Peoples Temple

===Organizational structure===

Although some descriptions of the Peoples Temple emphasize Jones's [[autocracy|autocratic]] control over its operations, in reality, the Temple possessed a complex leadership structure with decision-making power unevenly dispersed among its members. Within that structure, Temple members were unwittingly and gradually subjected to sophisticated [[mind control]] and [[behavior modification]] techniques borrowed from post-revolutionary [[People's Republic of China|China]] and [[North Korea]].<ref name="raven280">Reiterman 1982. pp. 163–164.</ref> The Temple tightly defined psychological boundaries that "enemies", such as "traitors" to the Temple, crossed at their own peril.<ref name="raven280" /> While the secrecy and caution Jones demanded in recruiting led to decreased overall membership, they also helped him foster hero-worship of himself as the "ultimate socialist".<ref name="raven280" />

In the 1970s, the Temple established a more formal hierarchy for its socialistic model.<ref name="raven156">Reiterman 1982. pp. 156–159.</ref> At the top were the Temple's staff, a select group of predominantly college-educated white women that undertook the Temple's most sensitive missions.<ref name="raven156" /> They necessarily acclimated themselves to an "[[Consequentialism|ends justify the means]]" philosophy.<ref name="raven156" /> The earliest member was Sandy Bradshaw, a socialist from [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref name="raven156" /> Others included Carolyn Layton, a communist since the age of 15 who had a child with Jones; Sharon Amos, who worked for the social services department; Patty Cartmell, Jones's secretary; and Teri Buford, a [[U.S. Navy|Navy]] brat turned [[pacifism|pacifist]].<ref name="raven156" /> The group was often scorned as elitist within the egalitarian Temple organization and viewed as [[secret police]].<ref name="raven156" />

The Temple's Planning Commission was its governing board.<ref name="raven160">Reiterman 1982. pp. 160–163.</ref><ref name="Lewis2003-11-19">Lewis, Mike. [http://www.seattlepi.com/local/148941_jonestown19.html "Jones disciple recovers from, recalls painful past."] ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer''. November 19, 2003. {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20130202055343/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/148941_jonestown19.html |date=February 2, 2013}}</ref> Membership quickly ballooned from 50 to over 100.<ref name="raven160" /><ref name="Lewis2003-11-19" /> During the week, members convened for meetings in various Redwood Valley locations, sometimes until dawn.<ref name="raven160" /> The Planning Commission was responsible for the Temple's day-to-day operations, including key decision-making, financial and legal planning, and oversight.<ref>Dickerson, Toby. {{cite web |url=http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Jonestwn.html |title=''Peoples Temple (Jonestown)'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908190148/http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Jonestwn.html |archive-date=September 8, 2006 |url-status=dead }}. The Religious Movements Homepage Project. University of Virginia. February 5, 2005.</ref> The Commission sat over various other committees, such as the Diversions Committee, which carried out tasks such as writing huge numbers of letters to politicians from fictional people mailed from various locations around the U.S.,<ref>Layton 1999, p. 62.</ref> and the Mertles Committee, which undertook activities against defectors [[Jeannie Mills|Al and Jeannie Mills]].<ref name="hall178">Hall 1987, pp. 178–184</ref>

A group of rank-and-file members, whom outsiders called the "troops", consisted of working-class members who were 70–80% black. They set up chairs for meetings, filled offering boxes, and did other tasks.<ref name="raven156" /> Many of them were attracted to the Temple's quasi-socialist approach both because of the Temple's political education offers and because the Temple's highly passionate congregations still maintained the familiar forms of evangelical prayers and black gospels.<ref name="raven156" /> Jones also surrounded himself with several dozen mostly white, privileged members in their twenties and thirties who had skills in law, accounting, nursing, teaching, music, and administration.<ref name="raven156" /> This latter group carried out public relations, financial duties, and more mundane chores while bringing in good salaries from well-paying outside jobs.<ref name="raven156" />