“We need to address the root causes of crime, and that really fuels my passion for this work,” says T. Shekinah Braveheart, an artist and educator turned policy advocate. Ms. Braveheart found her calling for justice as a volunteer wellness facilitator at Baltimore City Jail, serving the female juvenile and prenatal populations. She realized that…

Initially implemented by 24 states in the 1990s, the Three Strikes Legislation sought to punish repeat offenders (Lacourse, 1997). For many of these repeat offenders, incarceration proved to be unhelpful in preventing further criminal activity, and stricter measures were adopted as a result. Under the Three Strikes Legislation, the state provides stricter sentencing inclusive of…

Elijah McClain died at the age of 23 following a lethal administration of ketamine during an interaction with law enforcement. Elijah was walking home from a local grocery store when law enforcement officers approached him. He was not armed and had not committed any crimes. What ensued was an ultimately fatal interaction with police, who…

As 600,000 formerly imprisoned individuals enter society each year, employment opportunities are crucial in aiding their difficult transition. However, in seeking employment, formerly incarcerated populations are challenged by structural hurdles overlaid by deeply embedded systemic racism and sexism. According to Prison Policy, formerly incarcerated individuals are more likely to be actively looking for work or…

When looking at the number of times the media has reported on an unarmed civilian killed or injured by a police officer in the year 2020, you would think that many of these officers will be rightfully convicted for these crimes. The global Black Lives Matter protests shown in a demonstration for George Floyd and…

Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, prison manufacturing has increased in many states across the nation. This is due to the country’s heavy reliance on inmates to produce necessary safety materials to make up for supply shortages. Starting in the spring of 2020, inmates in Missouri prisons have created about 3,000 face masks a…

Mental health affects everyone, including the men, women, and children facing incarceration. However, there is limited access to adequate mental health care in U.S. prisons. According to Mental Health America (MHA), about 1.2 million people in prison or jail live with mental illness. This means that more than half the U.S. prison population struggles with…

According to the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, increasing amounts of incarceration during one’s youth can worsen one’s physical and mental health later in adulthood. With this evidence, the journal concluded that “Individuals with a history of incarceration may need increased support to overcome any long-term detrimental physical and mental health effects…

On January 26, 2021 Joe Biden signed an executive order which stated that the U.S. Attorney General “shall not renew Department of Justice contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities, as consistent with applicable law.” While this may seem like a monumental gain amidst national calls for defunding the police and abolishing the prison industrial…