Introduction To The NLA

The Primary mission of the NLA is to affect positive changes in State laws and MDOC policies which impact the entire state prisoner population, not just those affecting prisoners serving life sentences. The NLA proposes and supports legalization and MDOC polices which will assist prisoners with educational development, vocational achievement, advance mental and social attitudes, promotes prisoner rights, maintains quality in matters of criminal justice, and restore fairness in the parole and commutation release process. The NLA also supports community-based crime prevention and incarceration alternative programs. The ultimate goal of the NLA is to achieve the release of the genuinely rehabilitated prisoners who no longer represent a danger to public safety or property, and who will become productive members of society. The citizens of Michigan should profit from our efforts through less crime, lower recidivism rates, and the resulting savings in tax dollars, which can and should be spent more wisely on providing law-abiding Michigan citizens with better public services, education, healthcare, welfare, and other beneficial programs.
The NLA periodically conducts fundraisers for other organizations, and for communities and individuals in impovershed environments. This includes donations of money and hygenic items to homeless and battered women shelters, and providing school supplies, coats, and toys to needy children. The NLA also hand-crafted teddy bears for orphanages, hospitals, and fire and police departments to give to lost, sick, troubled, and displaced children. In short, the NLA attempts to give back to the community through various humanitarian projects and programs designed to address any recognized exigency.
Corporate Purpose
The Corporation for the purpose of working on the problems of persons incarcerated in penal institutions who are serving a term of life, or a term of ten calendar years or more, and to provide all persons incarcerated with assistance in problem areas. Nothing herein is intended to preclude a person with less than a ten year calendar minimum sentence from seeking membership with the corporation.
The National Lifers of America Inc. (“NLA”) is recognized by the Michigan Department of Corrections (“MDOC”) as a statewide nonpartisan prisoner-based multifaceted non profit organization. The NLA has Chapters or contacts in every one of the MDOC’s 38 prison facilities, which collectively confine over 41,000 prisoners. However, the NLA membership also includes family members and friends of prisoners, and the general taxpaying public. The efforts of the NLA are also supported by a number of prisoner rights organizations.
NLA Agenda
The National Lifers of America Inc. Chapter #1024 seeks to help produce a Criminal Justice Reform package that will maintain the need for public safety, provide a fair and cost effective parole system, and also reform unfair sentence disparities. We hereby submit our Criminal Justice reform suggestions for your viewing consideration:
- Reduce and reform the Pardon and Commutation process
- Require the M.D.O.C. to include Voter Registration and/or applications to be included within the re-entry process for returning citizens.
- Amend MCL 750.316 to include a parole eligibility clause for offenders who have served a minimum of 25 years of their sentence.
- Establish a meaningful Lifer Review Board for serious parole consideration.
- Restore the M.D.O.C. Employee special parole referral authority.
- Create a statue defining the term “rehabilitation”.
- Extend MCL 769.25 (g) to include Juveniles sentenced to paroleable life sentences.
Origin & History of The NLA
National Lifers of America Inc. grew out of the “prisoners Progress Association” Legislative Committee which predominately consisted of lifers engaged in the struggle to create an atmosphere that fostered favorable treatment and/or review of lifer cases through legal means. Subsequently, the PPA was banned by prison officials. However on October 7, 1980, the exiled Legislative Committee, who at the time was confined to: 4000 Cooper Street, State Prison of Southern Michigan (North side), Charles Egeler Facility, filed the Articles of Incorporation with the Michigan department of Commerce, which introduced and declared the National Lifers of America Inc., as a non-profit organization. The original Board of Directors was: Quention Moss, Eugene Tubbs, Deno Strodder, Michael Lewandowski, and Gustave Jannsson.
During the State of Michigan prison disturbance of 1981, most of the NLA’s records were burned or destroyed. The majority of NLA’s leadership was separated and transferred to other prisons despite non-participation in the disturbance. Refusing to be held back, NLA’s message of transformation, human compassion, and mutual concern for the needs of the community spilled out beyond the guarded walls and razor-wire fences. We participated in special needs projects from 1980 to 1988, which produced and manufactured display boards during the fund-raising initiative for the United Way. In addition, NLA teamed up with the Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the Red Cross Organization, to manufacture garments and house slippers to be distributed to a variety of veteran hospitals in need.
Also, during this time NLA established two outside chapters known as the Coalition of Inmate Families. In spite of its growing popularity, in 1988 NLA was banned by the MDOC. None of the NLA prison chapters were allowed to operate or hold meetings at any of their facilities. In 1990, NLA was reinstated after meeting the requirement of providing outside sponsors, with the agreement to discontinue charging membership dues to those who are incarcerated, as it violated departmental policy. Two years later in 1992, NLA was once again banned by the MDOC due to implementation of new administrative rules which adversely affected prisoners, their families, friends, and volunteers who believed in the concept of transforming prisoner lives.
Suffice to say, several months later NLA was again reinstated, establishing 18 Chapters throughout Michigan’s penal system. In 1995, the Charles Egeler Facility was under threat of being closed, and the majority of the National Board of Directors was relocated in Detroit. In light of this, by virtue of a joint resolution, the National Board of Director’s principal place of business was also relocated to the Detroit area, with contact person(s) listed as NLA Chairman, Mr. Reggie Williams, and NLA’s Vice Chairman, Mr. A’Don Reed Bey.
On June 1, 2006, the National Lifers of America Inc, took a monumental step that was long overdue to strengthen the organization by inviting our sisters to hold seats on the National Board of Directors. As a result, Michelle Bazzetta, who possessed full voting privileges, appointed Dr. Sharon Stewart as Health Administrator. By virtue of the National Board of Directors, a joint resolution was made to amend NLA’s original By-Laws to reflect the change.
On June 23, 2006, under the auspice of Michelle Bazzetta and our Sister Chapter (#1014), the women decided to bestow part of their blessings upon the men by voting to share their largess in order to provide a means by which the men could take the now infamous “Inside-Out” class headed by Dr. Lora B. Lampert, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and Women and Gender Studies, from the University of Michigan.
While awaiting approval from Lansing to initiate “Inside-Out”, on August 1, 2006, the Administration (Central Office) turned down U of M’s offer in the favor of the Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative, also known as: MPRI.
During 2006, Chales W. Meadows III, who functioned as the Legislative Project Administrator, formed a committee which was able to submit six proposed Senate & House Bills to Lansing. While each NLA chapter did its part in distributing the information, the submission of the bills opened up the doors to be able to conduct town hall meetings with Legislators.
