The Advocacy and Policy group is a space where the field can discuss policy advocacy, campaigns, organizing strategies, current and upcoming legislative issues and debates, and legal issues.
Group Content
Who Would Believe a Prisoner? Indiana Women's Carceral Institutions, 1848-1920
In this single-volume book, a group of incarcerated women at the Indiana Women’s Prison have assembled a chronicle of what was originally known as the Indiana Reformatory Institute for Women and Girls, founded in 1873 as the first separate prison for women in the United States.
Rise Up Conference
The Rise Up Conference seeks to liberate higher education during and after prison. It highlights the role of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in birthing this movement, the ways in which these spaces have been occupied by others, the assets we offer to these spaces, and the ways in which allies can help foster liberation. The conference also provides perspectives on higher education during and after prison that are unique to those with lived expertise.
Reentry and Education: The Consequences of Indifference
A blog post about how indifference can show up in small technical moments in a formerly incarcerated student's education journey, and how those moments can contribute to continued systemic trauma.
Beyond Walls: Short Films on Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) Abolition
The Beyond Walls compilation shares stories of individuals resisting the PIC and demonstrating the importance of relationships inside and out. The films also show the generational harm of the PIC, as well as next steps to build a world without police and prisons. The films add up to about 70 minutes, intentionally short to leave ample time for panelists and discussion. The panel will consist of previously incarcerated people and people involved in abolition and work to decrease suffering, including exoneree and legal assistant Steven Lazar, reproductive justice organizer Alejandra Pablos, West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute Outreach Coordinator Kenneth Matthews, and multimedia artist and organizer Sylvia Ryerson.
Click the link to see dates for upcoming screenings.
That's a Pretty Thing to Call It: Prose and Poetry by Artists Teaching in Carceral Institutions
The book is a collection of critical prose and poetry by esteemed artists and scholars (including Joshua Bennett, Ellen Bass, Joy Priest, Mahogany Brown, and so many more) about their experiences facilitating arts workshops in prisons. The intended audience includes college (and beyond) students in inside/out-type programs (or other programs where they facilitate educational programming in prisons); teachers of such programs; students and researchers interested in arts in corrections programming—really, anyone involved in higher ed in prison AND/OR arts in prison efforts!
