Antonio Battle Update, And 2 Actions
Hello, everyone. Last week was a trying one. To summarize, Antonio was transferred from the Tombs back to Rikers Island on the administrative parole violation I've been writing to you about, his girlfriend was forced out of the family home where they were staying after he was picked up from there, most of his clothes were stolen by the time I went to pick them up from that facility last Tuesday, and Friday he was told in the onsite court at Rikers that he would remain held there because the halfway house whose administrative neglect caused all of this still hasn't sent them documentation. His court-appointed lawyer told him the earliest he could return would be mid-March, so he's stuck in jail for another month for no other reason than a bureaucratic system's failings.
He's now spent all of the nest egg we crowdsourced for him on phone calls (he has no choice but to use the DOC's extortive phone contractor to make calls to gather his documents and communicate with his girlfriend and me) and for his girlfriend to eat while she searches for another shelter. All because of a miscommunication between his parole officer and the halfway house where he was no longer staying.
So the first ask here is simple: He needs funds to have basic communication, to search for a job and housing over the next month of his incarceration. And honestly here, every dollar is important and appreciated. Antonio has been fastidious in not spending his money, but there have been at least five times in the past couple of months where if I couldn't wire him funds from the nest egg you funded he simply wouldn't have been able to pay an unexpected fee, or for a Metrocard to go to job interviews, or again, to eat. As usual, I can accept donations via PayPal (johnproct@gmail.com) or Venmo (@johnproc). I've also just set up a separate bank account to specifically handle donations for this work at my wife's behest.
The second ask is even more important: I need you to lend your voice. I've been gratified over the past couple of weeks with the number of people who have stepped up to share his story on social media, or to call your local representative if you live in NYC (I now have the ear of Brad Lander's office thanks to one of you). Antonio's case has tested the limits of my own voice in lending my privilege. My ask to you is this: If you know an investigative journalist, or a podcast producer, or a documentarian, or anyone else you think would be interested in shedding light on the plight of thousands of New Yorkers like Antonio, please put them in touch with me. This is something a whole lot of people bemoan in general terms; here is a direct example of a failing system misapplying and abusing its power. I'm happy not just to talk with them, but to arrange for them to speak with Antonio directly during his unjust incarceration. If you're wondering what to tell them, you could start with Antonio's words, which I transcribed from a phone conversation with him this past Saturday, February 16:
New York State Parole has become one of the biggest driving forces of incarceration. Thirty percent of New York State parolees are not incarcerated for committing new crimes. Out of the thirty percent of New York State parolees who have not committed new crimes but are back in the system, are there because of breach of parole restrictions, meaning technical parole violations. This forty-seven percent of parole failure is just about double the national average of twenty-eight percent. Parole has become a revolving door back to incarceration. One of the biggest reasons for being so is because without sufficient resources to assist parolees with housing, employment, vocation, education, reconnecting with family and peers as well as other support systems, in general navigating the complexity of life after incarceration, New York State parole has found re-incarceration to be the answer. How do we fix the problem?
NOTE: Antonio tells me his figures come from a statistical analysis he found in the law library where he’s being held. I haven’t yet verified the source.
Let's work together to fix this problem.
Re/Creation is now running a fundraiser from July 12-31 with limited edition t-shirts and coffee mugs featuring Antonio Battle’s work. Please considering buying one (or more!). All funds will go to Antonio as he continues to struggle and strive in his work and in his reentry.