Incarceration Generation: The Book by Justice Policy Institute

By Victoria Ravenel        

Contrary to popular belief, crime has not risen over the past decade. It has, in fact, decreased substantially. And yet, at the same time, a mass incarceration pandemic has swept the nation, and the U.S. now locks up more of its citizens than any other country. This crisis spills over into the lives of everyone: the incarcerated person’s family, the victims, the courts, the government, youth, tax-paying citizens, you, me, us.  Whether you know someone who has been incarcerated or not, you are undoubtedly affected in some way.

The “whys” and “hows” of this crisis, its rise over the past 40 years, and the weight it bears on the shoulders of our generation is detailed statistically, anecdotally, and graphically in the Justice Policy Institute’s new book, IncarcerationGeneration (ISBN 978-0-9892928-0-1), released hot off the presses this week. The book of essays is a collaboration between JPI and the leading thinkers and activists in the criminal justice field, covering the people most affected by the criminal justice system such as youth, women, and the mentally ill, and aspects of the broken system including specialty courts, policing, and drug policy.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is found in the foreword, written by New York Times Bestseller Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarcerationin the Age of Colorblindess.” She describes her visit to a school where she could almost taste the rage and pain of so many kids, all of whom knew someone who had been incarcerated.  She goes on to say, “In that silence and in those cries lies a truth that we, as a nation, have been unwilling to face.”

The Summit of Help, but Not Change

By Victoria Ravenel

Criminal justice can get very technical, as I witnessed firsthand earlier this month at the Community Reentry and Expungement Summit’s Ask the Chiefs panel discussion. There are so many different stages in the process of trial and incarceration, and it can be hard to follow.  It didn’t help that what was supposed to be a “discussion” was more like a lecture.

The agencies represented at the panel certainly do a lot to help the victims of the criminal justice system’s shortcomings, but the central message of change was lost in the heat of competition.  With every new question came a carefully chosen answer describing the agency’s achievements and credentials.

The fundamental problem was in the composure of the panelists, who were all so distant from the audience and completely focused on advertising their agencies and less on answering tough questions. I’m here at JPI because I want to ask those tough questions to break the mold and make a difference. The panelists were there to explain the way things are, but were unable to detail how real change was to occur. Question after question was dismissed and referred to an agent of one of the agencies instead of providing a solution.

This frustrated me to say the least. But I’m learning that there is much frustration in the work of criminal justice and reforming a broken system.

Sesame Street Goes to Prison

By Zerline Hughes

“Who are the people in your neighborhood?” and “Lady Bug Picnic” are songs that I know from only one place: Sesame Street.  They are songs my children, 8 and 10, know as well – more than 30 years later.

To most of us 40-somethings and below, Sesame Street is synonymous with childhood memories, friendships, sweet dreams and excitement. The show and its creators have been great at delving into issues that help kids fit in, feel comfortable and understand differences like physical challenges, differences in family structure.

This week, Sesame Street unveils yet another project to help us understand life through our varied lenses: a 30-minute documentary on incarcerated parents highlighted on CBS’ “Sunday Morning.” Wow! Using puppets, youth, and personal stories, Sesame Workshop understood the lacking resources for children of incarcerated parents and developed a film to help children cope and families maintain a healthy environment.

“We were really struck by the lack of resources,” said Sesame Workshop spokesperson on the need to create  such a project. 

Mixing fiction with real life, the show will be distributed to therapists, schools, prisons and service providers. It will not air on the actual show.

New Heights for Voting Rights

By Victoria Ravenel

Last Friday was the end of my first week interning for the Justice Policy Institute, but I didn’t spend it at my computer.  I spent the day outside the office helping to manage a press conference hosted by the Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration, which then led to a rally. 

The topic of concern: giving voting rights back to formerly incarcerated people.  That’s right: after doing time and serving their debt to society, some people in Virginia and three other states, including Kentucky, Iowa, and Florida, still do not automatically regain their voting rights or other civil rights, such as the right to hold public office, the right to purchase firearms, and the right to travel abroad.

An overwhelming 350,000 Virginians have had their voting rights taken away as a result of committing a violent or nonviolent offense. Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell took a step in the right direction last Wednesday by announcing a new policy allowing automatic rights restoration – but only to those who committed non-violent offenses As a result, there will still be thousands of Virginia residents who paid their dues, but still cannot automatically have voting rights simply because the offense committed was categorized as violent.  Instead, they must wait five years after their release to apply to have their civil rights restored.

Faith-based communities streamed into the Virginia State House Courtyard Bell Tower in central Richmond a week ago to support the cause and hear faith leaders Reverends Mark A. Croston Sr., Darrell Keith White, Edward Hailes Jr., and Emory Berry, Jr. speak on behalf of the disenfranchised. They spoke powerfully, praising the governor for his step in the right direction, but also urging him to go all the way by allowing all formerly incarcerated people to regain their voting rights instead of some. 

People in Prison: They’re Just Like Me

By Walter Fortson
Hannah Gu, a chemical engineering student at Princeton University, is looking forward to attending medical school in the fall of 2014.But she has another passion that isn’t typical of your average doctor-in-training: Lu is a volunteer tutor in New Jersey youth state prisons. Under the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program at Princeton, Lu and other students travel to prisons weekly to assist students in prison trying to earn a GED or college credits.  

“They’re kids who were just kids, forced into this lifestyle, but they’re really great people. They’re just like me!” said Lu, as she recounted her experience to Princeton alumni interested in supporting a national expansion of the Petey Greene program.

Lu is also one of five founding members of the student organization, SPEAR, which is an acronym for Students for Prison Education and Reform. Through SPEAR, Princeton students and alumni are looking for ways to start a Petey Greene chapter in as many colleges and universities as possible across the United States.  

Courage and a Plan

By Adwoa Masozi
This post was originally posted May 14, 2013 on Reclaiming Futures' blog.
 
Since 2003, Washington D.C. has seen a 43 percent decline in children placed in foster care. Though some progress has been made we are still seeing greater numbers of families struggling to access the resources they need to stay together when compared to the rest of the country. Our nation’s capital has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country with nearly 50 percent of youth in Ward 8 and 40 percent of youth in Ward 7 living below the federal poverty line. In 2011, Ward 8 had the highest unemployment rate in the nation.

These same wards are predominantly African-American and have the highest rates of children entering the child welfare system, of which 99 percent are youth of color (93 percent African-American and 6 percent Latino) according to research in Fostering Change, the latest report put out by the Justice Policy Institute. Fostering Change shows how family and neighborhood poverty are two of the strongest predictors of child maltreatment, and that the conditions poverty creates can ultimately lead to a child being removed from their home.
When considered in a broader socioeconomic context, poverty becomes more than the absence of income and or earning potential—that is, a lack of work opportunities, quality or not, to support oneself and her or his dependents. It is also dealing with the collateral effects of not being able to take care of basic needs such as buying food, medical care, school supplies and adequate clothing or paying for transportation, utilities and rent. These are just some of the conditions that can lead to children being maltreated. JPI’s report found that abused and neglected children are 59 percent more likely to be arrested, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as adults, and 30 percent more likely to commit a violent crime. In 2011, half of youth under the supervision of the District’s juvenile justice agency, Department of Youth and Rehabilitative Services (DYRS), were from Wards 7 and 8.

Disappointment Tsunami: Drug Czar, Kerlikowske Still Out of Touch

By Spike Bradford

Whenever the drug czar speaks or releases a statement or report, it is typically a hailstorm of disappointment for me. He and the administration he represents continue to be out of touch with the pulse of the nation when it comes to drug policy and are willing to adhere to harmful and unproductive policies. The latest National Drug Control Strategy, pitched as a change in tactics away from a punitive, criminal justice model and toward a public health model, is just another disappointment.

I recently saw Mr. Gil Kerlikowske speak at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., on a panel of experts.  Within minutes the disappointment tsunami began to wash over me. Here, I’d like to elaborate on two of the biggest disappointments I endured during that event.

Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske courtesy Agence France-Presse

Disappointment #1: First, despite professing to shift away from a morality-driven punitive response to drug use and toward a system that addresses drug issues from a public health perspective, Kerlikowske’s vision of how that looks is just more of the same. An audience member asked how he plans to promote treatment when users still face criminal prosecution. Kerlikowske eagerly jumped into an explanation of so-called Good Samaritan laws that allow overdose victims to seek help without fear of prosecution. That’s great. However, it’s kind of a red herring, isn’t it? It only applies to situations of overdose, not drug users who recognize the need for help without overdosing. It also does nothing to encourage casual drug users to stop using beyond the age-old threat of prosecution.

Letter from Chemung County Jail

By Zerline Hughes

Criminal justice reform work is not usually synonymous with that of environmental reform but when I caught site of a piece today, I was taken aback.

Now, I'm not the most environmental person. I don't have three separate trash receptacles in my home but I teach my children to not toss trash out of the car window. We practice keeping our community clean and are often involved with community clean ups in our Washington, DC neighborhood where our neighbors are not so invested in such things. I don't do much more, though.

Image part of a children's climate change competition.
http://www.sdtb.de/Slideshow.1393.0.html

So, when Googling for "Earth Day" and "prison" issues, I happened upon this Ithaca Journal submission written by Ithaca-area activist and professor, Dr. Sandra Steingraber. She and 11 others, dubbed the Seneca Lake 12, were protesting fracking - drilling and injecting fluid into the ground to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside - at Inergy, natural gas storage facility. Because they were trespassing, Dr. Steingraber was one of the protesters arrested and sentenced to pay a fine or serve 15 days in jail in the Chemung County Jail in Elmira, NY. She opted for the latter.

Interrupting the Prison Pipeline through the D.C. Child Welfare System

By Katie Ishizuka

Last week, the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) released the fourth and final brief in a series addressing ways in which youth outcomes in the District can be improved to decrease justice system involvement and increase public safety. The brief, entitled Fostering Change: How Investing in D.C.’s Child Welfare System Can Keep Kids Out of the Prison Pipeline, focuses on youth involved in the District’s child welfare system. 

District youth may become involved with the child welfare system for a number of reasons, with the top two being neglect and physical abuse. The third highest reason for youth entering foster care is now parental incarceration: a collateral consequence of D.C. possessing one of the highest incarceration rates in the country.

The majority of these youth are in poverty and residing in Wards (7 and 8) facing economic, social and political exclusion and disinvestment. Ninety-nine percent are African American or Latino. They are 30% more likely to commit violent crime, 59% more likely to be arrested as juveniles and 28% more likely to be arrested as adults if they have experienced maltreatment. One in six has an incarcerated parent and almost half will not graduate high school of those in foster care. Most have experienced multiple forms of trauma and for those currently or previously involved in the child welfare system, the leading cause of death is violent homicide by gunshot.

Put another way, this is an extremely vulnerable group of youth facing individual, family, neighborhood and systemic barriers. While the District’s public child welfare agency, Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), is tasked with ensuring the safety and well-being of these youth, no single agency or system can do this alone. Improving youth outcomes is reliant upon the strengths and collaboration of all youth-serving systems, including the education, employment and mental health systems. Recommendations on how these systems can be supported can be found in JPI’s first three briefs: Mindful of the Consequences:How Improving the Mental Health of D.C. Youth Benefits the District; Workingfor a Better Future: How expanding employment opportunities for D.C’s youthcreates public safety benefits for all residents; and The Education of D.C.:How Washington D.C.’s investments in education can help increase public safety.

In addition, optimizing youth outcomes is reliant upon neighborhood and community investments in the areas of D.C. with the highest rates of poverty and unemployment, including Wards 5, 7 and 8. The Wards in which people have the ability to get work and provide for their families are the Wards with the lowest child welfare system involvement and lowest justice system involvement.

More information on solutions with the capacity to promote the short and long-term safety, well-being and permanency of the District’s vulnerable youth; save on foster care, criminal justice and human costs; enhance social justice and increase public safety can be found in Fostering Change. 

Katie Ishizuka is a JPI research intern and co-author of Fostering Change: How Investing in D.C.'s Child Welfare System Can Keep Kids Out of the Prison Pipeline. 

Do you remember the Central Park Five?

By Adwoa Masozi
 

In 1989 I was six; too young to know that in New York City, a half hour from my New Jersey home, a political lynching of five African-American boys was taking place in full view of the American public by the justice system and national media. These young men-- Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam—have come to be known as the Central Park Five. Each of these young boys were falsely accused and wrongly convicted for the 1989 rape and brutalization of a white woman jogger in Central Park. 

I asked my dad, who now is 60 years old, what he remembers about that case when it first hit the news. He recounts the story well. 

“Well, at first I believed what they said. Five young black kids attacked a white woman in the park. Donald Trump was out there making statements about it. No one knew who the woman was—it was kept quiet, but they were parading the kids around on the TV.” 

Before I could get my next question in he added,

“They were being interviewed without the parents being there, which was illegal. You can easily scare young children into saying what you want.”

Q: How do you think the media helped to influence public opinion on the case?
“The media reported what the police said. At the time there was no solid evidence. The media was going to be biased because it was a white woman and they always want to promote stories of when black males rape a white female. It’s a quintessential case of stereotyping.”

Q: When did you stop believing they were guilty?
“The prosecutors and the detectives kept denying the guilt of the confessor. The guy who did it admitted he did it and the prosecutors and the detectives insisted he was lying.”

Q: What was the role of the white woman?
“She wasn’t interviewed too much; if I remember right her memory was messed up.  You never heard her story, they kept it quiet. I believe she had memory loss.”

Thanks daddy.
His name is Keith J. Burnam Sr.

The film produced by documentarian Ken Burns based on this case, and named after it, The Central Park Five, will debut this evening at 9 PM on PBS. And I look forward to watching it. I want to know all their stories, because there were six victims--not just one--in this case. Was the outcome of their trials because of a biased jury or did it also have something to do with the quality of their representation—who represented them? Was it the cops involved or the media? Why didn’t it matter that they were children? Where were their parents? How does the nation make amends to the wrongfully convicted?

Perhaps, the greater tragedy here is that this case is not isolated—far from it. This story has played out again and again in the cases of the Scottsboro Boys, Susan Smith, Emmett Till, and a host of others that don’t always get national recognition. 

While racism is less conspicuous these days, it remains an effective agent suffuse throughout all systems servicing or penalizing the American public. Whether we’re talking education, healthcare, employment, housing or justice—disparities in who has the most and least access cuts clear across the board.

Sarah Burns, author of The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding, puts it best, “These young men were convicted long before the trial, by a city blinded by fear and, equally, freighted by race. They were convicted because it was all too easy for people to see them as violent criminals simply because of the color of their skin."


Adwoa Masozi is the Communications Associate at JPI.

CCA: In Need of New Direction

By Tosin Oyekoya

Last month, Corrections Corporation of America promoted Kim White, an African-American woman, as their Vice President, Correctional Programs Division. She formerly served as Managing Director, Inmate Programs and served more than 25 years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

After seeing posts about the manner in which CCA decided to celebrate Black History Month in February, I’m hoping her presence will slow down CCA’s efforts on doing such a thing again.

Image featured on ACLU's Feb. 8 blog.

If you weren’t made privy to the campaign I'm speaking of, let me update you. CCA celebrated Black History Month with blog posts remembering Rosa Parks and posted Facebook trivia contests about the contributions of African-American musicians. Evidently, CCA must have forgotten that they are the largest private corrections company in the United States and manage more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 90,000 beds.

How ironic is it that this company, celebrating Black History Month, is making $1.7 billion annually off of the incarceration of people of color?

The concept of privately-owned companies making profit from incarcerating human beings is absurd to begin with. It incarcerates more African Americans than any other private prison company. It spends millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions to ensure their facilities stay full.

Overall according to NAACP Criminal Justice Fact Sheet, African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated populations nationwide- federal, state, and private. African Americans represent 26% of juvenile arrests, 44% of youth who are detained, 46% of the youth who are judicially waived to criminal court, and 58% of the youth admitted to state prisons. Also one in six black men has been incarcerated as of 2001. If current trends continue, one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his lifetime. In some states, like Illinois, African Americans are eight times more likely to be incarcerated for a petty drug offense than white people, even though African Americans and white people consume and distribute drugs at similar rates, according to the Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact Study Commission.

Fulfilling Gideon's Promise

By Spike Bradford

Image courtesy Blue Mass Group / Project Legal

We have all heard the mandated Miranda warning in numerous television shows and films. Officers are required to tell accused people,“if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you,” and we assume it to be true; that indigent defense is one of the glorious benefits of our system that so highly values equal treatment under the law. However, the reality of indigent defense is often as different as real life is from most of those shows and movies.

This week, the Brennan Center for Justice released Gideon at 50: Three Reforms to Revive the Right to Counsel, a report describing a justice system that continues to provide poor defendants with substandard or non-existent counsel at trial and recommending several solutions to bring our courts in line with the 1963 Supreme Court ruling in the Gideon v. Wainwright case. That ruling found that accused people who are deemed unable to afford legal representation have a right to have that representation provided for them by the state, the same promise given by the Miranda warning.

Gideon at 50 asserts that the ruling basically produced an unfunded mandate that many jurisdictions have been unable or unwilling to meet. Many poor defendants—as many as 90 percent qualify for public defense, according to the American Bar Association—choose to accept unfair plea agreements or to face the court with inadequate representation. Public defenders are notoriously overworked and underpaid, often through statutes that cap their pay – we make note of this in our 2011 report, System Overload: The Costs of Under-Resourcing Public Defense. The situation has helped to feed our current historically high prison population and costs counties, states and communities dearly.