No Strike

Right now, this is the information I can provide at this time to advocate for Michael and attending rehabilitation vs. being returned to solitary confinement: Jan Scully, District Attorney, 901 "G" Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Phone: 916.874.6218; fax: 916.874.5340.

The next time I talk with him, I will see if he knows which ADA is prosecuting his case, but it is probably best to try and contact the county's DA, Jan Scully. It takes persistence to get through to anyone of any importance there to hear the rationale for this specific request.

BTW, my name is Julie Swartzendruber and I have been with Michael for 3-1/2 years through all of this addiction madness. And, I also know for a fact, that returning him to prison will do nothing to "rehabilitate" him as stated as part of CDCR's mission, but if the DA asserts the strike, they will be unable to extend Michael the privilege of rehabilitation versus wasted time in the "shu".

The issues that need to be addressed are two-fold: first, Michael will be ineligible for any kind of rehab if the authorities assert another strike, and also the issue that returning him to a secluded jail cell will compromise him even further. The goal is for him to actually receive the help he needs to kick the addiction and participate in a behavior-modification program.

I appreciate your prayers and all the effort you exert on Michael's part. I will be eternally grateful for your assistance in correcting this matter.

Sincerely,

Julie Swartzendruber

Current contact info

Hope everyone is looking forward to an enjoyable weekend, despite the inclement weather. Anyway, thanks for all your prayers and support. If you wish, you may write me @

Mike Brown, x-1211819, 8W219A,
Sacramento Main,
651 "I" Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814

No Strike

Right now, this is the information I can provide at this time to advocate for Michael and attending rehabilitation vs. being returned to solitary confinement: Jan Scully, District Attorney, 901 "G" Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Phone: 916.874.6218; fax: 916.874.5340.

The next time I talk with him, I will see if he knows which ADA is prosecuting his case, but it is probably best to try and contact the county's DA, Jan Scully. It takes persistence to get through to anyone of any importance there to hear the rationale for this specific request.

BTW, my name is Julie Swartzendruber and I have been with Michael for 3-1/2 years through all of this addiction madness. And, I also know for a fact, that returning him to prison will do nothing to "rehabilitate" him as stated as part of CDCR's mission, but if the DA asserts the strike, they will be unable to extend Michael the privilege of rehabilitation versus wasted time in the "shu".

The issues that need to be addressed are two-fold: first, Michael will be ineligible for any kind of rehab if the authorities assert another strike, and also the issue that returning him to a secluded jail cell will compromise him even further. The goal is for him to actually receive the help he needs to kick the addiction and participate in a behavior-modification program.

I appreciate your prayers and all the effort you exert on Michael's part. I will be eternally grateful for your assistance in correcting this matter.

Sincerely,

Julie Swartzendruber

Mandated rehab facility

Please keep Michael in your thoughts and prayers today and always. And I pray that God's plan will give him the time to aspire to the heights is capable of reaching, once he admits he is powerless over his addiction. And if this debacle gets to the point where he may get more time, I pray that he gets the privilege of being offered rehab rather than prison.

Other options: true rehabilitation

Hi, I share Mary's request for assistance for Michael. I saw him last night and I believe he is finally ready to admit what the real problem is. He suffers from raging addiction and I pray and pray that he is given the privilege (if convicted of alleged crimes) of serving his time in a rehabilitation facility, such as Delancy Street. Please, please, if you have any way of assisting him in the pursuit of rehabilitation, I implore you to reach out to the DA or anyone else that can impact the outcome of this mess. Thanks! Julie

Michael's mom, Mary, sent this to me and I thought I might share it with all of you: Michael has asked me to sent s message to you all. He is soliciting your help. Michael is in custody when he continually ends up after he relapes to crack cocaine. He needs PROPER treatment. Rather than being insolated in a prison cell, it would be beneficial for him to be placed in an in-patient facility that would require him to live there for a minimun of 2 to 5 years while he undergoes treatment to kick his extreme addiction.

From Michael's mom: His request is that each of you contact the district attorney to make this request on his behalf. There is such a facility in San Francisco called Delancy house. I personally do not beleive my son to be a "bad person", I know he needs to kick crack or his life will remain out of control. ...

Will Work for Transformation

Will Work for Transformation! I am willing to be genuine and authentic in my attempts to both beat my cocaine addiction and learning how to re-integrate into conventional society.

God has put many remedies out there for me to utilize, I just have to be humble enough to embrace those strategies. I would appreciate any help that any of my many friends out there could provide. Please, please keep me in your thoughts and please keep me in your prayers as well.

Unfortunately, I am just like most modern americans and I expect instant gratification and I want it all to be easy. Well, I have finally come to the conclusion that I need to pray for help as well as seek counseling and meds for bio-chemical imbalances.

So I will re-iterate my resolve:

Will Work for Transformation! I am willing to be genuine and authentic in my attempts to both beat my cocaine addiction and learning how to re-integrate into conventional society.

Uh-oh...didn't quite go as planned

So, my friends, what do you think of the crisis of addiction in this country? Do you think it is a weakness, a character defect, a disease or genetic? Whatever your view is, I am sad to report that Bakari/Michael has succumbed to his addiction and his substance abuse has resulted in his return to custody. Only this time, IT IS VERY SERIOUS! See the following...

He has been charged with multiple felonies and his alleged crimes are relating to liberating property that was not his. CDCR is threatening to strike him out; there were no alleged violations of persons, just property crimes. Bakari needs rehabilitation and help with his mental health issues.He does not need another jail term, let alone A LIFE SENTENCE!!!

I thought it was a given that addicts suffered from "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder", which is a mental health issue that can be addressed with therapy and psych meds. And I thought CDCR's mission had several prongs including not only jailing convicted criminals, but that they are also supposedly responsible for rehabilitating the people that are placed in their custody.

So they could re-integrate into society and make a positive contribution. I have read assessments of Michael D. Brown by CDCR and while there are several references to drug addiction and prominence it plays in his life, and yet, nowhere in that documentation is there any suggestion of interdiction that would sentence/...

I have read studies that state over 50% of prison inmates suffer from ADHD and yet that mental health issue/disorder is not considered as a tangential or a primary cause for allegedly violating the law.

If one thrives on thrill seeking behavior, has uncontrollable impulsive/compulsive tendencies and that predilection as a result of one's genetic make-up or their bio-chemical imbalance, such as ADHD, OCD or Bi-polar, perhaps the criminal justice system should investigate the influence that these disorders have on inmates.

But is the system interested in rehab in any form, or does the criminal "justice" system benefit astronomically from the revenue it generates? Bakari was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, and it is now known, children do not outgrow this condition, but rather they adapt by using compensatory strategies/skills and these range from the minor finessing of behavior to very destructive behavior to quiet the mind.

Perhaps he could secure his own attorney with donated funds, or lobby for full exploitation of his rights to seek further rehabilitation or if you, his friends, could contact anyone that could support Michael by utilizing your friends that believe an injustice is being perpetrated by the criminal justice system.

This is my plea, as well as Michael's: if you can offer any assistance of any kind in order to fight this attempt to jail him for life, we would be greatly indebted. A third strike for alleged property crimes?!?! I find that profoundly unfair when not all avenues have been explored to rehabilitate Michael. Please, please, if you can advocate for Michael in any way, we would be extremely grateful.

And to all of you out there that love him, please, please keep Michael in your thoughts and prayers. We would appreciate any kind of support, so he can fight this and get the medical treatment that he desires, needs, deserves and is entitled to according to CDCR's mission.

You may reach MIchael@ Michael Brown, x-ref 121 1819, 651 "I" Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. His e-mail is the same: bakari9768@yahoo.com. And to all of you spending Valentine's Day with your loved ones, I am simultaneously joyful for you and wish you a day of love, peace and serenity, but I am ashamed to say envious too.

I hope Michael can look forward to being in the arms of the one he loves next year. Thank you and God Bless!