On July 13th at 11 am, approximately 30 supporters of the North Richmond Justice Committee's Alternative Sentencing proposal gathered outside the Martinez Superior Courthouse. Among the supporters were residents of North Richmond as well as representatives of many social service agencies. Represent- atives from the Committees of Correspondence and Berkeley Copwatch were also present.Although scheduled to be a probation hearing for Dwight "Bird" Woodard, the proceeding was heavy with implications for the Alternative Sentencing program itself. All morning long, witness after witness attempted to explain the program to the judge and to demonstrate the widespread support for Alternative Sentencing that exists in the North Richmond area and elsewhere. These arguments are summarized in the following letter to Judge Patsey from supporters of the plan:
Dear Judge Patsey:
The North Richmond Justice Committee is writing to you because of our concern for several of our young people who are presently in front of you with pending charges. The Justice Committee has met weekly since its formation approximately one and one-half years ago. Our goal is to deal with community conflicts, including community-police problems. Our statement of purpose is attached to this letter as Exhibit "A". We are a multi-cultural committee and our members range in age from late teens to seniors.
In the last year, we have helped resolve conflicts between members of the community including ethnic conflicts, and we have helped mediate disputes between "gangs", thereby being partially responsible for the 60% drop in the homicide rate in Richmond in 1992. (Some of the conflicts have re-emerged in 1993.) We have worked closely with members of the Contra Costa Sheriff's and, to a lesser degree, with the Richmond Police Department... We recently sponsored a gang conference where gang-affiliated youth and community adults came together to discuss solutions for continuing problems.
Our ongoing issue is developing alternative approaches to the problems of drugs and violence which are destroying our community and our youth. There is increasing acknowledgment that the "War on Drugs" does not and has not worked... Our youths are killed and incarcerated at an alarming rate. The tensions between the citizenry and police grows, the unemployment rate is massive, and hopelessness, despair and rage permeate the community. At times, North Richmond seems more like a war zone than a neighbor- hood. For example, during the latest sweep to serve warrants from the recent grand jury indictments, doors throughout the community were kicked in, several arrestees and bystanders were brutally beaten, and a sense of fear and despair permeates.
We know that the greatest chance for our young people to get out of the cycle of crime and despair is if there is concerted and real community support. We are giving up on any expectation that the county or other government entity will place any significant resources into our community for anything other than law enforcement. We are, therefore, doing our best to create alternatives with our own resources and it is our firm belief that the huge drop in the homicide rate is directly attributable to this community participation and support. We are also aware that we have a long way to go, as the problems are massive and reach far beyond the borders of North Richmond.
Our request to you is to work with us in helping some of the youth currently before you. Three of our young men Ð Robert Matlock, Jonathan Washington and Dwight Woodard Ð have worked with our Committee and on some of the community projects. We are structuring a proposal which we hope you will accept and which, over time, we hope can be expanded to include others of our youth. We have selected these three because of their prior commitment to our work as well as our discussions with them about what we expect of them if they are incorporated into this program. All three have indicated a firm commitment to cooperate and we feel that we have the connections with them to succeed.
Our proposal is as follows:
1. That they be placed on felony probation on whatever terms the Court wants to set.
2. That each of them participate fully in the North Richmond Neighborhood House Out-Patient Drug Program, where Bubba Godfrey, a member of the Committee and staff at the Program, will supervise them and report to probation if they fail to fully participate.
3. That all three work full time. The San Francisco Foundation has given our Committee a $20,000 grant. Four staff positions were created. See the Grant Outline attached hereto as Exhibit "B". These three will each receive one of those positions. They will be expected to work full time with youths in helping them create alternatives to drugs and violence. Bobby Bowen, an alcohol, drug and violence prevention specialist with Opportunity West, will supervise these staff positions.
4. Each of the three is also expected to volunteer for other activities which arise as part of our ongoing program. We expect them to become fully functioning brothers, role models for the youth, and community activists in exchange for the time, energy and resources which the Committee is investing in them.
Although we are focusing on Dwight, Jonathan and Robert, we are also concerned about the many other youth from North Richmond who are currently incarcerated and/or facing charges, and it is our dream that this program will expand to incorporate them too.
We are happy to provide you with any further information, to meet with you personally, or to work with you in whatever way, to help these young men turn their lives around.
Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation on this matter.
Sincerely,
Michele Jackson, Neighborhood House of North
Richmond
Bobby Bowen, Opportunity West
Francie Koehler, Rand Investigations
Bubba Godfrey, North Star Drug Treatment
Unfortunately, after another day of testimony on July 27th, Judge Richard Patsey decided to send Mr. Woodard to state prison for three years because he decided that there was a "preponderance of evidence" against him.Bobby Bowen, an Alcohol, Violence and Drug Prevention specialist working with Opportunity West, expressed frustration with the ruling: "Judge Patsey had a choice. Instead of supposedly selling a $20 rock of cocaine to a highly paid police informer, Dwight could have been doing something else. At a time when only 15% of Chevron's 3000 workers actually live in Richmond, Santa Fe Steel is closing up, and every other major employer is phasing out or cutting back their operations, what choices really do exist for our young people?"
Despite Judge Richard Patsey's indifference to the desires of communities like North Richmond, the Justice Committee fully intends to continue their work, and to put forward more alternative sentencing proposals in the future. For more information, contact the North Richmond Justice Committee at (510) 236-5812, and ask for Bobby Bowen.