People Against Injustice is a grassroots organization in New Haven that works for reforms in the criminal justice system. Its members are a mixture of people directly affected by the unjust penal system and other citizens outraged by what is happening.
PAI is currently working on campaigns around 3 issues:
1) Bail/Bond- Bail was intended to ensure people come to court.
However it is being used to lock people up and force them to plea guilty
to crimes they often didn't commit. 20% of CT inmates are in prison before
their convicted because they can't afford their bail. Public defenders,
lawyers and even the bail commissioner have spoken out on the recent
increase in bails in New Haven and the large numbers of people being
locked up as a result.
2) Prison Phones- Through phone calls from prisons, a hidden
tax has
been placed on family members of prisoners. Prisoners are forced to make
collect calls. MCI/Worldcom has a monopoly in prisons and gives 45% of
their profit
from prisons to the state. Last year Connecticut collected over $6 million
from family members this way.
3) Barriers to Ex-Felons- Ex-Felons face many barriers to
reentering
society when they get out of jail. These include discrimination in
employment and being barred from public housing. Alternative programs,
probation and parole, which were intended to help the prisons have come to
be used increasing for surveillance. These barriers are a significant
factor in the high rates of return to prison.
peopleagainstinjust@earthlink.net, (203)787-5262, PO Box 1035, New Haven, CT 06504.