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 believe in reducing the role of criminal law and creating alternatives to punishment and imprisonment with a focus on rehabilitation. 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 committee works for the survival of the incarcerated and advocates for the human rights of prisoners. We are prisoner led and directly work with hundreds of prisoners throughout the state.
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.
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