Tamms Hearing in Ullin- April 2, 2012

I just returned home from a very long, but worthwhile day. What started out as a quest to observe democracy in its’ natural habitat, turned into a day I will never forget. Joined by another 40 individuals at 4:30 a.m. this morning, we boarded a bus and headed across the state.

            The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) hearing was held today to discuss Govern Quinn’s proposal to close Tamms Supermax Prison. This hearing is the first step in closing a facility in a larger social institution, like the prison system. The purpose of these hearings is to provide an opportunity for both sides to present their case and defend it with numerous advocates. These advocates range from international human right’s representatives, union representatives, correctional professionals from in and out of state, etc. These hearings are supposedly held in the area most affected by the proposed closing, and although Tamms Year Ten made a case that the large percent of inmates from Tamms were from Cook County and that they hearings should be held here, they were held in lovely Sothern Illinois.

            Our busload of people was a conglomeration of mothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, godmothers and supportive concerned citizens. I guess I would have fallen into the last category. Working with Tamms Year Ten last semester compelled me to continue helping this cause as much as possible, even if it just meant being a supportive body. Sometimes that is all democracy needs, active bodies.

            In regards to this assignment, the ultimate goal was to observe the process of democracy: I believe this started way before we got to the hearings, and even before we met that morning. The process of participating in an event like this involves careful planning and strategy. There were signs and buttons to be made, funds to be raised, food to be bought, speeches to be written, convincing people to attend, lobbying advocates to speak, etc. Although Laurie Jo is a huge player in the organization Tamms Year Ten, she could not have done it alone. Everyone had a part to play and each was an important cog in the machine.

            The hearing itself was similarly set up like the Chicago Public School board meeting we attended earlier. There was a board (COGFA) and big wigs (elected officials and the Illinois Department of Corrections representatives), the organizational and union advocates (ACLU National Prison Project, Uptown Peoples Law, AFSCME, Labor Council, etc) and the people (former prisoners, family members, correctional officers, employees, etc.). All were allotted two minutes to speak and were required to register ahead of time and submit statements in order to speak.

            The IDOC’s agenda is cutting the budget, Tamms Year Ten’s is human rights violations, AFSCME’s is jobs, and the local community’s concern is their personal economy. All of these players repeatedly voiced their opinions through out the hearings. The audience was asked to hold all applause and comments, but this was inevitable. The AFSCME came out in full force with tensions high. They filled nearly all but two rows of the auditorium. Those two rows were is where Tamm’s Year Ten sat, clearly out numbered. AFSCME’s numbers were impressive but their lack of respects and control was appalling. The made cat calls while family members and former prisoners were speaking, they laughed at testimonies, and they hooped and hollers after every one of their speakers were finished, sometimes even occasionally during the speeches.

            I was impressed how Tamm’s Year Ten participants conducted themselves in response to this opposition. We reminded ourselves that we were not at the hearing to change AFSCME’s opinion but to show support to the Legislators proposing the closure and to testify to COGFA about the Human Rights violations that occur at Tamm’s Correctional Center. With this in mind, we were able to keep our eyes on the prize and not be distracted by the chaos that surrounded us.

            After the meeting we jumped back on the bus and started the journey home. But I don’t believe the process of democracy ended at the hearing. On the way home we reflected on the hearing and mentioned things of interest. The family members of the men at Tamm’s shed many tears, the catcalls obviously affected them more than they had lead to believe at the hearing. The shear strength it took for them to stand in front of the board and a room of opposition and give testimony to the indecencies their loved once face is astounding. On the ride home we analyzed how our intent was not to rid this community of jobs or funding that the prison brings but our hope is that this community might be able to build a sustainable economy around something more decent, that their lively hood would not rely on the killing of the human soul, which is exactly what Tamm’s Correctional Center was designed to do, literally. 

            The next stop on this lengthy process of a prison closure is after COFGA provide the Appropriations Committee with their recommendations. This will be in about a month or so. After that, the Appropriations committee will draw up a bill to be passed through the House and Senate. Until then Tamm’s Year Tens’ work is not done. There is a peaceful march from the Illinois Department of Corrections Wednesday April 4^th in remembrance of the march AFSCME members performed with Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis in 1968. It is performance to remind AFSCME members of their roots, fighting for human rights for those who have been silenced. 

1968 Memphis Union Workers