From April 5-13, 2014, SCSJ will be honoring End Mass Incarceration Week.
What is End Mass Incarceration Week? It is a week set aside to fully consider the consequences of America’s over-reliance on mass incarceration.
Why is this relevant? Over the last 30 years, the US has experienced an explosion in the number of people who have come in contact with the criminal justice system: about 1.6 million people are currently in prison; 4 million are on probation; and nearly 65 million have a criminal record. In the South, the prison population has grown faster than in any other region. Ending Mass Incarceration is therefore a critically important issue–particularly so for communities of color.
How will SCSJ commemorate End Mass Incarceration Week? We will post daily articles analyzing the impact of mass incarceration in America. From the “War on Drugs” to private prison corporations to the mental health consequences of solitary confinement, we will examine various facets of America’s carceral state. The week-long observance will conclude with a community-wide event designed to create an open space for dialogue about how mass incarceration affects our communities and what we can do to stop it. This End Mass Incarceration Week event is being generously co-sponsored by the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. More details below.
What can I do to participate in End Mass Incarceration Week? There’s lots you can do!
- Read, respond, and share our daily End Mass Incarceration Week posts on social media.
- Tell your friends and family why you support an end to Mass Incarceration and suggest that they visit our website.
- Donate to SCSJ to support our continuing work to help people with existing criminal records and eventually bring an end to mass incarceration.
- Come to our event on Sunday, April 13 at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham!
- Watch and share this video to learn more about mass incarceration in the U.S.