June - 2018

"Mass Incarceration Affects us All"

Our committee is a proud member of the Virginia Prison Justice Network and a sponsor of VAPOC (Virginia Prisoner of Conscience).

Listen to the audio blog and take action! Audio posts are by VAPOC members. Blog posts are written by prisoners in Virginia.

Every day we get letters from prisoners. We advocate for their human rights, provide information and address their grievances. If you'd like to help, let us know! Contact

Sic Semper Tyrannis, the Virginia Way

Sadly, there are currently 2.3 incarcerated in this "politically organized body of people" regarded as the "Commonwealth of Virginia," ... are prisoners of war. I refer to us as such because, unbeknowst to the legislation, that is what too many of us have become! "Sic Semper Tyrannis," translated into the English language implies": thus ever to tyrants, the motto of Virginia." That is the Merriam-Webster definition. The same dictionary defines a tyrant as: an absolute ruler

COMMUNIQUE ON THE IDEOLOGICAL & ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION OF THE VIRGINIA PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE

Introduction Every individual, group, or organization that fights "against" oppression and "for" justice must constantly struggle against all external and internal forces that places the completion of their mission in jeopardy. External forces can aptly be described as threats while internal forces should be described as weaknesses. We in the VAPOC (Virginia Prisoner of Conscience) believe that Weaknesses are always more dangerous than Threats. Thus, it is with this understan

The Struggles of Re-Entry

When a prisoner achieves the goal of reforming himself, and he strives to help others to do the same, he is faced with great opposition from the very same ones who are charged with the responsibility of helping him to become a better person while in the Department of Corrections. For this reason many do not speak out because they fear reprisal from the Administration. This is where the sacrifice must come in. Some of us have to be persecuted to show the world so that justice

What it Means to be a Prisoner of Conscience

On June 1, 2018 I was fired from my position as a law clerk which I've held for over 3 years now here at Augusta. I was told that it was because I was too much of an activist, and that I was using my job as a means to promote activism. It all seemingly stems from 2 letters that I wrote during free time at work. The first letter was to the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) where I was requesting membership as they now accept jailhouse lawyers into the Guild. In the letter I gave

The Mental Health Crisis in Prisons

I recently spoke with a prison guard to whom I said, "I really feel for you. You have a hard job. You have to work in a booth where you have to serve two housing units at the same time. Each side has 32 cells with 2 people in each cell for a total of 64 people. That's 64 people on each side for a total of 128 people. That's 128 different personalities in a closed space, and some of them have multiple personalities. This means that by the time you finish working here you will

Our committee logo was designed by Kareem Carr, an inmate at Greensville Correctional Center.

The Coalition for Justice is a founding member of the Virginia Prison Justice Network (VAPJN) and a sponsor for VAPOC.

VAPJN is a network of organizations around the state who work for change in the prison system by seeking solutions to the judicial racism that plagues our criminal justice system and by also providing a platform for prisoners to be heard. For more information on VAPJN, go here.

VAPOC, a prisoner led organization of prisoners and supporters, who seek to end mass incarceration in Virginia by promoting awareness among the incarcerated and those in society by enlightening them in the fields of Prison Justice, Law, Politics, and Community Rebuilding/Reentry, thereby motivating them to become more involved in the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. For more information on VAPOC go here.

The CFJ Prison Justice Committee believes that our current retributive justice system focuses on punishment, blame and isolation. Restorative justice focuses on healing and rehabilitation with an understanding that race and class are major factors in mass incarceration. By allowing prisoners to take responsibility for their actions, they can not only repair harm but can learn how to make responsible choices and prevent future harm. We need more dialogue, community support, inclusion and involvement. We do not excuse criminal behavior by any means. We believe in accountability but we see the need to treat prisoners with respect and allow them their human rights. Only then, can they truly successfully reintegrate into the larger community. Our steering committee: Margaret Breslau, Jennifer Deegan, Kay Kay Goette, Askari Danso, Chanell Burnette, Hassan Shabbaz.

We must all look in our communities and campuses to see the invisible hands that connect us -- from the prison made furniture at VT, to reintegrating prisoners back into our community in just and responsible ways.

Get involved.

Read the blog. Learn more.

Coalition

for Justice

est. Blacksbug

Virginia, 1981

"Mass Incarceration Affects us All"

Listen to the audio blog and take action! Audio posts are by VAPOC members. Blog posts are written by prisoners in Virginia.

Sic Semper Tyrannis, the Virginia Way

COMMUNIQUE ON THE IDEOLOGICAL & ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION OF THE VIRGINIA PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE

The Struggles of Re-Entry

What it Means to be a Prisoner of Conscience

The Mental Health Crisis in Prisons

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Coalition

for Justice

est. Blacksbug

Virginia, 1981

"Mass Incarceration Affects us All"

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Listen to the audio blog and take action! Audio posts are by VAPOC members. Blog posts are written by prisoners in Virginia.

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