Remembering Michael Broadway & Eric Caine
Michael
Broadway
This tribute was written by the Northwestern Prison Education Project:
It’s with a very heavy heart that we announce the sudden and tragic loss of beloved NPEP graduate Michael Broadway. Michael was a loving, other-centered, and brilliant bright light A son, brother, father, grandfather, partner, friend, classmate, mentor, role model, scholar, creative, author, teaching assistant, and peacemaker, he was known for his generosity of spirit and signature smile that lit up the room.
Michael was guided by his moral compass and exuded wisdom and thoughtfulness in all that he did. He approached every barrier with grace, with his determination and resilience on full display when he didn’t let the loss of a close family member and a stage four prostate cancer diagnosis stop him from earning his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in November of 2023, making history as one of the first incarcerated students in the United States to graduate from a top-ten university.
His joy and passion for writing were contagious His debut novel One Foot In served as the inspiration for an article in the student-written magazine the Northwestern Insider and was famously celebrated by acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates at NPEP’s November commencement. Michael was at work on his second book.
Upon his release, Michael was planning to create the RichSoil program, a nonprofit dedicated to planting seeds of encouragement for atrisk youth through art, sports, music, and STEM
Michael’s funeral was held on Friday, July 5th at the House of Hope. NPEP hosted a memorial for Michael on what would have been his 52nd birthday, July 15th, at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
To my Cousin Eric, You were my cousin by blood but my pen pal by choice As I write my last letter to you I only pray that your soul is at peace Words cannot express how much of a blessing you were to me! You have completed your story and now it's time to rest.
Rest Well love.
Your favorite cousin, Tuneshia
Eric Caine
Our community mourns the loss of Eric Caine. While what happened to Eric back in 1986 made an indelible mark on his life forever, Eric’s life was more than the torture and the years of incarceration he endured. Eric was an intellectual and well-versed on a variety of topics. He was also a natural story-teller. He was very proud of the work he did inside prison to help free numerous people, researching their cases and writing legal briefs He shared that he was not bitter when he watched these people leave prison, rather, he was happy for them and knew that if they were free, one day he would be too.
This past year, Eric became active in the work of CTJMF, attending celebrations, fundraisers, and design retreats to help make collective decisions about the design of the Burge Torture Justice Memorial He was keen on ensuring the memorial came to fruition and that it was a place of healing for survivors He consistently expressed gratitude for being a part of this community and being able to contribute to the work of reparations for police torture survivors in Chicago
Coming together with other survivors and our community of supporters was a source of joy for Eric. We will forever miss him.
Eric’s celebration of life was on July 20th at Leak and Sons Funeral Home.
Written by Abdul-Malik
THE
CLOSURE OF STATEVILLE
Society doesn’t get to see this
Stateville is a notorious prison that contains the most infamous untold stories, now it’s one of the most costly prisons to keep open. Prisoners at Stateville are no longer a danger to society. There has been a shift in consciousness in finding a solution to help prisoners to make the right choice
Stateville has invested in so many educational programs that it offers the first graduates from various schools to receive degrees: North Park University Master’s Degree; Northwestern University Bachelor’s Degree, DePaul University (credit courses); Northeastern University BA degree; A Barber Shop School (License), and other educational programs for enrichment purposes However, individuals in custody’s dreams are being postponed from earning a degree while inside, because of the significant challenges that Stateville faces that disrupt and interrupt classes.
Earlier this year Governor JB Prtizker announced the closure of Stateville Correctional Center. IDOC staff, security and nonsecurity, feel blindsided by the recent decision to close Stateville Since then there have been a lot of financial constraints that have led to deplorable conditions here at Stateville. Conditions were bad already, but now it has gotten worse. This has led to several delays in closing Stateville, and it has forced individuals in custody to become pawns in this political game of tug and war, resulting in staff shortages, safety concerns and significant challenges to the universities who offer degrees here Classes are being disrupted because of staff shortages
THE CONDITIONS
Yards are being canceled, and we are forced inside of a cell to live out our remaining days like an animal, even after we have been rehabilitated. Most prisoners at Stateville have a bachelor degree and master degree, if not a barber license. They are some of the many prisoners who don’t have a bad disciplinary record, and yet, they are still in prison well after it’s clear they have been rehabilitated. Their daily lives that will showcase their rehabilitation are, by design, hidden from the public.
“IT HAS FORCED INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY TO BECOME PAWNS IN THIS POLITICAL GAME OF TUG AND WAR”
Prison is a traumatic experience, but it can be made worse by poor conditions like the ones that exist here at Stateville The illnesses that people experience at Stateville are very traumatic to witness. There are prisoners being pushed to school buildings in wheelchairs and on crutches with colostomy bags on
Society doesn't get to see this, or the long lines of sick prisoners whose medical conditions are made worse by being here.
A RECENT TRAGEDY
Individuals in custody are living in subpar living conditions, while receiving a substandard level of care and medical treatment Stateville is a very complex place It used to house thousands of prisoners, but now, it only houses about four hundred. It’s a facility that’s closer to Chicago, allowing a better connection with family and friends on the outside It has one of the biggest minority staff in the state of Illinois However, it also has the oldest built housing units that aren’t equipped to combat the recent climate changes. Housing units are suffering from infrastructure problems, and prisoners are being forced to bathe, prepare food, cook and drink unsafe water!
There were 7 straight days of 100° before June 19th, the day Mr. Broadway's death could have been prevented.
Mr Broadway had asthma, but it was made worse by the mold, lead and extreme heat seeping into his airways causing irreversible damage throughout his entire central nervous system, affecting the way he breathes
PHOTO: Michael Broadway during class in the Northwestern Prison Education Project
“NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER BROADWAY”
Mr Broadway suffered from many different systems’ neglect over the years Those of us in Stateville are still being injured by this constant dehumanizing abuse to save a dollar. It’s a slap in the face, because nothing is being done to prevent another Broadway
Now, we are just praying that there will not be another heat wave that sweeps through here, because we are defenseless against it If a dog were living like this, PETA would file a suit
Muhammad, a member of the CTJC community and recent graduate from Northwestern Prison Education Project.
CONCLUSION
Back in the day education opportunities were removed from prisons. So, it was so easy for politicians to say, “This person isn’t rehabilitated, don’t let them go!” Now, you have people in prison returning home with degrees What is the excuse now? Individuals in prison are now well past their rehabilitation potential They are now victims of state sanctioned violence So, it begs the question who are the real criminals?
Imprisonment doesn’t just deprive you of the comforts of freedom, it siphons away your rights to be treated and seen as a human Black and Latino imprisonment is much different than white imprisonment Blacks and Latinos live in extreme concentrations of disadvantages, while whites have better resourced schools, live in safer neighborhoods and are treated with more dignity and respect by law enforcement and criminal court systems. Compare to: Blacks and Latinos who are more likely to be poor, uneducated and unemployed, as well as, in poor health when they enter prisons, which places them at a more disadvantage upon release and add to their hardship while they are still in prison; no family to send them money for commissary, no money to afford a lawyer to get out of prison and the criminal debt keeps adding up. Their debt to society will never get paid, because their life is constantly being diminished while they are in prison.
There are 18,000 empty cells throughout IDOC, why not close more facilities, and what’s the delay to close Stateville?
Parental Rights Survey
Justice for Dexter Reed: Update
Organizations across the city are still fighting for justice for Dexter Reed. On July 18th, the coalition attended a Police Board meeting to state the following demands: for Larry Snelling and the five officers involved in the murder of Dexter Reed to be fired immediately, for TACT teams to be disbanded, and an end to pre-textual stops
From Chicago Coalition Against Racist Political Repression (April 11, 2024):
Dexter Reed was a beloved member of his community who was murdered by five Chicago Police officers in the Garfield Park neighborhood on March 21st during a traffic stop. CPD claims they stopped him for not having a seatbelt on, but COPA said police did not have visibility due to Reed’s tinted car windows. These five officers, though they wore police vests, did not identify themselves as officers They proceeded to surround his vehicle, demanding he open his window and attempting to open the door to his car When he refused, they proceeded to fire over 96 shots into Dexter Reed’s vehicle.
Next Court Support Training at CTJC: August 8th!
We had our first Court Support Training on July 11th! This training will be monthly for new court support volunteers The next training will be August 8th
This will be an opportunity for our community to attend court on the behalf of people that have been charged with a criminal offense and in rare cases, free but still in need of people to support their behalf Our hope is to create a support network that can achieve unity against the many different systems that all work to incarcerate people
Please invite your loved ones to join us if they are interested!
Do you have an upcoming court date? Please write to Mark Clements at our address below.
The CTJC reentry team is seeking to support parents and their parental rights If you are a father, is there any information you may need regarding your parental rights? Please address responses to Curtis Ferdinand, Re: Parental Rights at our address below.
(Blind) is this some kind of joke? Remember I can’t see, but I can explain it metaphorically The mirror is the world being that life is not perfect, there goes my vision Blurred lines usually mean lies because the truth is always clear so all I see is smoke when I look in the mirror.
(Dumb) What's this you just handed me? Don't be wasting my time. I got places to go and people to see. What am I supposed to do with this thing? I've been trying to look in it. It must be locked or broken. You can have this back. I have no use for it.
(Deaf) It's crazy how people talk louder like that'll help me understand I bet they feel like they're talking to the dead or how I feel when I'm trying to communicate with my day. As I'm handed a mirror, which I gladly take. I'm one of Stacey's sons. I can never get tired of seeing this face. Smiling, not a hair out of place, touch myself, the boy that hot so without speaking one word, I said a lot.
(Self) The opposite of DDB because everything sound so heavenly, from the street I receive my PhD. And with the help of these glasses my vision is 20/20. What I see when I look in the mirror beside my reflection, perfection, the universal essences, and a family heirloom. What I mean is my X and Y chromosomes are connected in a way that makes me one of one, so I'm great. It's like 4/2/89 on replay so everyday is a reason to celebrate Past, Present, and Future That's original king, slaved, back to a king again As the map of the world on my wall comes into view the people's hope is represented in its water and even though there is not much green, peace can still be seen. The brown is the source of our strength deeply rooted, giving this plant a solid foundation. So no matter where on this earth I stand my crown, glare can still be seen and to sum this up in one word, what I see when I look in the mirror, EVERYTHING.
I See the Genes of my father who Migrated from the Southern Oppression of Jim Crow, to Chicago
Targeted in the crosshair of racism, Shot Down by the bullets of Injustice.
Resiliency flows through My Veins, prohibiting Me From laying down or giving up I proclaim
Exercising with weights of faith & love to Overcome the weakness of Bitterness & hopelessness
Relinquishing the trauma that has come From an acrimonious situation, designed To Sabotage my Existence
A Situation of being wrongfully Convicted
As the System Cover-up for a Predator. Predator who tortured me & threatened My Mother with Obstruction of Justice, If She didn’t Cease from interrupting their interrogation.
Forced to leave as the Screams of her Child echoed beyond the wall of 51st & Wentworth. Rattling her Soul, with feelings of helplessness, Anger & insignificance as a mother.
I see the strength of Perseverance of my Ancestor’s beating through my heart as purpose unfolds.
I See Struggle producing Character & greatness as this unfinished story is told Like Joseph, a tale of betrayal, injustice & envy utilized to manifest a divine purpose.
At the Conclusion of it all, I stand as a 6ft 2 inch Man, Kissed by the Sun Optimistic in spite of My Scars. Believing In the faithfulness of My God; I See Greatness!
Michael Carter
I see the past, an undeveloped
Bright eyed male child eager to become
The Great Rakim or Run DMC I blink
I see anger, drug use, bloodshot eyes
That won’t stop burning long enough to Clearly see my reflection
I blink twice
Now as I look deeper I see a relaxed Face, shining brown eyes gleaming with Confidence and hope. I see a future
That is ripe I like what I see
I blink three times…
Antonio Perkins
When I look in the mirror
I see my mother’s and father’s masterpiece
When I look in the mirror
I can see my mother’s eyes
My father’s pensive nose and chin
When I look in the mirror
I see myself
And when I see myself
I catch a glimpse at my future kids
What a powerful way to see
The Past, Present, and Future
I may have not known my grandfather’s appearance
But seeing my father in me, I see him
And I’m glad I did… and I’m glad I do
Tarius Washington
A reflection of a ten year old girl stares
At a middle age woman
Bruised internally
Emotional harm shadows the soul…
A constant reminder of harms
Harmful family, friends… even associates keep up with the trends
A constant removal from neighborhoods, the living spaces
That have been considered homes will continue to write a story of hurt, passion, torment, and compassion
Reflecting a black girl lost in a world and the
Criminal justice system that’s systemic, apathetic, resistant and unapologetically concerned with
Violence
The unequivocal broadness of violent behavior illuminates the reflection of pain
A pain that is forced to be seen, yet not dwelled nor healed
A reflection of resilience
Mirror in hand
O you fresh huh?
Brown glows
Even your eyes are smiling
Right hand Left hand
Gently rubbing your hair
I see you loving your shine
Is as the sun gracing the earth’s surface
With head held high
You say
I am the Best…
Elbonie Burnside