A society doesn’t end up with a massive prison industrial complex if that society isn’t on some level, invested in the punitive beliefs that uphold it. Public defense is notoriously underfunded and it’s not a phenomenon. It is the natural result of America’s marriage to punishment and mass incarceration.
“Once people are perceived as criminals, it becomes justification for any harm done to them.”
THIS. Prison reform advocacy is unbelievably heartbreaking labor. It is incredible to me how many communities have never met or interacted with someone who has experienced the criminal Justice system let alone a currently or formerly incarcerated person.
This is everything. Once you perceive someone as a bad person, it is quite easy to justify bad things happening to them. What we fail to realize is that the vast majority people who do “bad things” aren’t doing them because they want to. It’s because they don’t have resources/ education/ opportunity to make other choices. And if you’re going to be of the mind that we need the criminal justice system - the least you could do/advocate for is proper funding to protect the rights that we all claim to be so fond of. I loved this piece.
“Once people are perceived as criminals, it becomes justification for any harm done to them.”
THIS. Prison reform advocacy is unbelievably heartbreaking labor. It is incredible to me how many communities have never met or interacted with someone who has experienced the criminal Justice system let alone a currently or formerly incarcerated person.
This is everything. Once you perceive someone as a bad person, it is quite easy to justify bad things happening to them. What we fail to realize is that the vast majority people who do “bad things” aren’t doing them because they want to. It’s because they don’t have resources/ education/ opportunity to make other choices. And if you’re going to be of the mind that we need the criminal justice system - the least you could do/advocate for is proper funding to protect the rights that we all claim to be so fond of. I loved this piece.