Financial Greed Now Drives Incarceration

by Charles Picarella, PAR reader

Traditionally, incarceration has been used in the United States as a deterrence to incapacitate offenders from committing further crime, to extract a measure of retribution, and to promote methods of rehabilitation. More recently, incarceration is being driven by financial greed. For-profit companies, such as GTL, Securus, CoreCivic, Aramark, Keefe Group, and Bob Barker Company Inc., supply goods and services to the corrections-industrial complex as part of a business model that serves their desire to turn a profit. Corpo-rate profits as a motivation for incarceration should be concerning to those that bear the costs: taxpayers.

In Pennsylvania, $3.1 billion of the state’s budget has been allocated to corrections, the second largest item in the budget. That is money that will not be spent on education, healthcare, housing or infrastructure. Instead, those funds will go to rent-seeking prison profiteers, many of whom employ lobbyists to capture ever more government funding.

Many incarcerated people are not hardened criminals but are our family, friends and neighbors. Many of these people struggle with substance abuse issues and/or homelessness. A shockingly high percentage of incarcerated people have mental health issues underlying their criminal behaviors. Jails and prisons are not places in which these people will receive the help and rehabilitation that they need to break the cycle of incarceration. We simply should not continue to fund the cycle for the benefit of corporate interests.

Challenge your elected officials when they campaign as “being tough on crime.” Ask them what that means. Who will pay that cost? How exactly will the funds be spent? Who will reap the benefits – those incarcerated, the community, or a company looking for financial gain? Demand change. Let your elected representatives know that you don’t want to fund prison profiteering. Let them know that you’d like the money spent elsewhere. Incarceration has a place in contemporary society but surely that place is not to drive profits for private business.

Charles Picarella is a prisoner in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He publishes a monthly newsletter. For a free copy, write to Charles at:
Smart Communication/ PADOC
Charles Picarella #MZ7013
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL  33733

‘No’ to Rate Increases, No to Expansion of Fossil Fuels!

by Sena Wazer, Sierra Club CT Chapter

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m., the Stop Project Maple Coalition will gather at the Eversource corporate headquarters at 56 Prospect St. in Hartford, to call out unaffordable rate increases, harmful to low-income customers, and the continued expansion of fossil fuels.

Stop Project Maple is a regional coalition focused on stopping the expansion of an Enbridge-owned gas pipeline known as AGT; this expansion project called Project Maple would run through New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts, Eversource publicly stated that they offered a bid on the expanded gas from Project Maple. In Connecticut, Eversource is the monopolistic electric utility for most of the state and also provides gas to many towns. Connecticut relies primarily on fossil fuels for both electricity and home heating, which raises rates, creates air pollution and destroys the climate. There are grave concerns about the continued increase in use of fossil gas and the possible purchase of additional gas from Project Maple in Connecticut.

On Feb. 11 at 3 p.m., we will rally to call out the role of our utility companies, especially Eversource, in the promotion and expansion of fossil fuels, as well as how they have consistently taken advantage of low-income rate-payers. The rally will include speakers as well as an action.

Please contact Sena Wazer at sena.wazer@sierraclub.org with any questions. More information will also be shared on the Coalition’s website: stopprojectmaple.org.

CT Residents Protest President-Elect Trump Ahead of Inauguration

by Shahrzad Rasekh, January 18, CT Mirror

A Connecticut contingent marched in opposition to the impending second term of President Donald J. Trump in Washington, D.C., Saturday [Jan. 18], carrying signs and expressing concern about the fate of racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, women, immigrants and the environment over the coming four years.

The People’s March, organized by a coalition of nonprofits including the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood and Time to Act, drew an estimated 50,000 demonstrators to the nation’s capital days before Trump’s second inauguration. Under gray skies and a light drizzle, a multi-generational crowd — from babies in strollers to senior citizens — marched to the Lincoln Memorial, chanting intermittently, “This is what democracy looks like!”

[Article can be read in its entirety at https://tinyurl.com/49bedmkn]

Remington Woods Soon to Be ‘Nature For All’

by Jhoni Ada, Sierra Club CT Chapter

Remington Woods, a 422-acre urban forest in Bridgeport, Connecticut, stands as Fairfield County’s last lung—a vital sanctuary in a city shaped by industrialization and urban sprawl. Over the last 5 years, we’ve seen remarkable progress toward securing its protection, each milestone bringing us closer to a future where this irreplaceable green space is preserved for generations.

In 2024 we attended a fully booked bus tour of Remington Woods, offering residents, students, and advocates a firsthand experience of its towering trees, serene Success Lake, and thriving wildlife. The awe and enthusiasm from attendees underscored why protecting this forest has been an essential part of the Sierra Club CT’s goals.

Perhaps last year’s biggest moment came when the agricultural company Corteva unveiled their Nature for All plan, proposing public access to Remington Woods with trails, a nature center, and a sustainable energy farm to fund its long-term stewardship. Collaborating on this bold vision has been a privilege, and we are determined to help make it a reality.

Our partnership with High Horizon middle-schoolers was another highlight, showcasing how this forest inspires future conservationists. From wildlife clubs to documentary participation, these students reminded us that protecting Remington Woods isn’t just about today—it’s about creating a better tomorrow.

This year also brought important milestones:
Hosting Black Birders Week: Celebrating diversity in conservation with nature enthusiasts from across the state.

Advocacy Wins: Contributing to the National Old Growth Forest Campaign, amplifying the call for stronger protections.

Building Partnerships: Engaging with US Fish and Wildlife Service, Aspetuck Land Trust, Save the Sound, and local leaders like Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Clanmother Shoran Piper of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe.

As we look ahead, our priorities include supporting Corteva’s conservation plan, strengthening partnerships, and advocating for USFWS involvement to ensure permanent protection.

Thanks to all the support, we’re closer than ever to preserving Fairfield County’s last lung. Together, we’re shaping a legacy of urban conservation and hope for our community.

Ask Your State Legislators to Support Your Environmental Rights

by Kimberly Stoner, Director of Advocacy, CT NOFA

Every person should have the fundamental human right to a clean and healthy environment: clean air, water, and soil, healthy ecosystems, and a safe and stable climate. This right is essential to our survival but is not mentioned in the CT state constitution or the US Constitution. An alliance of individuals and organizations, including CT NOFA, C3M, Sierra Club CT, CT League of Conservation Voters, and the CT League of Women Voters, among many others, have been working together to pass a resolution in the state General Assembly that would put environmental rights on the ballot.

This year, the resolution is HJ7, and we already know that it will get a public hearing in the Government Administration and Elections Committee. Last year’s resolution passed the GAE committee, but never got a vote in the state House or Senate.

Here’s what you can do now, at the start of this year’s legislative session:

  1. Find your state legislators. If you don’t know your legislators, you can go to cga.ct.gov, click on “Representation” and “Find Your Legislator,” and put in your address. Your legislator’s email is: Firstname.Lastname@ct.gov
  2. Send an email asking your legislator to co-sponsor HJ7. Here’s a simple script:
    1. I’m a resident of [city/town] and your constituent.
    2. I support the CT Environmental Rights Amendment because …..
    3. Tell them very briefly why – just one sentence is enough. Possible talking points:

A personal experience showing why a clean and healthy environment is important to you.

It recognizes environmental rights as being on par with other fundamental human rights, such as the right to free speech.

It protects the environment for the benefit of all residents.

Protests Brace for Four More Years

by Laura Glesby, Jan, 20, New Haven Independent

Protesters declare support for trans, immigrant, Palestinian rights and more on the Green…

A Statue of Liberty drawn on fire, free toiletries for any who needed, and collective shouts of immigrant, transgender, and Palestinian resistance rang through the frigid cold at two parallel protests downtown.

Protesters declare support for trans, immigrant, Palestinian rights and more on the Green. Photo: Laura Glesby

Their message resounded on Monday afternoon as Donald Trump once again took an oath of office — with a flurry of executive orders cracking down on immigration and cementing anti-trans policies awaiting his signature.

About 75 people clustered at the center of the New Haven Green at a rally organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and a host of other organizations, from Trans Haven to the Semilla Collective to Unhoused Activist Community Team (U ACT).

Meanwhile, another 40 people affiliated with Unidad Latina en Acción (ULA) convened across the street on the steps of City Hall.

While the former protest shined a particular spotlight on Palestinian self-determination and the latter focused especially on the rights of undocumented immigrants, activists at both gatherings stressed a need to collaborate and stand against injustices they view as all interconnected.

“We need to step out of our silos,” said Sun Queen, a poet and activist with Black Lives Matter New Haven and U ACT, on the Green.

Sun Queen quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in honor of the national holiday also on Monday designated for remembering King’s legacy: “There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it.”

At that rally, protesters made clear that while they were gathered to oppose Trump, they were not there to mourn the status quo under Joe Biden — especially when it came to the United States’ relationship to Israel.

[Article can be read in its entirety at https://tinyurl.com/5n6kbd3r]

Author Talk — Radical Connecticut: People’s History In The Constitution State

Author Andy Piascik joins us for a discussion about his and Steve Thornton’s new book: “Radical Connecticut: People’s History In The Constitution State.”

Version 1.0.0

“Radical Connecticut” tells the stories of everyday people and well-known figures whose work has often been obscured, denigrated, or dismissed. There are narratives of movements, strikes, popular organizations and people in Connecticut who changed the state and the country for the better.

Bridgeport native Andy Piascik is a long-time activist and award-winning writer whose work has appeared in many publications and on many websites. He is the author of the novel “In Motion.”
“Radical Connecticut: People’s History in the Constitution State” is his fourth book.

Thursday, Jan. 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
Phillip Marrett Room
Ives Main Library
133 Elm St.
New Haven

Martin Luther King Love on March Wed. Jan. 15

WYBC Radio, 94.3 FM

Join 94.3 WYBC and Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Love March on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in New Haven.

The MLK Love March in New Haven has been going strong for over 50 years and it celebrates the life and work of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Love March will begin at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church located at 100 Lawrence St. and continue to Whitney Ave. to Edwards St. to State St. to Lawrence St. We will march on this day rain or shine to commemorate the dreams and aspirations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Love March, which was started by Shiloh’s late Founder and Pastor, Rev. George W. Hampton, Sr., has been a positive force in the community of New Haven for more than 50 years. The Love March was created to preserve the notion of nonviolence.

Come out and lend your voice of support to the community in making New Haven a better place to live. Scheduled to attend will be some of our political leaders from New Haven and the State of Connecticut.

For more information, please call (203) 776-8262, by email at secretarysmbc100@gmail.com, or visit www.smbcnh.org.

Dr. King’s ‘Beyond Vietnam’ Speech

Henry Lowendorf, GNH Peace Council

The annual public reading of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s revolutionary Beyond Vietnam speech will take place Wednesday, Jan. 15, at noon in New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. It is being organized by the Greater New Haven Peace Council, City of New Haven Peace Commission, and Veterans for Peace.

This speech shook the establishment into denouncing King because, among other things, he connected the movements for peace, civil rights and economic justice.

If you are interested in receiving a pdf of the speech and/or reading a page of the speech on Jan. 15, please email grnhpeacecouncil@gmail.com.

Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Social and Environmental Justice

by Peabody Museum

Every January, we gather at the Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave., to honor Dr. King’s legacy and uplift Black leadership in the social and environmental justice movements. Our special celebration evolves annually as we co-create programming with our community partners from across New Haven and Connecticut.

Co-founded and co-presented with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, each year’s celebration includes:

  • Two days of music and dance performances on the World Stage;
  • A youth art contest and youth-led summit co-presented with Students for Educational Justice;
  • A poetry open mic and professional poetry slam;
  • Storytelling at the New Haven Museum at 114 Whitney Ave.;
  • Special access to Peabody experts and collections;
  • Activities designed and presented by environmental and social justice organizations from across the state.

This important event draws visitors from all over the region. We can’t wait for you to join us!

We are currently planning our 29th celebration, to take place the weekend of Jan. 19–20, 2025. Please visit https://peabody.yale.edu/events/calendar for updates on this year’s event. Hope to see you there!

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