Are you trying to file a complaint against a Memphis Police Officer? Back in 2012, we first documented the process and barriers we observed when filing a complaint against Memphis Police. Since then, we’ve assisted many others in trying to navigate the process in search of justice. While this should in no way be taken as a substitute for advice from an attorney, here are a few lessons we learned along the way….Read More
Mid-South Peace & Justice Center’s Juvenile Justice Project is working with Juvenile Court to build networks of churches and organizations to address our high number of youth offenders and the lack of opportunities for court ordered community service, specifically in the areas of Hickory Hill & Bartlett.
If your organization would like to partner with Juvenile Court to provide opportunities for our young people, please take a minute to fill out this form, by clicking here: bit.ly/2kfB7Qr
For more information, contact Paul Garner: paul@midsouthpeace.org
On Friday December 2nd, the culmination of a semester long collaboration between Memphis United and Theatre Memphis made its public debut to a packed house at Rhode College’s McCoy Theatre. Since September, Organizers with Mid-South Peace & Justice Center’s Juvenile Justice Project through Memphis United have been working with teaching fellows from Rhodes College and Central High School students to create performance pieces that wrestle with issues of social justice under the guidance of the Theatre Memphis Department of Outreach and Education. Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s main role has been providing resources and local context for the students’ research throughout the process.
The performance also showcased collaborations from SPEAK, a group of poets, dancers, writers, and rappers based out of Melrose High School including a Know Your Rights Rap Single inspired by Memphis United’s interactive Know Your Rights Theatre workshops. In their own words, SPEAK is “a group of people who create positive work to impact the world.”
The day began early for Central High School students who also attended a breakfast and community conversation at Caritas Village where they engaged in dialogue with local organizers and change makers from the Memphis Bus Riders Union, United Campus Workers, Fight For 15, Planned Parenthood, and Mid-South Peace & Justice Center.
The debut performance was such a huge success, a second showcase is already in the works for next semester. At Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, we believe that no amount of education or empathy can equal the experiences of those most affected by an issue. They are the experts. They have the solutions. To address issues of youth violence and crime in our city, we must engage with those most affected by the issue…young people. Youth are the SOLUTION, not the problem!
Special Thanks to additional performers, Margaret Butta MD Deloach, Nick Black, Brittney Threatt, and Rufus Smith ; Leslie Barker & Lena Wallace Black of Theatre Memphis; Kyamran ‘K-Mo’ Mohammad (who made the beat for the Know Your Rights Rap); photographer; Andrea Morales; Rhodes College Teaching fellows, Karissa Coady, Miranda Colegrove, Emily Murphy, Brynna Newkirk, and Deya Pajarillo; and of course…all of the talented young people from Melrose, and Central High School!
These are the kinds of community building projects you support when you give to the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center. Invest in our young people, and invest in the future by making a end-of-the year contribution today at midsouthpeace.org/donate
Most of us, even us “woke” folks have been well schooled on what we think are our rights when it comes to encounters with police officers. As kids, we all grew up on a heavy dose of cop dramas and movies that have informed our beliefs about the way police interact with the public, and often this has shaped the way we engage with law enforcement in real life either consciously or unconsciously.
There are a great many problems with this. While we know that Hollywood and other forms of mass media, are fake and scripted for dramatic effect, it is easy to forget, as the lines between reality and suspension of disbelief have been blurred over years and years of reinforcement by cinematic motifs geared at our sustaining our entertainment.
Take for instance, Law & Order, or better yet, Tyler Perry’s popular film, “Madea Goes To Jail.” When Madea goes before the judge after an encounter with police officers. The judge laments the fact that officers failed to mirandize her, or read her rights before taking her into custody. “You forgot to mirandize her?….I’ve got to let you go…As much as I hate it, I have to…”
Like many popular dramatizations of police encounters, this scene hinges on the assumption that if police officers don’t read you your Miranda Rights, it’s a get out of jail free card. While this is a idea that is frequently perpetuated by movies and TV shows, it is wildly inaccurate, and has resulted in a general misunderstanding of the way Miranda law functions in reality.
The concept of the “Miranda warning” was established following the 1966 Miranda v. Arizona Supreme Court decision, when the courts found that:
“…The person in custody must, prior to interrogation, be clearly informed that he/she has the right to remain silent, and that anything the person says will be used against that person in court; the person must be clearly informed that he/she has the right to consult with an attorney and to have that attorney present during questioning, and that, if he/she is indigent, an attorney will be provided at no cost to represent him/her.”
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Good Afternoon members of the Memphis City Council, We come today to speak on behalf of HOPE, that’s Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality, a grassroots organization made up exclusively of men and women who are formerly or currently experiencing homelessness.
We are greatly disappointed by the council’s actions here today to pass an ordinance that will only further the criminalization of homelessness and poverty, in a city where there are so many much more pressing issues. To make matters worse is that the law before you today will ultimately accomplish nothing.
The maker of the motion seeks to extend the times where panhandling is prohibited from 5pm at night to 10am in the daytime and extend the boundaries around crosswalks and intersections. The error here is that it is assumed that somehow nothing is already being done, or cannot be done during those hours to address panhandling.
Here is the reality of what is already going on. During the day and in the evening people who are panhandling at intersections or by on or off ramps are charged with OBSTRUCTION OF A HIGHWAY OR PASSAGEWAY. Which is already a Class C misdemeanor and carries the exact same penalty of a $50 fine and no more than 30 days in jail that this panhandling ordinance invokes. http://law.justia.com/codes/
In other words, all that is being changed here today is the charge being given. Those who panhandle for whatever reason will see no difference between yesterday, today or tomorrow.
The only difference is the charge being given by the officer in question. Further, it cost Shelby County $87-$112 per person per day to hold them at 201 Poplar, which means that by the time that person is done being processed and booked the county has already lost money on a charge with a $50 fine. Keep in mind that even now 201 is already wrestling with an overcrowding issue due to the difficulty of processing people being held to their court dates. This is leading to massive and needless waste of tax payer dollars for no actual gain.https://www.memphisdailynews.
We don’t care how you vote today because this legislation is ultimately meaningless and counterproductive to anyone wanting to actually address the core issues of poverty and addiction at the root of the problem.
It grieves us that clearly the maker of the motion did not speak with MPD officers on the beat, homelessness outreach workers or the staff at 201 Poplar before this reckless action was taken. The Memphis City Council has now wasted 6 weeks debating and presenting a meaningless law that will only serve to hamper the operations of the jail.
We urge you to use the next six weeks to promote something that will actually make a real and positive difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters on the streets. Memphis has no free shelter, we have few beds for single women, no beds for LGBT community and slum like living conditions at places like Serenity Towers, Corning Village, Bend Tree apartments and many others. For every 55 units of low-income housing we have 100 qualified applicants. Further we have less than 40 code officers and an MLGW process that keeps people out of housing due to unreasonable payment plan process.
If you had six weeks for this nonsense, we hope you’ll find 6 weeks for the least among us.
~H.O.P.E
Almost 3 years ago, we told you about an incident that occurred at the Manna House, a place of hospitality and sanctuary for men and women experiencing homelessness, when officers arrested a staff person, then HOPE Organizing Coordinator, Paul Garner as they attempted to film police who were entering the Manna House property without a warrant. Two years, 11 months and 20 days (ALMOST THREE YEARS) after we initially filed a complaint with Internal affairs, Garner’s case was finally heard before the newly reformed and empowered Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB).
Garner addresses CLERB (Photo: Jessica Gertler)
Garner pointed out during the hearing, that the MPD policy which outlines civilian’s right to film officers was released in December 2013, almost two months after he was arrested on October 21st, 2013. The CLERB then approved a motion to obtain the policy in place at the time of the arrest and continued Garner’s hearing until next month so that they could request not only the public recording policy, but also relevant film footage from the incident that has not yet been made available to CLERB by Internal Affairs & MPD.
This is exactly what we hoped for. Why, you may ask….. At the time of the incident, then MPD Director Toney Armstrong, flip flopped on whether or not there was a policy on filming in place; first saying there wasn’t, then saying there was an old one that was being revised, andfinally releasing the NEW policy in December, but only after a mass protest on City Hall forced them to do so. We do not believe there was a policy at the time. So it will be interesting how MPD responds to CLERB’s request. They have only a few options: release the policy (if it ever existed), admit that there was NEVER an old policy, or simply refuse to cooperate with the request, in which case CLERB would be able to utilize their new subpoena process.
We will continue to seek justice on this and other cases through CLERB, as a way to ensure there is an a process in place to hold officers accountable that is accessible to ALL PEOPLE, not just those with the time, resources, institutional knowledge, and privilege to follow up and navigate the process. CLERB’s next meeting is Thursday, November 10th, at 4PM :: City Hall :: 125 N Main
The Survival Guide is compiled annually by the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center. Until this guide was created, there was no single resource for people experiencing homelessness to reference so that they can access the services they need independently.
The Agency Listing and Reference sections of this Guide provide information about public and private agencies and organization offering services to homeless people.
Please note the following:
Download a print-friendly version of the 2016 Homeless Survival Guide
The page layout of this document is set especially so you can print and distribute your own copies of the survival guide. There are even places for you to insert your logo or ads so that it can be customized. Please print and distribute widely.
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To get your organization or church ministry in the next edition of the survival guide: CLICK HERE
If you are looking for an online database of area shelters and services, please visit:memphishomelessoptions.org
#CLERB ALERT: Over the past week, we’ve shared the stories of individuals in the #CLERBbacklog, REAL people who where referred to CLERB by MPD Internal Affairs between 2011-2013, when CLERB DID NOT EXIST!
One of MSPJC core principles, is that no amount of education or empathy can equal the lived experiences of those who have lived under a problem and that those who are most affected by a problem have and are the solutions to said problem. They are the experts. In that to address the issue of youth violence and crime, we have to engage with those most affected by the issue…our young people.
Memphis Youth with court ordered community service-Winter 2015
MSPJC workshop at Woodale Middle School.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS AT THE GANDHI-KING CONFERENCE
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