Fighting to end the incarceration generation...
That is something I have said many times and recently repeated while presenting on a panel discussion on mass incarceration at Rutgers University’s Camden Campus. I was invited by a friend to be a part of an evening event that included a screening of Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13TH. If you haven’t seen 13TH - you should. It’s a powerful film chronicling the many challenges of mass incarceration, and one that often leads to a robust discussion, just as I had with students, faculty and community members in Camden.
Over the years my work at the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) has given me a platform to be a national voice on ending prison privatization, on calling for policing reforms, and advocating for local investments in D.C.’s education and child welfare systems. It’s allowed me to connect my belief in empathy as a tool for social change to a particular issue and policy work.
And that’s why I have a fundraising page to support JPI’s 20th anniversary, not just because I work there, but because I fundamentally believe in JPI’s mission.
First and foremost our work is about people. It’s about prioritizing people and communities over prison cells. It’s about understanding the complex dynamics that can lead someone to be involved in the justice system. It’s about acknowledging that our current system is anything but just for many communities. It’s about recognizing that victimization comes in many forms, and shouldn’t be discounted because the victim doesn’t fit a prescribed narrative. And it’s about being unafraid to stand up for investments in people and communities over prisons and company profits.
In the course of my 10+ years working on justice reform I’ve learned that in many ways policymakers, leaders, and large swaths of the general public have often done the opposite of the things I espouse on this blog. When it comes to the justice system and mass incarceration they haven’t embraced empathy. They haven’t looked at the circumstances that can impact choices and behavior that lead to justice system involvement. And they haven’t been willing to put themselves in other people's shoes. Living a life driven by courage, compassion, and connection requires diligence, conviction, and a willingness to look beyond yourself.
That is why I work at JPI - because the people I work with share my beliefs that we are all connected, and that we have an obligation to treat each other with fairness, respect, and above all compassion. Yes, that’s why I work at JPI, and that’s why I am asking you to support JPI. To help make the change we need to see in the world - where circumstance, neighborhood, or one bad decision doesn’t define your trajectory by ensnaring you in the justice system for life.
So help me to fight to end the incarceration generation, donate today.
Only together can we truly make a difference.
In solidarity,
DC3FO