FOR DISCUSSION
These are some key references to gain an understanding of mass incarceration and its impact that can serve as a focus for group discussion. Links to discussion guides for "The New Jim Crow" are provided.
FURTHER READING
Books (with links to publisher websites)
Bonner, Raymond. Anatomy of Injustice: A Murder Case Gone Wrong. Penguin Random House, 2013.
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. Penguin Random House, 2015.
Ferguson, Robert A. Inferno: An Anatomy of American Punishment. Harvard University Press, 2014
Goffmann, Alice. On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City. University of Chicago Press, 2014
Jones, Sabrina, and Marc Mauer. Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling. The New Press. 2013
Mallett, Christopher A. The School to Prison Pipeline: A Comprehensive Assessment. Springer, 2015
Stevenson, Bryan. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Spiegel & Grau, 2014
ARTICLES (WITH LINKS TO REPRINTS)
Clear, Todd R. The effects of high imprisonment rates on communities. Crime and Justice, 2008.
Drucker, Ernest. Drug Law, Mass Incarceration, and Public Health. Oregon Law Review, 2013.
Goldberg, Jeffrey. A Matter of Black Lives. The Atlantic Monthly, September 2015.
Gopnik, Adam. The Caging of America. The New Yorker, January 30, 2012
Vera Institute. Incarceration's Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America. February, 2015.
REPORTS on topics related to corrections, the courts, mass incarceration and racial justice (WITH LINKS TO REPRINTS)
Pew Charitable Trusts. Max Out: The Rise in Prison Inmates Released Without Supervision. 2014
Pew Charitable Trusts. The Impact of Parole in New Jersey. 2013
The Sentencing Project. Uneven Justice: State Rates of Incarceration by Race and Ethnicity, 2007
MULTIMEDIA
Film - Many are available through online streaming services or other online sources, which are listed. Also, look for local screenings.(Film descriptions from IMDb)
13th. An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality. Directed by Ava DuVernay. 2016. https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741
Broken on All Sides. A film focusing on mass incarceration and the intersection of race, poverty and the criminal justice system. Directed by Matthew Pillischer. 2012. http://brokenonallsides.com/
Elementary Genocide: The School to Prison Pipeline. These films seek to educate parents, teachers and families about the school-to- prison pipeline, so that we can reclaim our young men and ensure the future of our community. Directed by Raheim Shabazz. 2014. http://elementarygenocide.com/
Free CeCe! On her way to the store with a group of friends, Chrishaun Reed "CeCe" McDonald was brutally attacked. While defending her life, a man was killed. After a coercive interrogation, CeCe was incarcerated in a men's prison in Minnesota. An international campaign to free CeCe garnered significant support from media and activists. https://www.freececedocumentary.com/
The House I Live In. From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy. Directed by Eugene Jarecki. 2012. http://www.thehouseilivein.org/
Online multimedia
The Marshall Project: We Are Witnesses. The American criminal justice system consists of 2.2 million people behind bars, plus tens of millions of family members, corrections and police officers, parolees, victims of crime, judges, prosecutors and defenders. In We Are Witnesses, we hear their stories.
The Guardian. 6x9: A virtual experience of solitary confinement. What’s it like to spend 23 hours a day in a cell measuring 6x9 feet for days, weeks, months or even years? 6x9 is a virtual reality experience, which places you inside a US solitary confinement prison cell and tells the story of the psychological damage that can ensue from isolation. The site also features additional resources with information on solitary confinement.
The Atlantic. Mass Incarceration, Visualized. Narrated by Bruce Western. 2015
The Atlantic. The Enduring Myth of Black Criminality. Narrated by Te-Nehisi Coates. 2015
Equal Justice Initiative. Slavery to Mass Incarceration. 2015
Pendle Hill USA. Ending Mass Incarceration Conference. 2015:
- Discussion with Michelle Alexander. J. Jondhi Harrell and Daniel Hunter
- Lynn Burke. Women in Prison
- Lucy Duncan and Daniel Hunter. Creating and Sustaining a Mass Movement to End the New Jim Crow
- Glenn E. Martin. A Conversation about Mass Incarceration. Followed by panel discussion with Lynn Burke, Jondhi Harrell and Glenn Martin, moderated by Matt Pillischer
- Heather Ann Thompson. Why Mass Incarceration Matters
- Jasiri X, Michael Hassell, Farajii Muhammad, Ebony Williams. Living in a Police State and Resisting Life in a Police State
- Lewis Webb. School-to-prison pipeline
- Tyrone Werts. Life Without Parole
Bryan Stevenson. We Need to Talk About an Injustice. TED2012
ORGANIZING RESOURCES
Information on organizing to stop mass incarceration
from Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow by Daniel Hunter
- Four roles
- Action logic
- Creating a menu of tasks
- How to be persuasive
- Meeting facilitation
- Myths-Reality-Secret
- Spectrum of Allies
- Thinking strategically - 9 questions
- Towards a transformational movement
- Upside-down triangle - a model for change
Midwest Academy Strategy Chart - from Trainingforchange.org
INFORMATION AND ACTION RESOURCES
Click titles for links:
The New Jim Crow - website for the landmark 2010 book with information on organizing and links to other groups working on mass incarceration
American Friends Service Committee
Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples Movement
American Civil Liberties Union
Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference - national organization of African-American faith leaders working on social justice
Human Rights Coalition, Philadelphia
National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT)
Tutorial on Using the NJ Legislative Website (to find or track legislation of interest)
RESOURCES FOR HELP
Click organization name for website link or email contact:
Office of the Ombudsman for Corrections, State of New Jersey - The Office of the Corrections Ombudsman provides a mechanism for the continuing resolution of issues, problems or complaints of inmates sentenced within New Jersey’s correctional system regarding their living conditions and other matters.
PA Prison Directory Action - a listing of resources for incarcerated persons and their families
A Better Way, Trenton - provides support for those re-entering society, at-risk youth and their families.
The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated
Support for Kids with Incarcerated Parents (SKIP): Phone 215-564-4775, ext. 104
The Center for Returning Citizens, Philadelphia - assists returning citizens in the transition from incarceration to society by providing job training, housing assistance, counseling services, legal aid, and referrals. TCRC helps individuals, families and communities with the adverse impacts of incarceration.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice - VLJ provides FREE legal services to people with certain civil (non-criminal) legal issues
RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONALS
Click titles for site links:
When a Parent Is Incarcerated: A Primer for Social Workers
A Behavioral Health Toolkit for Providers Working with the Incarcerated and their Families