January - People`s AME Zion Church

The People’s Proclaimer
January 2016
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an
hungered, and ye gave me meat...And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily
I say unto you Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethern ,
ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:34-35a, 40
The People’s People
Blessed over 60 families
with a complete meal for
Christmas. Meals were
picked up and delivered.
Youth Prison Prevention & Re-entry Ministry
Rev. Patricia Bufford
“The Box”
For many years “The Box” Solitary Confinement or
better known in Corrections terminology as Special
Housing Unit (SHU) has been used to house inmates
that are charged with Tier 3 Disciplinary Rule Book
infractions. A section of SHU is also called Segregation where Protective Custody (PC) inmates are
housed either voluntarily or involuntary reasons.
“The Box” has always been a controversial subject
in corrections. Many people and all inmates have
always debated that corrections needed to reform the
system and mainly “The Box.”
Sick and Shut In
Is anyone among you sick? Let
them call the elders of the church
to pray over them and anoint them
with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:14
Well, for the past three years people have rallied and
negotiated to shut down "The Box" and out of nowhere in June 2015 two inmates escaped from the
Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY. It
was called by many the “Great Escape”. This put the
NY State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision on all national and world news channels. The world had a front row seat to New York
state as they searched long and hard to find the two
convicted felons. This escape opened the eyes of
many people in authority to began looking into how
these two inmates escaped. This escape I am sure
helped in the reform negotiations about "The Box."
Eddie Brooks Jr.
Joyce Dixon
Charles Dunn Jr.
Clara Fleming
Joann Green
Muriel Henderson
William Hunter
Gwendolyn Johnson
Stacie Johnson
Jane Miller
Jeanette Moody
Renee Richards
Hurbert Robinson
Reola Robinson
Virginia Robinson
Mary Stephens
Harvelia Sullivan-Hammons
Deborah Vanderpool
Ronald Walton
Hattie Williams
To add fuel to the fire it was reported in the New
York Times by Jacob Hannah that officials said the
number of inmates in solitary confinement increased
statewide after the escape of two men from the Clinton Correctional Facility in June.
The following article was printed in the New York
Times, December 16, 2015. I find it very informative and historical as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
signed an agreement to “Overhaul Solitary Confinement in New York State Prisons.”
continued on page 4
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"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
Luke 18:16
Original card made
by Youth
Original Artwork by
Tia Lewis
Original Artwork by
Amija James
Pianist Olivia Davis
Spoken Word:
Tiffany Adams, Shalya
Webb, Alexis Siglar, Rhoda
Barron, Joshua King
Youth Ministry in Action
Youth Choir
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Cellist Sydney Sigler
“The Box” continued from page 2
“Overhaul Solitary Confinement in New York State Prisons.” by Michael Schwirtz and Michael Winerip
New York has agreed to a major overhaul in the way solitary confinement is administered in the state’s prisons,
with the goal of significantly reducing the number of inmates held in isolation, cutting the maximum length of stay
and improving their living conditions.
The five-year, $62 million agreement, announced on Wednesday, is the result of a lawsuit brought by the New
York Civil Liberties Union over the treatment of inmates in solitary confinement in the prisons. For 23 hours a
day, 4,000 inmates are locked in concrete 6-by-10-foot cells, sometimes for years, with little if any human contact,
no access to rehabilitative programs and a diet that can be restricted to a foul-tasting brick of bread and potatoes
known at the prisons as “the loaf.”
The changes are expected to reduce the number of inmates in solitary confinement by at least a quarter and usher
in a range of reforms, including limiting the time served to three months in most cases and providing the prisoners
with certain privileges, like monthly phone calls and group recreation.
“This is the end hopefully of an era where people are just thrown into the box for an unlimited amount of time on
the whim of a corrections officer,” said Taylor Pendergrass, the civil liberties union’s lead counsel on the case.
“This will not be the end of the road for solitary confinement reform, but we really think it’s a watershed moment.”
The legal settlement caps three years of negotiations between the civil liberties union and the administration of
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and comes at a time of intense scrutiny of the state prison system. In June, two murderers escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y., setting off a nationwide manhunt that cost
millions of dollars. But it also exposed serious dysfunction within the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision that has been documented in a series of articles by The New York Times and The Marshall
Project, a nonprofit news organization.
While states like Washington and Colorado have gone further in curbing the use of solitary confinement, both the
civil liberties union and the governor’s office say the New York settlement is historic, given the size of the corrections system - it encompasses 54 prisons that hold nearly 60,000 inmates - and how much there was to do after decades of neglect.
“I think this agreement is radical and groundbreaking in ways that we couldn't’t anticipate 10 years ago,” Alphonso B. David, the governor’s chief counsel, said. Mr. David said Mr. Cuomo saw the lawsuit as an opportunity to
make New York prisons a model for the country.
Even though both sides say they are dedicated to a sweeping reform effort, there are still significant obstacles. Almost two years ago, the state agreed to an interim settlement that eliminated the use of solitary confinement for
pregnant women, most developmentally disabled inmates and any prisoner under age 18.
And yet during that time, the number of inmates in solitary confinement has increased. Officials attributed the rise
in part to the escape in June, which prompted a crackdown throughout the prison system. More than 50 people
have been in solitary confinement for longer than five years. At the same time, the average length of stay in isolation has gone down, to 190 days as of December from 225 days last year.
The conclusion of this article will be featured in the March 2016 issue.
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Ministry in Action
Women’s Home and Overseas Missionary Society (WHOMS)
Joseph Perry
Residents at Central Park Nursing Home
Card and one of
several gifts for
residents
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There is a person that I know. He is with me everywhere I go. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
He also takes very good care of me. He is a Comforter and a Friend. He is so different from any
woman or man. He is my Director and an Instructor. A Provider when in need. He is my Rock and
my Shield. Let's not forget He is in the middle of
the wheel. I'd rather have Him more than silver or
gold. He destroys all that afflicts my soul. The
HOLY SPIRIT lives in me. He is also one person
out of three, some people even call Him
the Trinity.
Robin Brownlee
January 31 ~ 5th Sunday
Fellowship
February 10 ~ Ash Wednesday
Service, 7 pm
February 14 ~ Agape Sunday
February 25 ~ 3rd Quarterly Conference, 7 pm
After gathering in worship to affirm one’s faith, pray, sing
praises, give an offering, and receive God's word it is essential to accept the benediction. Corporate worship is where
those in the process of being spiritually transformed meet
God, are renewed and have their purpose reinforced. Worship compels worshipers into action toward an active engagement in Jesus Christ work outside of the church walls.
The work transcends doctrine, tradition, and heritage.
The benediction is the connection from worship to ministry.
It is not a statement that concludes corporate worship. It is a
prayer for protection, divine providence, and peace as the
worshipper goes into real life to live the commission given
in Matthew 28:19-20. The benediction is an invitation to be
a living witness in every relationships and activity a worshipper of Jesus Christ is involved in. The emphasis of every benediction is on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Every worshipper that stays focused on the grace, love, and
fellowship of the trinity will find affirmation, encouragement, and guidance as they move from worship to mission.
The maturing process of a worshipper is to trust God to
work in the worshipper as the worshipper does the work of
God. It is best to join God in his work rather than create
busy work in the name of God. The benediction is strength.
Worshipper do not leave service before the benediction.
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February 28 ~ Heritage Sunday / Pioneer Awards
March 17-19 ~ District Conference, People’s,
Syracuse
March 19 ~ Mass Meeting, People’s, Syracuse
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The Lord make his face
shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The Lord lift up his
countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26
Valerie Hardy
Gleaned from: benediction.net (accessed May 24, 2015); Don't Leave
Before the Benediction McClinton Hall; Benediction: The Bridge from
Worship to Ministry Don Ballard, 2009
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The Favor Unit Liturgical Dancers blessing the
faith community
Ministry in Action
Members: Justine Bell, Robin Brownlee, Tyquan Caldwell, Venay Person, Alexis
Siglar, Stephanie Webb,
Shayla Webb, Darien
Willims, Tiffany, Adams
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People’s African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
2306 South Salina Street
Syracuse, New York 13205
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