April 9, 2010


(In attendance: Jeff, Karen, Stephanie, Carla, Owen, Calvin, Jodie, Neil, Logan,
Charlotte, guest: Father Richard Gorman)

NEXT MEETING: May 7, 3:45pm (GC 5489)
Send your ideas/suggestions for the agenda (we decided not to do a
reading as it is a busy time of semester). Tentatively, Calvin has
offered to do a presentation on his paper for a Race and Ethnicity
course.

UPDATES:
•       Listserv:
o       Jeff will be the contact person
•       Website (see “Committees” section later):
o       opencuny.org/prisonstudiesgroup
o       The site is basic right now, but a group of interested individuals
will be working on jazzing it up and making it more user friendly
o       Interested individual group members can add content — you can set
up your account on OpenCUNY.org and create user name and email Jeff so
that he can grant you access.
o       The suggestion was made to add “juvenile to justice” to the
subheading on the website
•       Ruth Gilmore Welcome Event: Owen brought it to Space-Time Research
Collective. They know the Prison Studies Group is interested, but as
of yet there is nothing in motion. Owen will let us know when there is
new/more information.

NEWS:
•       UPCOMING EVENT: Tuesday, April 13, 4-6pm — “Coming Home” (Michelle
Fine) in Psychology [more info forthcoming]
•       UPCOMING EVENT: Wednesday, April 14, 5:30-7:30 — Open Society
Institute hosts a book talk on “Texas Tough” [for more info:
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/usprograms/focus/justice/events/texas-tough-20100329]
•       UPCOMING EVENT: Friday, April 30, 12:30-5:30pm – Professional
Development in the Political Science Dept. (academic careers, job
search, non-academic careers) [more info forthcoming]
•       The group wondered how Ervin’s presentation went the other week?
•       Owen will be attending the conference of American Association of
Geographers in Washington, DC and will let us know about any criminal
justice talks/events/info he finds.
•       Logan attended the book talk given by Yale English professor Caleb
Smith at Hunter College several weeks ago on his new book, Prison and
the American Imagination. Smith sounded interested in the Prison
Studies Group and willing to give a book talk and/or lead a discussion
of the reading with our group. Logan will follow up.
•       Introducing Neil’s Guest/Friend: Father Richard Gorman: Father
Gorman is Chair of Community Board 12 and has been given a new role in
the Archdiocese of overseeing outreach to state prisons and city jails—
prison ministry. Father Gorman expressed interest in learning from the
group and networking with group members to expand prison ministry and
visiting services. He noted that the state is looking to cutback on
funding to prison ministry (of all faiths). He also mentioned an
interest in expanding lay participation in the visiting and ministry
services.
•       Teaching: several members brought up the idea of having the group
think about/discuss/serve as a resource for teaching about the prison
and criminal/juvenile justice system by collecting/sharing syllabi,
lessons and readings.

COMMITTEES: Please email Logan within the next week or so if you are
interested in joining any of the following committees (Some group
members expressed their interests at the meeting.). Logan will compile
those emails so that committee members may begin communicating among
themselves and begin organizing. Committees may revise or redefine
their responsibilities – what follows are initial ideas:
•       Grants Committee (to brainstorm proposals for the DSC’s Cultural
Affairs and Professional Development grants): Neil, Charlotte (?)
•       Web: Calvin, Jeff
•       Readings Committee (to collect suggestions for group readings; to
write/collect blurbs on suggested readings; to survey members about
preferences; to schedule readings): Carla, Owen, Charlotte
o       Note: two additional reading suggestions (and there are others from
last meeting: Beyond Prisons, by Laura Magnani (domestic issues around
prisons; good for teaching undergrads); Prison and the American
Imagination, by Caleb Smith
•       Technology/Web (to manage/update website): Calvin, Jeff
•       Resource List/Bibliography (to explore different options for
organizing a resource list/bibliography [end note/zotero? annotated?
Word file vs. online text])
•       Committees will form to plan for specific events; but we will make
available on the website a “how to/DIY” section for how to schedule a
room, etc.

DISCUSSION OF READING: The group discussed Stephanie’s piece on women
incarcerated on drug trafficking charges in a Lima prison and the
links to globalization. Lots of interesting questions and ideas. More
specific notes have been sent to Stephanie for her use.