Beyond Prisons

On episode 10 of Beyond Prisons, we talk about Thomas Gordon, who is incarcerated at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, a state prison in Delaware. Vaughn was the site of what has been called the Vaughn Rebellion, an uprising last February in response to horrendous living conditions that was met with brutal repression by corrections officers. Thomas wrote an open letter after the rebellion, which described their demands for human rights, including a proper diet, an adequate grievance process, and access to programs and education. Thomas's friend Emily Abendroth joins hosts Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson to talk about her friendship with Thomas, the open letter, and what she's learned from their correspondence. We discuss the risks and dangers Thomas faces in doing this work, the response from state officials and the media to the rebellion, and how officials have sought to increase their power in the aftermath by blaming staffing and security issues instead of addressing the root causes outlined by those incarcerated at Vaughn. Emily Abendroth is a poet, teacher and anti-prison activist living in Philadelphia. She is an active organizer with the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration (a grassroots campaign working to end life without parole sentencing in Pennsylvania) and is co-founder of Address This! (an education and empowerment project that provides innovative, social justice correspondence courses to individuals incarcerated in Pennsylvania) and LifeLines: Voices Against the Other Death Penalty (a media project conducted across the prison walls to highlight the voices and analysis of those serving death by incarceration sentences).  Her published works include the poetry book ]Exclosures[ and The Instead, a collaborative book with fiction writer Miranda Mellis, as well as numerous poetry chapbooks. Follow Emily's work at: Lifelines-project.org, Decarceratepa.info/cadbi, and https://www.facebook.com/DecarceratePA Full Disclosure: Kim has two sons incarcerated at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware

Dan Berger joins Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson for episode 9 of Beyond Prisons to discuss his book, "Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era." We begin the conversation by looking at whose voices are heard in conversations on mass incarceration and the importance of telling the history of this struggle from the vantage point of incarcerated people. Dan explains that although jails and courtrooms have been critical battlegrounds for Black people's human rights movements throughout American history, the influence of Black prison organizing is often glossed over, despite its central role in struggles from emancipation to the 1960's era civil rights movement and beyond. We discuss the increasing use of prisons as props in mainstream culture, where the focus is placed on the phenomenon of mass incarceration instead of the problem that is prison. We also talk about the erasure of Black political prisoners, who have their revolutionary ideas stolen from them by white American and European intellectuals. In addition to telling us what abolition means to him, Dan shares how letter writing with Black political prisoners was formative to his understanding of race, capitalism, and incarceration in America from a young age. Dan Berger is an associate professor of comparative ethnic studies at the University of Washington Bothell. He is the author of several books and won the 2015 James A. Rawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians for "Captive Nation." Buy "Captive Nation" from UNC Press. Follow Dan Berger on Twitter @dnbrgr. Read Dan's work at AAIHS. Free Alabama Movement: http://www.freealabamamovement.com/ Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: https://www.facebook.com/BlkJailhouselawyer/ Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware

In episode 8 of Beyond Prisons, we have a wide-ranging conversation on the subjects of prison labor and slavery. First, we hear more from Bennu Hannibal Ra-Sun, an incarcerated member of the Free Alabama Movement, and a member of Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, a group of incarcerated human rights advocates and prison abolitionists, on the connection between slavery and the 13th amendment, and how society justifies the exploitation of prisoners through academia. We are then joined by Jared Ware, our producer and a fellow abolitionist. Jay worked with the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC) during the nationwide prison strikes against slavery. He helped manage their Twitter account, which was a crucial source of information as the strike unfolded. The three of us talk about prison jobs programs, organizing against prison slavery, abolishing the 13th Amendment, and the upcoming Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March in Washington, D.C. We also attempt to complicate the discussion of prison labor by considering the economic relationship between the minimum wage labor movement and the use of prison labor, the ethics of working in prisons, and the relevance of prison jobs to the broader labor market.   Free Alabama Movement: http://www.freealabamamovement.com/ Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: https://www.facebook.com/BlkJailhouselawyer/ Read "Lawsuit May Serve As Template For Challenging Forced Immigrant Labor In Private Prisons," by Jared Ware. — Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware

In episode 7 of Beyond Prisons, Brian and Kim are joined by Krystal Rountree, founder of iamWE and national organizer of the upcoming Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March on August 19 in Washington, D.C. Krystal discusses the hard work being done to organize the march and their goal to end prison slavery by removing the exception clause from the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which states, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Krystal shares how people on both sides of the walls and across the country can participate in this important action and show solidarity with the marchers. She also talks about the risks incarcerated people are taking to participate, and the struggles people face on the outside to support them. This episode also features currently incarcerated people from the Free Alabama Movement and Jailhouse Lawyers Speak sharing their thoughts on prison slavery and struggle.   Krystal is the CoFounder and Director of iamWE, a Prison Advocacy Network based in the Carolinas. iamWE is a hands-on Human Rights Organization dedicated to advocating for prisoners. Their current focus is the Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March whose aim is to end Legalized Slavery by removing the exception clause from the 13th amendment. In addition to the work of iamWe, Krystal is also a local community organizer and works with women and children impacted by domestic violence and poverty. Visit iamWE's website: http://iamweubuntu.com Learn more about the march: http://www.iamweubuntu.com/millions-for-prisoners-human-rights.html Free Alabama Movement: http://www.freealabamamovement.com/ Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: https://www.facebook.com/BlkJailhouselawyer/ -- Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware 

In episode 6 of Beyond Prisons, Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson speak with Maya Schenwar about her book, "Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better."  Maya discusses her experience living a "dual reality" as a journalist covering incarceration and as someone with a sibling who has been incarcerated multiple times while struggling with addiction. She shares her thoughts on the detachment common among journalists who cover the justice system and how their relationships with law enforcement are accepted as standard. "The view from nowhere is a view from power," she said. She also talks about the importance of pen-palling with incarcerated people and how it has shaped her work and knowledge of the issue.  We talk about the struggles facing incarcerated mothers and pregnant women—from the various ways they are forced into the prison system to their experiences finding basic, humane medical treatment behind bars and the harm of separating families. In this emotional interview, we hear from Maya about her sister's struggle and how her family has been impacted by this experience. If you have read the book, you'll want to tune in because Maya shares what has happened since it was published. "When you break up particularly a mother and her newborn child, you are saying this person should not be reconnected with society, this person should be isolated, and separated, and shamed, and disposed of," Maya said.  Finally, she tells us what abolition means to her. Maya is the Editor-in-Chief of Truthout and the co-editor of "Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States." She has written about the prison-industrial complex for Truthout, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, Salon, Ms. Magazine, and others. Maya lives in Chicago and organizes with Love & Protect and the Chicago Community Bond Fund. Get your copy of "Locked Down, Locked Out." Read Maya Schenwar's work at Truthout: ">www.truthout.org Visit Maya's personal website: mayaschenwar.com Follow Maya on Twitter: @mayaschenwar   --   Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware  

Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson speak with Akeem Browder, founder of the campaign to Shut Down Rikers Island and the Kalief Browder Foundation. Akeem’s brother, Kalief, died by suicide in 2015 after spending three years at the notorious jail complex. His tragic story helped catalyze reform efforts in New York City. During the interview, Akeem tells the story of his own unjust arrest and experiences on Rikers as a young teenager, years before Kalief's incarceration. He relates how they both experienced the New York City Department Of Corrections' infamous culture of brutality firsthand and endured numerous assaults by law enforcement and other inmates. He shares advice he gave Kalief based on his own experiences and addresses the urgent need to improve mental health research, diagnoses, and treatment regarding incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Akeem also comments on the status of the campaign to close Rikers Island and the $1 billion earmarked for new "community jails." He described his experiences working with Mayor Bill de Blasio and other advocates in the city. He also tells us what abolition means to him. Kalief arrived at Rikers in 2010 at age 16, when he was arrested and accused of stealing a backpack. He maintained his innocence and spent 800 days in solitary confinement. His case never went to trial and he was never convicted of a crime. The case was eventually dismissed and Kalief was released. A little over one year after Kalief's death, their mother, Venida Browder, passed away from what has been described as a "broken heart." Akeem honors the legacy of his brother Kalief and mother Venida by working with elected officials, lawyers, doctors, college students and community based organizations to change laws, policies and regulations that devastate poor communities and families impacted by mass incarceration and solitary confinement. Follow Shut Down Rikers Island on Twitter: @ShutDownRikers Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Send us tips, comments, and questions: beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Music & Production: Jared Ware

In this candid and personal interview, Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson speak with Five Mualimm-ak about his life, reintegration, and why he's fighting to abolish prisons by any means necessary. In the late 1990s, Five was a community leader and successful real estate investor until he was convicted of crimes he didn't commit. He spent 12 years in prison, including 5 years in solitary confinement. On the day of his release, Five had a panic attack that landed him in the emergency room and then at Bellevue. Homeless for two years, he went back to prison for failing to appear for a meeting with his PO, and he was sent back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. These and other experiences have informed Five's expansive and influential work with communities directly impacted by incarceration in New York and across the nation. Learn more about Five's work: Incarcerated Nation Corporation (INC) Follow Five on Twitter: @MrFiveINC -- Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes. Send us tips, comments, and questions: beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Music & Production: Jared Ware

Do we need prisons? This week, Kim Wilson and Brian Sonenstein discuss Angela Davis' book, "Are Prisons Obsolete?" The book is an excellent starting point for people who are new to prison abolition and for anyone who wants to better understand the prison industrial complex. Kim and Brian pick out some of their favorite sections, digging deeper into topics like the inevitability of prisons and the religious foundations of incarceration. They also talk about the various struggles facing incarcerated women, and how prisons touch all of our lives even if we've never been incarcerated. --- Read "Are Prisons Obsolete?" by Angela Davis Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes. Send us tips, comments, and questions: beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Music & Production: Jared Ware

Kim and Brian talk with Dr. Anthony Monteiro, who is a long-time prison abolitionist, activist, scholar, and one of the foremost authorities on the scholarship and life of W.E. B. Du Bois. We discuss Dr. Monteiro 's work as a prison abolitionist, the influence that Du Bois and James Baldwin had on him, and how their writings remain relevant today. Dr. Monteiro answers the question "what does it mean to be human?" --- Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes. Send us tips, comments, and questions: beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Music & Production: Jared Ware