SILVER CITY, NM – Peter Chase, an Albuquerque resident, has been selected as the winner in the Southwestern Chapter of the ACLU-NM's Annual Singer/Songwriter Competition. He has performed at, Jamm Music Fest in Jemez Springs, Glenwoodstock and Soccorofest. In 2008 he took third place in the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, and in 2010, won Honorable Mention from the same festival. His latest CD, "Special Deluxe," is his twelfth collection of original songs. Peter was one of three finalists in the 2012 and 2013 competition, and has been selected to for his submission Attica, a lament on the horrific nature of prisons, this year's theme.
This is the fifth consecutive year that the Southwestern Chapter of ACLU-NM has sponsored a competition for singer/songwriters on a topic of Constitutional Rights as part of their Annual Meeting. This year's competition began with performers from New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and West Texas being invited to submit entries. Peter Chase will be performing his winning entry, as well as his entries from previous years' competitions at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Chapter of the ACLU of New Mexico.
The Southwestern Chapter of the ACLU of New Mexico incorporates the counties of Grant, Catron, Luna, and Hidalgo. Their Annual Meeting, open to all members and the public, will be held on Friday, October 24, 2014 at the Woman's Club in Silver City. The event, beginning at 6:00 pm, will include addresses by knowledgeable speakers on the subject of Prisons and Incarceration, as well as the performance by Peter Chase.
Matthew Elwell – The Director of the Luna County Detention Center, and the former Operations Administrator at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. Mr. Elwell will be discussing State and Local policies and initiatives for Detention Centers and Prisons, as well as some of the issues being faced by them.
Peter Ossorio – An ACLU-NM Board Member from Las Cruces, an Attorney, and a former Federal Prosecutor has a unique perspective on the topic, having been a jailer prior to becoming a lawyer. Mr. Ossorio will discuss the increasing dependence on incarceration in the State and Nation. He will also touch on the topics of jails being used to house the mentally ill, imprisonment for marijuana possession, and profusion of For-Profit Private Prisons.
The doors will open at the Woman's Club located at 1715 Silver Heights Blvd (Hwy. 180) in Silver City at 6:00 pm, and the program will begin at 6:30 PM. Light refreshments, good music, good conversation will be available for free.