Captivity in the United States - An Infographic Book On the Most Corrupt Prison System by Sabrina Hosler

CAPTIVITY IN THE UNITED STATES

Sabrina Hosler AN INFOGRAPHIC BOOK ON THE MOST CORRUPT PRISON SYSTEM

The United States has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of its prisoners, and currently, 2.2 million people are locked up across the country. While crime has been decreasing since the 1990s, rates of imprisonment are at historic highs, increasing almost 500%. Our prison system has many problems, such as inhumane living conditions, racial bias, and unfair sentences, and is in desperate need of reform. Decades of research have shown that prison is the least effective place to rehabilitate offenders. Prisons in the United States have three main, glaring issues: sentencing is disproportionate, imprisonment almost always does more harm than good, and similar crimes are not always sentenced in the same way. Upon release, these people will face many practical and social challenges to rejoin their pre-imprisonment communities, often due to a lack of education, lack of practical skills, or from being in such a different environment for so long. The current strategies used by our justice system for prisoners to achieve rehabilitation is very ineffective, with more than 80% of these individuals being rearrested again in the future. Something must change about our current prison system, it is harmful to everyone and is ineffective from preventing crime. Something must change, because our current system does not respect human dignity.

MASS INCARCERATION AFFECTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 2.3 MILLION

incarcerated today

= about 5 million

4.9 MILLION

formerly incarcerated

19 MILLION

convicted of a felony

113 MILLION

have an immediate family member who has been (or currently is) incarcerated

77 MILLION

have a criminal record

United States Incarceration between the years of 2010-2020. The United States has an approximate population of 328 million people, and approximately 216 million are affected by the prison system in some way, so more than half of the entire population is or has been incarcerated, or has or had an immediate family member imprisoned.

NEARLY 1 IN 100

people in the United States are in prison or jail of about 698 per 100,000 people. As of March 24th, 2020, the U.S. criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons,

immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, etc.

About 0.7% of the United States is currently incarcerated. In other words, this is a rate

110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218

CONTENTS HEALTH & SAFETY

mental health physical health physical health food

12 13 14 15

YOUTH

racial disparity youth incarceration juvenile life without parole

18 19 20

ETHNICITY & RACE

racial disparity lifetime likelihood

24 25

EDUCATION

general public formerly incarcerated

28 29

SEXUALITY & GENDER

the gender gap lgbtq+ representation

32 33

VIOLENCE

violence against inmates lasting effects

36 37

4 5 6

NONVIOLENT OFFENSES

immigration drug offenses

40 42

JOBS & LABOR

jobs & wages commissary items & prices

44 45

INJUSTICE

pretrial detention solitary confinement

48 49

SOLUTIONS

incarceration alternatives

HOW YOU CAN HELP

helping individuals helping on a national level

56 57

9 10 11

SOURCES

HEALTH SAFETY

& mental health physical health physical health food

12 13 14 15

HOW CAN I TAKE CARE OF MY MENTAL HEALTH WHILE INCARCERATED?

CAN I... ...walk outside? It depends on the prison and its security level. Typically, inmates only get around two hours outside, and it’s typically not everyday, but you can occasionally get fresh air outside!

...keep a journal? Yes, you can, but you have to buy paper and pencils from commissary. You don’t have a lot of privacy though, and sometimes other inmates and guards go through your things.

...talk with friends/family? You can place up to 300 minutes of phone calls, but it does cost anywhere from $0.15 to $25 for 15 minute phone calls, depending on the state. These phone calls can also only last 15 minutes at a time, and it will automatically be disconnected when the time is up. The prison Warden is also technically allowed to give you more time for a family emergency, but it’s very rare.

...take medication? Yes, you can take medication in prison. There are many complications, though. First, many jails and prisons have a general policy against giving anti-anxiety medications and stimulants to inmates. It is not impossible to get these, since there can be exceptions to the policy, but it is rare and a difficult process. There are also many security precautions for medications, so sometimes inmates cannot get the medication they need. Second, prisons have pretty steep copays for medication. Sure, it’s only typically $5 or less, but many people in prison do not have a lot of money and prison jobs typically only pay less than $1 a day. Lastly, there are sometimes long waits to getting medicaiton shipped into prisons and all the medication is approved by a prison doctor, who can sometimes deem medications “medically unnecessary” even though the patient may absolutely need those medications (and may have been approved before by non-prison doctors).

24%

SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL

DISTRESS

% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING IN THE PAST 30 DAYS

14% 11%

JAIL

PRISON

PROBATION OR PAROLE

GENERAL POPULATION

* general population includes only adults with no criminal involvement in the past year

HEALTH CONDITIONS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC VS. OF PRISONERS NERVOUS SYSTEM 5% 3%

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 5%

PHYSICAL

HEALTH prisoners

general population

RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS

15% 8%

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

20%

14.3%

WHAT DOES PRISON FOOD CONSIST OF? MAGGOTS and other bugs live and copulate here.

BAD MEAT that is old, expired, and rotten.

FOOD PULLED FROM THE TRASH... who knows where it’s been or for how long.

FOOD NIBBLED ON BY RATS, other rodents, and insects.

UNAPPETIZING, CHEAP, UNHEALTHY, AND EXPIRED concoctions similar to the taste and consistency of cat food.

YOUTH racial disparity youth incarceration juvenile life without parole (jlwop)

18 19 20

YOUTH INCA RACIAL DISPARITY Unfortunately, Black and American Indian youth are much more likely to be incarcerated than white youth. In 2015, over 412,000 Black youth and 255,000 Native American youth were incarcerated, compared to only 83,000 white youth, even though white youth make up over half of the youth population. Black youth are about five times more likely to be incarcerated, and American Indian youth are three times more likely to be incarcerated than white youth. Latino/Latina youth are also more likely to be incarcerated than white youth, but fortunately at a smaller fraction, about half as likely.

ARCERATION EDUCATION Youth in the juvenile justice system have a high need for education, since more than half of all incarcerated youth possess math and reading skills below their grade level, and many of them have been suspended or expelled from traditional public schools. Unfortunately, once incarcerated, education is even harder to achieve. Incarcerated youth do not have equal access to quality education (that coincides with state curricular standards) compared to nonincarcerated youth, and in 2015, 30% of states do not require juvenile detention facilities to participate in state education accountability systems, and 39% had juvenile detention facilities that did not meet national education accreditation standards. Data from the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) shows that incarcerated students received about 25 hours of instructional time per week, which is 8 fewer hours than non-incarcerated youth spent at traditional public schools.

JUVENILE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE In 2020, there were 1,465 people serving life-without-parole sentences for crimes committed as juveniles, which is fortunately a 38% decrease from 2016, but this is still a large number of people spending their entire lives in prison for crimes they committed as children. 24 states have banned life sentences without the possibility of parole (even though some people in these states are still serving their sentences) and 13 states do not have anyone serving JLWOP, but that still leaves 13 states that still enforce this sentence. So why do children not deserve to spend their lives in prison despite whatever crime it may be? Looking at data from organizations such as the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychological Association, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Elena Kagan says that adolescence is marked by “immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences.”Justice Kagan also noted that juvenile defendants are at a great disadvantage in criminal proceedings since they are less able than adults to assist in their own defenses, and are more likely to crack under high pressure of interrogation. Almost every state does not allow juveniles to vote, buy cigarettes/alcohol, to drive without restrictions, or get married without parental consent, so why do they deserve to spend their entire lives in prison for crimes they committed as children?

JUVENILE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE 22

1 4 4 4

0 2

288 JLWOP = juvenile life without parole states that have banned JLWOP

states that have not banned the sentence states that haven’t banned it, but do not currently have anyone serving

the amount of juveniles serving life sentences in that state (as of 2016)

0 0

STATES WHERE JUVENILES CAN BE SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE 0 1

0 5 7

370

414 2 93

103

2 78 13

57 68

although many of these states have banned JLWOP, a large number of those states still have youth serving life sentences.

247 227

ETHNICITY RACE

racial disparity lifetime likelihood of imprisonment

24 25

RACIAL DISPARITY US INCARCERATION RATES BY RACE & ETHNICITY

2,306

1,291 1,017 831 450 115

BLACK

AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE

NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER

LATINX

WHITE

ASIAN

* number of people incarcerated per 100,000 people

LIFETIME LIKELIHOOD

OF IMPRISONMENT WHITE MEN

1 IN 17

LATINO MEN

1 IN 5

BLACK MEN

1 IN 3

EDUCATION general public formerly incarcerated

28 29

EDUCATION GENERAL PUBLIC

34%

COLLEGE DEGREE

66%

NO COLLEGE DEGREE

LEVEL

FORMERLY INCARCERATED <5%

COLLEGE DEGREE

95%

NO COLLEGE DEGREE

SEXUALITY GENDER the gender gap lgbtq+ representation

32 33

THE GENDER GAP

93.2% male 6.8% female

EG ENDER

GENDER OF INMATES COMPARED TO GENERATION POPULATION

RO F U .S . CI

E Z TI

50.8% female 49.2% male “ Prison housing in the United States is organized based on binary categories—men versus women—which leaves those who identify as anything but cisgender out of the categories. The struggles of transgender women wanting to be housed in women’s prisons and transgender men wanting to be housed in men’s prisons are rampant and welldocumented. Less documented are the plights of non-binary and gender non-conforming inmates who do not have prison housing options available that match their gender identity.” It is very hard to find data that shows other gender expressions, which is why only men and women are shown in this infographic, but this does not mean that noncisgender people don’t exist in prisons. They do, they are just forced into the prison that matches their biological sex.

*quote from Jessica Szuminski, author of “Behind the Binary Bars”

o ly t n e lik riso ing e p d r mo ceive xcee s re s e year m ter 20

trans prison gender e times rs are ten mo to be s re likely ex assaul ually ted

mo r spe e like nd ly to i n con soli time ta fi seg neme ry reg nt o atio r n

incar rate is ceration m 3x tha ore than total U t of the .S. popula adult tion

of over 40% d te incarcera re women a LBGTQ+

3x more lik ely to report sexua l abuse than non-LG BTQ+ prisoners

se ies still hou it il c fa y n a m r people transgende ls their genita according to increases h or sex, whic bility their vulnera to abuse

LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION

33 29

VIOLENCE violence against inmates lasting effects

36 37

VIOLENCE AGAINST INMATES “ There are health standards for hospitals and nutritional standards for food, but there are not consistent safety standards for prisons. Thus, many prisons host conditions that are recipes for violence. Such conditions include insufficient staff training, excessive solitary confinement, mistreatment of mentally ill inmates, etc. Not surprisingly, violence has indeed ensued in the prisons that carry these conditions. Inmates experience sexual assault by other prisoners and staff, gang violence, and excessive force from officers—often with no reliable procedure to report violence. At times, inmates are mistreated by the same staff members who process their complaint reports. Unfortunately, since there is no uniform way to track violent trends in prisons, there are no accurate measures of violence in prisons—suggesting that the public may know only a fraction of how many inmates are suffering rape and assault.

GUARDS 66% of incidents of sexual misconduct by prison staff involve sexual relationships with inmates who “appeared to be willing,” according to authorities. 21% of all male inmates say they’ve been assaulted by guards. Across the country, inmates report instances of excessive and even clearly lawless use of force, including beatings, slamming inmates into walls, racial taunting and other mistreatment. Women in custody faced abuses at the hands of prison guards, most of whom are men, who subjected the women to verbal harassment, unwarranted visual surveillance, abusive pat frisks and sexual assault.

OTHER INMATES 19% of all male inmates in US prisons say they’ve been physically assaulted by other inmates. Men in prison also suffered from prisoner-on-prisoner sexual abuse, committed by fellow inmates. Prison staff often allowed or even tacitly encouraged sexual attacks by male prisoners. Despite the severe psychological impact of such abuse, preventative measures were rarely taken in most jurisdictions, while the attackers were hardly ever punished adequately.

*quote and data from www.prisonfellowship.org

LASTING EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE Witnessing violence — whether on a neighborhood block, prison unit, or a battlefield — carries serious ramifications. Exposure to this kind of stress can lead to poor health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and even certain cancers, which are compounded by inadequate correctional health care. Previous research has also shown that violent prison conditions — including “ direct victimization, the perception of a threatening prison environment, and hostile relationships with correctional officers — increase the likelihood of recidivism.” The only way to truly minimize the harm of violence and its effects is to limit exposure to the violent prison environment, which means (at least) reducing lengthy sentences, providing offenders with supportive interventions (such as rehabilitation), and means changing how we respond to violence, as a country and as a Prison Industrial Complex.

PTSD & TRAUMA Many prisoners have witnessed graphic, horrific acts of violence, such as stabbings, beatings, broken bones, and attacks with makeshift weapons. Some participants were even forced to clean up blood after an attack or murder, so it is not surprising that many of them are traumatized in prison. Lingering effects of witnessing traumatic events in prison include hypervigilance, anxiety, depression, avoidance, hypersensitivity, suicidality, flashbacks, and difficulty with emotional regulation. In prison, veterans are disproportionately at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can experience the same debilitating symptoms of PTSD.

RECIDIVISM Recidivism means the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend again in the future. Research has shown that violent prison conditions, such as direct victimization, a threatening environment, and hostile relationships with correctional officers, increase the likelihood of recidivism. Rather than providing treatment or rehabilitation to help the ongoing trauma that incarcerated people often face, our criminal justice system functions in a way that only perpetuates a cycle of violence, so these people often commit crimes again. *quote and data from www.prisonpolicy.org

NONVIOLENT OFFENSES immigration drug offenses

40 41

IMMIGRATION LENGTH OF DETENTION

1 TO 2 YEARS

28%

2 TO 4 YEARS

48%

MORE THAN 4 YEARS 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR

12%

LESS THAN 6 MONTHS

“OUR IMMIGRATION DETENTION SYSTEM LOCKS UP HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IMMIGRANTS UNNECESSARILY EVERY YEAR, EXPOSING DETAINEES TO BRUTAL AND INHUMANE CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT.” THEIR ONLY CRIME IS LEAVING THEIR HOME COUNTRY TO LIVE IN ANOTHER, OFTEN FOR REASONS OF ESCAPING WAR, PERSECUTION, OR A NATURAL DISASTER. 40

DRUG OFFENSES 1 IN 5 INCARCERATED PEOPLE

ARE LOCKED UP FOR A DRUG OFFENSE. DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES ARE

THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS FOR DRUG SALES. EVERY 25 SECONDS, SOMEONE IN AMERICA IS ARRESTED FOR DRUG POSSESSION.

SINCE 1980, THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION HAS

TRIPLED.

The majority of people getting arrested for drug charges is just in possession of drugs, so why is it our move as a country to arrest them and imprison them instead of rehabilitating them?

JOBS LABOR jobs & wages commissary items & prices

44 45

PRISON

JOBS & WAGES REGULAR JOBS (NON-INDUSTRY)

JOBS IN STATE-OWNED BUSINESSES

JOBS OUTSIDE THE FACILITY

JOBS IN PRIVATE BUSINESSES

14¢ - 63¢

33¢ - $1.41

12¢ - 40¢

33¢ - $1.41

WAGE RANGE PER HOUR

*these numbers represent the nationwide average pay per hour

5 STATES

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Texas

DO NOT PAY INMATES FOR REGULAR PRISON JOBS. THE WAGES LISTED ABOVE DO NOT INCLUDE ANY DEDUCTIONS. For example, in Massachusetts, at least half of an inmate’s paycheck goes into a savings account to pay for expenses after release.

SO, WITH A FULL DAY OF WORK (12+ HOURS) YOU COULD MAYBE BUY A PACKAGE OF RAMEN OR A MILKYWAY. 44

LABOR

COMMISSARY ITEMS & PRICES CLOTHING

$15.60 Sweatshirt (U)

$15.60 Sweatpants (U)

$4.45 Shower Slides (U)

$26.00 Court Shoes (M)

FOOD & DRINK M - Mens U - Unisex

$3.65 Can of Coke

$0.30 Ramen

$1.50 Easy Mac & Cheese

$0.90 Milky Way

Brands are not guaranteed and will often be generic varieties of items

HEALTH & BEAUTY

$1.85 Chapstick

$5.55 Tampon

All items are sold singularly, unless stated otherwise

$7.65 Razor OR 4 Pk. Razor Blades

$2.25 Ibuprofen

$1.70 Ruled Notebook 10x8

$1.10 2pk Pens

*Based off of 2016 Federal Bureau of Prisons Commissary Shopping List

OTHER SUPPLIES

$24.05 Radio

$5.00 Earbuds

INJUSTICE pretrial detention solitary confinement

48 49

PRETRIAL DETENTION MORE THAN 1/4 OF PEOPLE IN JAIL ARE NOT CONVICTED OF ANY SENTENCE.

740,000+ PEOPLE

SO, WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE DETAINED BEFORE TRIAL? Poverty plays a central role in mass incarceration and pretrial detention. “People in prison and jail are disproportionately poor compared to the overall U.S. population. The criminal justice system punishes poverty, beginning with the high price of money bail: The median felony bail bond amount ($10,000) is the equivalent of 8 months’ income for the typical detained defendant. As a result, people with low incomes are more likely to face the harms of pretrial detention.” *quote from www.prisonpolicy.org’s 2020 mass incarceration report

SOLITARY

CONFINEMENT OFTEN INCLUDES AND IS NOT LIMITED TO:

TINY CELLS Cells are about 7 or 8 feet by 10 feet in size (about the size of than the average bathroom or elevator). Inmates are very rarely allowed to leave this room.

LONG PERIODS Inmates are subjected to about 22.5 to 24 hours per day in their cell. When they’re let out, it is into a small outdoor cage with no recreational equipment and no other people.

LITTLE INTERACTION In solitary, you rarely ever see anyone other the occasional guard. There are no group activities or any kind of congregating with others. You can occasionally get visitors, but even then, it’s through a thick glass barrier with no physical contact.

FEW ACTIVITIES It depends on the facility to what extent they allow people books and other materials while in solitary. Some allow books, some do not. Even if reading materials are allowed, they are often censored.

TORTURE & CRUEL METHODS Solitary conditions often include physical torture (such as hog-tying, restraint, forced cell extraction), “no-touch torture” (sensory deprivation, permanent bright lighting, extreme temperatures, forced insomnia), chemical torture (such as stun grenades and stun guns), and sexual intimidation.

MENTAL EFFECTS Many studies have documented the harmful psychological effects of longterm solitary confinement, which includes visual and auditory hallucinations, hypersensitivity, insomnia, paranoia, distortions of time and perception, increased risk of suicide, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

SOLUTIONS incarceration alternatives

INCARCERATION

ALTERNATIVES 1. FINES, RESTITUTION, COMMUNITY SERVICE For crimes such as trespassing, loitering, petty theft, and disorderly conduct, sometimes courts will instead impose sentences of fines, restitution, or community service. When the stolen or damaged item can be replaced, the judge could have the defendant pay to replace the item/property instead of jail time. Restitution is another option, which means the defendant would pay the plaintiff (the one suing/filing charges) for financial losses, medical/counseling costs, etc. If the defendant cannot pay, community service could be appointed. This could be road clean-up, janitorial work, or by using any skills the defendant may have (for example, accounting or computer skills).

2. PROBATION As another alternative to jail or prison, judges can sentence a defendant to either supervised or unsupervised probation. This means the defendant would be released from detention, and they would be under supervision of a parole officer and would be expected to remain on good behavior and not get in any more trouble with the law while on probation. This may also include other requirements such as a curfew, random drug tests, maintaining employment, possessing no weapons, and maybe counseling. Under unsupervised probation, the court will typically require that the defendant not have any new arrests, no drug or alcohol use, and the defendant is not allowed to leave the state or country.

what we can do instead of sending people to prison

3. DRUG/ALCOHOL REHABILITATION Many courts allow the offender to serve all of or some of their sentence in rehabilitation or treatment programs. Depending on the severity and the judge, the offender may be required to live in a halfway house (a center for helping former drug addicts, prisoners, etc. to adjust to life in regular society again) or to attend or live in a care facility with rehabilitation and treatment programs. The offender is also often required to attend counseling while also searching for employment opportunities or while enrolling in school. The level of supervision as well as the time spent in the rehabilitation program varies on the certain program, the charge, and the judge.

4. HOUSE ARREST House arrest allows the offender to service their sentence while living at home with electronic monitoring, such as an ankle bracelet. Ankle bracelets alert a monitoring center if the offender goes outside of some range, such as outside of their property, or if they’re employed, it would be programmed to allow them to be at their workplace certain hours every day. If the offender violates this, often the court will revoke this and send them to serve the rest of their sentence in jail or prison, but a better recommendation would be to try another suggestion on this list.

5. PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT This is similar to the drug/ alcohol rehabilitation, but defendants will instead serve their sentence or part of their sentence in some kind of psychiatric or treatment program. For more severe cases, defendants will be submitted to stay in a psychiatric hospital for treatment, while others may just be required to attend meetings. They can range from time to short term or long term, and have certain requirements depending on the charge and the judge.

6. WORK RELEASE Although there are many more alternatives to incarceration, our last suggestion is work release. Although we believe incarceration should be abolished, this is a way in our current system that allows the offender to leave the jail or prison in order to go to work and then the individual would return after work to incarceration. This is a good suggestion, so that the offender would not lose their job while in prison, and can make them way more money than a regular prison job would. Depending on the job, this can also be a way to secure employment after release.

*We recommend anyone currently facing charges to hire an attorney if possible and to attempt to get any of these alternatives to prison or jail time. Unfortunately, in our current prison system some of these may be hard to achieve instead of incarceration, so it may not be possible for many cases.

“ THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PRISON ARE THERE BECAUSE SOCIETY HAS FAILED THEM.” 11 ANGELA

Y. DAVIS

12 53

HOW YOU CAN HELP helping individuals helping on a national level

56 57

HELPING INDIVIDUALS SEND BOOKS Prison can be incredibly boring; sending books to occupy the time and minds of prisoners is a great idea. Some prisons have restrictions on certain books, so look it up online before sending one.

UPDATE THEM When you’re in prison, it’s hard to know what’s going on in the outside world. News can be slow while incarcerated, and not every prisoner has access to a television or other forms of media, so let them know what’s going on outside.

PEN PALS Many incarcerated people feel lonely. Reaching out to them by letter can really lift their spirits and help them feel that someone is there for them. To send a letter, you have to know the name and ID number of an incarcerated person, so if you don’t know a prisoner personally, you can locate a pen pal online or through a prisoner writing organization.

POST THEIR BAIL OR SEND MONEY You could help donate to those who need money for commissary items such as food or hygiene products. You can find identification information for an incarcerated person online and send it directly to that person’s account. Many incarcerated people also cannot afford their bail, which is why so many people are incarcerated without even being sentenced, so by paying their bails, it allows them to await trial at home. You can find a national directory of bail funds online.

RESOURCES SENDING BOOKS: www.bookstoprisoners.net PEN PALS: www.writeaprisoner.com www.blackandpinkpenpals.org KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: www.aclu.org/know-your-rights PROTESTING AND PROTESTERS RIGHTS: www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protestersrights/#im-attending-a-protest FINDING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: www.house.gov/representatives/find-yourrepresentative PETITIONS: www.change.org VOLUNTEERING IN PRISONS: www.bop.gov/jobs/volunteer.jsp PRISON ABOLITION/PRISONER ORGANIZATIONS: www.criticalresistance.org/ www.nlg.org/ www.incarceratedworkers.org/ www.centerforprisonreform.org/prisonreform-organizations/

HELPING ON A NATIONAL LEVEL RAISE AWARENESS

LEARN

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

Get the word out there! Inform others on the harm of the prison industrial complex. Use whatever social media or platform you have to get the word out about the conditions that prisoners are facing.

Knowledge is super important. Know how to argue your point for prison abolition, know local and federal laws so you can fight for abolition and incarceration release, and keep yourself informed on past and present news.

There are many organizations that deal with prison issues such as over-policing, mass incarceration, wrongful convictions, and prison abolition. You can support these organizations in their mission towards criminal justice reform by signing up for their newsletters to stay informed, take part in their online call-to-actions, send them a donation, or get others to donate.

CALL IN CAMPAIGNS Knowledge is super important. Know how to argue your point for prison abolition, know local and federal laws so you can fight for abolition and incarceration release, and keep yourself informed on past and present news.

PROTEST Organize a protest or join one. Know your rights - you have the right to speak out on public property, (such as a plaza, a street, or a public building) as long as you are not blocking access to the buildings around you or interfering with whatever purpose the property was designed for. When you are present (as long as it is lawfully), you have the right to photograph anything within plain view, including federal buildings and police. You do not need a permit to march on the streets or on sidewalks, as long as car or pedestrian traffic is not blocked, but be aware that police may use force if foot or car traffic gets obstructed. It is not recommended to protest on private property, since private property owners set their own rules for speech and photography there.

VOLUNTEER & DONATE You can volunteer in many ways, such as volunteering in prison programs like vocational training, Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous, tutoring, leisure-time activities, spiritual counseling, religious services, marriage and family issues, or participating in mock job fairs. Donate to individual prisoners or donate to prison issue organizations, anything helps!

PETITIONS Petitions may have a pretty bad rap since generally this is not as affective as the other ways - but petitions can work. If they get enough notoriety (which is the ultimate challenge with petitions), they will be addressed, whether it be by political figures, lawmakers, or the general public. With petitions, you want to gain mass awareness, so these can work. For example, petitions have ended in the blocking of Rodney Reed’s execution, by erasing the ban on gay Boy Scouts, by honoring Nipsey Hussle by renaming a street after him, and by releasing Cyntoia Brown from prison.

TALK TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES Contacting your representatives is an easy and free (yet effective!) way to call attention to something that matters to you, their voter. This can be especially effective when an elected official is up for reelection (as they need the support to stay in office) so you can use this opportunity to mention the prison system or whatever is important to you. You can email them, call them, or sometimes you can even meet them in person.

AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF PRISONERS This might be the most important one - solidarity. Get their names out there. Say their names, share their stories, protest their convictions. This can be through social media, word of mouth, or anyway you can tell the world about these prisoners. Don’t let anyone silence you.

SOURCES 1. HEALTH & SAFETY Brown, Claire, and Joe Fassler. “Prison Food Is Making U.S. Inmates Disproportionately Sick.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 27 Dec. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/12/prison-food-sickness- america/549179/. Donovan, John. “Prison Food Is Way Worse Than You’d Expect.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 17 May 2019, people. howstuffworks.com/prison-food.htm. “A Guide to Accessing Medication for Inmates in Washington State Jails.” Disability Rights Washington, 2 Jan. 2018, www.disabilityrightswa.org/publications/guide-accessing-medication-inmates-washington-state-jails/. “How to Look after Your Mental Health in Prison.” Mental Health Foundation, 8 Mar. 2019, www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ publications/how-look-after-your-mental-health-prison. Pignolet, Jennifer. “Jail Policy on Prescription Meds Can Leave Care Gaps.” Spokesman, The Spokesman Review, 21 July 2013, www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jul/21/jails-policy-on-prescription-medication-can-leave/. Sawyer, Wendy. “Food for Thought: Prison Food Is a Public Health Problem.” Prison Policy Initiative, 2017, www. prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/03/03/prison-food/. Sawyer, Wendy. “New Government Report Points to Continuing Mental Health Crisis in Prisons and Jails.” Prison Policy Initiative, 22 June 2017, www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/06/22/mental_health/. Sawyer, Wendy. “The Steep Cost of Medical Co-Pays in Prison Puts Health at Risk.” Prison Policy Initiative, 19 Apr. 2017, www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/04/19/copays/. Sheets, Connor. “How Donated, Spoiled Food Keeps Etowah Jail Costs Low.” Al, 23 Apr. 2018, www.al.com/news/ birmingham/2018/04/jail_kitchen_workers_say_donat.html.

2. YOUTH “Alternatives to Youth Incarceration.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/youth- incarceration/alternatives-youth-incarceration. Esthappan, Sino, and Victoria Lee. “Incarcerated Youth Deserve a Quality Education, and Many Don’t Get One.” Urban Institute, 23 Oct. 2018, www.urban.org/urban-wire/incarcerated-youth-deserve-quality-education-and-many- dont-get-one#:~:text=Youth%20who%20enter%20the%20juvenile,out%20of%20traditional%20public%20 schools. “Issues.” Juvenile Law Center, jlc.org/issues. Rovner, Josh. “Juvenile Life Without Parole: An Overview.” The Sentencing Project, 8 Mar. 2021, www. sentencingproject.org/publications/juvenile-life-without-parole/. Rovner, Josh. “Racial Disparities in Youth Incarceration Persist.” The Sentencing Project, 3 Feb. 2021, www. sentencingproject.org/publications/racial-disparities-in-youth-incarceration-persist/. Sawyer, Wendy. Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie 2019, Prison Policy Initiative, 19 Dec. 2019, www.prisonpolicy.org/ reports/youth2019.html.

3. RACE & ETHNICITY Nellis, Ashley. “The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons.” The Sentencing Project, 14 June 2016, www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/. “Report to the United Nations on Racial Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice System.” The Sentencing Project, 19 May 2018, www.sentencingproject.org/publications/un-report-on-racial-disparities/.

4. EDUCATION Couloute, Lucius. “Getting Back on Course: Educational Exclusion and Attainment among Formerly Incarcerated People. Educational Exclusion and Attainment among Formerly Incarcerated People, Prison Policy Initiative, Oct. 2018, www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/education.html.

5. GENDER & SEXUALITY Kajstura, Aleks. “Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019.” Prison Policy Initiative, 29 Oct. 2019, www. prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2019women.html. “LGBTQ+ People Behind Bars: A Guide To Understanding the Issues Facing Transgender Prisoners and Their Legal Rights.” National Center for Transgender Equality, https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/ TransgenderPeopleBehindBars.pdf. Loesche, Dyfed. “Infographic: The Prison Gender Gap.” Statista Infographics, 23 Oct. 2017, www.statista.com/ chart/11573/gender-of-inmates-in-us-federal-prisons-and-general-population/. Szuminski, Jessica. “Behind the Binary Bars: A Critique of Prison Placement Policies for Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Prisoners.” Minnesota Law Review, 23 Nov. 2020, minnesotalawreview.org/article/ behind-the-binary-bars-a-critique-of-prison-placement-policies-for-transgender-non-binary-and-gender-non conforming-prisoners/. “Women and Gender.” Prison Policy Initiative, www.prisonpolicy.org/women.html.

6. VIOLENCE Bulka, Connor. “Inmate Abuse Continue to Haunt U.S. Prisons.” The Talon, 25 Oct. 2015, rochestertalon.com/3562/ opinion/inmate-abuse-still-prevalent-locally-and-nationally/. Eisen, Lauren-Brooke. “The Violence Against People Behind Bars That We Don’t See.” Time, Time, 1 Sept. 2020, time. com/5884104/prison-violence-dont-see/. Gilson, Dave. “10 Stats about Assault and Sexual Violence in America’s Prisons.” Mother Jones, 23 June 2016, www. motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/attacks-and-assaults-behind-bars-cca-private-prisons/. Lockhart, P.R. “America Is Finally Being Exposed to the Devastating Reality of Prison Violence.” Vox, Vox, 5 Apr. 2019, www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/4/5/18297326/prison-violence-ohio-alabama-justice-department- lawsuit. “Violence And Sexual Assault In Prison: Prisoner Resources.” Zoukis Consulting Group, 13 Dec. 2020, www. prisonerresource.com/prison-life/special-tactics/violence-sexual-assault/. Widra, Emily. “No Escape: The Trauma of Witnessing Violence in Prison.” Prison Policy Initiative, 2 Dec. 2020, www. prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/12/02/witnessing-prison-violence/.

7. NONVIOLENT OFFENSES “Drug War Statistics.” Drug Policy Alliance, drugpolicy.org/issues/drug-war-statistics. McVay, Doug. “Drugs and the Prison, Jail, Probation, and Parole Systems.” Drug Policy Facts, Real Reporting Foundation, 3 Mar. 2021, www.drugpolicyfacts.org/chapter/drug_prison. Pearl, Betsy. “Ending the War on Drugs: By the Numbers.” Center for American Progress, 27 June 2018, www. americanprogress.org/issues/criminal-justice/reports/2018/06/27/452819/ending-war-drugs-numbers/. Stellin, Susan. “Is the ‘War on Drugs’ Over? Arrest Statistics Say No.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/upshot/is-the-war-on-drugs-over-arrest-statistics-say-no.html. Wagner, Peter, and Wendy Sawyer. “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020.” Prison Policy Initiative, 24 Mar. 2020, www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html.

8. JOBS & LABOR Campbell, Alexia Fernández. “The Federal Government Markets Prison Labor to Businesses as the ‘Best-Kept Secret.’” Vox, Vox, 24 Aug. 2018, www.vox.com/2018/8/24/17768438/national-prison-strike-factory-labor. “FAQ: Prison Jobs Available for Prisoners.” Prison Fellowship, www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/training-resources/ in-prison/faq-prison-jobs/#. “Federal Bureau of Prisons.” BOP, www.bop.gov/. Moritz-Rabson, Daniel. “‘Prison Slavery’: Inmates Are Paid Cents While Manufacturing Products Sold to Government.” Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2018, www.newsweek.com/prison-slavery-who-benefits-cheap-inmate-labor-1093729. “Prison Labor and Modern Slavery.” FreedomUnited.org, www.freedomunited.org/prison-labor-and-modern-slavery/?gcli d=Cj0KCQiAs5eCBhCBARIsAEhk4r4DSQnZdMB_hzLCuh2jj_4mi7Elz6irubhwwO4DbbqY_0w7NrQdER0aAnUEALw_wcB. Sawyer, Wendy. “How Much Do Incarcerated People Earn in Each State?” Prison Policy Initiative, 10 Apr. 2017, www. prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/04/10/wages/. Wagner, Peter, and Wendy Sawyer. “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020.” Prison Policy Initiative, 24 Mar. 2020, www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html.

9. INJUSTICE “Effects of Solitary Confinement on Mental and Physical Health.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/solitary-confinement-effects. Radzicki McManus, Melanie. “How Solitary Confinement Works.” HowStuffWorks, 28 Feb. 2017, people.howstuffworks. com/solitary-confinement.htm. “Solitary Confinement Facts.” American Friends Service Committee, 21 June 2019, www.afsc.org/resource/solitary- confinement-facts. Wagner, Peter, and Wendy Sawyer. “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020.” Prison Policy Initiative, 24 Mar. 2020, www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html#dataheader. Wykstra, Stephanie. “The Case against Solitary Confinement.” Vox, Vox, 17 Apr. 2019, www.vox.com/future- perfect/2019/4/17/18305109/solitary-confinement-prison-criminal-justice-reform.

10. SOLUTIONS “Alternatives To Incarceration In a Nutshell.” Famm.org, doi:10.18411/a-2017-023. Baldwin, Lauren. “Sentencing Alternatives to Jail and Prison.” Www.criminaldefenselawyer.com, Nolo, 5 June 2014, www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/Sentencing-Alternatives-To-Jail-Time.cfm.

11. HOW YOU CAN HELP “Federal Bureau of Prisons.” BOP, www.bop.gov/jobs/volunteer.jsp. “Find Your Representative.” United States House of Representatives, www.house.gov/representatives/find-yourrepresentative. Garces, Audrey. “How Can You Help People in Prison Right Now?” KQED, 6 May 2020, www.kqed.org/ news/11815458/how-can-you-help-people-in-prison-right-now#5. Menjivar, Jackie. “8 Ways You Can Support Incarcerated People Amid COVID-19.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething. org/us/ articles/8-ways-you-can-support-incarcerated-people-amid-covid-19. Natalie. “Can You Volunteer In A Prison?” Prison Insight, 27 Jan. 2020, prisoninsight.com/can-you-volunteer-in-a- prison/.

“Prison Reform Organizations: Organization List.” Center For Prison Reform, www.centerforprisonreform.org/prisonreform-organizations/. “Protesters’ Rights.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/#im-attending-a- protest. “Words From Prison - What You Can Do.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/other/words-prison-what-you- can-do.

12. GENERAL Carson, Ann E. “Federal Prisoner Statistics Collected under the First Step Act.” Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 16 Feb. 2021, www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&amp;iid=7247. “Criminal Justice Facts.” The Sentencing Project, 2 Sept. 2020, www.sentencingproject.org/criminal-justice-facts/. Kaur, Harmeet. “10 Petitions That Made the Biggest Impact This Decade.” CNN, Cable News Network, 31 Dec. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/12/22/us/top-petitions-decade-change-trnd/index.html. “Know Your Rights.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/#im-organizing-a- protest. Law, Victoria. “7 Ways to Support People in Prison.” Waging Nonviolence, 5 Feb. 2015, wagingnonviolence. org/2015/02/7-ways-support-people-prison/. Lopez, German. “The Case for Abolishing&nbsp;Prisons.” Vox, Vox, 19 June 2017, www.vox.com/policy-and- politics/2017/6/19/15764176/prisons-abolition-alternatives. Nellis, Ashley. “The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons.” The Sentencing Project, 14 June 2016, www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/. Wagner, Peter, and Wanda Bertram. “‘What Percent of the U.S. Is Incarcerated?” (And Other Ways to Measure Mass Incarceration).” Prison Policy Initiative, 16 Jan. 2020, www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/01/16/percent- incarcerated/. Walmsley, Roy. “World Prison Population List: Eleventh Edition.” National Institute of Corrections, 2015, nicic.gov/ world-prison-population-listeleventh-edition#:~:text=There%20are%20more%20than%20 10.35,100%2C000%20of%20its%20total%20population.

THANK YOU.

DEDICATED TO THE

almost 2.3 million Americans that reside in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails, military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals AND THE

more than 10.35 million people currently incarcerated throughout the world AND THOSE

who have previously been incarcerated.

ABOLISH PRISONS

The United States has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of its prisoners, and currently, 2.2 million people are locked up across the country. While crime has been decreasing since the 1990s, rates of imprisonment are at historic highs, increasing almost 500%. Our prison system has many problems, such as inhumane living conditions, racial bias, and unfair sentences, and is in desperate need of reform. Decades of research have shown that prison is the least effective place to rehabilitate offenders. Prisons in the United States have three main, glaring issues: sentencing is disproportionate, imprisonment almost always does more harm than good, and similar crimes are not always sentenced in the same way. Upon release, these people will face many practical and social challenges to rejoin their preimprisonment communities, often due to a lack of education, lack of practical skills, or from being in such a different environment for so long. The current strategies used by our justice system for prisoners to achieve rehabilitation is very ineffective, with more than 80% of these individuals being rearrested again in the future. Something must change about our current prison system, it is harmful to everyone and is ineffective from preventing crime. Something must change, because our current system does not respect human dignity.