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Mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex are utterly draped in racism and classism. However, arguing for justice reform, reentry support, and/or decarceration efforts and changes in a way that focuses on race and class gives many people an excuse or “out” that lets them ignore or even despise the issue. Many times people who feel this way will just tell themselves they aren’t racist therefore it’s not their problem. Other comments that commonly arise are, “people make their own choices,” and “they are just playing the victim for attention or to make excuses”. We try to center all of our work on presenting the issue as a human problem that affects communities everywhere so as to not give people an out or reason to justify not caring. In essence, we focus on addressing the narrative as it impacts people in general instead of one demographic more than others (although it absolutely does).
In this respect, we lead with the following two facts that we feel make up the foundation of the issue…
95% of people in prison across the country get out of prison, and each person carries a massive price tag society has already and continues to pay even upon release.
There are many arguments for why the current process for dealing with human beings who break the law on any level is massively and obviously ineffective. Underneath all of that are two foundational arguments that leave nowhere to hide: the percentage and the price tag. Nearly everyone returns to society (roughly 95%) and society has already spent a lot of money on them by the time they are released, with more to still be spent afterward. What is the ROI (return on investment) on this massive investment? And although someone in a suburb might be protected from a formerly incarcerated person who is unstable because of the effects of our harmful criminal justice system, their loved ones and especially their children exploring other cities and going to school there will not be. And in some cases, with these system-fueled problems, people will literally drive into safer, better neighborhoods. It is penny-wise and pound-foolish to neglect the world for personal safety because the world, like water, will seep in eventually and can reverse all your safety, peace of mind, and investments in a second. Prevention and coming together as much as possible after a tragedy is the only solution. Our goal is to Correct that Narrative in different forms that invite system impacted people to be valued members of society when they get out.
