reentry
As I write this post, a seventeen-day prison strike is going on in this country. The coordinated actions started on August 21, 2018, and will end on September 9, 2018. The strike brings to the forefront prison reform issues that I, and countless other supporters of change, have been bringing to the attention of the general public and public servants about the pernicious grind of mass incarceration.… Read the rest
Skin Deep: Looking Beyond the Tattoos is a book you absorb through your eyes and into your heart. This 176-page coffee table book is a thoughtful catalog of stunning photographs of formerly incarcerated people and their self-disclosures about their tattoos. Twenty-seven people are presented in two striking visuals: heavily tattooed and digitally retouched without their prison ink.… Read the rest
I’m a sucker for smart second-chance programs. Having been a prisoner for two years, I know how the thought of returning to the streets is both exciting and frightening. Jobs and housing can be difficult to find. The stigma is defeating. Prisons rarely teach skills that stoke self-pride. Regaining life’s luster that was dulled by prison is a challenge.… Read the rest