Nobody Cares about the Homeless...?

On my way home from work, a homeless man in a wheelchair who's fingers were terribly disfigured, went up and down the train car asking for money. At the next stop, a magician came on the train and did a magic act at the same time this homeless guy in a wheelchair was asking for money. Guess who won? The guy in the wheelchair, obviously. You couldn't feel disgust towards this guy...you felt something closer to pity. Didn't matter though--this obese woman on the train practically laid out on the seat afraid his diseased hand would give her some type of deadly disease....or at least warts.

On my way to my LSAT Kaplan course, I was sitting with a friend on the train, and this blind dude came on the train asking for money. My friend told me he wasn't really blind though. Apparently, when he first entered the train, his eyes were looking up, and then for the rest of the time, they were looking straight ahead. Plus, he was walking too straight and he didn't once bump into anything. On a train car no less!

On my way to the train station, there's a black man sitting on a crate asking for money. But I don't really think he's homeless. His sneakers cost at least $100.

Another homeless guy came on the train asking for money--but I don't remember his ailment. I gave him money anyway.

This black kid came on the train selling candy. He said he needed money to help pay for his college education. I gave him $2.

Two kids came on the train, a sister and a brother, asking for money. I had my headphones on so I couldn't hear what their story was.

A dancing troupe came on the 4 train on my way back home--four black boys, all of which did stunts like cartwheels and rolls with two people up and down the train car. With poles in the way and people's feet! It was quite entertaining.

A middle-aged black man with a car wash business came on the train collecting money for other homeless people since alot of them can't beg for money on their own. Looks like he's a good friend and wants to give back to the community. I gave him a dollar.

Another girl came on the train, Latina/o, Hispanic, Spanish, whatever you want to call them, came on the train asking for money to help her mother feed her children.

Whenever a homeless person or a beggar comes on the train, eyes are averted so as not to make direct eye contact with the piteous figure on the train. Feet are shuffled and people visibly close up in hope that the homeless person won't come their way. As the beggar passes, eyes land on him/her/them to see if they're not faking or to figure out what their story is. Noses are held so that you can't smell the obscene scent of dirt and of being dirty.

Then the story is told, or the person has made their first round up and down the car. Some people take a dollar or some change out--never looking into anyone else's eyes, not even the homeless person, as if what they're doing is wrong or weird in some way. And then the train stops and the homeless person gets off, or goes into the next car, ready to subject another full car to his/her propensities.

Many things strike me odd--why are the homeless homeless? Are they homeless because the bills they had to pay became too much? Is it because, besides the weather, being homeless is actually alot more easier than living in a hole? I mean, think about it--you can live wherever you want to when you're homeless. There's an endless list of prime real estate available to the homeless. Being homeless is like the best form of independence really--and independence is what this country is all about. You're not tied down by mortgages or rent checks.

And, what makes a person, who isn't homeless, beg? What makes a person say to themself, I would rather beg for money on the train or the street, rather than get a job? Is it because they are lazy? Is it simply another mode of entrepreneurship? Is it because that is their only option left? That begging is the only job that they applied for that would accept them regardless of their background history?

I'm not being sarcastic in asking my questions. Nine times out of ten I encounter a homeless person on the train and I always see a homeless person on my way to work. I even budget a certain amount of money a week to give out to the homeless if I see them. Irrespective of the fact that there isn't enough beds to house all of the homeless of NYS, alot of homeless people don't want to live in shelters. Why not? Because it's a cutthroat world even inside a shelter, where your stuff can get stolen the minute you blink. Because, although you may smell, living in a room with people who smell more than you do, altogether, would most likely cause you to die of suffocation, or of a bad smell.

And it's not like the government is trying to help these people out. For instance, when you get out of jail. depending on your conviction, you could be without public housing for up to 5 years. Now. unless The Home Depot (who by the way, until recently, was adamant about making sure "No Criminals" was plastered all over their applications...criminals still won't be hired, but it's just not in writing anymore) will accept:

James Johnson

Corner of 86th and Lexington Street

New York, NY

Phone #: 000-000-0000

as an appropriate dwelling space, you can't really get a job without someplace to call your own. In the subway cars, there are posters that say "If you see a homeless person, DON'T give them any money." In fact, there are places where they can get the things they need in-kind.

Yea Right.

But, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

I think the one thing that's going to undo me is the day I see a child asking me for money. In that case, I think I would give them my PIN number, and my wallet with all my credit cards and tell them to move to Cuba. I would then tell them that everything will be okay.

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhythms

My blog is late--it's supposed to be written in on Wednesday, but I didn't have a chance to until today. I continued my survey for the LawHelp website this week as well as other assignments concerning my summer project.

Alas, my blog this week will be rather short and actually concerns the DVD we watched today called Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhythms. I never saw the film until today, but there were several discussions surrounding the issues pre-empted by the film at Cornell this past year. I never attended any of discussions. Why? Because I'm frankly, sick and tired of talking about the same issues over and over and over again. If there's one thing Black people like to do, it's to talk. I love my people, and I thought the film was thought-provoking. As a matter of fact, I would show that film to people as an opportunity to expose them to issues they might believe do not exist. But, it has come to a point where these discussions have forced me to re-affirm my own beliefs, as opposed to learning and changing how I feel about hip hop and media and it's connection with Blacks in the United States. With that said, while informative, the film was entertaining at most. But I really can't stand talking about it anymore. I want to see action. I'm tired of reflecting, I'm tired of interning, I'm tired of watching, I'm tired of noticing, I'm tired of remarking, I'm tired of asking questions, I'm tired of learning, I'm especially tired of talking---in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the greatest civil rights activists ever (in my opinion), "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."

Don't talk about it, be about it.

The Internet: The Gateway to Useless Information

So this week I began a survey of the Bronx Defenders clients asking them what they would name a website that addressed the basic issues of criminal justice. We have a parternship with this program called LawHelp housed at the New York City Bar Association. They have a website where you can seek rudimentary legal advice--you can find a legal service provider, there is a section called "Know Your Rights" for different things like housing, immigration, employment, etc... which services mainly a civil justice realm. If there are any collateral consequences that are related due to any charges outside of civil legalities, then it will show up. In fact, my supervisor just got LawHelp to add "Encounters with the Police" using the argument that everyone should know how to handle interacting with the police and that it is not only criminals who have to deal with that all that time. But there is no "in your face" section about criminal law/help or anything like that. The Bronx Defenders, then, with Re-Entry Net is trying to come up with a section that regarding criminal help. Only it seems like the people at LawHelp don't want to stray away from the civil aspect of their website, and has made it kind of hard to name the section on which Re-Entry Net would be handling. Originally, they had wanted to name it "Collateral Consequences of Non-Criminal Proceedings" .... but the website is supposed to be for the general public, and honestly, if you're either not in law school, a law buff, or just smart, you're obviously not going to know what that means and there is a less likely chance of you clicking on that link in order to access very useful information. Another suggestion was Criminal Justice & Re-Entry but that idea got shot down as well (not sure why).

So anyway, LawHelp suggested that we interview our own clients to see what they would name a website that would provide information and services on things like understanding your rap sheet, the path of an arrest, how to retrieve your property and how to prevent or retain housing/employment after an arrest. We figured since these would be the people most likely to need the information, they should be able to give us a glimpse into what it could be called.

Well--the first guy I interviewed launched into a morbid "conspiracy" theory about the shelter system and the police brutality that goes along with it. He said that the police, who were mainly Hispanic and Black, were beating up on the homeless, who are also predominately Hispanic and Black. In that case, even Al Sharpton wouldn't help seek some sort of justice because noone wants to address an issue like that. Kind of like how the fact that a Black police officer was also present at the Sean Bell shooting got glossed over. Black on Black crime isn't going to be beneficial to an agenda like Al Sharpton because it's not White on Black. And no White lawyer is going to take up the case because you know for sure that he and the his entire campaign will be labeled 'legal lynchers' and racists for LIFE.

To say the least, half of the clients couldn't speak English, and many others didn't have access to the Internet. So here's my thinking--Re-Entry Net and LawHelp has all this useful information. Last summer, an intern spent her entire summer just looking up resources for these collateral consequences of blah blah blah. All these people deserve to know what their rights are as convicted felons, etc... and they should be aware that they might get evicted and that their family could get evicted too. They have a right to know that Public and Section 8 Housing has a waiting list 5x longer than the Empire State Building and should know about other options available to them. The should know about organizations like The Fortune Society and its Castle I & II and the Osborne Society, CEO, Supportive Housing and the National H.I.R.E. Network. The question is how do we get that information out to them? Unfortunately, the people who need this information the most are the hardest to reach. Every morning I wake up I have ready access to the Internet--I literally have the world at my fingertips. I'm writing my "reflections" on a "blog" in this big double room that some Top Tier Colleges only dream about on my second laptop with about 3 dozen Puma bags to my left and LSAT prep books to my right. Half of the clients I spoke to only knew about Google.com because they probably heard it on some song. These people know as much as we do because of Law & Order and the only way they find out about the information is when it actually happens to them.

Needless to say the disparities are rather striking.

Did you know that they was such a thing as squatters' rights? See I always thought the homeless were called the homeless only in the U.S. and then squatters everywhere else. It seemed like that to me in CRP101: The Global South anyway.

The Bronx Defenders - a Glimpse into Madness

My organization is an interesting one. The atmosphere is very lax. As a matter of fact, the other day, we had to run to court to watch the closing arguments on a murder trial. (Apparently, the closing arguments are a must-see in this part of town.) However, I hadn't come dressed for court nor did I have a suit left at work. Everyone at the office, however, said to grab any suit from the closet. After considerable thought, I decided to do just that. Speaking of clothes, you can wear just about anything yo uwant here. Then today, there were a whole bunch of kids in this one empty office. Throughout intervals in the day, one child screamed "What is wrong with you people?" Another child screamed as she ran away from some imaginary monsters. They lock each other out of the office and run away from pretend imposing lawyers. Some legal interns, my supervisor and I fell into conversation about homosexuality and the media and R.Kelly.

Yet, they still get work done. What I like about the Bronx Defenders is that people are generally happy to be there. The work is stressful and sometimes very disconcerting, and the culture of the organization does its best and succeeds at alleviating any stress factors associated with a job public defense. The people here, however, are young. My supervisor mentioned that they do have a high rate of turnover precisely because it's public defense.

Everyone at the office are treated like equals. There is no obvious head person in charge. In fact, the office is set up in teams, with a supervising attorney. In regards to the informal network, the two people I have observed who keep things running smoothly are Lourdes and Lorraine, who works at the front desk. They both know everything and everyone in the office. I have a feeling that were one of them not available for a long period of time, things may fall apart.

(Grand entrance music) Here comes the ... BRONX DEFENDERS!!

The vibe that I get from working here at the Bronx Defenders is just that---a superhero come to save the day for all those who cannot afford a defense attorney. As I immerse myself in the organizational culture here (way casual outfits and no overbearing rules), I find that all of the people that this organization represents aren't all bad guys. I grew up watching shows like Columbo, Matlock, Perry Mason and even Law & Order, where the bad guy was just that, the bad guy who felt no remorse for his/her actions. The opposite is true in many cases. A lot of the times it's an altercation between two people--both of which are innocent or both of whom are guilty.

On another note, I also realized how ABSURD some of these prison sentences are. A fellow CUSPer mentioned how if you get caught with an unregistered gun three times, you get a prison sentence for life! One of the clients that my organization defended got life in prison for a minor burglary charge, while this man was dying from AIDS and was addicted to heroin. Activists get thrown into jail for exorbitant sentences. What did the Angola 8 do that was so bad? Why are we still trying to free Mumia? Everyday I realize that the amount of people in jail for justifiably heinous crimes and no hope for rehabilitation are next to zero, lost among the petty thefters drug abusers and turnstile jumpers. I read one article on a young boy who almost obtained a criminal record for using his own Student MetroCard on Election Day. He didn't do anything wrong! What irks me the most about the justice and penal system is that a criminal, upon release, is still treated as inferior. Voting rights are taken away, financial aid is not available for at least a year if you commit a felony, not eligible for Pell Grants, and is under constant surveillance. I imagine the purpose of the penal system is to provide an opportunity for a new beginning and new start provided that you learned your lesson while in prison. But if upon release, you are not given a chance and your rights are not thusly reciprocated, then what was the point?

This week I got to go to a public hearing which was basically an update on what the NYPD was up to in terms of "Community policing." I also got to sit in on a murder trial that's pretty big at the law firm. It's exciting to see the direct/cross-examinations. Tension was high. It was funny because right before the trial started everyone was laughing it up like they were old buddies. The minute the trial started, however, attitudes got out of control.

My work with ReEntry Net is teaching me a ton of information. My supervisor lets me go to these police hearings and meetings about transitional housing, policing and bills being introduced into legislation regarding reentry issues. I work on the library and calendar events as well and I get to read statements regarding sustainability after imprisonment. I'm really learning a lot, and I hope to put that information to use way after leaving this internship for the summer.

My only wish is that the Bronx Defenders could extend their services to other bureaus. I feel that a lot of people would benefit greatly from their hard work and dedication. Like mentioned before, they have an 80% winning rate--that's got to be good.

It's never a dull moment here at the Bronx Defenders when you're saving the world one prisoner at a time.

Week 1 Journal Reflection

After your first week on the job, what went well?
What I think went considerably well was the opportunity to go to a public hearing in City Hall about a bill that would give out free birth certificates to released prisoners serving at least 90 days in both city and state prisons. I got to hear the Department of Health’s argument which included loss of funds, lack of subsidized funding and loss in quality if it offered free birth certificates. I also got to hear testimonies in support of the bill by various prison advocacy organizations such as Phoenix House, I-CARE, The Fortune Society, clergymen and even the Brooklyn DA’s office/COM-ALERT, which even the City Council was surprised to see support the bill. While those opposing the bill put forth a logistical argument, those in favor of the bill appealed to the humanistic side of the bill. I also caught a glimpse at new legislation that would in effect lower the minimum standards in city jails, taking away things like private phone calls (it would allow staff to listen to the phone conversations of inmates), and even reducing the dormitory space, thereby housing more prisoners in less space.

It's Me, Snitches!

Hi! My name is Jennifer Saint-Preux and I'm a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. I'm majoring in Industrial and Labor Relations with a concentration in Urban Region Studies and Law & Society. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but now I live in Valley Stream, Long Island (maybe you can hear the accent, sometimes.) I'm also a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated, which is something I take great pride in because it took me way too long for me to get into it. I like to dance, step and sing, and I do very well academically, but not very well socially (I tend to be a wallflower). I'm also Haitian and can speak the dialect, Creole, although not very fluently.

I understand community service as my life. Everything I do is community service I feel sometimes. I've won outstanding community service awards through my sorority--I'm in the downtown area more so than I'm at Cornell at times. I don't really know why I decided to apply to CUSP--I liked the aspect of social justice. Up until I applied I had performed service that pertained mainly towards the youth and families, and I saw CUSP as a way to expand my thinking of community and service for the community. Although the youth is a very important part of the community, there are still other aspects that must be addressed. CUSP was an opportunity also for me to advance my understanding of social justice as I see it through an ILRie's eyes. Since taking the class, I've learned that community service has its own vernacular and learning and I found service-learning to be very interesting. Over the summer, I hope to apply those concepts and techniques "in the field." This will be the first time I will actually take what I've learned in the classroom and brought with me to the workplace.

So. on that note, I'll be working with the Bronx Defenders, which is a public defense firm similar to the Legal Aid Society. The difference between the Bronx Defender and other public defense organizations is that it takes a wholistic approach to defending individuals who cannot afford a lawyer. Each case is assigned a team, made up of four people: an investigator, an attorney, a social worker and an administrative assistant. So, for example, when a client has been released, he/she can return to the Bronx Defenders, and from there, whoever had been assigned will have the social worker help him/her re-integrate into society, whether it be through reconnecting with family members or finding a job and housing.

With that said, I'm working with the Civil Action Project and Reentry Net which concentrates on analyzing and collecting information on what options are open to recently incarcerated people. Bronx Defenders has introduced several pieces of legislation at a federal, state and city level from making forms of identification easier to attain (right now, a prisoner incarcerated for more than 90 days has to pay $15 to get an original birth certificate, which serves as his/her only form of identification in the US. Alot of the time, people's stuff gets stolen, or taken or just lost in the shuffle, and they often leave jail with no identification) to expanding the Federal Second Chance Act to individuals currently in jail. I honestly don't know what I expect to accomplish by this summer's end, but I do know that I will be learning about the ins and outs of the criminal justice system on the side of public defense which I think will be very helpful for me in the future. I've already learned about the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony, and furthermore, what the collateral consequences are for both!

While talking to an investigator, she mentioned that the people who work there really love their job and her first indication of this is their winning rate, which is 80% (they tend to win alot of their cases, or can reduce charges from felonies to misdemeanours) and the fact that the lawyers working at the Bronx Defenders are Ivy League and Top Tier graduates. She felt that the community definitely benefitted from this because you have some of the best lawyers working for what are admittedly convicted felons who have been arrested multiple times. The investigator told us about one case of a drug dealer who's lawyer was able to get him off of many horrible charges. Finally, the guy pushed his luck and has finally been placed in jail, but the fact that this lawyer was able to render 6 out of 8 cases void is amazing. In addition, the Bronx Defenders performs community service and reaches out to the community. In August, they host a street fair, and during the summer, they host an arts project with the youth in the community, among other initiatives. There is a small handbook that is written for the general public to read that breaks down what are the consequences of being charged with a felony or a misdemeanour and how that affects future employment, housing and education. In addition, there are resources for people looking for someone in jail. I think that the community therefore, benefits a lot from an organization like the Bronx Defenders. I only hope to add to the contributions that BD offers now.