phone two weeks ago he expressed a strong interest in visiting Michigan in the coming weeks to help garner additional support for my release and to share his personal experience with people in the Midwest. We look forward to Mario visiting Michigan in the coming weeks.

To learn more about Mario you can view the "Mario's Story" documentary trailer below and visit the "Mario's Story" web site at: http://www.mariostory.org.

Support Generated at 2009 Día de la Mujer Conference

2009-03-31T23:20:00.012-05:00

The 16th Annual Día de la Mujer (DDLM) Conference, celebrating the lives of Latina women, was held Saturday, March 28, 2009. The theme of this year's conference was "La Mujer Maravilla" (Our Everyday Superheroes). The one-day conference hosted workshops for hundreds of Latina women from all over the Midwest. It was held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, on the campus of Michigan State University.

According to the DDLM web site, "This annual conference has provided a much needed space for Latinas in Michigan to affect social change and to highlight their accomplishments. Keynote presenters, forums and workshops facilitated by Latina women will provide conference participants with networking opportunities for employment, education and sharing life experiences."

The keynote speaker at this year's conference was one of my friends and supporters, Favianna Rodriguez. Favianna is an artist-entrepreneur who has helped foster resurgence in political arts and media both locally and internationally. Named by UTNE Magazine as "one of the countries leading visionary artists," Favianna is renown for her leadership in establishing innovative institutions that promote education and engage new audiences in the arts.

Favianna is renown for her vibrant posters dealing with issues such as war, immigration, globalization, and social movements. By creating lasting popular symbols - where each work is the multiplicand and its location the multiplier - her work interposes private and public space, as the art viewer becomes the participant carrying art beyond the borders of the museum. She has lectured widely on the use of art in civic engagement and the work of artists who, like herself, are building bridges between the community and museum.

Favianna discussed my case during her speech and urged the hundreds of people in attendance to sign a letter or petition addressed to Gov. Granholm expressing support for my release. Below is a video of her remarks.

Later that afternoon a workshop was conducted at the conference inspiring Latina mothers to advocate for their incarcerated family members. My mother, Velia, sat on the panel, along with other wonderful members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. They discussed a wide range of topics involving organizing, public relations, and other ways to gather support and convey their story. They also helped gather postcards of support and passed out hundreds of flyers and dozens of Free Efrén posters to those in attendance.

A special thanks to the conference organizers for their support, and for creating space for us at the event.

Efrén Presents Workshop at MEChA National Conference

2009-03-22T21:46:00.016-05:00

Saturday, March 21, 2009 Efrén presented his workshop via phone, "Awakening the Xicano/Latino Leader Within," at the 16th Annual Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) National Conference. The event was held at the University of Oregon. It was the 40th anniversary of the birth of MEChA.

MEChA is a student organization that promotes higher education, culture, and history. The organization was founded on the principles of self-determination for the liberation of Xicano/Latino people. MEChA advocates that political involvement and education is the avenue for change in our society.

Efrén discussed the importance of education in the Xicano/Latino community and the need to reduce drop-out rates. He also emphasized community development and a commitment to create a brighter future for the Xicano/Latino community.

As he often does, Efrén asked the students to use their lives in a positive way to effectuate change, and to empower themselves and others to foster their perpetual growth and development. He cautioned them against being silent about social injustice and to never allow themselves to let others limit their creativity or define them.

One of the students asked Efrén how he has maintained such a positive attitude and remained strong during 20 years of incarceration. Efrén responded:

"The outpouring of support from my family, friends, and supporters through visits, mail, and talking to them on the phone daily have helped me tremendously. Knowing I am innocent of the crime I am imprisoned for has been a major factor as well."

Efrén went on to explain that educating himself about various subjects has helped him continue to evolve. He cited attaining knowledge about struggle, culture, history and identity as major contributors to maintaining his strength and refusing to capitulate to injustice.

Efrén used this as an opportunity to tell the students that perception about our experiences in largely determines how we are affected by them. Efrén conveyed to the students that, "No one can compel us to fail. We succeed because we choose to succeed. We wield the power to transform our reality." He added:

"We have to learn how to meet the demands of the time. Our people are looking to you to be the catalyst of change necessary to end the cycle of ignorance that has kept us marginalized and taken for granted."

On the subject of social networking web platforms Efrén told the students they should harness the power of these sites and use them constructively beyond just exchanging greetings and entertainment information. He also urged them to share useful and educational information, and to foster social activism through those mediums.

In a post-conference interview with a member of the TIME Committee Efrén stated, "I always remind youth of the February 2008 protest in Columbia against FARC which was organized by students on Facebook. Some estimates were that two million people participated. Others estimated up to four million people participated. Of that number 250,000 organized the event via a Facebook group. Social networking platforms can be used to shape the consciousness of the world in a powerful way."

Efrén fielded questions and some of the students conveyed words of appreciation for Efrén presenting the workshop. It was a positive experience and had a profound impact on those who were able to attend.

Part of Efrén's closing remarks included asking the male students to remain mindful of the need to ensure that there is gender equality and mutual respect amongst the leadership in organizations. He told them they risk marginalizing and subordinating women if they do not promote their inclusion. He added that, "excluding women also fosters a culture of misogyny."

Efrén urged the students to denounce the ICE raids being perpetrated against immigrants, and asked them to participate in the upcoming May Day rallies that are scheduled to take place across the nation in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

The previous day 600 students participated in the Rally for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Immigrant Rights at the Eugene office of Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio. Many of the students present were MEChA National Conference attendees.

The event was organized by the students of MEChA from the University of Oregon chapter and chapters from across the nation. Other organizers included CAUSA, Oregon's immigrant rights coalition. The event also drew the support of various UO departments, PCUN, and Eugene community organizations.

The students called on Congressman Defazio to support and prioritize safe, humane and fair immigration reform. Because the majority of rally attendees were students, they demanded that DeFazio also support the Federal DREAM Act which would open the doors of higher education to immigrant students and students of immigrant parents.

Efrén was proud to be a part of the MEChA National conference and to join the students who commemorated the organization's 40th anniversary. He expressed his gratitude to the University of Oregon MEChA for hosting the conference and to the National MEChA for allowing him to present his workshop at this historic event.

United Nations Action: Indigenous Peoples and Children in Prison

2009-02-18T22:24:00.006-05:00

Greetings My Relations,

My name is Tony Gonzales, Director for AIM-WEST based in San Francisco, an affiliate of the American Indian Movement (AIM), North America. I am pleased to know the community of Berkeley voted recently to condemn the sentence of Efren Paredes, Jr. as a human rights violation. This is a major development in the campaign to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the USA.

I am currently planning a round table discussion at the United Nations in NYC during the 8th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII-8), May 18-29, 2009 regarding Indigenous Peoples held in prisons throughout the world in an effort to bring these injustices before the appropriate bodies of the United Nations. I will cite certain cases such as Leonard Peltier, in prison for over 33 years, and other forms of injustices such as severe sentencing of minors in the USA, and of their failure to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I would like to communicate with you and your family about how the American Indian community can also support Efren's release after twenty years of incarceration, and restore justice and hope to America. The passage of the Berkeley resolution will serve as a model to further coordinate with other municipalities across the nation and inspire them to choose promoting human rights over discarding the lives of children. Change is urgent, sign us up now!

Accordingly, I will impress upon our membership to learn more about the situation of Efren Paredes, Jr., international standards related to children's rights, and to consider developing local strategies to bring similar resolutions to the attention of elected officials in their districts, on Efren's behalf. Perhaps with the optimism of the Obama Administration, change is possible. There are many international laws and standards the USA have yet to sign. Together we can help take this to the table.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Tony Gonzales
AIM-WEST
eltonyg@earthlink.net
415-577-1492

Source: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/02/un-action-indigenous-peoples-and.html

Berkeley City Council Condemns Efrén's Sentence as Human Rights Violation

2009-02-11T06:02:00.016-05:00

"The link between violent subjugation of youths in prison and their long-
term spiritual and emotional decay suggests that life in prison is as severe, if
not more severe, for a juvenile than is the death penalty." (Fagan, Jeffrey, End
Natural Life Sentences for Juveniles, 6 Criminology & Public
Policy 735 (2007)).

Dear Friends,

Tuesday, February 10, 2009, the Berkeley City Council in California voted to condemn my sentence as a human rights violation. This is a major development in the campaign to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the USA.

In a letter that will be mailed to the Governor of the State of Michigan the Berkeley City Council states:

"The United States should be at the forefront of promotion and protection of human rights. For this country to be the lone holdout on the issue of JLWOP weakens our moral and legal standing in the international community. The Berkeley City Council supports the call for the United States to align itself with international law by ratifying banning JLWOP.

Given Paredes' history as an honor student with no prior criminal record, the questionable circumstances that led to his conviction, and his inspirational leadership as a positive, productive member of society despite his location, his release after 20 years of incarceration would demonstrate to U.S. citizens that the State of Michigan courageously took appropriate action to restore justice and hope to America.

Mr. Paredes' release should be a pivotal step toward ending JLWOP sentences in the United States."

The decision underscores the need to respect the inherent dignity in children and our commitment to the protection of children's rights. The resolution will serve as a model to other municipalities across the nation and inspire them to choose promoting human rights over discarding the lives of children.

Although children should be held accountable for their actions — including crimes they commit — the USA criminal justice system should never make them disposable. It is my hope that the decision of the Berkeley City Council will be a catalyst for change with regard to the treatment of children in the current legal landscape.

The resolution is an acknowledgment that:

"[T]he treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system is, at best, a noble failure and at worst, a great catastrophe. It is obvious that a change is urgent. Now is the time for the United States to leave the lonely island of juvenile injustice amidst a vast ocean of global concurrence. This shameful sentencing practice diminishes us as a society and it, not the children, must be sentenced to death." (Adepoju, Akin, Juvenile Death Sentence Lives On ... Even After Roper v. Simmons, 2 Trends and Issues in Constitutional Law 259 (2007))

I would like to extend a special thanks to Wendy Kenin, Commissioner, Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission, for spearheading this effort, and to the other members of the public who attended and/or spoke at the meeting in support of the resolution. Wendy worked closely with us to help advance this issue and devoted considerable time and energy to helping compose the language in the resolution.

I would like to also thank Jesse Arreguín, Councilmember, Berkeley City Council, for introducing the resolution. Jesse is the first Latino Berkeley City Council member and I am proud to have his support. I commend him for having the courage and vision to propose this resolution and garner support for it.

Wendy and Jesse made history with this resolution and their actions will be forever remembered for being leaders in the struggle for human rights and equality, and for helping end the deplorable sentencing of children to LWOP.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support. I look forward to working with you to help introduce similar resolutions in your respective cities as well. I am optimistic we can produce similar results across the nation as we collectively work to abolish JLWOP sentences in the USA.

In Solidarity,

Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Click here to view the resolution as passed.

Click here to view the Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. Press Release.

Click here to learn how you can contact the Governor of the State of Michigan to support Efrén's release.

This writing was prepared in advance of the Berkeley City Council meeting date so, if the resolution passed, it could be posted by TIME Committee members as soon as possible.

Message from Efrén Supporting Call to Action to Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP) Sentences

2009-01-28T01:52:00.010-05:00

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly,
affects all indirectly." —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Friends,

I am writing asking you to support a call to action urging people to contact your state legislators and asking them to support the passage of Senate Bills 173-176 which seek to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in Michigan.

I am currently constructing a letter to President Obama's transition team and administration encouraging them to ratify the Convention On the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC expressly prohibits the imposition of JLWOP sentences, however, the U.S. has not ratified the treaty.

The CRC was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 and instituted as international law in 1990. The U.S. signed the treaty with reservations, but is the only remaining country in the world that has not ratified it besides Somalia. Somalia, however, does not have a functioning government.

A couple months ago when asked about the CRC on the campaign trail, President Obama stated, "It is embarrassing to find ourselves in the company of Somalia, a lawless land." He continued, "I will review this and other treaties and ensure that the United States resumes its global leadership in human rights." You can view his response at http://tinyurl.com/auerqp.

I believe President Obama's recent vow to reclaim our "moral high ground" in the world, his commitment to ensure that "transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones" of his administration, and his signing of the Executive Order banning torture to protect the human rights of foreigners abroad, signal that he will also ensure the protection of children's rights at home.

President Obama signed the Executive Order to ensure that the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is adhered to. This same treaty contains provisions which offer protections of juveniles as well. JLWOP sentences constitute a violation of this treaty along with several others, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination.

If President Obama ratifies the CRC it would become a very strong instrument for citizens to utilize to encourage legislators across the nation to abolish JLWOP sentences.

I will also be urging the Obama administration to ask members of Congress to pass H.R. 4300, a bill introduced by U.S. Representative Robert Scott (D-VA) and co-sponsored by U.S. Representative John Conyers (D-MI) that seeks to abolish JLWOP sentences nationwide. H.R. 4300 is currently pending in the U.S. House of Representatives and can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/aeubfk.

We continue to make progress each day. While it has certainly been a challenging time waiting to hear the Parole Board's recommendation the past 55 days since my public hearing, it has also been a time of prayer, deep reflection, and strengthening of my faith.

I continue to remain strong and focused, working each day to reach out to people who can help us make a difference in the world. Not a day expires that I do not do something to advance our campaign to restore my freedom and abolish the imposition of JLWOP sentences. Thank you for your continued support, and thank you for helping me never lose sight of our enduring spirit to seek justice.

In Solidarity,

Efrén

Click on the following link to view a TIME Committee blog post that contains additional information about pending Senate Bills 173-176, including links to download the bills: http://tinyurl.com/d957sm.

Click on the following link to view information about how to contact your legislators to urge them to support passage of Senate Bills 173-176: http://tinyurl.com/anccbw.

Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge

2009-01-20T21:44:00.000-05:00

The newest report in a series of Civil Rights Project (CRP) annual reports on desegregation trends, Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge, points out that it would be wrong to assume that our nation has realized Dr. King's dream and created a society where race no longer matters. In fact, the report concludes the opposite. The U.S. continues to move backward toward increasing minority segregation in highly unequal schools.

The mission of the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at University of California, Los Angeles, is to help renew the civil rights movement by bridging the worlds of ideas and action, to be a preeminent source of intellectual capital within that movement, and to deepen the understanding of the issues that must be resolved to achieve racial and ethnic equity as society moves through the great transformation of the 21st century.

They believe that either the country will learn to deal effectively with the richness of its astonishing diversity or it will lose pace in a globalizing world and decline and divide. Focused research and the best ideas of scholars and leaders from all parts of the country can make a decisive contribution to a renewal of the promise of the civil rights movement.

Please review this report and circulate it widely with others who are concerned about this very important issue.
Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society

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Only in America: Children Without Parole

2009-01-19T22:45:00.003-05:00

"We must use time creatively and forever realize
that the time is always ripe to do what is right."
—Martin Luther King, Jr.—
Monday, January 19, 2009, the University of Michigan Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) held a workshop at the University of Michigan 23rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium to discuss the issue of life without parole (LWOP) sentences for juveniles.

There are currently over 330 people in Michigan prisons serving LWOP sentences for crimes they were accused of committing as children. Nationally that number has exceeded 2,500 people. Shamefully the U.S. stands along as the only country in the world that sentences children to die in prison in violation of several international treaties.

The event drew over 200 people who attended to hear several powerful and moving messages by the panel members which included State Representative Alma Wheeler Smith, Anita Colón, Warden Millie Warren, Monica Jahner, Jerry Moore (reading the testimony of Jerry Lashuay), as well as Efrén's wife and mother.

There was discussion about how juvenile LWOP impacts children in the U.S. nationally, information about how young prisoners are being housed in the Michigan Department of Corrections and programs available to them, what people can do to promote the campaign to abolish juvenile LWOP sentences, and the personal stories of men and women serving LWOP sentences for crimes they were accused of committing as juveniles.

Efrén's wife and and mother spoke about his case and the issue of juvenile LWOP sentences. They were there representing Efrén's family and The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr.

During her message, Efrén's wife stated, "Life without parole sentences have been characterized as a 'living tomb.' Modern courts have characterized JLWOP as a 'slow death sentence' that is 'equally severe' to a death sentence. Others have described it as a 'virtually hopeless lifetime incarceration' that is '... a denial of hope' that renders "good behavior and character improvement' immaterial and worse, is cancerous to human development.

Efrén's mother added, "Sentences for juvenile offenders should not conclude today what kind of adults these youths will be many years from now. As any parent knows, predicting what teenagers will become by next week, let alone when they are adults, is nearly impossible. That decision should wait until they have reached adulthood and can be assessed more accurately."

After the panelists spoke they fielded several questions from the audience. Information was available for distribution at the end of the workshop regarding juvenile LWOP sentences along with sign-up sheets for writing letters to legislators. Information about Efrén's case and how to support our campaign to free him was also available.

Later that evening one of the panel members, Anita Colón from Pennsylvania, and Efrén, appeared on the Ebling and You radio show on 1320 WILS-AM to discuss the event and juvenile life without parole sentences. Click the play button on the left side of the flash player below to listen to the interview.

A special thanks to the PCAP event organizers, to everyone who attended, and to our friend Jack Ebling for continuing to generate awareness and support for our campaign to free Efrén.

"Three Wise Men" by Arthur Fidel Argomaniz

2009-01-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

College essay titled "Three Wise Men" by Arthur Fidel Argomaniz about the imposition of life without parole sentences (LWOP) for juveniles. Included in this must-read article are several references to Efren's writings. It is a powerful example of how Efren continues to help shape the social consciousness of people across the nation through his writings.

Arthur is a McNair Scholar, senior attending the University of Southern California (USC) majoring in sociology. He is also president of MEChA de USC, a member of CCU (Campus and
Community United) and a SAJE (Strategic Action for a Just Economy)
intern.
Three Wise Men by Arthur Argomaniz

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Law Science men rights

Holiday Message Calling for Healing and Reconciliation from Efren Paredes, Jr.

2008-12-25T17:02:00.001-05:00

I want to wish each of you a Happy Holiday Season. I hope you are able to spend time with family and friends and reflect on the gifts you have been blessed to receive and enjoy in your lives throughout the year.

We each have much to be grateful for. Despite the struggles we endure in the vicissitudes of life we continue to persevere and make the best of each moment. We do not allow life to consume us with the weight of its difficulties.

This is a time to think about the birth of Jesus and the lessons he shared with the world. It is a time for healing and growth, and an opportunity to foster understanding and find common ground within the community. In so doing we can eradicate the energies that can erode the human spirit.

The question, "What would Jesus do?" is one question we should frequently ask ourselves as we make decisions in life. If we profess to be followers of Jesus we have a responsibility to pattern our lives after righteous principles.

Adhering to the wisdom of Jesus is not a matter of convenience or personal preference; it is an obligation we must fulfill if we have chosen to be faithful to God.

We are reminded throughout the scripture that withholding forgiveness and promoting divisiveness contravenes the will of God and the lessons taught by Jesus. We only hurt ourselves and deprive ourselves of blessings when we choose to rival the laws designed to keep us perpetually evolving.

We cannot succumb to destructive thoughts or immerse ourselves in a cesspool of negativity. There is no place in our lives for hatred and evil. They are the antithesis of life and can only serve to accelerate the demise of humanity.

It is my belief that healing can occur in the community I departed from 20 years ago and in the lives of those who have been deeply affected by the tragic death and loss of one of the community's finest members, Rick Tetzlaff.

I ask that everyone keep Rick's family and my family in your prayers. Ask God to bless us all with healing and ask Him to help our families seek reconciliation. Our families have suffered far too long and I am calling on rational minds to help us all begin the healing process.

As long as we remain polarized others will continue to inject their personal agendas into our lives and seek to keep us divided. Prosecutors and police involved in my case seeking to promote and protect their careers and reputations have no role in how our families move forward with our lives.

They have not suffered the anguish we have and they espouse callous views, reject the notion of redemption, and condemn forgiveness. These are not principles that any civilized and God-fearing society should celebrate.

My continued imprisonment will not erase anyone's pain, nor will it allow our families to heal. It will only exacerbate the pain and serve as a constant reminder that I am imprisoned while people all over the globe are working vigorously to restore my freedom. I no more wish for my family and supporters to endure this process as I do for Rick's family to be constantly reminded about our efforts.

At my public hearing Rick's widow, Tina, expressed anger that she had to be at the hearing. I was saddened she and other members of their family had to be there as well. I was disappointed their family had to endure nine hours of reliving the painful experience of 20 years all over again because the Asst. Attorney General sought to drag the process out.

It is my hope we do not have to endure another such experience. If I am not blessed with my release, however, the campaign to restore my freedom will only intensify exponentially and compel us all to continue subjecting ourselves to this ongoing process.

I may never convince Rick's family about all the actual facts in my case, but I will never admit to doing something I did not do. I have paid dearly with my life for my refusal to admit guilt to the crime I was falsely accused of. I have spent year after year in prison since the age of 15. I am now 35-years-old and will soon become age 36 in just a few months.

If I were guilty I would have sought to negotiate a guilty plea or reduced sentence long ago like the guilty parties did. I would have also never protected the criminals who have admitted their roles in the crime.

Michael Sepic, the Berrien County Chief Asst. Prosecutor, attempted to diminish their guilt and characterize their actions as "minimal roles." He also continues to offer them cover. Sepic's views on this insult our sensibilities.

If the stories of the youths who pleaded guilty to charges related to this crime were true my silence about their involvement would have shielded them from life imprisonment. Any 15-year-old who is arrested and facing their entire life in prison would have implicated everyone involved.

This would have certainly occurred if the other individuals were placing all the blame on a 15-year-old so they could go free or receive reduced sentences. I had absolutely no reason to protect my criminal accusers from blame then, and I have no reason to protect them now.

My family and I want the healing to begin and for representatives of the religious community to help us facilitate the process. I extend this invitation on behalf of my family and self and pray that this overture is received in the spirit it is offered.

I ask everyone, "What would Jesus do?" Would he want our families to go on enduring a painful life year or after, or would he want healing and reconciliation? I do not believe he would want our families to continue enduring the pain or divisiveness that abounds. He would want better.

And, together, we can do better by ushering in a new year and the dawn of a new era of healing.

Blessings,

Efrén

Commutation Hearing for Efren Paredes, Jr.

2008-12-21T20:46:00.005-05:00

by Terry Kelly
The Michigan Citizen

Justice has seldom found a welcome in Berrien County. No more so than with the case of Efren Paredes.

Arrested at age 15, sentenced to three life sentences at 16 and still in prison at 35, Paredes has declared his innocence from the beginning, struggled to clear his name in a case with no direct evidence and no eyewitnesses.

With the help of countless supporters he is seeking clemency from the governor, a process that began before the parole board at a hearing Dec. 4 in Jackson. It was an historic hearing, drawing the largest number of supporters ever, over 200, and ran an unprecedented nine hours.

“This case screams wrongful conviction,” Paul Ciolino said in his testimony before the parole board. “The system is broken when it comes to this case.”

Ciolino, a private investigator hired by the Paredes family and supporters, is a co-founder of the Northwestern Innocence Project in Chicago and part of a legal and investigative team that has helped release over 200 innocent prisoners across the country, with direct involvement in five cases of proving wrongful conviction.

In Paredes’ case, Richard Tetzlaff, manager of Roger’s Vineland Grocery, was found shot to death execution-style in the store’s back room in 1989. On the night he was murdered and the store was robbed, Tetzlaff had earlier driven employee Paredes home from work.

Police and prosecutors who showed up in force for last week’s hearing had accused Paredes almost immediately of the crime despite the youth’s stellar record in school and out.

While three other Lakeshore High School youth admitted involvement in the store robbery, ranging from owning the gun used, to the car that was driven, only Paredes maintained innocence and denied participation. The others testified against him in exchange for reduced sentences.

Ciolino said that as in most cases of wrongful conviction the police and prosecutor focused on a single suspect early on and ignored other evidence and leads.

Paredes was the main suspect eight hours after the thing happened, Ciolino told the parole board, when there were five or six suspects.

Ciolino listed for the board the contradictory evidence, tainted evidence, missing evidence and bungling by the police.

At the hearing, police and prosecutors, attempting to rekindle much of the sensationalism of the 1989 trial, testified why in their mind Paredes was guilty and should not be returned to society.

Berrien County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mike Sepic, who tried Paredes’ case, told the parole board that lyrics from the NWA rap song “Eight Ball Posse,” served as motivation for the police focus. Finding every word of the rap written out in Paredes’ high school locker led law enforcement to believe they knew Paredes “state of mind”— for the police, Paredes was a gang leader.

Prosecuting Attorney Arthur J. Cotter read into the record every word of the song, expletives and “n”-words.

Ciolino reminded the board that Paredes had never been involved with a gang, as a student, or even as a young prisoner. He also took issue with the police effort to say the rap song was a “window into his mind.”

A person’s conduct and personal history is the best indicator of behavior, Ciolino told the board.

Scott Elliott, a longtime prison reform activist, who has spent over a decade trying to clear Paredes and who testified at the historic hearing, told the Michigan Citizen later that the show of force by county law enforcement was an indication of the weakness of their case.

“If reciting that rap lyric was the best that Cotter could come up with, it seems pretty pathetic. From the beginning they fabricated their case against Efren almost totally out of whole cloth. That was apparent at the hearing.”

Parole Board members questioned Paredes about his trial and prison record. His answers were straightforward and persuasive.

Assistant Attorney General Charles Schettler was openly belligerent with Paredes, who kept his composure throughout the grilling as he detailed the flaws in the case against him.

Chair of the Parole Board, Barbara Sampson, warned Paredes at the beginning that in the view of the board he “was legally guilty” that he had been found so by a jury and a number of appeals had sustained the jury verdict.

Supporter after supporter testified to Paredes accomplishments. He has become a Braille translator and if released will establish his own business doing that work. Both the president of the Michigan Braille Association and his immediate supervisor testified to his superior work record, vision, knowledge and contributions.

Paredes would live in Battle Creek and not return to Berrien County, if released.

The members of the parole board who heard testimony Thursday will make a recommendation to the entire board which will then make a recommendation to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who has the ultimate decision.

Sampson repeatedly emphasized that the parole board would make its recommendation on Paredes commutation to the governor based solely on his preparedness for release.

Juveniles Incarcerated for Natural Life Within Adult Prisons: Public Opinion in Michigan

2008-12-01T20:07:00.001-05:00

Michigan is one of 19 states that allow children of any age to be tried and punished as adults. Trying youth as adults opened the door to imposing sentences of life without the possibility of parole, particularly in Michigan and 26 other states that have mandatory sentencing.

More than 300 youths have been sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) in Michigan and are serving these sentences in adult facilities. Michigan ranks third in the number of youth sentenced to LWOP and is second only to Louisiana in the rate of juveniles age 14-18 serving sentences of LWOP.

To determine public opinion on the issue, questions related to the topic were included in an annual statewide survey of those 18 years or older. The survey, administered by a public university, was conducted during the spring and summer of 2005.

We found that only 5 percent of residents supported Michigan’s current law regarding juveniles serving life without parole in adult facilities. The majority believed “blended” sentences that included both juvenile and adult sanctions were more acceptable. Moreover, Michigan citizens were strongly opposed to juveniles 16 and younger being housed with adults in correctional facilities and believed that juveniles were strong candidates for rehabilitation.

Michigan residents are unequivocal in their belief that youths should be held accountable for their violent crimes, but that it should be in a manner that recognizes the physiologic, psychological and emotional capabilities of the youths, understanding that these capabilities differ from that of adults. These findings support alternative sentencing arrangements and changes to Michigan’s current policies and legislation.

The above abstract is from the study conducted by Wayne State University School of Social Work. Click here to view the entire study and press release.

Awaking the Xicano/Latino Leader Within — A Conversation with Efrén Paredes, Jr.

2008-11-14T19:10:00.003-05:00

Chicanos y Latinos Unidos (CLU) is convening a workshop at Michigan State University on Sunday, November 23, 2008 from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, to discuss the importance and need to awaken the Xicano/Latino leader within. Efrén Paredes, Jr. will be calling in to lead the discussion and invite attendees to be actively involved in this critical discussion.

The subjects covered will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Control of thought and behavior;
• Taking ownership for our actions;
• Overcoming insecurities and fears:
• Changing our perceptions;
• Creating mutual respect between the sexes;
• Empowering ourselves;
• Value of expression and communication;
• Developing positive self-image;
• Perils of reactionary behavior;
• Anatomy of conflict resolution;
• Forging alliances and collaborative efforts;
• Emphasizing culture, history and identity; and
• Need to pursue higher education.

Efrén will share two decades of intimate personal experience and research about these subjects. He has mentored hundreds of people and worked closely with them to equip them with the knowledge and necessary skills to thrive in a rapidly changing society.

An honest, articulate and motivational speaker, Efrén will teach people how to gain control over their lives and discuss the perils of refusing to do so. He will also provide a critical in-depth cost-benefit analysis of the group's dialogue every step of the way.

The work Efrén has done to combat social injustice and empower Xicano/Latino youth has been endorsed by Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez, Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Jr., and other highly respected members of the Xicano/Latino community.

We endeavor to generate widespread interest in the workshop and use this blueprint for personal growth and development to reach students at the college level and later at the high school and middle school level.

Ultimately we not only want to correct distorted thinking patterns, we want to prevent them from being engendered to begin with.

To learn more information about the workshop you can contact the event lead organizer, Xavier Gonzalaz via e-mail at gonza365@msu.edu or via phone at 956-739-5264.

_________________________

* The term "Xicano/Latino" is in no any way intended to exclude Xicanas or Latinas. We want it to be clear that Xicanas and Latinas are included in our usage of the term.

The Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Children Submission to the American Bar Association's Juvenile Justice Committee's Town Hall Meeting

2008-11-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

Click here to view a submission by The Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Children to the American Bar Association's Juvenile Justice Committee's Town Hall Meeting, November 6, 2008. A photograph of Efren is featured on the first page of the document.

The Coalition includes a list of all the following organizations that are calling on Congress and President-Elect Barack Obama to abolish juvenile life without parole sentences in the USA:

Children’s Advocacy Clinic, Children in Prison Project, Florida State University College of Law
Children’s Law Center, Massachusetts
Citizens for Juvenile Justice, Massachusetts
Columbia Legal Services, on behalf of clients, Seattle, Washington
DLA Piper, LLP
Bernardine Dohrn, Director, Children & Family Justice Center, Northwestern University School of Law
Family and Friends of Inmates, Omaha, Nebraska
Shaena Fazal, Director, Long‐Term Prisoner Policy Project, John Howard Association of Illinois
Brian J. Foley, Visiting Associate Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law
Human Rights Advocates, California
Human Rights Watch, New York
Individual parents, relatives, or friends of youth serving JLWOP sentences throughout the United States
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
Juvenile Law Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Michelle Leighton, Director Human Rights Programs, University of San Francisco School of Law
NAACP, Legal Defense Fund, New York
National Center for Youth Law, Oakland, California
National Juvenile Justice Network, Washington, D.C.
Penal Reform International, Washington, D.C.
Pendulum Foundation, Colorado
The Sentencing Project, Washington, D.C.
Jeffrey Shook, Assistant Professor of Social Work and Law, University of Pittsburgh
Randolph N. Stone, Clinical Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School
Rev. Bonnie Young, Kings Crossing Foundation, Colorado
Youth Advocacy Project, Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services
Youth Justice Coalition, Los Angeles

Fast for Our Future Begins October 15, 2008

2008-10-13T22:24:00.011-05:00

"Talk is cheap. It's the way we organize and use our lives every day that tells what we believe in." —Cesar E. Chavez

Dear Friends in the Struggle for Human Rights,

I am inviting you to join the Fast for Our Future that will begin on October 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, three weeks before the November 4th presidential election. Many people will be fasting in an effort to mobilize our community to vote for immigrant rights.

According to The Rise Movement:

"On October 15th, over 100 people will begin one of the largest hunger strikes in American history to call on Latinos, immigrants, and people of conscience — the Immigrant Rights Movement—to rise out of our fear and vote for change.

The Fast for our Future will be based in a permanent encampment at La Placita Olvera, the historic heart of Los Angeles, and will continue until at least 1 million people have signed this Pledge [or the fast will end on November 4 — after 21 days — whichever occurs sooner]. Through our shared sacrifice and commitment we will renew our movement and inspire an historic mobilization of Latino, immigrant, and pro-immigrant rights voters.

We must remember the I.C.E. raids, those detained and deported, the families torn apart, the dreams deferred. We must remember the marches, the walkouts, the boycotts, and the promise we made: Hoy marchamos, mañana votamos. Yesterday we marched for our rights, today we vote."

"Fasters will give up all food and juice liquids. We will only drink water. The Fast will be based at an encampment at La Placita Olvera, the historic heart of Los Angeles. The encampment will be a visual representation of the size of the hunger strike. Fasters will sleep in tents and live at the encampment for the duration of the hunger strike. The Fast will continue until at least one million people have signed the Pledge to vote and take action for immigrant rights." (Source: http://tinyurl.com/4ykcgg

Please sign the Pledge and invite everyone else you know to do so by visiting http://tinyurl.com/4385qn The sooner we can register one million people to sign the Pledge the sooner the fast will end. However, we are fully prepared to fast the entire 21 days, if necessary.

I fully endorse this campaign on behalf of the Demand an End to the ICE Raids and the Inhumane Assaults on Immigrants, a Facebook group with over 3,200 members.

Even if you do not live in Los Angeles I am asking you to join the fasters in solidarity and support this historic effort. I will be personally participating in the fast and am hopeful that many others across the nation will join as well so we are united in spirit for this very important cause.

The lives and futures of millions of Latinos and other immigrants are at stake. Please answer this very important call to action and share this message with as many people as you can.

In Solidarity,

Efrén Paredes, Jr.
Administrator
Demand an End to the ICE Raids and the
Inhumane Assaults on Immigrants!
URL: http://tinyurl.com/55gach

Efrén Participates in First Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk in Michigan Prison

2008-10-09T22:27:00.001-05:00

by Velia Koppenhoefer

Saturday, October 4, 2008 Efrén participated in the first Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (hereafter "Making Strides) 5K walk held inside a Michigan prison. He also made a monetary donation to the cause. Making Strides representatives visited the prison and participated in the walk alongside Efrén and other prisoners who participated.

According to their web site, Making Strides is "more than just the name of an event." It goes on to say:

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer refers to the vital progress the American Cancer Society has made through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. It is the premier event to raise awareness and dollars to fight breast cancer.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/4otdal

Efrén was instrumental in helping raise over $674 for the event from the prisoner population. He reminded prisoners to make donations and also announced the event at the September 2008 monthly Latin American Spanish-Speaking Organization (LASSO) meeting he chairs.

According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, the prisoners, "raised $674, which will be matched by the Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund." Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund is the corporation Efrén and other prisoners who participated in the walk is employed with.

At the conclusion of the walk Efrén and other participants were awarded certificates for their contributions to this very worthy cause. Efrén also encouraged other prisoners to participate in any future events sponsored by Making Strides.

After speaking with the Making Strides representatives that visited the prison about ways they could help increase prisoner participation and awareness about future events, Efrén is confident that will occur.

One thing Efrén never lacks is progressive ideas.

Paul Ciolino's Letter to the Editor

2008-09-23T22:31:00.002-05:00

Dear Editor:

I read with interest the response of the Berrien County Prosecutor to the proposed commutation hearing for Efren Paredes, Jr. I would start by saying that the halls of justice are littered with the bodies of the wrongfully convicted, the wrongfully accused and of course the thousands of family members that stood by and got swept away in the national disgrace of prosecutorial and police misconduct. There are over 1,000 cases of this type that have occurred in the United States in the last twenty years. Is Berrien County immune from this phenomenon? I hardly think so.

The conviction of Paredes is classic. Take a hot button issue like the cold blooded murder of a well liked and respected local white businessman and mix with racial undertones, motivated informants, sloppy investigation and super aggressive prosecutors and police investigators and you get a wrongfully convicted person.

The classic fall back position is that we play the victim card. Trot out the widow, friends and neighbors of the victim and play to the sympathy and outrage of the community. The prosecutors want you to look at the widow and not the evidence.

The evidence would suggest that Paredes is innocent. The victim and the victims' family members are often sold this bill of goods and of course they adopt the prosecutor's position. Lost in all this is the ruined life of Efren and his family. Where is the outrage of the treatment of this family?

In the very near future there will be a public hearing that will allow people to speak on behalf Efren Paredes, Jr. The state has had its way for almost two decades in this matter. The fairy tale that has been promoted to the victim's family and the courts is going to be exposed.

All that Efren has ever asked for is an even playing field. That day is rapidly approaching.

Paul J. Ciolino
Paul J. Ciolino & Associates
Chicago, Illinois
Web Site: http://pjcinvestigations.com/paul-j-ciolino.htm

Dissatisfaction Brings About Change

2008-08-25T18:28:00.012-05:00

"Our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Thinking about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. It's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you'll play in writing the next great chapter in America's story." —Barack Obama, Wesleyan University Commencement Address—

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

This is an exciting time in American politics. After an arduous race for the Democratic presidential nomination the stage is now set for the presidential general election to soon begin.

Many new people have been registered to vote in the past several months across the country. It is a historic time that is reinvigorating the spirit of the electoral process in every demographic. While the nation has at times seemed polarized about the presumed presidential nominees, the citizens remain united about one issue — the desire to see change.

There are many lessons to be learned from this presidential race, particularly from Barack Obama.

A year ago Obama was not viewed as an electable presidential candidate by the majority of Americans. He was unknown to many people and his message and image were eclipsed by what many felt was Hillary Clinton's entitlement to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

All that has changed though. And, in many polls Obama now leads John McCain in the battle for the Oval Office.

Besides being attracted to Obama's message of positive change for the country, I am also impressed with his persistence and courage to not acquiesce to the enormous pressure he faced to not pursue the presidency.

Obama's willingness to use his life in the interest of public service is admirable. He could have chosen to use his knowledge and skills to create a flourishing corporation purely for self-gain. Instead, he has spent much of his life giving a voice to those who could not speak for themselves and brought to attention to deserving causes.

Throughout his life Obama has also worked to create change at the grassroots level. He understood early on that real and lasting change begins from the bottom up.

As citizens we have an obligation to steadfastly work to improve the quality of life for others around the USA. Failure to take an active role only serves to further erode the social fabric of our country and it fosters degeneracy.

A mark of a true leader is the refusal to allow people from robbing them of hope and vision even when all the odds are stacked against them. It takes a remarkable person to continue swimming against the current intended to drown them and still flourish.

Obama has proven people can be successful even by remaining true to themselves and others. He has sought to stave off disingenuous tactics in his campaign and instead replace it with integrity. It was a decision he made that many early on thought would lead to his political demise.

Becoming the first presidential candidate of color of a major political party is a major victory in our country's history. It was just 40 years ago that African-Americans were allowed to vote in the USA. The nation has evolved though, and so has the collective consciousness of its citizenry.

With the USA becoming an increasingly multiracial society the Obama story has even more relevance. It gives little boys and girls of color another strong reference point to relate to that reflects their innate potential. It also helps them develop positive self-image and confidence when they see leaders in their image.

If I were free I would cast the very first vote of my entire life in this November's historic presidential election. Having been imprisoned since age 15 I have never been afforded the opportunity to yet cast a vote.

Many people have taken their voting rights for granted. I know what it feels like to want to utilize that vote and not be allowed to. You can rest assured that when I do receive the opportunity one day I will not throw it away. Voting is a precious liberty I will take seriously.

It is Obama's model of change beginning at the grassroots level that has resulted in the kind of success that The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee enjoys through the labor and energies we have, and continue to expend. Ordinary hardworking citizens dissatisfied with injustice have accomplished extraordinary things.

This wonderful group of people has been determined to end the inhumane treatment of an innocent person deprived of his freedom. In so doing they continue to decry the false notion that people are powerless to social injustice or that their voice can be stifled by inequity.

I have spent much of my time in captivity working in the service of others. I know from experience what a difference helping others can make when we care enough to try. The results endure and we leave a noble mark on the world for others to emulate. In short, through our actions we become the agents and catalyst for change all around us.

It all begins with the desire to see it manifest. Some way. Somehow.

Efren Paredes, Jr. Addresses Univ. of Southern Cal. (USC) Student Body in Newsletter

2008-08-18T18:16:00.006-05:00

Efrén Paredes, Jr. submitted the following writing addressed to the student body at the University of Southern California (USC) in the first edition of El Centro Chicano Newsletter of the school year. The newsletter will be received by thousands of USC students. Efrén is granting permission to anyone else who would like to use the message in any other publications to address students at other institutions of higher learning. We would like to thank our friend and supporter Arthur Fidel Argomaniz, McNair Scholar/MEChA de USC/CCU (Campus and Community United) and SAJE (Strategic Action for a Just Economy) intern for putting us in contact with the newsletter's editor and suggesting that Efrén submit the writing.

Address to the Fall 2008 University of Southern California (USC) Student Body

¡Bienvenidos! (Welcome), as you commence a new year of matriculation at one of the nation's most respected institutions of higher learning. I am grateful to send you this message from across the country and proud to stand by you in solidarity as you sojourn through an exciting year replete with a myriad of opportunities.

This message is being delivered from another institution of notoriety in this nation. Unlike your institution that nourishes life and creativity, the one I am in seeks to destroy them. We exist at opposite ends of the spectrum of life and opportunity.

As a consequence of biased policies which target youth of color, many Chicana/o and Latina/o youth end up in prison cells. It is an unconscionable reality we are compelled to confront. Census Bureau statistics reflect that there are 2.7 Latinos living in prison cells compared to every one Latino living in a college dorm.

We have higher dropout rates, lower test scores, and fewer college graduates, which all leads to less involvement in community affairs. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 37% of Latinos do not finish high school, compared to the national average of 15%.

The ACLU Racial Justice Program is currently tackling a disturbing national trend in which children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. They characterize this phenomenon as the "school to prison pipeline."

I know firsthand the devastating effects these statistics can have on our community. I have been incarcerated since age 15 for a crime I did not commit and had no role in. I was sentenced to die in prison and I still remain captive after nearly 20 years of wrongful imprisonment.

I am in the battle for my very life. Without the strong support of people of conscience who are committed to defending justice and human rights, I will die in prison.

It is human rights abuses like these that cry out for us to answer the call to service for the betterment of humanity. If we shirk from our responsibility we will be complicit in fostering more injustice and leaving ourselves vulnerable to further abuse and victimization.

I know what it takes to transcend dehumanizing conditions. If not for my independent pursuit of higher learning I would have been defeated long ago by the crushing weight of this experience. Education is vital to our survival and building bridges that enable us to connect the past with the future.

I urge you to not take your education and opportunities for granted. Demonstrate that you are among the worthy who were entrusted with this opportunity that many others have been denied or taken for granted.

You each represent beacons of light to a generation of scholarship that will follow you. The task before you can not be underscored enough as you valiantly carry the torch of victory in the struggle for self-determination, respect and quality education.

Know that you stand on the towering shoulders of a long illustrious line of strong Chicana/o and Latina/o leaders who sacrificed so you could enjoy the fruits of their toils and struggles. We are the descendants of the women who gave birth to one of the greatest civilizations on Earth, the architects who built the colossal Mayan and Aztec temples, as well20as great scientists and educators.

You are now the custodians of their legacy and your actions will determine the preservation of their memory. Leave your footprints as signposts along the path as you fulfill your hopes and dreams. In so doing you can help change the world a little at a time and liberate our gente (people) from the stranglehold of dependence and ignorance.

Once you are gone your stewardship will be celebrated by the bright eyes, brilliant minds, and beautiful faces of young Chicana/o and Latina/o children anxiously awaiting to take the baton. Like you, they will be pillars of hope and inspiration to others.

We will not be defeated. As individuals we are strong, but together we are unconquerable!

In Solidarity,

Efrén Paredes, Jr.

To learn how you can help end the injustice perpetrated against Efrén Paredes, Jr. visit http://Free-Efren.blogspot.com. To learn more about the shocking details surrounding Efrén's case please visit www.4Efren.com.

8/8/08 and the Circles of Life

2008-08-08T08:03:00.002-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Friday, August 8, 2008, people all over the world planned weddings to celebrate their sacred unions on this day marked with dual circles comprising the number "8", i.e., 8/8/08. Some people simply held parties and gatherings to bring attention to the numbers of the day.

The Beijing Olympic Games also began with an extravagant opening ceremony. According to m

any accounts they felt the ceremony eclipsed all previous ones as they marveled at its beauty and splendor.

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Across the world 6,500 miles from the Olympic Games in Jackson, Michigan a small, quiet group of people convened for a different purpose. The number "8" was not considered when this gathering was planned. It just happened to be the only day everyone could mutually arrange to be together.

That day I received a visit from my wife, my grandfather, aunt Angie, and cousin Arielle. It was the first time I had seen Arielle since she was just a toddler in 1990. She was the last child I held during the entire length of my nearly 20 years of wrongful imprisonment.

Arielle was disallowed from visiting since then until she turned 18 earlier this year. Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) policy precludes anyone under the age of 18 from visiting a prisoner unless they are siblings. The policy went into effect a short time after Arielle last visited me.

Seeing Arielle again after all these years conjured a lot of memories of my early imprisonment. It was a salient reminder that I had been incarcerated the entire life of someone who is now a legal adult. In this instance I began my imprisonment months before Arielle was even born.

Previous to this visit, besides talking on the phone, seeing each other in pictures, and hearing about each other through other family members, Arielle and I had not seen each other since she was a baby. She also has two younger brothers, Alesandro and20Andreas, whom I have never met.

The visit went very well and we all discussed family memories. As we reminisced each time a person told a story they recalled it evoked another narrative by someone else. It seemed like we talked about the entire family before the visit ended. This wasn't so difficult having the elder of our family present to guide us along. It was like we were all putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle of our family's history.

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I learned about more recent events as well. For instance, I discovered that my grandparents celebrated their 60th year anniversary that week. I also learned that Arielle would be leaving for college on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 — only a few days away.

Arielle told me she is attending Indiana State University (ISU) to pursue studies in music and pre-law. She also made the ISU Sparkettes dance team and plans on competing in national championships which are scheduled in the coming weeks.

Throughout our conversation Arielle shared her aspirations with me and sounded determined to accomplish them. She was poised, focused, and eager to commence her journey. I was proud of her and encouraged her to do her best and not allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of her dreams.

I had already been imprisoned three years at the age of 18!

As we talked I thought to myself, "Here is this young person who is about to embark on an exciting life of opportunities I never had." Like me, Arielle was an honor student throughout school and sought to excel at every level of education. She had worked hard for this opportunity and deserved to enjoy every moment of it.

Being raised primarily by Angie, her single mother, makes Arielle's achievements all the more exceptional. More often than not children raised in single-parent homes struggle with their education and many of them drop out of school.

While other children chased the fast life or the streets, Arielle chose to chase stars. This is a testament to the upbringing she received from a loving mother who sacrificed in order to provide for her three children and see them thrive.

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Rather than dwell on the unfortunate reality of having to wait so many years to finally see Arielle again I was grateful the day finally arrived. I did not want to detract from the visit by wasting time reflecting on the painful past of being separated from members of my family.

I have been robbed of too many freedoms and opportunities in my life to remind myself of these things. As always, I strive to avoid looking back at what I have lost, but instead focus on looking ahead to the things I will encounter and experience in life.

I was happy I was able to spend time with Arielle and offer her words of encouragement before she left for college to begin what may be the most important stage of her life. I last saw her before she could even take her first steps in life. Now I was about to see her take her first steps of independence and pursue her cherished dreams.

As the visit ended I kept that thought in mind. I wasn't watching Arielle leave. I was watching her begin a new life.

(Photos: Upper right (Angie, Arielle, and Efren in 1990); Center left (Angie and Efren on 8/8/08); and Lower right (Arielle and Efren on 8/8/08).

Prisoner Murdered at Prison Where Efren is Housed in Jackson, MI

2008-08-04T18:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

On Saturday morning, August 2, 2008, I was on the prison yard when unexpectedly an announcement came over the facility loud speaker which said, "Attention on the yard. All yards are closed. Report to your housing units. All yards are closed."

It was around 10:15 AM and yard typically does not close until 10:45 AM. As I returned to my housing unit I noticed there was an ambulance parked at the health care building. I deduced there was a possible nexus between the ambulance and the early yard closing.

At the time I was speaking to Helen on a telephone located on the prison yard. She, too, suspected that something was wrong and immediately asked me if everything was alright. She knew it was abnormal for the yard to close early so abruptly.

Having heard the urgent tone of the loud speaker announcement also added to her concern.

Later that morning I learned, according to staff accounts, that a prisoner had stabbed another prisoner while in the shower, puncturing his heart and killing.0 The victim and perpetrator were both Black.

Unfortunately my instinct about the ambulance I had seen earlier was correct. I will admit, however, I suspected it may have signaled someone needing medical attention. I did not think it was a homicide victim.

The incident was a reminder that prison is not a safe place. While prisons may be absent of guns or sophisticated other legal weapons, it is not devoid of improvised objects that prisoners use to create weapons for whatever reason. It is a reality that exists in every prison.

News of the prisoner's murder quickly swept across the prison and evoked a host of discussions. Disturbingly, what I did not hear was colloquy about the issue of the need to curtail the cycle of violence or ignorance that results in this type of destructive behavior.

At a time when the absence of males of color in society has reached catastrophic proportions, this issue is all the more important. Our communities are being devastated by the absence of males. Consequently women, children and families are suffering and struggling for survival. Some more poorly than others.

The murder of the young man on Saturday represented so much more than the death of a prisoner. It was an attack on the heath of the community. Man is a symbol of the seed that is germinated in the sacred wombs of women. Without it civilization can not endure.

Educating people about the value we each contribute to the pr
eservation and perpetuation of humanity is vital to helping end the violence gripping our communities. It is only when people do not acknowledge and respect their own self-worth, and that of others, that they can rob another human being of the precious gift of life.

Transforming each situation into a learning opportunity helps us change the world in some small way. It can help us alter the trajectory of destructiveness and help us embark on a path of restoration and healing. We simply have to be the catalyst that initiates the process.

There are no guarantees that a prisoner will return home to his/her family physically unscathed, or even alive. What we can guarantee, however, is that through striving to make a difference we can work to prevent future recurrences of senseless homicides and help shape a new consciousness. We can also help release the mental shackles that are fostering ignorance and self-hatred.

In so doing, we will promote the sanctity of life.

The Struggle Continues,

Efrén

Juvenile Injustice, by Luis J. Rodriguez

2008-07-18T14:10:00.003-05:00

The July 2008 edition of The Progressive magazine featured an article titled "Juvenile Injustice" by Luis J. Rodriguez. The article references the case of Efrén Paredes, Jr. To view the writing please click on the following link:

http://www.scribd.com/word/full/3729780?access_key=key-14x0ed73c5rjnrl6qdi9

Anahuacalmecac School Charter: Efren Works to Help Gain Approval!

2008-06-27T12:56:00.004-05:00

"The educators and leaders of Academia Semillas del Pueblo
Xinaxcalmecac continue to be the heart of our organization,
the dream weavers, and those who dare to teach when all
else tells us to forget. Our xinaxtin, our students, deserve no less."
—Marcos Aguilar, Executive Director, Semillas Sociedad Civil,
Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter Elementary School—

Dear Friends,

Two months ago our friend and committee member, Mario Rocha, contacted me and invited me to join him in garnering support for Anahuacalmecac, International University Preparatory High School of North America ("Anahuacalmecac"). The school needed charter approval from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Directors to open its doors to students this Fall. Many of you may recall I wrote members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee about this.

Anahuacalmecac is the upper division complement to the current International Baccalaureate (IB) Early and Middle Years programs at Academia Semillas del Pueblo (“Academia”) in El Sereno, located in Los Angeles. This high school phase rounds out the vision of a richly multi-cultural, multi-lingual and humanistic educational continuum that children everywhere deserve.

In the message that Mario shared with me he stated:

"In 2002, founders of Academia had a vision of offering students a high quality international education rooted in cultural practices. The vision developed in response to the cultural void in public schools that insisted on teaching Indigenous Peoples that "History" commenced when Christopher Columbus set foot on this continent and, therefore, our history did not matter. They also wanted to combat the exorbitant dropout rate and failure of the current education system to adequately prepare students for the university.

Under the plan envisioned by Academia, students would leave high school with a diploma in their hands and a uniquely global understanding that would afford them academic confidence in any higher education setting – in the continent or abroad. It would also provide students the wherewithal to maintain their positive sense of identity while respecting other cultures."

I eagerly accepted Mario's invite and joined the group of noble citizens who were working together to make Anahuacalmecac a reality.

I first learned about this historic endeavor shortly before my birthday, April 4, 2008. Upon learning about it I immediately began contacting family members about my interest in contributing to this campaign. I asked them to create a Facebook group for Anahuacalmecac, an online petition, and I even devoted a page on my web site to spreading awareness about the need for the school. I asked people to create these things as a birthday gift to me and they graciously did it.

For two months we launched a strong public relations campaign to generate support for Anahuacalmecac. Sending e-mails, messages through Facebook, posting information on friends' Facebook walls, shared it on MySpace, etc. School administrators, parents who wanted their children to attend Anahuacalmecac, and other members of the community also toiled hard during this time as well.

And, it all paid off. Wednesday I learned that by unanimous vote from the LAUSD Board of Directors voted to approve the charter petition for Anahuacalmecac on June 24, 2008.

I was very pleased to receive this news and to have been a contributor to the success of the charter approval. It isn't every day that we can be a part of opening an institutional of learning, particularly one that had to vigorously struggle for its existence. This was also particularly special to me because of the world class education and model for success that Anahuacalmecac provides its children.

I was willing to engage in a protracted struggle to help the children, parents, and Anahuacalmecac faculty realize their dream. I sacrificed time, energy and resources from my own struggle for justice and freedom to contribute to this effort. And, I did so without reservation. I would do it again too.

I remind people all the time that our struggle is a shared struggle. And while we share our struggles we also share our victories. I am honored to share this victory and I invite my supporters across the globe to celebrate it along with me as well.

The success of the charter approval is a testament to the reality that together we can achieve great things. Our collective energies are powerful beyond measure and the strength of our voice continues to crumble the walls of oppression and injustice.

Never the doubt the power of our unity as we continue adding more rungs to the ladder of opportunity for our children.

End Latino Youth Violence Initiative

2008-05-17T15:36:00.005-05:00

This group was conceptualized by Efren Paredes, Jr. to generate support for a global call to end the existent tide of Latino youth violence wherever it may exist in the world, and to create unity amongst our youth.

Latino youth are being vilified in the media and depicted negatively daily in an attempt to erase their true identity, as well as their rich cultural and historical legacy.

The social milieu of our youth has been contaminated with destructive notions and behaviors that are ravishing our communities. They are destroying the moral and social fabric that has held us together as a cohesive unit.

The prevalence of youth violence is turning neighborhoods into dangerous war zones and resulting in the loss of lives of innocent men, women and children caught in this vicious crossfire of ignorance and self-destruction.

Our youth desperately need our support and to know that we have not abandoned them. They need to be taught that they represent the future of Latino people and they wield the power to create positive change.

As socially conscious adults the onus is on us to reach these youth. They are dependent on us to provide intervention and foster the emergence of a new consciousness that will liberate them from the destructive ideologies holding their minds and bodies captive.

There exists a major disconnect between our leadership and youth. Many of our leaders have grown fearful of our youth and avoid contact with them. This vacuum forges self-destructive attitudes and a reliance on adverse guidance, consequently leaving them ill-equipped to lead productive lives. A proven nexus between the neglect of youth and their adoption of dysfunctional characteristics is well-established.

We reject the notion that our youth are incorrigible or indispensable and advocate that this philosophy should be immediately jettisoned. Instead, we emphasize the reality that all children have the potential for change, redemption, and healing.

If provided the essential elements for their proper growth and development a change in their life trajectory can manifest.

Through this group we hope to provide the contours for a framework to increase awareness about issues afflicting Latino youth and formulate progressive concepts that are cognitively intelligible. Among our objectives to help Latino youth will be:

• develop new programs aimed at rescuing our youth which youth will be instrumental in creating;
• share studies and successful program models in this field;
• build alliances within the community;
• teach the value of respect amongst peers, respecting elders in the community, and the appreciation of life;
• emphasize the value of teaching, learning and preserving our culture and history;
• invite the various institutions to participate in our endeavors and become proponents of our objectives;
• devise ways to produce constructive paradigm shifts; and
• teach the process of cognitive development and the control of thought and behavior.

This list will continue to evolve with input from group members and youth who will benefit from our mission.

By joining this group you express your support to end Latino youth violence, your concern for Latino youth, and a desire to protect our future. Help send a strong message to Latino youth that they have our love, support, and that they can depend on us to help guide them during the tribulations they encounter in their daily lives.

"El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz"
("The respect of the rights of others is the meaning of peace.")
—Benito Juarez—

As of May 8, 2008 the Facebook group has 1,152 members. To join the End Latino Youth Violence Initiative you are invited to join one of the following networks:

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2640865534

MySpace Group: http://groups.myspace.com/ELYVI

Unifying Chicana Matriarch Visits Michigan

2008-05-02T10:24:00.008-05:00

Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez Continues to Blaze Trails

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

"From work for decolonization at the United Nations, to the Civil Rights Movement, to pioneering the women's liberation movement, to local organizing in New Mexico and California, to top-rate journalism and political theory, Betita continues to blaze trails and create priceless legacies, mentoring countless social activists, young and old, male and female, people of all colors, gay and straight, always with astonishing patience and intelligence."--Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz

Thursday, April 17, 2008 Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez arrived in Michigan for the first of a three day visit. It was her first visit to Michigan State University (MSU).

Betita was brought to Michigan by Dr. Sheila Contreras, Associate Professor at Michigan State University (MSU), where she teaches American Studies and Chicano/Latino Studies. Dr. Contreras is also author of the forthcoming book, Blood Lines: Myth, Indigenism and Chicana/o Literature. She brought Betita to Michigan on behalf of the MSU Chicano/Latino Studies Department, with the help of MEXA de MSU.

While in the state Betita spoke to various community and university groups. She delivered her message of solidarity and empowerment across the state during her presentations and captivated her audience members. She attracted people of all ages and races as she conveyed invaluable lessons and experience from years of progressive activism.

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During her presentations Betita showed a slide show of photos from her new book, 500 Years of Chicana Women's History/500 Años de la Mujer Chicana. She spoke about the women in the photos displayed and explained their important role as subjects, and not mere objects, in the struggle for social justice. Her presentation was an abbreviated oral account of the years of work she spent documenting the stories contained in her book.

Betita returned to do a book signing at the MSU Chicano/Latino Studies Department on Saturday, April 19, 2008 to promote 500 Years of Chicana Women's History/500 Años de la Mujer Chicana.

According to Rutger's University Press, "The history of Mexican Americans spans more than five centuries and varies from region to region across the United States. Yet most of our history books devote at most a chapter to Chicano history, with even less attention to the story of Chicanas. 500 Years of Chicana Women's History offers a powerful antidote to this omission with a vivid, pictorial account of struggle and survival, resilience and achievement, discrimination and identity."

A Chicana activist, author, and educator, Betita has published six books and many articles on social movement in the Americas. Her best-known work is 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures, a bilingual history that subsequently became the basis for an educational video she co-directed titled ¡Viva la Causa! 500 Years of Chicano History. Other books she has authored include De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century, Letters from Mississippi and The Youngest Revolution: A Personal Report on Cuba.

Betita has traveled extensively across the United States speaking on college campuses and in classrooms about race, class, gender issues and organizing. She has received many awards from student, community, and academic organizations, including Scholar of the Year 2000 by the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies.

I first learned about Betita's work in 1999 when I read an article she wrote in the newspaper about Mumia Abu Jamal's wrongful conviction. After conducting research about Betita, and learning about her long history in the struggle for social justice, I contacted her.

I shared the story of my wrongful incarceration with Betita and invited her to help me increase awareness about the issues of wrongful convictions, the imposition of life without parole sentences on children, and other examples of injustices against members of the Chicano/Latino community. She responded to my letter, agreed to assist my campaign, and we have remained in contact ever since.

Thursday evening I had the opportunity to speak with Betita on the phone while she was having dinner at Troppos in Lansing with Dr. Contreras and seven other women. Among the group were professors and students in the MSU Chicano/Latino Studies PhD program, a visiting lecturer, a member of the TIME Committee, and respected community organizers.

Betita and I spoke for approximately 30 minutes. We were both delighted to speak to one another. During our conversation we exchanged stories and experiences in our lives. Among the things I shared with Betita were my campaign for justice, the work I do to increase social consciousness, and stories of historical relevance.

Among Betita's stories were the work she is currently doing teaching youth to build greater understanding, respect, and solidarity between people of color. She also talked about her experience in Cuba only a few months after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and the profound impact it had on her life.

Betita mentioned Yanga and the need for people to understand the historic role of this Mexican national hero. She said she would like to see a good book written about Yanga during her lifetime. Yanga was a member of the royal family of Gabon, Africa before being kidnaped and placed in the Middle Passage to the new world. He became the head of a group of revolting slaves near Veracruz, Mexico around 1570. Later he and his people built a small free colony and officially established the town of Yanga in 1630.

We talked about the importance of unifying the masses and ending the Black/Brown conflict which has been fueled by the media and those intent on deepening the existing racial and cultural fissures. This is an area that Betita and I have both been working to increase awareness about. I have learned many lessons about this work through reading Betita's books and essays on the subjects.

Betita discussed 500 Years of Chicana Women's History with me and shared her excitement with me about the nearly 800 photographs contained in the book. She told me there were photos of many people and events in our history, and jokingly told me, "The only reason you aren't in it is because you aren't a Chicana [woman]."

I was happy to learn that earlier in the day while Betita spoke at NorthStar Center in Lansing, Michigan, she discussed my wrongful conviction with people and The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee's global campaign to free me and get justice in my case.

She told me my campaign is a strong example of how to generate global support for a seemingly obscure issue at the grassroots level and transform it into an international movement for justice and human rights. She said the success of my campaign is a model for others to emulate.

During our conversation Betita said I am a symbol of human rights abuse against children of color in this country and the need for serious prison reform. She emphasized the need to abolish laws that sentence our children to die in prisons across the USA that are disproportionately targeting youth of color with impunity.

It was through writing to Betita nearly a decade ago that I came into contact with other seminal scholars and leaders in the Chicano/Latino community who have come to support my campaign as well. She was the first prominent figure in the Chicano/Latino community to write me a support letter.

While at NorthStar Center Betita, Dr. Contreras, and others took photographs with my support banner. Betita also made a video expressing her support of my release and her thoughts about our phone calls. The videos are available on YouTube. She also signed a copy of 500 Years of Chicana Women's History and left it with a TIME Committee member for me to read one day.

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During our phone calls Betita said, "Wow! I can't believe we are finally talking!" I echoed her sentiments. She went on to say she enjoyed our conversation so much that a trip to Michigan just so we could talk would be worth it. I was obviously very honored and flattered to hear Betita make such a remark.

I was grateful for the opportunity to even speak with Betita considering the busy schedule she was going to have during her visit here. I later learned that she would have arranged to visit me if she had more advanced notice that it was an option.

Betita expressed her gratitude to me for reaching out to the world from prison and giving a voice to not only my own injustice, but to other social injustices that plague our community. She said that despite my incarceration, and fighting for my freedom, I have continued helping others with their struggles and that meant a lot to her.

Helping others has helped me cope with the pain and difficulty I have endured for 19 years separated from family, friends, and society. When there have been times that I wasn't seeing progress in my own struggle I have found solace in knowing my contributions were helping advance the struggles of others. It has been a way for me to continually feel and evoke the presence of life.

Understanding coexistence has taught me that by helping others I am also helping myself. It also helps me learn valuable lessons from other struggles and build on my strengths. Through the continued application of knowledge I attain I am able to refine the efficacy and utility of my work.

I also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Contreras for a few minutes during one of our phone calls. I thanked her for bringing Betita to Michigan and for allowing me to join their gathering that evening so I could speak with her. I told her I knew it was a special day for her and those who got to meet and speak with Betita.

Dr. Contreras was very happy that it worked out for Betita to visit the state and share her life and work with us. She added that bringing Betita to Michigan is one of the most important personal accomplishments in her life and career. I could hear how genuinely elated she was that it all worked out.

I also spoke with one of the students in the MSU Chicano/Latino Studies PhD program and told her how proud I am of her and the other students in the program. I reminded her that they are paving the way for the next generation of Chicano/Latino scholars and students to come.

The value of the Chicano/Latino Studies PhD program can not be underscored enough. It is becoming even more important with the rising Chicano/Latino population. While the course work is certainly very arduous, the success of the students who are privileged to be in the historical program will immensely benefit all those in the Chicano/Latino diaspora.

The professors and students in the Chicano/Latino Studies PhD program are an inspiration to young Chicano/Latino youth. They are beacons of light and hope, and reminders that if we don't relent and remain persistent to pursue our dreams, we can achieve them. The students are symbols of dreams waiting to be manifested.

They understand, "We must do more than merely dismantle the ideological, behavioral and physical structures of domination. We must repair that which has been in ruins. We must knit ourselves back together again. We must be whole." (Baffour Amankwatia II/Asa G. Hilliard III)

While in Detroit on Friday, April 18, 2008, Betita spoke at Mexican Town Center. She was joined by Rosa Morales, MSU Professor of Journalism; Diana Rivera, MSU Chicano Studies/Ethnic Studies Bibliographer; Elena Herrada, Centro Obrero director; Gloria House (Aneb Kgositsile), University of Michigan-Dearborn, Director of the African and African American Studies Program; Dr. Contreras, and others.

And, like at the Lansing gatherings the previous day, Betita attracted people from all races and walks of life. There were professors, students, poets, activists, visual artists and various others eager to absorb the wisdom conveyed to them by one of the preeminent leaders of the Chicano/Latino social justice struggle.

According to Elena Herrada, "Betita was in fine form. People enjoyed wonderful conversations with her and being in her company. There were lots of people from the community who came in and enjoyed the talk. I saw people that I had not seen in years. It was so rich."

Betita's determination to preserve the legacy of Chicano/Latino history is admirable. It is evidence that our story can be memorialized, and that our resilient spirit is impervious to domination. It also teaches us that we don't have to lie dormant in the periphery waiting for our story to be told by others. We have a powerful voice that can crumble any barrier designed to silence us and render us impotent.

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Betita's visit was also a reminder of the necessity for those in academe to be directly involved in the community. Too often we witness educators insulating themselves from the masses. This results in their detachment from the needs and reality of the people.

During Betita's life she has often taught at universities. She also always dedicated a lot of time organizing and shaping the social consciousness of ordinary people that didn't attend institutions of higher learning. She took the university to the community and never lost sight of her roots.

Betita has used her knowledge and skills to reach those who have needed them the most. She has strived to make education accessible and never given it the semblance of being elitist. She has long understood that ideas are the substance of behavior and a key to transforming the human experience.

Neglecting the needs of our people compels them to seek solutions to existing problems by looking to others to rescue them, i.e., making them dependent. This exacerbates the existing confusion and further disempowers members of our community.

What we also witness occurring as a consequence of this unnatural dependence on others is people experiencing despair. It leads to the deterioration of the human spirit and causes people to adopt the feeling that they can not escape what they come to accept is an inextricable condition.

They begin "denying our communality and epitomizing our individuality." (Wade W. Nobles) In a number of instances throughout history people enduring these conditions — feeling abandoned and hopeless — have begun deifying their rescuers and dehumanizing members of their own community. This is what desperation can lead to in some people who feel they are impotent to create change.

Betita also understands that to produce competent leadership it is necessary to be and live the model you are seeking to create in others. Without this students have a poor example to pattern their own lives after. The result is often a perpetuity of ineffective leadership and a disconnection between members of the community and those in academe.

This occurs due to members of their community feeling abandoned or their views rendered insignificant. If the masses know nothing else they know that power lies in galvanizing the people, not in creating dichotomies or stratifications.

We are beings of perpetual veneration. Our ability to influence the world through our commitment to producing eminently sound pedagogy is without measure. We simply have to seek to attain our goals. The only thing preventing us from achieving our potential is our unwillingness to do so.

We will continue illuminating the world by shining our light into the darkness. We will dispel falsities with truth, and ignorance with knowledge. Betita's life is a testament to this. Her youthful exuberance is more vibrant than ever and her fervor to maintain a symbiosis with others is unyielding.

The flame from our torch will never be extinguished. Our collective spirit fuels that flame and sustains its life. And, our spirits are, eternal. Keep the flame burning Betita, and keep working to increase the sentience of our beloved gente.■

To learn more about Efrén Paredes, Jr. you can visit www.4Efren.com. To watch two videos that Betita created in support of Efrén you are invited to watch the videos which appear below.

Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez Support Video 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XEdeZ85mhgQ

Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez Support Video 2
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pu5H26TmUMA

Meeting Favianna Rodriguez

2008-04-12T17:53:00.011-05:00

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

"The voice of the individual artist may seem perhaps of no more consequence than the whirring of a cricket in the grass, but the arts do live continuously ... they outlive governments and creeds and societies, even the very civilizations that produced them." (Author Unknown)

Monday, April 7, 2008, I met Favianna Rodriguez, internationally renowned muralist, graphic artist, printmaker, and political activist. Favianna attended our Latin American Spanish-Speaking Organization (LASSO) monthly general membership meeting as a guest speaker.

As an activist, Favianna was one of the founders of the EastSide Arts Alliance, an organization that supports Oakland neighborhoods through art programs. She has also helped to make available performance, studio space, and affordable housing units. She is a co-owner of TUMIS, an East Oakland-based design firm that provides design, technology, and communication strategy services for social justice and nonprofit organizations.

Favianna co-founded Visual Element in 2001, a graffiti arts program that trains young artists in the traditions of muralism and graffiti for social change. She coordinated recruitment, instruction, and retention of young graffiti artists of color, ages 17-20. She has developed a street-based arts curriculum and fundraised over $75,000 annually from city grants, foundations, and private mural commissions.

While in Michigan, Favianna was doing a residency with Michigan State University Department of Arts and Humanities. She met our Latin American Spanish-Speaking Organization (LASSO) sponsor who invited Favianna to attend our monthly LASSO meeting and present about the activism and social justice work she does through art and printmaking.

Before Favianna presented, I spoke to the group about the importance of art, particularly as it relates to the struggle for social justice. I told those in attendance that art is a powerful expression of who we are and our views of the world. It is a culmination of experience, history, and culture — it is a vivid expression of life itself.

Through art we convey our vision, dreams and hope. We preserve the memory of our people for generations to follow. We are also able to shape the consciousness of the global community. Each piece of art is a tentacle with boundless measure.

As Suzanne Lacey, Executive Director at Museum Without Walls, puts it, "Artists as reporters represent their world. Artists as experiencers give tangible form to their feelings about the world. Artists as analysts look beyond the immediate to reveal hidden universal truths. And artists as activists help us see the world in new ways."

During her presentation Favianna covered a broad range of issues. I couldn't help but quickly recognize that she is totally committed to social justice and the elimination of every form of discrimination. It was also clear that she is passionate about the causes she supports and is unapologetic about her positions. Favianna says her work "reflects a growing national consciousness that speaks to the contemporary urban barrios, rebelling against racism, homophobia, sexism and corporate irresponsibility."

During her presentation Favianna shared several colored copies of artwork she has done. Everyone in attendance received a copy. She also shared art she is making available for free to be used for noncommercial activist purposes. They will be available online and in a new book Favianna co-edited titled "Reproduce & Revolt: Radical Images for the 21st Century."

She told us the story behind each piece of artwork she graciously shared with us, and explained the various processes she uses to create them. Her presentation was very interesting and captivated those who were in attendance. What began with Favianna saying, "I'm going to tell you a little about myself," concluded as a 45-minute political art discourse.

The range of topics that Favianna included in her presentation was vast. Sometimes it included subjects about femicide, day laborers, and genetically engineered food, other times she talked about politics, the Olympic Games protests, and upcoming events she would be a part of.

Favianna spoke to us on the day that members of The Ruckus Society climbed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to support Tibetan independence. Members of Ruckus hung two large banners that read, "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet." San Francisco is the only city hosting the Olympic torch in the United States. Favianna is friends with members of Ruckus and has collaborated with them on projects in the past.

Listening to Favianna speak about the social activism she does was a great experience. I felt proud to be in the company of a person truly motivated to do all she can for the advancement of people worldwide. She is acutely aware of the many facets to social activism and the need to maintain an all-encompassing approach to avert any possible exclusion.

Favianna recently wrote in her blog how proud she was to see the unity between Black and Brown prisoners who were in attendance at LASSO the evening she presented. What she didn't know is that not only is there a strong unity of Black and Brown prisoners in the group, there are also White prisoners who regularly attend the meetings and help foster the cohesion that is created.

This is one of the things about LASSO that I have worked so hard to accomplish as the group's president. Having a vast background in social movements, Black history, and Chicano/Latino history, has equipped me with the necessary tools to help develop mutual respect and harmony between every race of people who attends LASSO.

Few people have been able to accomplish this because they lacked the knowledge about various cultures, history, and religions to create a human tapestry that is all inclusive. One must understand the commonalities that people share before they can truly bring them together and create harmonious relationships.

My ability to do this is a much needed skill that can be utilized in society as well. The model that I have created in prison to unify people and teach them how to respect one another and work together will significantly benefit the global community when I am one day released.

It was great hearing Favianna talk about various people she has worked with in Black and Brown communities. I was able to relate to everything she said because vicariously I have shared her experiences. I have always maintained an all-inclusive mentality when teaching people because I recognize the value that this has over employing a narrow approach.

Teaching about various cultures and history helps us better understand each other and appreciate the struggles we share. It helps us realize more and more how similar we are and, rather than be afraid of each other due to our ignorance, we grow closer as a unified body. Segregation breeds evils and is destructive to the human spirit.

I was also grateful that Favianna shared her thoughts with us about gender and women's liberation. They are issues eschewed by many males but need to be discussed. I have always been a strong proponent of the need for women to express themselves and compel others to respect their status in the world.

The mentality that relegates women as second-class citizens or tries to make their roles as footnotes in history is nothing short of disrespectful and oppressive. Having a strong accomplished Latina speak about her strengths and the need to respect and appreciate women in front of a room full of men, particularly in a prison, took courage.

During a conversation with Favianna I learned that she knew one of my supporters and a person I admire, Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez. Favianna worked closely with Betita for several years on the book "500 Years of Chicana Women's History/Años de Historia de las Chicanas."

According to Rutgers University Press, "500 Years of Chicana Women’s History offers ... a vivid, pictorial account of struggle and survival, resilience and achievement, discrimination and identity. The bilingual text, along with hundreds of photos and other images, ranges from female-centered stories of pre-Columbian Mexico to profiles of contemporary social justice activists, labor leaders, youth organizers, artists, and environmentalists, among others."

Betita is a prominent and highly respected figure in the Chicano/Latino community. She has a long history as a leader in the struggle for social justice. I was able to learn about her experience working with Favianna on the book and about how their historical project materialized.

I made a donation to the Immigrant Rights Poster Project that Favianna is spearheading. An immigrant rights conference is being held May 12-17 in Mexico City. The event is being convened by TIGRA (Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action), SEDEREC (Ministry of Rural Development and Community Equity for the City of Mexico), and CENCOS (National Center for Social Communication).

The event will bring together more than 300 migrant leaders from the USA, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Favianna is collaborating with other artists to create five posters for the conference. She will have 5,000 posters printed of each design to be distributed free of charge to groups supporting immigrant rights all over the world. I chose to use some of the money I received for my birthday to help with this project.

Now when the conference is held I can truly say I helped make it a success. And, whenever I am eventually released, I can begin attending global immigrant rights conferences — and other social justice conferences — as well and be an active participant. It's just one of the many things I look forward to doing one day.

It was an honor having Favianna visit us and be the first group of prisoners she ever presented to inside a prison. We were privileged to have her as our guest and show her that the misconceptions and generalizations often made about prisoners aren't always true. We represented the full inversion of the lies presented in the media.

Who knows, maybe Favianna will even do an art project to memorialize the event one day.

To learn more about Favianna Rodriguez and her amazing work you are invited to visit her web site at www.favianna.com. While you're at it please read her writing, "Please Help Fund This Immigrant Rights Poster Project," and make a contribution if you are able to.■

Invincible Hope Flourishes After 20 Birthdays in Captivity

2008-04-04T09:12:00.002-05:00

"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable."--Theodore N. Vail

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Friday, April 4, 2008, was the 20th birthday I have spent incarcerated. I have been separated from my family, friends, and society from my 16th through 35th birthdays.

While this is a very painful and unfortunate reality, I took time to reflect over recent events in my life and the hundreds of wonderful people who have joined my campaign for justice. I used this day to celebrate our campaign, life, and the concept of hope.

I thought about all the great presentations being made about my case across the state, the recent newspaper articles that appeared in The New Citizens Press and The Michigan Citizen, and the radio interviews done by members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee in California and Michigan.

We have committee members also working fervently in Texas and Tennessee generating support as well. The Fast 4 Freedom concluded with over 100 people who fasted across the globe in support of our campaign. Almost daily, Helen receives communications from people from different regions of the country asking how they can contribute to our campaign.

Last week I was contacted by the coordinator of the newly created organization Youth for Youth Justice. The coordinator, a University of Michigan student, asked me to offer my insight about the juvenile life without parole issue. She also sought my feedback about ways to improve the efficacy of the group.

Youth for Youth Justice is a group of high school students who are beginning to make presentations and conduct workshops about the need to abolish the imposition of life without parole sentences on children. They are currently working on creating a council of youth to include students from high schools across the state. I will be working closely with Youth for Youth Justice to help them raise awareness about the work they are doing.

Last weekend I called and spoke to members of the Saginaw TIME Committee during two presentations made about my case in Saginaw. I also spoke to an activist who was in attendance named David, a former member of the Saginaw city council, and a high school student.

David took a lot of our information, business cards, and postcards and committed to help our campaign. He planned to visit various local groups he is affiliated with to make presentations about the case and get people's support. He was enthusiastic and found it very disturbing that I could still be in prison all these years, based on the facts in my case.

This former city council member volunteered to take my case and appeal to the mayor of the city to get involved and endorse our efforts. He was optimistic that he could also get others involved as well. Having a history of ties with various members of the community will certainly be helpful with the work he seeks to do.

During one of the Saginaw calls I spoke to a high school student, a 15-year-old Latino male. I reminded him that I was his age when I was separated from society and imprisoned. During the course of our conversation he expressed wanting to organize two local high schools around the juvenile life without parole issue so students can become instrumental in ending the practice.

He was very eager to begin circulating information about my case, educating people about the facts, gathering postcards, and helping in any way he can. According to Helen he even posted an image of our banner on his MySpace page. I will begin working closely with this student to help advance the work he is doing. I believe there is a lot of potential in getting students involved in this issue at the high school and college levels.

Helen and I also worked with two college students last week regarding the juvenile life without parole issue. One was a journalism student from Loyola University in Chicago, who was writing a story about juvenile life without parole for an assignment. We provided helpful information and responded to questions the student had on the subject. She learned about me through the TIME Committee web site, www.4Efren.com.

The other student we worked with was from the University of Michigan. He was preparing a class assignment about juvenile life without parole as well. With Helen's assistance I was able to provide him relevant research info and offer guidance with his project. The student learned about me through the Abolish Life Without Parole Sentences for Children in the USA Facebook group.

Contacts like these are a reminder to me of the importance of the work that committee members have done circulating things to thousands of people via the Internet. They post information about my case on web sites, blogs, discussion boards, comment sections, Facebook pages, MySpace pages, and via e-mails. I am grateful for every post that people make. Each one has the potential to reach millions of people and advance our campaign all over the globe.

Needless to say the past 10 days have been very busy for me.

Around my birthday each year family and friends often ask me what I would like them to purchase for me, or ask if I would like them to send me money so I can order something for myself.

My response is almost always asking people to order books for me or periodical subscriptions. I am always excited to receive new reading material. Often times people print articles and information from the Internet and mail them to me to read. I have learned and experienced many things in life vicariously through reading.

This year one of my birthday requests was for family members to create an Online petition, web page, and Facebook group for me to support the approval of a high school charter by the Los Angeles Unified School District board of directors. I learned about this through my friend and supporter, Mario Rocha. He is organizing a grassroots effort to get the charter approved. After just one day I learned that the Facebook group I asked people to create for me has generated over 150 supporters in four days.

Generating support for the creation of an institution of learning for Chicano/Latino children is important to me because I know the children will benefit immensely. Their futures and education are important to me and many others in the Chicano/Latino community. One day I hope to be able to walk through the doors of the school and visit what is destined to become one of the premier high schools in the nation.

In the months to come I hope to devote more time to the development of a rites of passage program for Chicano/Latino youth I have been working on. I have envisioned the program for some time but have not been able to finalize it. My eventual release will allow me to complete the program. It will allow me the opportunity to utilize it, see its application, and gauge its efficacy so it can be finalized and implemented.

I may have lost many years of my life to wrongful imprisonment, but it has never prevented me from helping others along the way. I have often paused during my own campaign for freedom to assist other worthy causes and people. I know how important it is to receive support and assistance for worthy causes. I would be remiss to not assist others, while I have fought so hard to receive the assistance of others.

As human beings we have an obligation to share the gifts and talents we have been blessed to receive. Speaking and writing to help others is a very important contribution we can make. Each is a footprint left in the world we are striving to make a better place for us all.

I thought about this today during a conversation I had with a DOC officer. The officer was observing two prisoners talking and he commented, "Why is he wasting his time talking to [the person's name]? He's always doing stupid stuff. That's a quick way to get a bad rep around here." We were standing on the prison yard at the time.

The officer was referring to one of the young prisoners who is defiant towards staff at times and is argumentative. He is new to the prison system. In the short time he has been here he has managed to accumulate misconduct reports for his errant behavior.

I told the officer I thought that was an unfair assessment of the situation. To characterize the young prisoner as someone "always doing stupid stuff" because he is having difficulty adjusting to imprisonment. I reminded him that man was created to be free and have dominion over the earth, not to be held captive. Incarceration is an unnatural condition that human beings do not seamlessly adjust to. Some people never make the adjustment at all.

This is one of many interesting moments I have had throughout my imprisonment. But, as I always endeavor to do, I transformed the situation into an educational opportunity.

I commented that many of the problems in the world today exist because of similar observations, or perhaps "condemnations" is a more appropriate term. People are too quick to tear down other human beings. Rather than find resolutions to problems they choose to speak ill of others. It requires no effort on their part and creates within them a false sense of superiority to the detriment of others.

I explained that we will never improve the human condition when we engage in behavior that fuels negative attitudes about others. We also foster destructive analyses and perceptions that create a fertile environment for failure. And, the more often it is repeated the greater chance that it will metastasize into a worse situation.

How do we know that this young problematic prisoner isn't a long-term victim of abuse? How do we know he is mentally competent to exercise circumspection? Or that he is even guilty of the crime he is in prison for? I always wonder about the latter question because of my own experience.

Rather than try to examine the various potential causal factors for the young prisoner's errant behavior the officer chose to make negative inferences through the biased lens he used to draw his conclusions.

I asked the officer how he thought the young prisoner could be changed without the appropriate intervention of others. How could he be expected to would learn the error of his conduct or be influenced to change without someone reaching out to him. It is wrong to assume that people know how to improve their lives and desist engaging in destructive behavior on their own. Many people lack those tools inside prison, and even in society. Some people have been in dysfunctional environments all their lives and it is all they know.

My recollection was that the Governor's Visions and Values philosophy in Michigan includes encouraging state employees to foster excellence. Inherent in "excellence" is the concept of redemption and looking for the good in others. The root word of "excellence" is "excel," which means to surpass or do "better than others." As a civil servant that includes promoting courtesy, or polite behavior.

During my imprisonment I have helped many young prisoners. I have helped them mature and learn about themselves and life in general. I know how difficult it was to be young and in prison. I know the challenges they encounter and how difficult it is to adjust to the prison setting.

I told the officer I am certain there have been occasions when staff may have drawn the same conclusions about me that he made because I was trying to help problematic prisoners. I knew it had occurred before because some staff members told me about it after they learned that I was only trying to do something positive. I never allowed that to discourage me though because what I was doing was morally correct. I knew I could make a difference, and I did.

Somewhere along the line people have come to believe it is acceptable to permit human suffering. That it is alright to turn their face to injustice. It is sad and very unfortunate that the moral fabric of society has decayed to this point.

I told the officer there have been numerous times that I have heard prisoners defame the character of officers or other staff members that were undeserving of the scathing remarks made. If I were to adopt the thinking of the officer I was speaking to, I should have just stood there and allowed it to occur. But, I didn't.

Instead, I have defended the character of officers and other staff if I knew the assaults on their character were unwarranted. And, when I have done this I put myself potentially in harm's way each time. It isn't looked upon favorably by other prisoners for a prisoner to defend the character of an officer or staff member. It can result in the prisoner being treated as a pariah or being physically harmed. I never did this because I had to. I did it because it was the right thing to do.

Even knowing this it has not deterred me from expressing myself or speaking the truth. I vowed many years ago to not let this experience compel me to compromise my principles and I have remained faithful to that promise to myself.

After our discussion the officer looked at me and said, "You know, you're right. I hadn't looked at it that way. I shouldn't have said that. We all need a reality check sometimes I guess. Nobody is perfect."

He was right ... "nobody is perfect."

Our conversation just reinforced my feelings about always being honest with people and not letting others or circumstances dictate the course of my life. Being true to myself and others is more important to me than popularity.

Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions in life that aren't popular. We have to realize we will never make everyone happy though. If we go through life seeking fleeting moments of happiness that masquerade as permanence we will be chasing transient illusions our entire lives.

One of the marks of a strong leader is having the courage to do the right thing even when faced with opposition. As a firm believer in the Creator and the revealed Holy scriptures, I have an obligation to the Creator and my faith to do those things that are pleasing in the eyes of the Creator.

"No one can serve two masters." (Matthew 6:24) We are also reminded that, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8) If we live our lives trying to please other people we are not living a life pleasing to the Creator. This is why I can never abandon the idea of redemption and the belief that people are deserving of second chances.

If I didn't employ this philosophy about life I could never help all the people I have. I have to remind myself, "How can I ask the Creator for forgiveness if I don't forgive others?" I must also remember that the scripture says that by the same yardstick we use to judge others, so will we be judged.

Depriving someone of the opportunity to rebuild their life is synonymous with denying them life and robbing them of hope. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Clouds of despair are floating in so many of our mental skies. ... In the midst of hopelessness, there is the need to explore the meaning of hope."

He continued, "Hope is contagious. If you really hope, it has a way of getting over to others, and it generates something with them. ... Hope has a way of firing hope. ... Hope is necessary for life. Hope is necessary for freedom. It is necessary for creativity and for spirituality."

Dr. King delivered this message of hope 40 years ago on March 15, 1968. He delivered it the same day of my arrest (i.e., March 15, 1989).

We can all make a difference in the world. Every contribution has infinite potential. From a prison cell I have affected change in colleges, schools, churches, organizations, and in the lives of countless individuals. If I can impact the world like I do, totally separated from the lives I affect, whenever I am eventually released the depth and breadth of my work will be able to increase exponentially.

The path to self-discovery has been elusive to many for so long. Many don't even know that it exists. Our job is to shine our light into the world so that others can feel the power of its radiance and, like Dr. King said, make it "contagious."■

Fast for Justice for Efren Paredes, Jr., the 300 Michigan Juvenile Lifers, and 2,000 Juvenile Lifers Throughout the USA

2008-03-15T15:42:00.001-05:00

This is a call by The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to join and support a fast during Holy Week 2008 on behalf of Efren Paredes, Jr., the over 300 Michigan prisoners, and 2,000 other juveniles across the country sentenced as juveniles to mandatory life without parole. These are veritable death sentences and have been ecumenically condemned by the international community. In a season of public passion, we are passionate about their freedom and release.

The fast will begin on the evening of Palm Sunday, March 16, 2008 and conclude on Holy Saturday, March 22, 2008. A press conference will be held Monday, March 17, in Detroit at 10:00 A.M. in front of the Cadillac Place complex on W. Grand Boulevard, to declare the fasters' public intercession on behalf of Efren Paredes, Jr., the 15-year-old Latino honor student wrongly convicted of murder and robbery by a nearly all-White jury in Berrien County, Michigan.

The injustice perpetrated against Efren occurred in 1989. He was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole and one parolable life sentence. The fast marks the beginning of Efren's 19th year of incarceration. To learn more about this injustice you are invited to view our web site at www.4Efren.com.

The fast supports the commutation request recently submitted to Governor Granholm on Efren's behalf and House Bills 4402-4405 currently pending in the Michigan House of Representatives. Enacting the bills would abolish the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles in Michigan and provide the possibility of parole to the 300 plus prisoners incarcerated for crimes they were convicted of committing when they were children.

Legislation to abolish juvenile life without parole sentences in Nebraska, Florida, California, and Illinois is currently pending, and efforts are being made to ban the practice in Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Washington as well. Our call is being heard across the nation.

Some fasters will undertake the entire week on water, others on juices. Some people will join the fast by choosing one day of the week to participate. Others will lend their prayer, voice, and presence to this effort of the spirit.

The tradition of Lenten and Holy Week fasting has always been an act of preparation and solidarity with those to be baptized or reconciled to the community in the Vigil of Easter. In the case of people wrongly convicted or unjustly held, it is the community which needs to be reconciled to the prisoner so that justice may be restored. Our fast is to that end.

On Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross walk through the city of Detroit, which begins at noon from St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Michigan and Trumbull), will include a meditation related to these prisoners.

The fast will be based at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. To join the fast, or for details of gatherings and events during the week, contact Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman via e-mail at bill@scupe.com or via phone at 313-841-7554.

Give the kids a break

2008-02-14T18:56:00.000-05:00

It's time to ease the too-tough, and ill-conceived, sentencing of juveniles.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
By Annette Fuentes
USA TODAY

Vengeance and harsh retribution have been the guiding principles in our treatment of youth in the criminal justice system since the crack-cocaine tinged crime wave of the late 1980s crested and then fell in the mid-1990s. States got tough with laws that allowed the prosecution of juveniles as adults in certain felony crimes, as well as the sentencing of youth convicted of murder-related crimes to life without the chance of parole.

Now a downturn in violent juvenile crime, coupled with more data on the development of the adolescent brain, are prompting some states to rethink whether the harsh punishments still fit the crimes.

The time for change is right, even in cases involving juveniles arrested and convicted of murder and related crimes, such as aiding and abetting a murder. There are rumblings for reform in several statehouses.

In 2006, Colorado led the way by outlawing sentences of life without the possibility of parole for youth offenders. In California, state Sen. Leland Yee just introduced a bill to prohibit such sentences for offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of the crime. His measure would allow judges discretion in sentencing. Absent a national movement for juvenile sentencing reform, the battles are often being waged by individual legislators such as Yee or through grassroots activism in states, such as in Washington, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska and Massachusetts.

Why should we change course now?

First, look at crime trends. For a decade, violent and property crimes by juveniles have fallen nationwide. In every category of crime from violent felonies such as homicide and rape, to property crimes of auto theft or robbery, juvenile rates have been steadily falling, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics:

• For murder and non-negligent (not accidental) murder, the number of people under 18 arrested dropped from 1,224 in 1997 to 710 in 2006. That's a 42% decline. For those over 18, there was a 13% dip.

• Youth arrests for theft fell 45%; for aggravated assault, by 21%; auto thefts, by 53%.

• Arrests of young people for violent crimes fell by 20% from 1997 to 2006.

Experts see various reasons for the dramatic drop: the end of the crack-cocaine epidemic and its attendant violence; effective policing strategies in major urban areas, especially those that focused on illegal gun possession; and generally rosier economic times.

But it was during the height of the earlier crime wave that today's laws were crafted. Criminologists warned of a new breed of juvenile offender, dubbed "superpredator" by John Dilulio, who would bring a "blood bath" of violent crime, according to James Alan Fox. That hysteria proved wrong, as evidenced by the falling crime rates among adolescents and youth.

Biological reasons also provide a strong basis for reform. Current research has identified critical differences between the young brain and the adult one, especially in terms of decision-making skills and impulse control.

These adolescent development issues are what prompted Sen. Yee to spearhead reform in his state. Yee, a child psychologist, told The Oakland Tribune: "Adolescent impulse control, planning and critical thinking skills are still not yet fully developed. Children have an extraordinary capacity for rehabilitation."

Still not convinced? Human Rights Watch provides a sobering analysis in its recent report titled, "When I die, that's when they'll send me home." It reveals that in California, 227 people in prison today were sentenced to life without parole when they were juveniles, and all but four were sentenced since that state passed its sentencing law in 1990. Of those, 45% did not commit the actual murder. They were convicted as accessories to murder, often as lookouts during a robbery gone awry.

Another argument for reform: According to data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the Department of Justice, about two-thirds of youth ages 16-17 who committed crimes as juveniles including assaults, theft, and vandalism did not commit crimes into their early adult years, ages 18-19.

Advocates for crime victims have staunchly opposed sentencing reforms such as Yee's, and that's understandable, says Elizabeth Calvin, co-author of the Human Rights Watch report.

"What makes it difficult when you are talking about a crime like murder, which is so horrible and causes so much pain to families and communities, is that it doesn't help their pain if the offender is a juvenile," Calvin says. "But sentencing laws and how we treat our young say a lot about our society."

In some cases, youth convicted of brutal crimes might not be deserving of consideration. But at a minimum, for those 45% identified by the report as convicted of accessory to murder, there is every reason to believe redemption is possible.

Justice strategies for juveniles conceived during a crime-wave hysteria shouldn't become the template for our society, and life-without-parole sentencing is a good place to start.

Let's replace Old Testament retribution with New Testament redemption. After all, if young people don't deserve a second chance, does anyone?

Annette Fuentes is an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080213/opledewednesday.art.htm

Elena Herrada Message to TIME Committee Members About Efren's Recent Letter to the Committee

2008-01-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

January 31, 2008

Dear friends,

I am writing to mention to you that Efren wrote a piece about butterflies and seeds, which he sent out broadly. It is a very introspective, reflective piece. What moved me most about reading it, though, was the idea of Efren imagining the beauty of such things, to which he has no access.

Efren is mining the depths of his imagination and heart to keep his spirits centered and balanced after a lifetime of incarceration. The fact of his innocence, of course, is a painful reminder of terrible injustices that surround us everywhere. There are people who knew he was innocent when they sent him away, and people who were not sure of his guilt when they cosigned his fate with those who committed this child to prison.

The steadfast faith he shows in his efforts to get justice, and inevitable subsequent freedom, should inspire all of us. He is not bitter and he is not self obsessed. He thinks about the world and people and conditions, and writes his reflections for us to share. He is aware of life's gifts, even from his prison cell. The mystery of life, of God's presence in the world, of the possibilities, are not lost on him. He is a person of inestimable intelligence and depth. It takes a great thinker and a disciplined soul to seek solace and find peace in a situation he did nothing to deserve.

My heart is heavy with the events of the world today. It saddens me to see our country continue in this terrible war, based on lies and greed, and the devastating effects it has on its victims around the world. It demoralizes us sometimes to think that there are people not only getting away with murder, but sending others off to do it for them. And taking our jobs and livelihood in the process, causing us all to live diminished lives. Demonizing people who are forced to cross the deadly border to escape conditions created by the same corporations that loot the world's resources.

We are standing with the people on the losing end of these deals every day. And that is where we'll stay. In these battles, there is only struggle, rarely closure or victory. But Efren's spirit inspires me to stay on the path of justice, to keep fighting even when there is no victory in sight.

It is in the spirit of gratitude for people like all of you, and Efren, who keep going, that I write to you and thank you for your gifts of energy, faith and continued renewal. The joys of life are found in those we travel with, and I am deeply grateful to know you all.

Elena M. Herrada

Seeds and Butterflies: Symbols of Life and Transformation

2008-01-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

by Efren Paredes, Jr.

I want to thank each of you for attending the TIME Committee meeting on Saturday, January 26, 2008 in Lansing. You had a very productive meeting and you filled the North Star Center with positive energy.

Our meetings are the building blocks for new ideas and help us improve our campaign for justice. As we work to educate ourselves and others about my case we continue to expand our circle of influence and make a compelling case for my release.

I was unable to call in to the Saturday meeting as hoped because the phone system was off at the facility I am housed. I was really looking forward to calling in. This is one of many disappointments I have encountered over the years. I remained strong though and did not let it consume me. I took comfort in knowing that those attending the meeting knew I was there in spirit. I also knew everything was in good hands.

Last week our Detroit Committee convened a wonderful meeting which included members of the media from The Michigan Citizen and National Public Radio (NPR). I was fortunate to call in to that meeting and communicate with those present. It is always a pleasure to hear your voices, engage in dialogue with you, and exchange ideas.

I am encouraged each time you convene on my behalf because I know every meeting gives birth to a multitude of innovative possibilities. Each of you possesses a wealth of potential that can germinate into the key that delivers me from the dismal cages that hold me captive.

Seeds represent potential. They are symbols of regeneration. Each time we observe them we are reminded that life springs forth from their core. They are an ecumenically recognized part of creation that are revered and an integral part of everyone's life.

Maria used beans during her opening remarks at the committee meeting to illustrate how we can distribute work and lighten our burdens. She discussed the significance of beans to Mexican people and them being the embodiment of sustenance.

After the meeting, the following day, I spoke with one of our committee members and friends, Scott Elliott. Scott told me that everyone who attended took some of the beans home with them as a reminder to continue spreading our vision and nurturing these seeds of potential.

During our conversation Scott told me that he is going to take the beans he received and plant them around the Berrien County Courthouse where I was unlawfully convicted. He plans on also planting them around the police department and throughout various parts of the city of St. Joseph where my arrest occurred.

To Scott, whenever the beans take root and begin to grow they will remind him of me and our campaign for justice. And, they will be sprawled throughout the entire city; tiny symbols of my spirit and the wonderful work done by the committee.

To reinforce the powerful message that lies in the beans/seeds that I heard about from the meeting something interesting occurred today when my mail was delivered. My newspaper was slid under my cell door accompanied by a letter from a prisoner friend housed in the upper peninsula, along with a card from an address that didn't appear familiar.

Curious what was inside the card-sized envelope I briefly studied the address, realized I was sure I didn't recognize it, and then I proceeded to open it. Inside I discovered a card. On the cover it said, "I bought a seed bank for you" with a photograph of a small hill of large seeds that look like beans. Inside the card was the message, "Dear Efren, we are thinking of you and wish you very well." It was signed by 10 people.

According to the card, the investment of a seed bank was made in my honor. It is part of Oxfam America's gift program that gives in two ways: by providing a symbolic gift for the recipient of the card, as well as supporting people in need. The inside of the card says that Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice.

I received the mail just as I was about half-way into writing this message. In many ways, the sender of the card mailed me a gift of life which arrived very timely. They wouldn't know that though since I didn't receive it until well over a week after they mailed it. Typical mail delays in prison. I was thankful to receive it though and it brought a smile to my face.

Later that day I had the opportunity to speak with another one of the individuals serving a life without parole sentence who was sentenced as a juvenile. Like me, he has strong family and friends supporting him. He just arrived at the facility on Friday.

This individual and I had corresponded through the mail for several years but never met each other personally. This was the first encounter we had in person. And, I don't believe it was a coincidence that we met at this particular time.

We discussed several issues related to the juvenile life without parole legislative hearing from last week and the various facets of our individual campaigns. I learned that he submitted a commutation request in March 2007 and still has not received a response. His request was prepared by a parole board consultant his family hired for him. He agreed to share it with me tomorrow so that I may perhaps receive some helpful ideas about its preparation.

During our discussion I told him I was nearing completion of my commutation request and told him the approach I was utilizing. He agreed with what I told him but urged me to review his request to ensure I explored other ideas as well. I, of course, agreed to do that.

One thing I strive to do is make informed decisions. Only a fool would prepare something haphazardly and rush to submit a document that will greatly impact their life. Careful deliberation is essential in any decision that alters the trajectory of our lives.

Later that evening I attended an Indian Nations United (INU) meeting and our sponsor brought in several hand drums for us to play. INU is a cultural organization dedicated to the preservation of indigenous culture and history.

The 10 people in attendance formed a circle and we drummed for a half-hour. It is always a great experience when we do it. The unification, energy, and peace generated is always refreshing and has a healing effect.

All of the oldest known religious rites used drumming as part of the shared religious experience. According to master drummer Babatunde Olatunji, "The sound of the drum resonates with an inner chord that vibrates through your whole body, so that when you go through the act of drumming, you are energizing every cell in your body."

When people are surrounded by drums played in unison a phenomena called entrainment takes place. The organization The Primal Connection writes that, "The vibrations of the drums cause the cells and fragmented electrical impulses of the body’s nervous system to smooth out and line up with the rhythm. This is the state of mind where healing begins and a sense of well being comes to the forefront."

Drumming tonight allowed me to clear my thoughts, feed my spirit, and release a considerable amount of stress. It was therapeutic and the vibrations washed away the negative energies. The opportunity to drum couldn't have come at a better time.

Tonight I selected one of the drums I had never used before too. It was covered with brilliantly painted butterflies; symbols of transformation. Some were depicted flying, others delicately sitting on freshly grown flowers.

After several weeks of prayer, intense thought, countless hours of research, conferring with several others similarly situated, speaking with members of the committee, etc., the time has arrived to complete the final steps of the commutation request.

I am hopeful it can be submitted this week, but if not it will be submitted next week for sure. There are factors beyond my control which could compel that. I am not able to put anything directly in the U.S. Mail mailbox. Everything we submit for mailing goes through the prison mail room which then turns it over to the U.S. Postal Service after they process it.

I share all this with you to invite your prayers and ask you to join me in spirit this week as I steadfastly work to complete this very important project. While I have been under a considerable amount of stress as I have worked on it, I have done my best to stay on course and not allowed people or things to scatter my focus.

Seeds and butterflies were the last things I focused on tonight before completing this writing. Life and transformation. Hopefully the coming days will manifest this in my life in a very powerful and profound way.

Like the butterflies, my spirit waits to be finally lifted from this experience so I can join all of you one day and be physically present at a committee meeting. Finally free and working to fight other injustices.

Message to Supporters of Second Chance Legislation (Michigan House Bills 4402-4405)

2008-01-24T12:42:00.000-05:00

The following message was read to one of the TIME Committee members over the phone when they spoke with Efren last night. He asked us to share his message with everyone.

Dear Second Chance Legislation Supporters:

I would like to personally thank you for attending yesterday's House Judiciary Committee hearing regarding House Bills 4402-4405. It meant a great deal to me that you took time out of your busy schedules, braved the cold elements, and drove through some of the inclement weather to support this very important legislation.

I had the opportunity to receive feedback from people who were fortunate to attend the hearing. By all accounts it went very well and the spirit of those supporting House Bills 4402-4405 was resilient. You have much to be proud of.

The hearing was a historic event. It is the genesis of what will eventually manifest into sentencing reform that abolishes the imposition of life without parole (LWOP) sentences against juveniles in this state. Our collective efforts and voice of consciousness will help us restore the human treatment of children and respect for their inherent dignity.

Your efforts and dedication to this campaign are deeply appreciated by all those adversely affected by the existing juvenile LWOP sentences that have been meted out. On behalf of the over 300 people whose lives you valiantly fought to save from the clutches of Michigan's death penalty equivalent yesterday, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you.

I commend the persons who spoke at the hearing in support of the house bills. You were each courageous and your messages resonated with those in attendance according to those I had the privilege to speak with about the hearing. You were able to deliver powerful heartfelt messages that are certain to be given serious consideration in the deliberation process over the bills' final outcomes.

I want to also thank those who support the house bills who were unable to attend the hearing. Your spirit was felt and the work that you do for the campaign does not go unnoticed. Without your tireless efforts and support we would not be enjoying the progress we do today. Every endeavor in this movement counts. We are all one part of a enormously powerful collective body of progression.

We will prevail in this matter because we stand on the side of justice and the protection of human rights. We will not jettison our children, and we will persist paving the way for them to enjoy a future of freedom from further human rights abuses.

Sincerely,

Efren Paredes, Jr.

Web Site: http://www.4Efren.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/4Efren

The Injustice Must End (TIME) Press Release About Michigan House Bills 4402-4405
http://www.scribd.com/doc/1406009/The-Injustice-Must-End-TIME-Committee-to-Free-Efren-Paredes-Jr-JLWOP-Press-Release

Efren's Letter to House Judiciary Commitee About Michigan House Bills 4402-4405
http://4efren.blogspot.com/2008/12/efrens-letter-to-michigan-house.html

Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences in the USA — Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=75640820

Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences in the USA — MySpace Group
http://groups.myspace.com/jlwop

TIME Committee to Free Efren Paredes, Jr. Press Release About Michigan House Bills 4402-4405

2008-01-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

The Injustice Must End (TIME)
Committee to Free Efren Paredes, Jr.
P.O. Box 858
Battle Creek, MI 49016
Web Site: www.4Efren.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/4Efren

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efren Paredes, Jr. opposes the imposition of life without parole (LWOP) sentences on children. We do not support abandoning the inherent dignity of children, and view LWOP sentences for children as a human rights violation.

We believe in redemption and assert that persons who are convicted of committing crimes when they were children are not incorrigible and deserve an opportunity to one day return to society. It is our prayer that our honorable legislature and Governor will enact House Bills 4402-4405, which are aimed at abolishing the deplorable practice of sentencing children to LWOP.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) prohibits the sentencing of children to death or LWOP. One hundred ninety-two nations in the world have ratified the CRC. Refusal to acknowledge this treaty violates the evolving standards of decency in a civilized society.

Passage of House Bills 4402-4405 will not release a single person from prison. It will merely give these persons the opportunity to one day be given consideration for release by the Michigan Parole Board. It will also breathe life into a procedure previously designed to quell every conceivable notion of hope.

This legislation will also be able to help Efren Paredes, Jr., a Latino honor student who was arrested at age 15 and unlawfully sentenced to two LWOP sentences for the death of one victim, and one parolable life sentence for the charge of armed robbery. Efren did not commit the crime and was in no way involved. He will turn 35-years-old in April and commence his 19th year of incarceration in March.

Efren's accomplishments while in prison are exemplary and his conduct outstanding. For the last 12 years Efren has maintained employment with Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund (MBTF) as a certified Literary Braille Transcriber, and he has received no misconduct reports during that time. Efren has also worked to reduce youth violence, helped educate others, assisted others with the development of social and critical thinking skills, among other productive things.

Throughout his incarceration Efren has demonstrated continued growth, maturity, and stability. We are very proud of Efren and all he has achieved during this very painful and grueling experience within very controlled and restricted conditions. He continues being the positive person he was previous to his imprisonment.

Efren poses absolutely no risk or danger to society. His continued incarceration is a shameful waste of taxpayer dollars and valuable resources needed elsewhere in the state. To date, the State of Michigan has spent nearly $570,000 to keep Efren in prison. We waste $30,000 in public spending each year to keep him incarcerated.

Upon his eventual release from prison Efren will contribute a great deal to society and be very successful. He has a home to live in, strong family and community support, and full-time employment. He will even be able to employ others and help contribute to our struggling economy. Efren and the citizens of this state are well-deserving of this reality.

Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences in the USA — Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=75640820

Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences in the USA — MySpace Group
http://groups.myspace.com/jlwop

* You can download a hard copy of the actual press release from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/1406009/The-Injustice-Must-End-TIME-Committee-to-Free-Efren-Paredes-Jr-JLWOP-Press-Release

Efren's Letter to Michigan House Judiciary Committee About House Bills 4402-4405

2007-12-25T17:26:00.000-05:00

"In The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets, Jane Addams, the Nobel Prize winning social worker and crusader for the juvenile court, emphasized that youth above all is about possibility and that 'we may either smother the divine fire of youth or we may feed it.' We reject life without the possibility of parole sentences because they smother the divine fire of youth. They are an expression of despair that has no place in any system that aims to take seriously youth as a mitigating factor." —David S. Tanenhaus, Steven A. Drizin, "Owing to the Extreme Youth of the Accused": The Changing Legal Response to Juvenile Homicide, 92 The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-) 641 (2002)

December 25, 2007

The Honorable Paul Condino
State Representative
State Capitol
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Dear Representative Condino and Other Distinguished Members of the Michigan Legislature:

I write to express that I echo the call of the proponents to end the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles in the State of Michigan. Their opposition to this human rights violation is commensurate with 192 other nations of conscience in the civilized world. I support their appeal to this honorable legislative body for the reasons they have raised and I include additional reasons below.

For nearly 19 years I have been imprisoned for a crime I did not commit. I was convicted in 1989 of one count of murder and one count of armed robbery. I was subsequently sentenced to two terms of life without parole for the murder charge and one parolable life sentence for the armed robbery. My guidelines for the armed robbery charge was 3 to 8 years.

I was 15-years-old at the time of my arrest. Previous to this arrest I had no criminal history of any kind in adult or juvenile court and was a high school honor student. I lived in St. Joseph, Michigan in a good community, enjoyed the strong support of family, and was involved in various extracurricular activities.

I have maintained my innocence for the crime since the day of my arrest. My innocence, however, is not the subject of this letter. I did not compose this letter to re-try my case in the court of public opinion, rather I want to bring to your attention a broader issue that is adversely affecting our youth and threatening their future.

I was the first juvenile in Berrien County to be tried and sentenced under the October 1988 law which authorized prosecutors to automatically transfer juveniles to adult court and try them as adults. My refusal to admit guilt to a crime I did not commit resulted in me receiving the aforementioned sentences amid a barrage of print, radio and television media publicity. The sentences I received have been cited in various reports as one of the most egregious cases of injustice against a juvenile.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is comprised of 35,000 premier psychiatrists from across the nation. In a position paper released in 2005 titled "Adjudication of Youths as Adults in the Criminal Justice System," the APA called for an end to the deplorable practice of transferring juveniles to adult court for a number of reasons, one which precluded the transfer of first-time juvenile offenders to adult court.

The APA is a highly respected body of medical specialists who establish and maintain guiding principles for the nation's field of psychiatry. (Please see http://psych.org/about_apa for more information about the APA). Their recommendations have strongly influenced the criminal justice system and legislative bodies across the country.

In recent years a large corpus of research has emerged reflecting that the teenage brain is not fully developed. The brain is actually undergoing a pruning process during the adolescent years in the executive area of the brain that controls decision-making and planning, among other critical things.

Science has conclusively proven that teenage brains are incomplete and do not fully develop until well into a person's 20s. Thus, adolescent brains are incomplete, rendering adolescents incomplete people with limited cognitive abilities by scientific and medical standards.

If an adult functions with the mentality of a person 17-years-old or younger, that person is deemed mentally unfit to stand trial in most cases. But when a person 17-years-old or younger commits a crime, courts across the state are determining that person has been transformed into an adult. There is something gravely wrong with this faulty logic.

The APA are medical professionals who have reviewed the research which has conclusively established teenage brains are not fully formed, they are undergoing significant changes during that time, and no doctor can predict future dangerousness, or amenability to treatment, of a person with a brain not fully formed.

Adolescents are not the same people in days, weeks, months, and especially years after their crimes were committed. There is no proven nexus between extinguishing the light of hope in adolescents committed to prison and the prevention of crime. Adolescents do not even have the capacity to comprehend crime deterrence and formulate long-term planning. Their sense of time alone is not within the realm of normal functioning adults.

Courts and legislatures have respected the opinions of the APA when creating and imposing laws. Psychiatrists evaluated each juvenile sentenced to life without parole prior to sentencing. I urge this honorable legislative body to adopt the current position of the APA about the transfer of juveniles to adults court based on their years of research, and join the rest of the world as they continue to embrace evolving standards of decency in civilized societies.

Implicit in the APA's position opposing the transfer of first-time offenders to adult court is desisting the practice of imposing life sentences without the possibility of parole as well; a veritable death sentence in this state. Without the transfer of juveniles to adult courts in this state, there can be no imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles.

Michigan was the first state to abolish the imposition of the death penalty in the western hemisphere. The United States now stands alone as the only nation in the western hemisphere to impose life sentences without parole on juveniles. Let us come together to abandon another one of the world's relics of the ancient past by desisting the draconian practice of imposing life without parole sentences on juveniles as well.

We are a nation "under God" and in God, we do indeed trust. These words are prominently displayed in our capitol building, legislative chambers, and courtrooms. The protection of our children and adoption of sound public policy which focuses on the rehabilitation of children is commensurate with our belief in God. Abandoning the concepts of redemption and rehabilitation contravene our belief in God and having God as the cornerstone of our decision-making.

We can utilize this discussion as an opportunity to restore God in His rightful place in the decision making process that affects the trajectory young people’s lives may take. To not infuse this dialogue with the spirit of righteousness is tantamount to removing God from the equation all together.

It is my fervent prayer that this honorable legislature abolish the imposition of life without parole on juveniles and restore dignity to the way juveniles are treated by the criminal justice system. In so doing we can rescue a generation of youth and help realign the moral compass that has allowed us to demonize them and treat them as pariahs.

Sincerely,

Efren Paredes, Jr.

____________________

* A copy of Efren's actual letter and supporting attachments which were included are available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/1406740/Letter-to-Paul-Condino-and-House-Judiciary-Committee-Members-from-Efren-Paredes-Jr

Prosecuting Kids as Adults: Are Laws Too Tough?

2007-12-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

States Rethinking, Retooling Juvenile Sentencing Laws After New Research

By Sharon Cohen
Associated Press
Saturday, December 1, 2007

A generation after America decided to get tough on kids who commit crimes — sometimes locking them up for life — the tide may be turning.

States are rethinking and, in some cases, retooling juvenile sentencing laws. They’re responding to new research on the adolescent brain, and studies that indicate teens sent to adult court end up worse off than those who are not: They get in trouble more often, they do it faster and the offenses are more serious.

It’s really the trifecta of bad criminal justice policy,” says Shay Bilchik, a former Florida prosecutor who heads the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University. “People didn’t know that at the time the changes were made. Now we do, and we have to learn from it.”

Juvenile crime is down, in contrast to the turbulent 1990s when politicians vied to pass laws to get violent kids off the streets. Now, in calmer times, some champion community programs for young offenders to replace punitive measures they say went too far.

“The net was thrown too broadly,” says Howard Snyder, director of systems research at the National Center for Juvenile Justice. “When you make these general laws ... a lot of people believe they made it too easy for kids to go into the adult system and it’s not a good place to be.”

Some states are reconsidering life without parole for teens. Some are focusing on raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction, while others are exploring ways to offer kids a second chance, once they’re locked up — or even before.

“There has been a huge sea change ... it’s across the country,” says Laurie Garduque, a program director at the MacArthur Foundation, which is heavily involved in juvenile justice reform.

Prosecutor: Laws are appropriate

Not everyone, though, believes there’s reason to roll back harsher penalties adopted in the 1990s.

“The laws that were changed were appropriate and necessary,” says Minnesota prosecutor James Backstrom. “We need to focus on the protecting the public — that’s No. 1. Then we can address the needs of the juvenile offenders.”

Each year about 200,000 defendants under 18 are sent directly or transferred to the adult system, known as criminal court, according to rough estimates.

Most end up there because of state laws that automatically define them as adults, due to their age or offense. Their ranks rose in the 1990s as juvenile crime soared and 48 states made it easier to transfer kids into criminal court, according to the juvenile justice center.

These changes gave prosecutors greater latitude (they could transfer kids without a judge’s permission), lowered the age or expanded the crimes that would make it mandatory for a case to be tried there.

Some states also adopted blended sentences in which two sanctions can be imposed simultaneously; if the teen follows the terms of the juvenile sentence, the adult sentence is revoked.

Laws toughened after wave of violence

The changes were ushered in to curb the explosion in violence — the teen murder arrest rate doubled from 1987 to 1993 — and to address mounting frustrations with the juvenile justice system.

A series of horrific crimes by kids rattled the nation: A sixth-grader shot and killed a stranger. A 12-year-old stomped and beat a younger playmate. Two grade-schoolers dropped a 5-year-old 14 stories to his death.

Some academics warned that a new generation of “superpredators” would soon be committing mayhem.

It never happened. Drug trafficking declined. An improved economy produced more jobs. And the rate of juvenile violent crime arrests plummeted 46 percent from 1994 to 2005, according to federal figures.

“When crime goes down, people have an opportunity to be more reflective than crisis-oriented and ask, ‘Was this policy a good policy?”’ Bilchik says.

The MacArthur Foundation said in a report to be released this month that about half the states are involved in juvenile justice reform.

And a national poll, commissioned by MacArthur and the Center for Children’s Law and Policy and set for release at the same time, also found widespread public support for rehabilitating teens rather than locking them up.

Changes in laws

Some states have already begun to make changes.

* In Colorado, Gov. Bill Ritter recently formed a juvenile clemency board to hear cases of kids convicted as adults. The head of the panel says it’s an acknowledgment that teens are different from adults — a point made in the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed the death penalty for crimes committed as juveniles. In 2006, the state replaced the juvenile life-without-parole sentence with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
* In California and Michigan, juvenile life without parole also is getting another look.
* In Connecticut, lawmakers recently raised the age of juveniles to 18 for most cases; the changes will be phased in by 2010. Prosecutors can still transfer felonies to adult court.
* In Illinois, a proposal to move 17-year-olds charged with misdemeanors to juvenile court passed in the state Senate and is pending in the House.
* In Wyoming, talks are under way to shed a system that routinely charges and jails juveniles as adults even for minor offenses such as underage drinking.

Not all states are easing up.

Last summer, Rhode Island passed a law to send 17-year-old offenders to adult prisons in what was intended as a cost-cutting move. The measure, however, was quickly repealed after critics pointed out the plan probably would be more expensive.

One teen's situation

Many say the two systems are dramatically different: Juvenile justice emphasizes rehabilitation, adult courts focus on punishment.

Reginald Dwayne Betts, just 16 when he was charged with carjacking in Virginia, was locked up more than eight years, mostly in adult prisons.

“Of course it makes a difference if you’re 15, 16 or 17,” he says. “You’re not prepared to deal with it physically or emotionally. You’re trying to deal with being away from home. You’re trying to deal with the stress that comes with being in prison.”

Violence was a constant. “I got used to stuff most people I see today would never have to get used to — like somebody getting their head split open,” Betts says.

Betts had problems at first but gradually retreated into books, taught himself Spanish, wrote and published poetry.

When he was released two years ago at age 24, he won a college scholarship. Now engaged and planning to write a book, he knows he’s an exception: “People don’t come out of prison and make good,” he says.

Judge deals with kids as kids

In New York, Judge Michael Corriero is aware of those odds.

He presides over a special court in the adult system — it’s called the Manhattan Youth Part and is responsible for resolving the cases of 13- to 15-year-olds accused of serious crimes.

Corriero tries to steer as many kids as possible away from criminal court, a philosophy detailed in his book, “Judging Children as Children.”

“You take a 14-year-old and give him an adult sentence ... you’re taking him out of the community at his most vulnerable time,” he says. “If you put them in an institution, what is that kid going to look like in 10 years?”

Though juvenile crime tends to evoke images of gangs and murder, violent teens are the exception.

Studies show they account for about 5 percent of all juvenile arrests. Drugs, burglary, theft and other property crimes are among the more common reasons teens are prosecuted in adult courts.

Most of these kids, though, don’t end up in adult prison, according to the Campaign for Youth Justice.

Critic: Adult prison system damaging for kids

But crossing into the adult world is damaging in itself, argues Liz Ryan, head of the group. About 7,500 juveniles are held in adult jails on any given day, she says, and that number probably reaches tens of thousands a year because of turnover.

Being in an adult jail, Ryan says, increases a kid’s risk of sexual abuse and assault. Educational opportunities are limited. And for those convicted of serious crimes, the damage can be irreparable.

“A lot of people say, ’So what? They get a slap on the wrist,”’ Ryan says. “Well, there is a consequence. ... You have a felony record that follows you the rest of your life.”

Mom worries about son

Sheila Montgomery worries about her son, Zack. He recently was released after serving 27 months for being an accomplice in the robbery of an Oregon convenience store. He had originally received a 7½-year term after falsely confessing to being the robber; he was re-sentenced after evidence revealed he wasn’t.

Montgomery says her son, now 17, will “forever be a felon. He can’t put the past behind him. It was hard for him to find work. A lot of people didn’t want to see him.”

Montgomery says she has no problem with “a little bit of jail time” for her son but believes probation and counseling would have served him better.

But prosecutors say some kids are just too dangerous to be prosecuted as juveniles and then be released by age 21.

If a criminal is likely to be free in a few years and do more harm, “then I come down on the side of risking the damage that is done by sending someone to prison,” says Gary Walker, a Michigan prosecutor.

“When they tell me placing a younger person in an adult setting is not necessarily for the betterment of the individual,” Walker says, “my answer is: ’Who thinks it is?”’

Attorney: No regrets trying teen as adult

Minnesota prosecutor Backstrom didn’t hesitate in prosecuting Matthew Niedere and Clayton Keister, then 17, as adults in the murder of Niedere’s parents. He says he had to “make a very difficult decision whether to put these young men away for their natural lives, or give them a chance.”

He weighed several factors, including their lack of criminal record and research that shows the part of the brain that regulates impulses and aggression is still developing in the 20s.

Backstrom allowed the teens to plead guilty to murder involving an armed robbery — providing for the possibility of parole in 30 years.

More than a decade ago, Backstrom had pressed Minnesota lawmakers to make it easier for prosecutors to take serious cases into adult court.

He was frustrated when he couldn’t try as an adult a 16-year-old who killed an acquaintance in a drug dispute and served less than 1½ years in juvenile detention.

“That’s not justice,” Backstrom says. “He should have gone to prison 15 or 20 years. That’s what would have happened today.”

Using both punishment, prevention

State Attorney Harry Shorstein of Jacksonville, Fla., has his own approach.

“I think I’ve created my own juvenile justice system,” he says. “The secret is not choosing punishment vs. prevention, but using both.”

In 16 years, Shorstein’s office has transferred more than 2,600 juvenile cases to adult court. Almost all those who’ve broken the law go to jail for about a year, where they live separately from adults, attend school and receive social services.

If they stay out of trouble while locked up, and for two years of probation, they don’t get a record.

“I believe crime is like gymnastics,” he says. “It really is a young person’s sport. If you incapacitate a 15- or 16-year-old for a year, you can prevent more crime than if you imprison a 22-year-old for life.”

Meeting a Pastor by Day, Packing Away My Life by Night

2007-11-15T18:31:00.000-05:00

by Efren Paredes, Jr.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 I met Pastor Bill Wylie-Kellerman. He spent three hours visiting with me and our meeting went very well. I enjoyed visiting with Bill and the time went by very quickly. I don't believe there was hardly a moment of silence during our visit.

Bill and I learned a lot about each other during the visit. As I explained to Bill, many of the things I have learned about life has been through books and listening to others' stories about their lives. Having come to prison at the age of 15 it was imperative that I learned about life and experiences quickly if I wanted to survive in an adult world.

As is always the case with people I meet who wish to learn more about me and my life, who are interested in helping me combat my wrongful conviction, I invited Bill to ask me any questions or concerns he had. I never hide anything from people and am always up front with them. I have no reason to not be open and honest about any aspect of my life.

We talked about my upbringing, my family, life in prison, how I cope with the magnitude of the injustice that has robbed me of many years of freedom, what I do in my free time, various aspects of my case, among several other things. Bill also told me insightful things about his life and what lead him to become a pastor. We talked about his family, church and the social justice work he has done throughout his life.

I invited Bill to become part of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee which was created to help free me, generate support for my case, and educate the public about the facts surrounding my case. Bill accepted the invitation and welcomed my request.

In many ways Bill was already a TIME Committee member. He was introduced to my case by another of our committee members and friend, Elena Herrada. Elena has known Bill for many years and they have worked together on numerous projects. Bill had also been gathering support letters for me from the religious community. To date he has been successful obtaining 14 support letters from religious leaders across the state.

Bill and I took a photograph during the visit which one of my family members has added to the slide shows which appear on my web site, blog, and MySpace page. I bought a photo ticket which allows us to take two photos in the visiting room. We took a photo and I requested two copies of the same photo so that Bill could take one with him and I could keep one to share with others.

After we spent time visiting Bill read Psalm 139 from the Holy Bible. It was a chapter I was familiar with. It is also a chapter I enjoyed reading. Afterwards we read the Parable of the Sower in the Book of Matthew, a chapter I requested because of its meaning and significance to me.

Later that afternoon I returned to my housing unit and, as luck would have it, I was ordered by the unit staff to do a "practice pack-up." A practice pack-up is when a prisoner is compelled to take all his property and pack it into a duffle bag and a footlocker (if the prisoner owns one). Prisoners are allowed to own as many footlockers as they can afford as long as one is for personal property and the others are for storage of legal work only.

It is very inconvenient to do practice pack-ups. It totally disrupts the day of the person who has to do it. The person is actually packing all his belongings like he is moving to another location. It is akin to packing your entire life and existence. And, in this instance, all just so staff can see how much property you have.

During these practice pack-ups people are ordered to pack their grocery items into their duffle bag and footlocker as well. While that may not seem like a big deal, it is. It involves smashing your food down to make it more compact, and packing it into the duffle bag or footlocker with other things like your clothes, books, radio, tape player, letters, etc.

In this case I had just received my groceries from the prisoner store the previous day and it resulted in me having to smash a considerable amount of food in my property to make sure I could fit it in my duffle bag. The alternative when a person has more property than will fit in the duffle bag and footlocker(s) is to destroy the food or give it away, or to destroy other personal items or send them home.

It took me an hour to pack all my belongings as requested. Afterwards it took me over five hours to unpack it all, organize it, and put it all back where I previously had it. I had to iron my clothes again as well after having stuffed them into the duffle bag. It is never an enjoyable experience. I had a number of writings I had planned on doing that evening related to my case. Unfortunately they would have to wait for another day.

Another reason the practice pack-up was even more unpleasant was because I had just done one two weeks prior. In most instances prisoners only do practice pack-ups every six months or less frequently depending on the facility.

Practice pack-ups are usually utilized as a tool by staff to harass a prisoner. I was told I had to do it because it "appeared" I had too much property. This, despite me proving two weeks earlier I was in compliance with allowable limits and I had not received any additional property since that time.

I complied with their orders though and repeated the process as requested. It wasn't worth challenging. While I could have filed a grievance because it was obviously harassment, I chose to just cooperate and let it go. It wasn't worth the waste of energy. I had already wasted enough time and energy as it was.

This is just another example of how even a day that starts off really well in here can turn into a disaster later on. I wasn't happy with how the second part of the day turned out but, as is usually the case, I just viewed it as another test of my faith and patience, neither of which I will allow to wane no matter how many disruptful or unpleasant experiences I encounter.

As I told Bill during our visit, this experience hasn't dictated my life or shaped who I am. I wield the power to determine how each experience affects me, not vice versa. I remain committed to this reality.

Efren Recieves Accolades About Poetry

2007-10-10T17:46:00.000-05:00

The man that read Efren's poem "Pressure Mounts" at an August poetry event in Lansing recently sent Efren a letter with feedback about his poem. The man's name is Doak Bloss. Efren responded to Doak's correspondence with a letter of his own. We thought we would share both letters with you so you can enjoy the exchange of communications. Each of Efren's writings gives us another glimpse into his world and his perpetual evolution as a person and writer. Below is the text from both letters.

MESSAGE TO EFREN FROM DOAK BLOSS

October 10, 2007

Dear Efren,

In August it was my privilege to perform your intense and evocative poem, “Pressure Mounts,” at a poetry reading in Lansing. The event was a benefit for ARRO, a local organization that helps formerly incarcerated men and women rejoin their communities and resume their lives.

The intensity with which you pour your experience into the three stanzas of this poem was appealing to me as a performer from the very start—I am an occasional actor as well as a writer and facilitator for a county health department—but when I learned of your own life story and the injustice you have endured, pressure began mounting within me as well. It was extremely important to me to do justice to your work once I learned some of the details of your experience with the police and the courts. Your parents were present at the reading and I hope that they will tell you I did capture at least some measure of the earnestness and intensity of your poem.

You do a wonderful job in this poem of marshalling verbs and adjectives in a nightmarish collage that also depicts one man’s progression from the vitality and hope of youth, which is gradually eroded and sapped by the incarceration, even as the push toward anger and retribution builds within (portrayed first as a kettle and its mist, then a volcano and its lava). It was very satisfying, as a performer, to play this parallel sense of mounting tension and diminishing will—especially as it arrives in the surprising last image: not one of rage or revenge at all, but of indominitability. In the end, your poem shows how, even as the human body undergoes such an intense assault, the spirit can survive, preserve, and maintain its dignity.

I have great faith that you will one day be free again. Although I know nothing can ever fully repair the damage done to you by the penal system, I also know in my heart that you will find great power in your ability to transform your experience in a way that illuminates life and truth for others.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read your words.

Doak Bloss

______________________________________

MESSAGE FROM EFREN TO DOAK BLOSS

Dear Doak:

My family shared your letter with me regarding my poem "Pressure Mounts," which you read at the August poetry reading sponsored by A.R.R.O. at Gone Wired Cafe in Lansing.

Thank you for your encouraging words. I always enjoy receiving feedback about my writings and hearing how others perceive them. It is rewarding to know my words retain their meaning and that I can create a window for people to peer into my experience through my writings.

I appreciate you reading my poem at the poetry event. By participating as a reader you became a voice to the voiceless. You conveyed the spirit of my words and allowed them to transcend the walls that have kept me confined over 18 years for a crime I did not commit. However, though physically I am imprisoned, my mind and spirit can never be held captive. You proved this when you delivered my words the evening of the poetry event.

My writings are very personal to me. They are infused with my essence and are a reflection of my inner-most thoughts and feelings. Prison is designed to extinguish creativity and stifle all vestiges of hope. Its intent is to totally subdue human beings and make them complacent.

Each of my writings represents a victory. They are triumphs over a system intent on destroying my will. They are evidence that I can transform my creative thoughts into the written word even in the most oppressed conditions. My writings are a testament to the indomitable spirit I reference in "Pressure Mounts." One that endures myriad difficulties but remains resilient.

I encourage you to continue supporting A.R.R.O. and its mission. They are doing very important work which is desperately needed in our communities. Their role in the community rebuilding process can be characterized as heroic. They are doing what so many others do not have the courage to do. I support their efforts unequivocally.

I personally know the value of having support for a worthy cause. My struggle for justice has been long and arduous. It has also been replete with many disappointments. In my darkest hours, however, I have been able to draw strength from the outpouring of compassion that flows from the hearts of those dedicated to advancing my cause. Without that support my campaign, or any other, could not succeed.

Attached is a letter you are welcome to share with others about the egregious injustice surrounding my wrongful conviction. It is a tool I use to circulate so I can educate people about my case and other social injustices.

Thanks again, and I wish you continued success with all your endeavors.

Sincerely,

Efren Paredes, Jr.

Diosa Bronzera

2007-08-18T19:22:00.000-05:00

by Efren Paredes, Jr.

I dedicate this poem to my mother, Velia, and the Latina mothers of the world.

Diosa bronzera
anointed mother of life
First guide and protector
a multitude of delights.

Nurturer of goodness
we emulate your ways
Which sustain our existence
'til our last waking day.

Vanish the cold
with the warmth of your arms
The lessons you teach us
we wear them like charms.

Your devotion a testament
why your legacy endures
Hold the world in your hands
as if it were yours.

The calm voice of reason
that rings in our ear
Your tone is melodic
the knowledge of seers.

A heart full of treasure
a luminous star
Seemingly ever-present
you watch from afar.

Your compassion so gentle
exuberant with care
Like the beauty of mariposas
that glide through the air.

Create light in the darkness
you calm all our fears
Impart us with wisdom
wipe away all our tears.

Commune with the Cihuateteo
in the Circle of Fire
Survive through the ages
never rest or retire.

Through the annals of history
you've sat on a throne
Reigned over kingdoms
had your name carved in stone.

Your portrait adorns
sacred temple halls
On ceilings and mantles
in glyphs on the walls.

You've held your fists in the air
gripping scepters and rods
Stood at La Pirámide del Sol
where men become gods.

A courageous noble warrior
a reflection of Ollin
Your memory will be honored
as a descendant of Queens.

Diosa bronzera
keep leading the way
For the gift of our lives
We thank you each day.

Copyright © 2007 by Efren Tlecoz Paredes
http://www.4efren.com/

This poem was read at the 1st Annual Flor y Canto Poetry Contest sponsored by LASSO in Jackson, Michigan on August 7, 2007. The poem was among two of the first place winners that won that night.
_____________________________________

Diosa bronzera: Bronze goddess. "Diosa" is goddess in Spanish and "bronzera" is bronze in French.

Cihuateteo: Nahuatl (Aztec) for "goddesses."

La Pirámide del Sol: "The Pyramid of the Sun" located in Teotihuacán, Mexico along the Avenue of the Dead, in between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, and in the shadow of the massive mountain Cerro Gordo. The pyramid is part of a large complex in the heart of the city.

Ollin: Nahuatl (Aztec) for "the sacred movement in continuum, which gives impulse to our world."