DWN -- DWN
About DWN	English (USA)
Background: Formed in 1997 in response to the rapid growth of the immigration detention system in the United States, The Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a network of individuals and organizations working in support of, and in service to, immigrants in detention and at risk of detention. Network members include organizations providing legal, health, spiritual, peer support and other social services to those in immigration detention and their families, organizations and individuals advocating on behalf of those in immigration detention, and individuals personally affected by draconian detention policies. All are concerned about the vast increase of asylum seekers and immigrants who are subject to detention, and the lack of protection for the rights of those detained. There are currently 22,000 people in immigration detention on any given day. Detained individuals suffer from separation from their families and neglect of their basic civil and human rights. Asylum seekers often languish behind bars for months, and even years, while their asylum claims are being considered. Long-time, legal permanent residents with minor criminal convictions are being detained and deported without judicial review. Many long-term detainees remain isolated and forgotten in administrative custody. Congress recently voted to dramatically increase the bed space available to detain immigrants. By the year 2010, more than 62,000 individuals will be detained. The need for focused public education and coordinated advocacy on detention issues is greater than ever. DWN is the only national coalition in the United States that addresses the growing problem of immigrant detention and the detention crisis head-on, and helps people who are affected by immigration detention make their voices heard. DWN assists member agencies to accomplish detention reform by: * Acting as the focal point for immigration detention issues; * Convening an annual conference to train immigration practitioners and advocates, and to share information and strategy; * Broadening and diversifying its membership to strengthen its voice for immigration detention reform; * Providing key support for members' advocacy efforts through the synthesis and distribution of information, training, and networking opportunities; and * Organizing and coordinating advocacy efforts of its members. DWN has demonstrated its effectiveness. During its first five years, DWN members accomplished a number of significant goals during its first five years while battling immigration restrictionism and over-broad reaction to the tragic events of 9/11/01. DWN is now re-energizing, honing its focus for upcoming challenges. In 2003-2004, DWN underwent an extensive self-evaluation process and created a formal governance structure and three-year business plan. DWN has developed clear processes to ensure that members' voices are heard and that members will work together to direct the network's activities. DWN is currently being re-launched to the public and, with a strengthened structure and decision- making process in place, members are ready to identify and pursue key advocacy goals for immigration detention reform. To see the collection of prior postings to the list, visit the DWN Archives. (The current archive is only available to the list members.)
Using DWN
To post a message to all the list members, send email to dwn@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org. ****The following is a list of instructions on how to use the list serve, which will hopefully answer most of your questions.**** How to Post to the List Serve: This is an unmoderated list serve and you are free to post directly to the list without going through a DWN list moderator. When emailing to the list serve you will only need to include the following address: dwn@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org When emailing the list serve, please put the listserve address in the To: field ONLY. Otherwise your message will not be posted correctly. Do not include numerous email addresses in the To: field, our server will not allow it to go through. When you need to send an email to numerous email addresses, please use the CC: and BCC: fields. If you use the BCC: field, this will prevent the email addresses from cluttering up the message. Who can and cannot post: Only email addresses that have already been subscribed to the list serve can post. If you have multiple email addresses, you will only be able to post from the email address that you have originally submitted. If you wish to include other email addresses, or if you change your email address, please email ablack@detentionwatchnetwork.org to update your account. You can also log onto your list serve account to change your address. Note: if you change your address from your list serve account, you will receive a confirmation email at the new address. You must confirm the new address within 3 days or the information will be discarded. Account management: Everyone who joins the list serve is given a password. If you joined a while ago and do not have your password information, you can go to: www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/emaillist Enter your email, and on the next page scroll down and click onto "email my password to me". You should receive an email with your password so that you can enter the system. With that password you can go back to the link and change your email settings. Here you can choose to change your current email address, your name, unsubscribe, and change your password. You can also change your list serve settings: • The Mail Delivery (Vacation) Option allows you to stop receiving emails from the list serve, yet stay subscribed. This is helpful if you go out of town and want to stop list serve emails from flooding your inbox. • The Digest Mode Option allows you to receive list serve emails in one or two big bundles. Instead of receiving the emails individually, you will get them condensed in this format. Note: If you use this option, you will have to follow a link each time to open up attachments. This is a slight inconvenience to using this option. • MIME or Plain Text Digest Option allows you to receive your digest in MIME format instead of plain text. Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is the format that most internet email uses. Not all mail readers accept MIME formatting, but it is preferable if yours does. • ***You can also change whether or not you want to receive a copy of your own posts, receive a confirmation email of your post, receive a monthly password reminder, conceal your email address from the subscriber list, and avoid duplicates copies of messages.*** Excessive Bounces and Automatic Disabling When the server receives too many bounces from your account, it will automatically disable your account. After a while, it will automatically unsubscribe you from the list serve. You will receive a notice from ablack@detentionwatchnetwork.org that your account has been disabled or unsubscribed. In order to re-subscribe, simply email ablack@detentionwatchnetwork.org and ask to be re-subscribed to the list serve. To avoid excessive bounces, please choose the Mail Delivery (Vacation) Option if you are out town and disable your email account. If you change your email address, please make the appropriate changes either through your list serve account, or through emailing ablack@detentionwatchnetwork.org of the changes. Outlook filtering options to manage DWN list serve emails: If you do not wish to receive the daily digest option, but find it difficult to manage the amount of emails you receive from the list serve, we recommend that you set up a special folder for DWN emails. If you use Microsoft Outlook, you can create a rule in Outlook by following these instructions (other mail management programs should have similar options): • Click on Tools and select Rules and Alerts. A window pops up with two tabs that say E-mail Rules and Manage Alerts. Click on the E-mail Rules and then click on New Rule. Another window will pop-up and click on “Start from a Black Rule.” • Under Step 1 click on “Check messages when they arrive.” Then click on Next. • Under Step 1 scroll down and select “with specific words in the recipient’s address,” and select “with specific words in the message header.” Under Step 2 click on both the “specific words” and type in dwn@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org click Add and type in DWN@lists.dentionwatchnetwork.org. Now click Next. • Under Step 1 select “move it to the specified folder.” Under Step 2 click on “specified” and select which folder you want your list serve email to go into. If you want to create a new folder click on New… and type “DWN List Serve” under the Name section and select where in your inbox you want to locate it. Click OK and then again OK. Now, click Next. • If you want to select any exceptions you can. Scroll through the list of exceptions in Step 1 and select. Then give each exception under Step 2 definition by clicking on it. Click Next. Example: One exemption could be emails that are marked as high importance. • Under Step 1 specify a name for the rule. You can type in “DWN List Serve.” Under Step 2 select “Turn on this rule,” and on “Run this rule now on messages already in my ‘Inbox’” if you choose to do so. Click on Finish. • Your new rule should appear checked under the Rule category and the Rule description should look like follows: Apply this rule after the message arrives with ‘dwn@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org’ or ‘DWN@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org’ in the recipient’s address and with ‘dwn@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org’ or ‘DWN@lists.detentionwatchnetwork.org’ in the message header and on this machine only move it to the DWN List Serve folder • Click on Apply and then click on OK. If you have any questions about using the list serve, please email program@detentionwatchnetwork.org so that we can better assist you.
Subscribing to DWN
Subscribe to DWN by filling out the following form. This is a closed list, which means your subscription will be held for approval. You will be notified of the list moderator's decision by email. This is also a hidden list, which means that the list of members is available only to the list administrator. Your email address:   Your name (optional):   You may enter a privacy password below. This provides only mild security, but should prevent others from messing with your subscription. Do not use a valuable password as it will occasionally be emailed back to you in cleartext. If you choose not to enter a password, one will be automatically generated for you, and it will be sent to you once you've confirmed your subscription. You can always request a mail-back of your password when you edit your personal options. Pick a password:   Reenter password to confirm:   Which language do you prefer to display your messages? English (USA)   Would you like to receive list mail batched in a daily digest? No Yes
DWN Subscribers
(The subscribers list is only available to the list administrator.) Enter your admin address and password to visit the subscribers list: Admin address: Password:    To unsubscribe from DWN, get a password reminder, or change your subscription options enter your subscription email address: If you leave the field blank, you will be prompted for your email address