Town Hall for Justice for Oscar Grant, Oakland, 8/29/09: audio

(audio 48:29)

Francisco Da Costa, writer and environmental activist, speaks to the ins and outs of effective community lobbying for legislation based on his many related experiences.

5:40
Wilson Riles, former Oakland City Councilmember, speaks about the recent court order to reduce the prison population in California and what is being done to accomplish or resist the order. The serious overcrowding of prisons has been ruled to be cruel and unusual punishment and reducing that population is not only humane but would save California billions of dollars. He talks about PORAC (also fighting against civilian oversight at BART), prison guard unions, and prison construction interests fighting against reducing the number of prisoners. Wilson Riles says that Californians United for a Responsible Budget are fighting for a sizable prisoner release. Minister Keith adds info about the Terminator Tour which offers walk-throughs in communities to reveal the very real and devastating effects of recently enacted and proposed state budgets cuts. He also talks about the dangerous situation in prisons created by overcrowding.

27:00
Gregory speaks about federal Housing and Urban Development and Oakland city planning that has lead to the loss of affordable housing for low income residents in Oakland. Part of this included provisions that denied services and housing to those who have criminal records. This relates to the last issue discussed of prisoner released as it is important that prisoners are released with proper resources allocated for successfully re-assimilating back into their communities.

32:00
Dr. Ramona Tascoe, Allen Temple Baptist Church, discusses the case of missing five-year-old Hasanni Campbell, whose foster mother spoke at the previous Town Hall. Ramona Tascoe says that while police arrest and detain Hasanni's foster parents (since released due to insufficient evidence) as their role in the disappearance remains in question, the most important thing to keep in mind is that Hasanni is still missing and weekly vigils will continue until Hasanni is accounted for.

38:40
Gordon Humphreys, Olivet Baptist Church, closes out the Town Hall by asking questions about the prison reduction plan, where the potential moving of California prisoners to Michigan rather than actually releasing them is discussed.

Gordon Humphreys raises a concern about clergy often being woefully uninformed about issues such as the prisoner debate and therefore then doing their congregations, who are effected by such police decisions, a great disservice.