Lines Between Us

In this web extra, a discussion on whether having a lawyer present can change the outcome for a defendent--and how race may play a factor.

In the two web audio extras below, Mike Perry claims that the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services unfairly banned the Friend of a Friend program from some Maryland prisons, and that the way the Department of Corrections deals with gangs inside prisons actually creates a disincentive for prisoners to leave gangs because they'll be seen as informants.

DPSCS spokesperson Rick Binetti did not address Perry's comments about gangs, but he did tell us in an e-mail that the program at Roxbury Correctional Institution is "still suspended and will be most likely into the foreseeable future." Binetti gave us this statement regarding Friend of a Friend:

The Friend of a Friend program, while temporarily suspended at the Roxbury Correctional Institution, is still ongoing at other institutions within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Two individuals associated with Friend of a Friend program including violated entrance security procedures in the fall of 2012 when arriving at Roxbury for the program’s meeting. One of these individuals had materials with them which by institutional procedure needed to be cleared by the prison’s administration. The individuals involved did not previously ask for permission to bring this material inside the institution, so it was confiscated.

Another individual there for the same program meeting attempted to bring in two DVDs without prior authorization from RCI’s administration, another security violation. DVDs themselves are not necessarily a security violation. There are procedures in place to clear video material shown to inmates through volunteer programs, but again in this particular case, they were not followed.

Because of these two incidents, the program was suspended until it can be reviewed. The Friend of a Friend program has been in the DPSCS system for quite a long while now. All parties involved in the program have a full understanding of the security requirements inside our prisons. The Department has reached out to Ms. Stevenson to discuss the matter in an attempt to resolve the situation. To date, we have not heard back from her.

Another incident with the Friend of a Friend program happened earlier this year at a prison in Jessup. In this case we believe a visitor to the program - not those running the group - attempted to introduce contraband narcotics into the institution. The program was suspended while the incident was investigated. Once the investigation was complete, and the prison administration thought it was appropriate, the Friends of a Friend program was reinstated. It is currently meeting there on a regular basis.

In these web extras, Sheilah talks to Melody Taylor-Blancher about HUD's action against Sussex County in Delaware and to Taylor-Blancher and Dan Pontious about the Baltimore Regional Mobility Program.