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ACLU Broadcasts Program in Kreyol on Criminal Justice System Series Also Features Shows on Free Speech, Felony Disenfranchisement
April 9, 2001
The ACLU of Florida is producing a twelve-part television series called ACLU: Freedom's Watchdog that will air three times a week during April and May on WLRN in Miami-Dade.
The Criminal Justice Paradox, a 30-minute show in Kreyol, will air at 9 a.m. April 10, 2 p.m. April 11, and 7 p.m. April 12 on WLRN's Cable-TAP Community Station 36 in Miami-Dade.
The program is hosted by Assistant Miami-Dade Public Defender Fred Seraphin and will include discussions on laws, such as "10-20-Life" and "Three Strikes You're Out," which assign mandatory prison terms for certain crimes and strip judges of judicial discretion.
Guests on the show ? attorney and community activist Karen Andre and criminal defense attorney Andre Pierre ? will discuss the "tough on crime" attitude that has led to harsh incarceration rates in South Florida, especially among Haitian youth. They also will talk about the racially disparate U.S. "War on Drugs" policy that has led to an increasing number of criminal deportations to Haiti.
First Amendment ? Matrix of Freedom, which explores First Amendment issues that have been the subject of recent controversy in South Florida, will air in English at 9 a.m. April 17, 2 p.m. April 18 and 7 p.m. April 19 also on WLRN. The guests on that show are Bruce Rogow and Beverly Pohl, ACLU of Florida cooperating attorneys who represented local arts groups in challenging Miami-Dade County's "Cuba Ordinance," which was declared unconstitutional by a federal court last year.
The fourth show, dealing with state laws that disenfranchise ex-offenders even after they've served their time in jail, will feature discussions on the recent ACLU lawsuit that challenges the state's failure to assist ex-felons with the application process of restoring their rights. Guests Brian Dennis and Earnest Thomas of Brothers of the Same Mind will discuss their efforts to address issues that affect Miami's black communities and help ex-felons get back on their feet. Randy Berg, Executive Director of the Florida Justice Institute, will discuss pending state legislation on the April 24th show.
ACLU: Freedom's Watchdog will air at 9 a.m. Tuesdays, 2 p.m. Wednesdays and 7 p.m. Thursdays during April and May on Channel 36, which can be seen on the following cable systems in Miami-Dade: 36 Adelphia, 15 ATT West, 12 Bell South, 26 ATT Miami, 31 ATT Kendall, 32 ATT North, 36 Charter Miami Beach, 36 Charter South Miami.
