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 Comments are closed  Justice System  Adwoa Masozi, incarceration, incarceration rates, justice system, mothers, parents in prison 
Panel discussion focuses on the impact of mass incarceration on communities and the larger society. “More than 2.2 million men, women and children live behind bars in the U.S. The overuse and abuse of incarceration is one of the most pressing human rights concerns of our time.” – The Correctional Association of New York
We want to change this. Family & Friends of Incarcerated People and the Institute for Policy Studies host this second forum of a two part series focused upon exposing the impact of the Prison Industrial Complex on individuals, families and communities. This second forum will focus on the impact of mass incarceration on communities, using short video and a panel discussion with the insights of formerly incarcerated men who are now giving back to their communities in profound ways. The panel will also feature people to discuss ways to formulate and move some national legislation addressing mass incarceration. Panel Discussion on The Human Cost of the Prison Industrial Complex Wednesday, June 5, 2013 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Busboys & Poets 1025 5th Street NW Washington, DC, USA Panelists: Seema Sadanandan, filmmaker, lawyer and organizer for the ACLU of the Nation’s Capital Andrea Miller, Co-director Progressive Democrats of America’s Capitol Hill letter drops and Hill meetings Rick Seeney, facilitator/mentor for Family & Friends of Incarcerated People (FFOIP) Lawann and Markia Smith, children of a currently incarcerated person Moderator: Luqman M. Abdullah a founding member of the Students Against Mass Incarceration (S.A.M.I) organization at Howard University. For more information, contact Netfa Freeman at netfa@ips-dc.org. 
In 2008, Washington, DC had the fourth highest incarceration rate in the United States. By 2010, DC had climbed number one. What’s going on?! For answers, join Family and Friends of Incarcerated People this Wednesday, May 29th at the K Street Busboys and Poets for the following panel discussion. The event starts at 6:00 PM.
For more on this subject read the Justice Policy Institute’s July 2010 report A Capitol Concern: The disproportionate impact of the justice system on low-income communities in D.C. People returning to society after being incarcerated face a mountain of obstacles. Employment and housing are top on their priority list. Many employers will not hire them after they serve their time. Changes in the city are happening everyday, so many people who returned feel as if they are returning to a foreign country. Our judicial system is designed to “punish” them long after they have served their time and “paid their dues” for their crime. This song is an original poem written by a man who is looking for job after being incarcerated, it details how he feels. Leon has been incarcerated for over six years, he is making every effort to not go back to jail. He is filling out applications, taking job training and following all job leads. However, he doesn’t have anything to put on an application under “previous jobs”. This and other obstacles are why the statistics for recidivism are so high in urban areas. Leon is channeling his frustration into something positive, he shared this song that he wrote to describe what he is experiencing now. Keep your head up Leon! Change is coming! 
Ms. Bennett’s eldest son is 48 years old. She has not touched him since he was 14 and 1/2 years old. He is incarcerated in Texas. Ms. Bennett’s son was instructed to plead guilty to a charge over thirty years ago by a public defender. He was only supposed to get two to five years. After he began to serve his term he was subjected to vicious abuse by correctional officers for years. His abuse led him to defend himself, which resulted in him being charged with murder. He has obtained a degree in prison and is an accomplished portrait artist and poet. He is currently looking for avenues to publish his poetry. Ms. Bennett made an impassioned plea for her son. She said she had been waiting for a chance to speak out about her son, and asks for prayers for him. Many parents are dealing with the heartache of having a child incarcerated with no hope of finding help or a voice for them to speak out. Ms. Bennett’s story will be heard. Many families have been shattered by the incarceration of juveniles and the stigma attached to it. The most common thought is that “they weren’t raised right”. This family is an example of how wrong those preconceived notions are. Comments are closed Justice System, Pathways to Prison incarceration, Mother, Prison System, Valencia's It Is What It Is Mobile Talk Show, Youth |
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