I am getting to this subject now specifically because there is an event this week that some of you may find helpful.
Virtual Event: Protect Prison Mail
Thursday, June 17th, 11AM / 2PM PDT
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4416221360531/WN_JUJ3dTEdQN2VaRIx6IRzXA
You may already know that policing functions as a tool of white supremacy, targeting communities of color with increased surveillance and increased violence, and that decisions on prosecution and sentences sought are strongly influenced by race. If you are not aware of that, a good starting point would be reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
What may be less obvious -- but is completely logical -- is that the system is full of opportunities for more privileged people to exploit the imprisoned for wealth. This webinar focuses on a program to restrict mail access while charging prisoners and those who care about them a lot of money.
Another important thing to know is that the program will be especially harmful to prisoners with disabilities. That should be something to care about anyway, but especially concerning when you know that about 38% of prisoners in the US have a disability of some kind.
There is something interesting to think about there. The percentage of the US population with a disability is more like 1 in 5, so why does that double once you go inside prison? Does that correlate with any other uneven population distribution in prisons?
I became aware of the webinar through Just Detention International, a human rights group that is focused on ending sexual assault in prison.
Their web site has survivor stories and articles, so would be a perfectly reasonable place to start for learning more on this issue.
Another organization I like is the Equal Justice Initiative:
Their work is featured in Bryan Stevenson's book, and the movie based on it, Just Mercy (both recommended). There is a part in the book where Stevenson is talking to the church congregation of one of his clients. Many of them were at the same event when the crime happened, along with the client. They knew he didn't do it, and yet it didn't matter.
It is one thing to know that this country's policing and penal system is racist; it is another to understand the effect that has even on those who aren't incarcerated. They try so hard to be careful and safe and above reproach, and then see that it is not enough.
We need to be aware of the cost.
Although injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, it does make sense to be aware of local issues. One to consider is to going back and re-examining unconstitutional non-unanimous jury verdicts:
You can watch a short video about this at https://fb.watch/66g_bePRuT/.
It is easy to take a conviction as reason to look down on someone and not worry about their rights. The advantage of that is that it goes along with faith in the system. The more we learn that this faith is misplaced, the more important it is to take actions.
There is a lot of room to contribute.
One last note: I have specifically not mentioned prison abolition. That is its own complicated topic, and would often be considered with restorative justice, also complicated.
I think restorative justice has potential, but many advocates for it end up still falling into regular hierarchies of power where redeeming the victimizer becomes more important than aiding the victim. It doesn't have to be that way, but it's something to watch out for.
Those concerns take nothing away from the organizations and causes mentioned in this post. They also do not have to rule out collaboration between groups who have overlapping goals, even when those goals are not a total match.
Find your way to make a difference.
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