Press Releases

August 19, 2008

PEREZ SIGNS IMMIGRATION RULE

By JEFFREY B. COHEN
Courant Staff Writer

Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez signed an ordinance Monday that stops police from arresting or detaining anyone solely because of their immigration status.

The ordinance, passed last week by the city council, also prohibits other city employees from asking anyone seeking services about their immigration status.

Perez was previously lukewarm to the idea, maintaining that an order issued by Hartford Police Chief Daryl K. Roberts in March was adequate. It said that city police would not make immigration arrests unless there was also a criminal investigation.

In a letter to the city council, Perez also expressed concern about "codifying standards for internal police matters in the city code."

But whatever concerns he had were not enough to keep him from signing the ordinance. Once he had, Perez stressed that it would not affect how the city deals with potential criminals.

"Our obligation to comply with federal law has not changed," Perez said in a press release Monday. "The ordinance requires that the police notify federal authorities if an arrestee turns out to be undocumented. It also requires that city employees deny any federally funded services to illegal immigrants if required to do so under federal law."

City Councilman Luis Cotto, of the Working Families Party, introduced the bill and was surprised to hear from reporters that Perez had signed it.

That said, Cotto was pleased.

The new ordinance simply puts into the law what is already police procedure, Cotto said.

"We're just jumping on the side of saying, 'Hey, this is not our jurisdiction. Hartford has way too many things to worry about,'" Cotto said.

"If you are a law abiding resident of the City of Hartford, you should have no fear of reporting a crime to police and you should be able to utilize the city's services," he said. "People are here. We can't do anything about that."

Contact Jeffrey B. Cohen at jcohen@courant.com.

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant

August 18, 2008

TRADE-OFF MAKES INDIVIDUAL HEALTH POLICIES MORE AFFORDABLE

Health insurers are using a trade-off to make individual policies more affordable by limiting benefits and raising deductibles and other customer costs. Some examples:

ConnectiCare's "Solo" policies limit prescription coverage to $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 a year, depending on the plan you buy. Its "point-of-service" plans, which allow members to get care outside a network, don't cover maternity-related services, although the HMO plans do.

One of the typical Solo point-of-service plans would cost about $300 a month — $3,600 a year — for a healthy 40-year-old woman in Hartford County who has a $500 individual deductible and $2,000 of drug coverage. The price would rise to $670 a month, or $8,040 a year, for a 60-year-old woman.

Anthem's "Tonik" plans, especially designed for 19- to 34-year-olds, don't cover maternity, either. They have higher annual deductibles of $5,000 (the "thrill-seeker" plan), $3,000 or $1,500.

The thrill-seeker would cost a healthy 25-year-old Hartford area man only $1,394 a year. It covers four office visits a year with a $20-per-visit co-pay, without having to meet the deductible. But if you need more care, you pay the whole bill until you reach the deductible. Also, the plan won't cover more than $500 a year of prescription drugs.

For people who can't qualify for standard insurance, there's a last resort in many states — if you can afford it. Connecticut's nonprofit Health Reinsurance Association will sell you an individual policy, regardless of how sick you are. The high premiums aren't enough to cover care, so the policies are subsidized by assessments of private insurers — more than $11 million for 2006.

The price this year for the association's "PPO" individual policy is about $1,050 a month, or $12,603 a year, . for a man age 55 to 59; $951 a month and $11,414 a year for a woman. The cost would top $16,000 a year for a man age 60 to 64.

August 18, 2008

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT DOCKET HELPS DEFENDANTS STRAIGHTEN UP

By BILL LEUKHARDT
Courant Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN — Eduardo Moreno, teen father and domestic violence defendant, smiled Thursday as he heard his fate in Superior Court — a suspended, one-year prison term and two years of probation.

"How's the program?" Judge Thomas O'Keefe asked Moreno, starting a barrage of questions about the 18 months of a pretrial program Moreno is in to help curtail his substance abuse and violent tendencies. "It didn't seem to hurt you, right? You can't be a good father if you use illegal substances."

"It worked out good for me," said a smiling Moreno, happy as he walked out of court to report to probation before leaving the courthouse.

Two years ago, when his legal troubles began with a now ex-girlfriend, Moreno racked up criminal charges — including risk of injury to a child and violation of a protective order — that could have put him behind bars for more than a decade.

But he got another chance when his cases went onto a special domestic violence docket that combines strict supervision, pretrial programs, victim advocacy and defendant accountability. The payoff can be a suspended sentence and eventual dismissal of charges if the defendant takes responsibility and cleans up his or her life.

The program, begun a decade ago, is now in seven judicial districts. As of Thursday, there were nearly 6,000 cases pending on those dockets statewide. About 70 percent of the defendants are male; 30 percent female.

Moreno's three cases were among the 98 heard Thursday in Superior Court in New Britain, which has 453 cases pending. If he stays clean and out of trouble for two years, all of his charges will be dismissed.

"The program I'm in, it makes me aware about family violence abuse and how to control your anger," Moreno said. "I'm taking consequences for my action and not blaming others. I got my daughter with me now. I don't ever want to come back here."

That's the point of the docket. It's a tough goal for people quick to settle arguments with fists, drugs and booze.

"It's all about accountability," O'Keefe said Thursday in his office after wrapping up the docket.

The approach is less fire-and-brimstone, but no one gets a pass or is coddled, O'Keefe said. Defendants not only have to want to change, they have to change to earn a more lenient sentence, he said.

Cases are screened, and some people are too dangerous or have charges too serious to make it onto the domestic violence docket, said O'Keefe, who has presided over the New Britain docket for a year.

The key is stricter supervision of cases, which includes contact with victims and defendants, said Elizabeth Moseley, main prosecutor in the New Britain docket since its start in 2006.

Each week, the cases for that Thursday are discussed by a team consisting of her and representatives from adult probation, family relations, victim advocates and other court support services.

There's talk about progress or lack of it and any new arrests of defendants. The team gets a lot of help from Moseley's investigator, Bill Durkin, a retired New Britain police officer.

The teams stays in touch with victims, getting updates about family behavior, she said.

Defendants are on a tight leash, working on ending drinking and addictions first if necessary before tackling anger and other destructive behaviors, she said.

People who don't take pretrial programs seriously or who get in new legal trouble are usually taken off the domestic violence docket and their cases are moved to regular court.

"You have to earn your place on the domestic docket," Moseley said. "It's all about taking responsibility and being accountable for your actions. Much of the violence in these cases is witnessed by children. That's serious."

Lawrence Hauser, a Superior Court judge involved in the state domestic violence docket since its start a decade ago, said victim safety and abuser accountability are the goals, but it's difficult for a judge to see those reached in many cases.

"It's a very difficult assignment that's high risk, low reward," Hauser said. " You're making so many decisions, [such] as whether to believe a recalcitrant witness who is asking for the guy out on bond. Why is she pleading with you? Is it fear? Is it money? Is it the kids?"

Kelly Goulet, a public defender in New Britain court for 15 years, had about a dozen cases on Thursday's domestic violence docket.

"I had my most successful day. Four of my clients completed treatment successfully and got suspended sentences," she said. "These cases are so complex and have such a high emotional content that they move very slowly."

Numerous cases Thursday involved discussions with defendants about progress and continuances to new court dates. A father of two was allowed out on bail, but ordered not to live in the family home while his pretrial treatment begins. So he hugged his wife and two daughters in the courthouse lobby before they went their separate ways.

Some people got stern warnings.

"If you slap someone, that's against the law. That's third-degree assault," O'Keefe told one young man.

Another young man with numerous pending cases won permission to be released, under 24-hour electronic monitoring, to his grandmother's home.

"You have to stay in her home and follow her rules," O'Keefe said. "If she tells you to turn off the TV, you gotta do it. But if she tells you to take out the trash, don't take out the trash. If she tells you to walk the dog, don't walk the dog. You don't leave the house."

To a man arrested four times for fighting with his brother's caretaker, O'Keefe said, "This is a mess. It's frustrating. But you created this mess."

He told another man accused of pestering relatives to sit in court for five minutes to give his accusers time to leave the building.

"I don't want you arguing on the front steps of the courthouse."

Before O'Keefe gave Jeffrey Goodwin a suspended sentence and releasing him on probation, he asked a woman in the courtroom about that outcome for the man arrested in March for fighting with her and her teenage daughter in Wethersfield. She said yes.

Outside the courtroom, the woman said Goodwin's progress in pretrial substance abuse and domestic violence program gave her "everything I hoped for. I was looking to the legal system for treatment for him. The judge was excellent."

Is she going to take him back into her life?

"I'm praying about that," she said.

Contact Bill Leukhardt at bleukhardt@courant.com.

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant

August 14, 2008

PANEL EXAMINES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITHIN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

By Brian Lockhart
Staff Writer

Norwalk Police Officer Cesar Ramirez, who works with some of the city's Hispanic residents, said incidents of unreported domestic abuse within that community are common.

"In the Latino culture, especially coming from a small village ... the female is kind of owing respect to the men. And domestic violence in a lot of these countries is not being taken care of," Ramirez said. "But some (victims), even after you tell them what to do, are a little hesitant to call (police). In a majority of these cases, the man is the only person who provides the income for the house."

House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, earlier this month announced the formation of a task force to examine domestic violence in immigrant communities. The group, co-chaired by state Rep. Gerald Fox III, D-Stamford, convenes Thursday afternoon.

"We don't have statistics, really," said Fox, who is also a vice chairman of the legislature's Judiciary Committee. "It's come to the attention of enough people."

Amann has charged the group with analyzing domestic violence laws, law enforcement policies and the support available to victims.

Organizations participating in the task force include the Connecticut Catholic Conference, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, state Office of Victim Services and the state commissions on Latino affairs and on the permanent status of women.

The Rev. Jesus Garcia Jr., pastor of Pentecostal Church Juan 3:16 in Stamford, said the task force is a good idea.

Garcia said abuse in Central and South American immigrant households is caused by a combination of financial troubles and Latino "machismo."

"When things get bad and there's no work and no food to put on the table, other things can happen," Garcia Jr. said. "I think it's a social issue affecting not only the Spanish community but others."

State Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, agreed. He has been working to establish a statewide commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs to help that community address a variety of issues, including domestic abuse.

"It's a real issue, and it's not something we as a community have been particularly good talking about or dealing with," Tong said. "It's an issue that in Asia is a major concern. . . . There's hyper-traditional gender roles. There are the frustrations, tensions, pressures of the immigrant experience. That's never an excuse - it's just a contributing factor. And there's a lack of knowledge and education about how unacceptable this is and how terrible the effect it can have not just on your spouse or girlfriend but on your family."

Officer Ramirez agrees education can play a major role in preventing domestic abuse and he encouraged greater outreach among all immigrant communities.

"When you go and arrest these people, they get very surprised by saying, 'I just pushed this lady' or, 'It was a little slap. It's not like I'm killing her,' " Ramirez said. "You have to let them know that our culture in North America is entirely different, and when you put your hands physically or threaten somebody, that is not permitted in our nation."

But Ramirez said the task force also has to wrestle with nonlegal residents' fears that they will be deported if they go to the police.

"We have to let them know (police) can be trusted," Ramirez said. "That you can reach out to them without being afraid to be arrested or that police will call the immigration department. That's not the case. We will help you."

He also said a record of domestic violence can make it difficult for immigrants seeking to obtain citizenship.

Rachelle Kucera Mehra, executive director of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, which operates shelters in Stamford and Norwalk, has found that hiring bilingual staff makes a difference.

About 30 percent of the center's employees speak Spanish, Mehra said.

"And we do find immigrant women coming forward for services probably at percentages higher than the rest of the state," she said. "It just happens to be a reality of the changing demographics of our communities that we have to respond more effectively."

August 4, 2008

SPEAKER’S TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

Speaker of the House Jim Amann (D-Milford) will launch a task force to examine domestic violence of immigrant women and children, who often suffer in silence due to lack of understanding of the legal system, assistance available to them and fear that their immigration status will be questioned.

“This is an insidious problem that plagues too many immigrant households – and we really don’t know how deep the problem is, given the reluctance of victims to come forward,” said Speaker Amann.  “The fact is victims are essentially trapped in a cycle of abuse, feeling as if they have no recourse - something no person should have to tolerate or accept.”

The scope of Speaker Amann’s Task Force on Immigration will include analysis of current domestic violence statutes, support available to victims, and law enforcement policies and practices.  The task force will be charged with recommending legislative and public policy changes that can enhance protection for victims and ensure they receive assistance and support.

"One thing we know for sure is that victims of crime who are not U.S. citizens are afraid to report these crimes, and witnesses are afraid to cooperate with the police,” said State Representative Mike Lawlor (D-East Haven), House Chairman of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.  “Our goal is to make sure the police and prosecutors have no obstacles in apprehending and successfully prosecuting criminals, especially when related to domestic violence."

“The Catholic bishops of Connecticut have long been concerned about the issue of violence as it relates to immigrant women and children,” said Michael C. Culhane, Executive Director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference.  “This concern was clearly reflected in their May 1 Pastoral Statement on Immigration in which the bishops felt compelled to speak from a position of faith and pastoral leadership on this contentious matter.  The Conference fully supports the goal of the Task Force and appreciates the Speaker’s leadership on this issue.”  

Organizations that will be represented on the panel include the Connecticut Catholic Conference, the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the state Office of Victim Services.  

July 26, 2008

IMMIGRATION STATUS IS IRRELEVANT

Hartford Courant

I attended Monday's city council meeting and was one of the people who spoke in favor of the ordinance that would prohibit Hartford agencies from inquiring about a resident's immigration status [Page 1, July 22, "For Cooperation's Sake"].

I am a sister of St. Joseph, and our congregation has a long history of service in Connecticut, and especially in Hartford. As a religious woman, I follow the Christian values set forth in the Gospels, and I believe that all people have value. I believe I act in a manner that indicates a respect for others regardless of ethnicity, language, education, religion or color of skin. For me, and for the 100-plus people at Monday's public hearing, the terms "documented" or "undocumented" are irrelevant.

The entire world is migrating today, and many of those who are migrating have little or no choice. Wars, famine, economic collapse or economic insecurity forces people, sometimes entire families, to move in order to survive. It does not speak well for our country or our city to punish people who are forced to migrate for survival.

The proposed ordinance would make Hartford a safer and friendlier city. Hartford's immigrant population has contributed enormously to the city's economics and its culture.

On its website, The Courant asked readers: "Should the police inquire about the immigration status of residents who witness crime?" First, of what relevance is the status of the person reporting? Does it make the crime less of a crime? Does it make the reporter of the crime less honest? I was appalled as the number of responses grew indicating that the police should ask immigration status. Just how cooperative do we think people are going to be if they need to prove "legal" status?

As a white woman, who most of the time speaks well, I am willing to bet I would never be asked my legal status. My point: If they would not ask me, they shouldn't ask anyone else.

If Hartford wants to be the "Rising Star," should it not lead Connecticut by example and acknowledge that all people are welcome and have a right to police protection and city services, if necessary, regardless of immigration status?

Emma Lazarus wrote: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Let's follow Emma and recognize that all people have a right to breathe free. Lady Liberty lifts her lamp beside the golden door; what about Hartford's door? I hope the city will leave the light on.

Sister Linda Pepe
Associate Director of Advocacy Collaborative Center for Justice Hartford

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant