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11 People Who Used to Be in Jail - But Are Now Changing the World
"Every hero has a past.
When we think of formerly incarcerated people, we often focus on their previous actions rather than their humanity. The term "criminal," which tends to be hurled at these people as an insult, brings to mind images of terrifying wrongdoers unworthy of respect or compassion.
But, with about 2.3 million people incarcerated, the United States has the world's largest prison population. And despite the fact that African-Americans and Hispanics make up only one quarter of the general U.S. population, combined they comprise 58% of the prison population, according to the NAACP. Given this enormous number of imprisoned individuals — and, in turn, the enormous number of now-free individuals with past convictions — the effects of these stereotypes of criminality are as far-reaching as they are close-minded.
But what if we thought of these people not as pariahs, but as full human beings with the capacity to use their experiences to change the world?
Some formerly incarcerated individuals are doing just that, and defying the odds they face in a society where it's difficult to destroy the restrictive stereotypes connected to imprisonment. Using tools like filmmaking, public policy design, mental health advocacy and community organizing, these world-changers are shifting the culture and system of incarceration in the U.S.
Their work is a reminder that jail time and criminal convictions are not the sum total of personhood. More importantly, it challenges an unjust criminal justice system that disproportionately targets racial and ethnic minorities. We need to know their names and stories because they are shattering what we think we know about criminality and the prejudices that determine who ends up behind bars or not."
(via: http://mic.com/articles/114276/11-formerly-incarcerated-people-who-are-now-changing-the-world)
April 2, 2015
When we think of formerly incarcerated people, we often focus on their previous actions rather than their humanity. The term "criminal," which tends to be hurled at these people as an insult, brings to mind images of terrifying wrongdoers unworthy of respect or compassion.
But, with about 2.3 million people incarcerated, the United States has the world's largest prison population. And despite the fact that African-Americans and Hispanics make up only one quarter of the general U.S. population, combined they comprise 58% of the prison population, according to the NAACP. Given this enormous number of imprisoned individuals — and, in turn, the enormous number of now-free individuals with past convictions — the effects of these stereotypes of criminality are as far-reaching as they are close-minded.
But what if we thought of these people not as pariahs, but as full human beings with the capacity to use their experiences to change the world?
Some formerly incarcerated individuals are doing just that, and defying the odds they face in a society where it's difficult to destroy the restrictive stereotypes connected to imprisonment. Using tools like filmmaking, public policy design, mental health advocacy and community organizing, these world-changers are shifting the culture and system of incarceration in the U.S.
Their work is a reminder that jail time and criminal convictions are not the sum total of personhood. More importantly, it challenges an unjust criminal justice system that disproportionately targets racial and ethnic minorities. We need to know their names and stories because they are shattering what we think we know about criminality and the prejudices that determine who ends up behind bars or not."
(via: http://mic.com/articles/114276/11-formerly-incarcerated-people-who-are-now-changing-the-world)
April 2, 2015
Philadelphia Recidivism Rate Proves Costly
"Even if they can find a job, ex-offenders with no high school diploma in Philadelphia can only expect to earn about $8,300 annually after their release from jail.
“That’s barely enough to cover fair-market rent for an apartment,” Sevin said. “Clearly it’s very tough going for ex-offenders.”
In general, ex-offenders earn 11 percent less per hour than people with no record, and wage growth is 30 percent less.
The difficulty is compounded by the fact that many ex-offenders face fines, restitution, court costs and fees, and child support payments that in some cases total up to 65 percent of their income. With an annual salary of $8,300, that equates to $5,395, leaving an ex-offender $2,905 a year on which to live.
“There is often a hole of debt and restitution that awaits them when they come out of jail,” Sevin said. “When you talk about incentives for someone to seek and stick with employment, that amount of money going out the door really takes down the incentive.”
That’s bad news not only for those individuals, but also for the city as whole, found the report released Monday by the Economy League, which detailed the economic impact of the city’s recidivism rate.
High recidivism rates cost the city in wage and sales taxes as well as adding to the growing costs of incarceration. The report estimated that if Philadelphia could cut the number of inmates returning to jail by 1,500 it would save $26.3 million a year."
(via: The Philadelphia Tribune)
September 12, 2011
“That’s barely enough to cover fair-market rent for an apartment,” Sevin said. “Clearly it’s very tough going for ex-offenders.”
In general, ex-offenders earn 11 percent less per hour than people with no record, and wage growth is 30 percent less.
The difficulty is compounded by the fact that many ex-offenders face fines, restitution, court costs and fees, and child support payments that in some cases total up to 65 percent of their income. With an annual salary of $8,300, that equates to $5,395, leaving an ex-offender $2,905 a year on which to live.
“There is often a hole of debt and restitution that awaits them when they come out of jail,” Sevin said. “When you talk about incentives for someone to seek and stick with employment, that amount of money going out the door really takes down the incentive.”
That’s bad news not only for those individuals, but also for the city as whole, found the report released Monday by the Economy League, which detailed the economic impact of the city’s recidivism rate.
High recidivism rates cost the city in wage and sales taxes as well as adding to the growing costs of incarceration. The report estimated that if Philadelphia could cut the number of inmates returning to jail by 1,500 it would save $26.3 million a year."
(via: The Philadelphia Tribune)
September 12, 2011
Dice Raw Documentary
A short documentary by rapper, Dice Raw, about the effects of incarceration in the Philadelphia community viewed through the lens of formerly incarcerated artists.
The Recidivism Story
A short video about recidivism.
Pull of Gravity | Documentary Trailer
Trailer for 'Pull of Gravity" - A documentary about re-entry after prison.
Trailer for 'Pull of Gravity" - A documentary about re-entry after prison.