A Poem Written for the Coalition for Justice on Parole
"I'm only human"
y'all got my back against the wall, & I dont see a way out & the judge as well, as the jury are the law abiding tax payers, so how can I believe anybody has been treated fairly, if they don't understand the half of what my life is about, I've struggled day in & day out since birth, not an excuse just being real, and they expect a two decade prison sentence to rehabilitate me, come on let's be real, I messed up I know, & my crimes can't go unnoticed, but I la
Angela Davis as an inspiration for prison abolition for Black girls
About a year ago, I had the amazing and unforgettable opportunity to meet legendary activist and prison abolitionist Dr. Angela Y. Davis. We met at the Afrikana Independent Film Festival where I was volunteering at as a youth ambassador. This Black film festival prides itself on celebrating cinematic arts through a “global Black narrative” and hosts an annual “Evening with an Icon” event during Black History Month. Davis’ advocacy for Black feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and priso
Prison Reform Rally 1/20/18 Prisoner Statement on "Truth" in Sentencing
The problem with the Justice System is that we need programs that's going to focus on rehabilitation in order to prevent recidivism and in turn becoming more productive citizens in our communities. We also need immediate relief from this unjust truth-in-sentencing law that has psychologically tortured prisoners and their families for twenty two years. The basic foundation of this new law mandated in 1995 was implemented to eradicate violence, maintain a capital investment in
Prison Reform Rally 1/20/18: Prisoner Statement - On Restorative Justice
Yes my name is B. Seward & I just so happened to have read the brother’s letter & he's absolutely right, on a daily basis we are exposed to the daily activities of card playing, riding the phones, telling war stories, & not thinking about being free citizens in society. As boredom fuels us more than edu.. & programming that is not provided is a disservice to what the tax payer pays for. That's not a goal we should all aim for. But to feed into ignorance is easy because we don
Prison Reform Rally 1/20/18: Prisoner statement. Fishback Prisoners & Justice
From River North Correction Center Yes, my name is Jemarr Jordan & at 19 years of age I was sentenced to 110 years. That was back in 1999. Here it is two decades later & we as prisoners are so thankful to have support to show up to the rally & speak on the behalf of those without a voice. I read in the Richmond Times Dispatch that the recidivism rate in VA is at less then 4% then it previously was, which shows that individuals aren't being released & returning to the same way
