American Friends Service Committee is another great advocate for prisoners. Their web page has many links to other groups in Michigan that work with and for the incarcerated. Check out their website below. Many resources to contact and read about.
http://www.prisoneradvocacy.org/resources/links.shtml
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
New Directions Ministries - "Helping Others, Help Others"
As many of you know, Citizens for Prison Reform has "partnered" up with New Directions Ministries, for their prison programs and generous opportunities they have offered us. We thank Len from the bottom of our hearts for providing the space and peaceful setting to continue our monthly meetings.
This week I will be sending in their pamphlets to our prisoners. They have a pen-pal program that you can sign your loved one up for. Their Pen-pals currently write to over 60 inmates here in Michigan and as far as California and Florida. To sign up please contact Len Hill at lenh@newdirectionsministries.org. Website: http://www.newdirectionsministries.org/New_Directions/ministries.html
A touching scripture that both New Directions Ministries use, as well as Doug Tjapkes from Humanity for Prisoners..."I was in prison and you visited me". One of my personal favorites.
As always, I will continue to send my letters and funnies to my list of loved ones...
To all, may you have a peaceful week and always remember that we stand together with you in your sorrows and pain. We are all here to come together as one for support and direction.
....Shelley Chapman
This week I will be sending in their pamphlets to our prisoners. They have a pen-pal program that you can sign your loved one up for. Their Pen-pals currently write to over 60 inmates here in Michigan and as far as California and Florida. To sign up please contact Len Hill at lenh@newdirectionsministries.org. Website: http://www.newdirectionsministries.org/New_Directions/ministries.html
A touching scripture that both New Directions Ministries use, as well as Doug Tjapkes from Humanity for Prisoners..."I was in prison and you visited me". One of my personal favorites.
As always, I will continue to send my letters and funnies to my list of loved ones...
To all, may you have a peaceful week and always remember that we stand together with you in your sorrows and pain. We are all here to come together as one for support and direction.
....Shelley Chapman
Michigan's New Drug Policy ????
We know all too well the lack of treatment with antipsychotic meds of our mentally ill.
From the "CORRECTIONS REPORTER":
MI New Drug Policy Questioned
The Michigan Department of Corrections has rushed into another effort to save pennies while risking dollars — and lives — by switching to cheaper antipsychotic drugs for roughly 1,500 mentally ill prisoners suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, depression and other conditions.
Corrections should push the pause button until further review by the Legislature and its Corrections Ombudsman Office. At least, the state should allow previous cases where brand meds are working effectively to continue.
Following an auditor general’s report in February concluding Michigan was spending too much on brand psychotropic drugs like Seroquel, the department adopted a new policy to dramatically decrease their use. In effect, it requires prison mental health staff to use cheaper generic medications whenever possible.
In fact, even before the audit, Corrections was pushing to prescribe fewer brand medications. In February 2010, for example, 1,479 prisoners used Seroquel, compared to 876 in February 2011, MDOC spokesperson John Cordell said. With additional reductions in March, the department reduced Seroquel costs from $1.2 million a month to $800,000.
There’s nothing wrong with using cheaper generics. Despite what MDOC officials claim, however, Seroquel has no generic equivalent — and probably won’t for at least another year. The drug they cite as a generic equivalent — Risperdal — is not a medical match for Seroquel, with certain different applications.
Corrections ought to try true generics on new patients, or on patients in which brand medications aren’t working, as Mark Reinstein, president and CEO of Mental Health Association of Michigan, has suggested. “We are not advocating for the use of Seroquel,” he said. “We’re arguing for flexibility.”
In a risky and related move this month, the state shifted oversight of prison psychiatric services from the Department of Community Health to Corrections. The department aims to save $15 million next year in pharmaceutical costs, but to achieve that, nearly all patients on brand-only antipsychotics must switch to cheaper medications.
Corrections’ new policy requires psychiatrists, after evaluating patients, to substantiate the use of brand-name drugs. Then, if a psychiatric nurse does not approve the use of the brand drug, the department’s chief psychiatrist makes the final decision. The new policy, which takes authority from attending psychiatrists, applies to old cases as well as new.
Now, inmates will endure six-week trials on generic medications. Patients who don’t do well on lower-cost medication will switch to brand-name drugs. By then, however, the drug may no longer work the same way.
Resulting changes can disrupt behavior and threaten other inmates and staff, as well as cause longer incarcerations.
At most, these efforts will save $20 a day per prisoner, but those savings will completely evaporate if disruptive behavior leads to longer prison sentences — at a cost to taxpayers of $140 a day. That’s not a risk taxpayers and Corrections employees — or mentally ill prisoners — should take.
From the "CORRECTIONS REPORTER":
MI New Drug Policy Questioned
The Michigan Department of Corrections has rushed into another effort to save pennies while risking dollars — and lives — by switching to cheaper antipsychotic drugs for roughly 1,500 mentally ill prisoners suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, depression and other conditions.
Corrections should push the pause button until further review by the Legislature and its Corrections Ombudsman Office. At least, the state should allow previous cases where brand meds are working effectively to continue.
Following an auditor general’s report in February concluding Michigan was spending too much on brand psychotropic drugs like Seroquel, the department adopted a new policy to dramatically decrease their use. In effect, it requires prison mental health staff to use cheaper generic medications whenever possible.
In fact, even before the audit, Corrections was pushing to prescribe fewer brand medications. In February 2010, for example, 1,479 prisoners used Seroquel, compared to 876 in February 2011, MDOC spokesperson John Cordell said. With additional reductions in March, the department reduced Seroquel costs from $1.2 million a month to $800,000.
There’s nothing wrong with using cheaper generics. Despite what MDOC officials claim, however, Seroquel has no generic equivalent — and probably won’t for at least another year. The drug they cite as a generic equivalent — Risperdal — is not a medical match for Seroquel, with certain different applications.
Corrections ought to try true generics on new patients, or on patients in which brand medications aren’t working, as Mark Reinstein, president and CEO of Mental Health Association of Michigan, has suggested. “We are not advocating for the use of Seroquel,” he said. “We’re arguing for flexibility.”
In a risky and related move this month, the state shifted oversight of prison psychiatric services from the Department of Community Health to Corrections. The department aims to save $15 million next year in pharmaceutical costs, but to achieve that, nearly all patients on brand-only antipsychotics must switch to cheaper medications.
Corrections’ new policy requires psychiatrists, after evaluating patients, to substantiate the use of brand-name drugs. Then, if a psychiatric nurse does not approve the use of the brand drug, the department’s chief psychiatrist makes the final decision. The new policy, which takes authority from attending psychiatrists, applies to old cases as well as new.
Now, inmates will endure six-week trials on generic medications. Patients who don’t do well on lower-cost medication will switch to brand-name drugs. By then, however, the drug may no longer work the same way.
Resulting changes can disrupt behavior and threaten other inmates and staff, as well as cause longer incarcerations.
At most, these efforts will save $20 a day per prisoner, but those savings will completely evaporate if disruptive behavior leads to longer prison sentences — at a cost to taxpayers of $140 a day. That’s not a risk taxpayers and Corrections employees — or mentally ill prisoners — should take.
State of Michigan Employee Directory / on-line look up
A helpful site if you are trying to look up a MDOC employee, a legislative member or any state employee.
http://www.state.mi.us/dit/directory.aspx
http://www.state.mi.us/dit/directory.aspx
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Date set for 2nd meeting at Mt Hope Church in Lansing hosted by Citizens for Prison Reform
Our first meeting was such a success! We now have our second meeting date set for June 25, 2011 at Mount Hope Church in Lansing. We hope to bring in more friends and families to join us in our campaign for prison reform and look forward to another wonderful day with all who have joined us.
Please, pass the message along to all that would be interested in becoming involved with our quest to hold our justice system accountable in helping to rehabilitate our prisoners in Michigan. To bring the change in mental health care for our most metally ill and to provide the resources to all prisoners in order to release them as safe, productive citizens in our communities.
More to follow on our next meeting and our journey to help friends and family members of our prisoners learn how to advocate for their own rights. We are one and will continue in moving forward with the progress we have made!
To all who have joined, listened, learned and with continue on with us, may you be blessed this Memorial Day weekend!
Please, pass the message along to all that would be interested in becoming involved with our quest to hold our justice system accountable in helping to rehabilitate our prisoners in Michigan. To bring the change in mental health care for our most metally ill and to provide the resources to all prisoners in order to release them as safe, productive citizens in our communities.
More to follow on our next meeting and our journey to help friends and family members of our prisoners learn how to advocate for their own rights. We are one and will continue in moving forward with the progress we have made!
To all who have joined, listened, learned and with continue on with us, may you be blessed this Memorial Day weekend!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Prisoner Family & Friends Resource and Advocacy Directory
We have put together a list of links to websites that are VERY helpful when looking for advocacy groups and other information on youth in prison as well as prisoner information and interesting blogs. Many of these links are surrounded around mentally ill children/adults and recent news and imformation to help in research for others. For now, you'll have to copy them into your browser, but we will soon have direct links on the page. The list is as follows:
American Friends: http://www.prisoneradvocacy.org/
Michigan Partners in Crisis: http://www.mipic.org/html/members.html
Humanity For Prisoners (website): http://humanityforprisoners.org/
Humanity for Prisoners (blog): http://humanityforprisoners.blogspot.com/
Justice for Juveniles: http://www.justiceforjuveniles.org/
Prison Talk - Prison Information and Inmate Support Community: http://www.prisontalk.com/
Prison Talk Forum: http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/
Prison Talk Blog: http://prisontalk.blogspot.com/
Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders (MACED): http://www.michkids.org/
NAMI of Michigan: http://mi.nami.org/
ACMH of Michigan: http://www.acmh-mi.org/
National Commission on Correctional Health Care: http://www.ncchc.org/
Citizens Alliance On Prisons and Public Spending: http://www.capps-mi.org/
Prisoner Publications: http://www.epochpublications.com/
SAMHSA (National Mental Health Information Center): http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: http://www.dbsalliance.org/
American Friends: http://www.prisoneradvocacy.org/
Michigan Partners in Crisis: http://www.mipic.org/html/members.html
Humanity For Prisoners (website): http://humanityforprisoners.org/
Humanity for Prisoners (blog): http://humanityforprisoners.blogspot.com/
Justice for Juveniles: http://www.justiceforjuveniles.org/
Prison Talk - Prison Information and Inmate Support Community: http://www.prisontalk.com/
Prison Talk Forum: http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/
Prison Talk Blog: http://prisontalk.blogspot.com/
Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders (MACED): http://www.michkids.org/
NAMI of Michigan: http://mi.nami.org/
ACMH of Michigan: http://www.acmh-mi.org/
National Commission on Correctional Health Care: http://www.ncchc.org/
Citizens Alliance On Prisons and Public Spending: http://www.capps-mi.org/
Prisoner Publications: http://www.epochpublications.com/
SAMHSA (National Mental Health Information Center): http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: http://www.dbsalliance.org/
Monday, May 23, 2011
Plans for Citizens for Prison Reform meeting in Lansing
Our first meeting was a HUGE success! We have our next meeting for June in progress and will post as soon as we have all the deatails. At our first meeting we introduced Charlie Lane, an ex-prisoner whom became mentally ill while serving our country. He spoke of how he made it through and how he is doing today. Truly a success story for our "Citizens for Prison Reform" campaign. We had a legislative update from one of our members that visits Lansing each week to meet with Senators, Representative and other legislative meetings. Monica, an ex-prisoner and now advocate told us of her story and how she works with prisoners and ex-prisoners as they are released. Lois led the way in explaining what our cause is all about and how we are working toward total reform on the mentally ill incarcerated as well as inhumane treatment of current prisoners.
We are on board with many other advocacy groups that help give hope to the mentally ill, wrongfully accused and prisoners struggling for their own rights. We will continue our reform and plan to bring you more information in the coming days.
We are on board with many other advocacy groups that help give hope to the mentally ill, wrongfully accused and prisoners struggling for their own rights. We will continue our reform and plan to bring you more information in the coming days.
Citizens for Prison Reform Get together and find direction
At a meeting in Lansing on Sat. May 21, 2011, approximately 20 loved ones of Michigan's prisoners gathered for a meeting hosted by Citizens for Prison Reform and New Directions, Inc.
Familes shared heart wrenching stories of the inhumane treatment and conditions of their loved ones in prisons. Two survivors of the prison setting shared their horrific stories of conditions and treatment of prisoners.
Everyone decided that reform is a top priority for our state's correctional facilities and administration of those facilities, as well as the care and treatment of the mentally ill, so often found there. Advocacy and meetings with the right people to take place. Involving more familes and loved ones of prisoners is a priority as well.
More meetings to come! More action to take place! No one is giving up! Hope is alive will survive!
Familes shared heart wrenching stories of the inhumane treatment and conditions of their loved ones in prisons. Two survivors of the prison setting shared their horrific stories of conditions and treatment of prisoners.
Everyone decided that reform is a top priority for our state's correctional facilities and administration of those facilities, as well as the care and treatment of the mentally ill, so often found there. Advocacy and meetings with the right people to take place. Involving more familes and loved ones of prisoners is a priority as well.
More meetings to come! More action to take place! No one is giving up! Hope is alive will survive!
Prison Reform Michigan
We are "Citizens for Prison Reform". A group of state-wide citizens that have come together to work with the legislature on reforming our prison system. We believe in rehabilitation, we work to get the mentally ill the treatment they need to continue progressing toward rehabilitation.
We work to reform ALL inhumane treatment, injustices, and system failures. We welcome you to follow us and even become a part of Citizens for Prison Reform.
We work to reform ALL inhumane treatment, injustices, and system failures. We welcome you to follow us and even become a part of Citizens for Prison Reform.
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