ByAnyMediaNecessary

May2009

Itcould happento you

May2009

Voices frominside thePrison Industrial Complex

Lastmonth,theSupremeCourtupheldtheconvictionofMumiaAbuJamal,who wasconvictedin1981byamostlywhitejury.WhetherornotyoubelieveinAbu Jamalsinnocence,thefundamentaltruthremainsthathistrialwasracially biasedandbasedincoercedtestimonyandotherunethicalprosecutortactics. ButAbuJamalisjustoneofmillionsofAmericansbehindbarsunfairlyandwith norecourse.Thislessonexploressomeoftherealitiesthatmakethispossible, andlistenstosomevoicesfrombehindthewall,likeHamedahHasan(above).

TheProblem:Onein100 Americansisbehindbars
Inthislandofthefreemanyarenot.How haveweletthishappen?
Itisactuallyabitmisleadingtosay thattheproblemis overincarceration.Overincarceration isactuallyasymptomofmanymuch largerissueslikethestructuralracism andclassisminoursociety,the saturationofviolenceinourculture, andabiasedandcorruptjudicial system.Itisalsoacauseofmany thingsthatarewronginour community. Often,peoplearelockedupfornon violentoffensesthatcouldbebetter treatedwithmentalhealthservicesor substanceabusetreatment.We incarcerateyoungpeopleasyoungas 14tolifesentencesandasadults, placingthemindangerousandlife changingsituationsthattheyemerge fromwithmoreproblemsand likelihoodtocommitviolencecrime thenwhentheywentin. Itisnotamysterytoanyonehowto reducecrime:goodschools,high employmentrates,accessto affordablehousingandsafe neighborhoods,andrealopportunities tobetteronesstationinlife.Butthe truthis,crimerateshaventincreased. TheNewYorkTimesandseveral othershavereportedconsistent increasesinincarcerationwhilecrime rateshavedropped.Sowhatsgoing on?

 ByAnyMediaNecessary

May2009

HamedahHasan
Idonotcondonethepossession,use, orsaleofanyillegaldrugs;Iwouldonly liketobringoutthefactthatmanyof uswhohavebeenconvictedand sentencedtotheselifesentenceswere neverfoundwithanyamountofdrugs. Iask:Whereisthejusticeinthat? Istronglyencouragethemassesto educatethemselvesinthelawsbeing implementedwhichvastlyaffectthe communitiesinwhichtheylive,andto demandcompleteinvestigationand overhaulofthejudicialsystem.Timeis oftheessence. HamedahHasan,Serving27Years*

*Hamedahsstorycanbefoundat: (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/1 08829/27_years_in_prison_for_a_nonviol ent_offense%3A_hamedah_hasan_tells_h er_story_/) FromMelissaMummert,Directorand ProducerofPerversionofJustice: PerversionofJusticefocuseson HamedahHasan,ayoungmotherwho wassentencedtotwolifesentencesfor herfirstdrugoffenseWewitnessher sufferingdaughtersgrowingupasbest theycanhundredsofmilesfromtheir incarceratedmother.Findthefilmat: http://mediathatmattersfest.org/films/pe rversion_of_justice/
Whilethefilm detailsanAmerican tragedy,itis ultimatelyhopeful andcallsthe audiencetoaction. FilmmakerMelissa Mummert

WhatYoullNeed

GettingStarted

Readthisallthewaythrough Icebreaker(15minutes) beforeyougetstartedand Onaflipchartinmarker(orona makesureyougatherany chalk/markerboard)drawalarge externalmaterials

InternetandPrinterAccess FlipchartandMarkers Copiesofenclosed worksheetsandany externalresources IndexCards

treethatlookssomethinglikethis:

Paper,Envelopesand stampsforeachstudent(or Passoutcutoutleaves(handout onpage4forphotocopies),and emailaccess) askparticipantstowritedownthe biggestissuesthattheythinkare Websitesyoullvisit: facingtheircommunities.Once theyarefinishedhavethemcome www.mediathatmattersfest.org www.realcostofprisons.org upandtapetheirleavestothetop
www.wbztv.com

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May2009

ofthetree. Talkaboutthedifferentissuesandaskthestudents toidentifyfactorsthatsupporttheseleavesbeingin place.Writethesefactorsintothetrunkofthetree. Lastly,askstudentstothinkveryhardaboutwhat thecausesareofthesesupportsbeinginplace. Thesearetherootsorrootcauses.Talkaboutthe relationshipbetweenthesethreedifferentlevels andhowthiscauseandrelationshipaffectworks. Explainthattodayweregoingtotalkaboutprisons andaskwheretheythinkthesecausesfit.

TrueorFalse?(10Minutes)
Forthisactivity,youmaywanttohaveprizesfor correctanswers,butthatisuptothefacilitator. Snacksarealwaysfun. Askstudentsthefollowingquestionsandinteams orasindividualsgivethemachancetoguess whethertheyaretrueorfalse,thenrevealthe realanswer: 1. TheUnitedStateshasmorepeople incarceratedthanthe36countriesin Europewiththehighestincarceration ratescombined?True 2. Prisonrateshavegoneupbecausecrime hasincreased.False 3. Prisonscanbeownedbyprivate companiesandtradedforprofitonthe stockmarket.True 4. TheCEOoftheCorrectionsCorporationof America,oneofthesecompanies,makes over2milliondollarsayear.False,he makes1.7million 5. Oneoutofevery20Blackmenbetween theagesof20and34areincarcerated. False,itisactually1in9 6. Onein100Americansissomehowcourt involvedthroughincarceration,parole, probation,etc.False,1in100Americans isbehindbars 7. IfyougetajobinPrisonyouhavetobe paidminimumwage.False,some prisonersmakeonly21centsanhour 8. Ifyoucommitacrimebeforeyouare18, youcantgotoregularadultprison.False 9. Ifyouareconvictedofacrimeinyour homestate,youwillbelockedupthere. False,forFederalcrimesyoucanbe lockedupanywhereinthecountry 3

PerversionofJustice(20Minutes)
Goto[http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org /watch/8/perversion_of_justice]andwatch PerversionofJusticethenhaveabriefdiscussion usingthefollowingquestions,andanyothersyou mayalsohave. 1. Whatdoyouthinkaboutthefactthatthe judgewhosentencedHamedahthinksthat thiswasthegreatestperversionofjustice heseverseen?Whydoeshesaythat? 2. Wetalkedaboutrootcausesbefore.What aresomeoftherootcausesthatledto Hamedahsincarceration?(sentencinglaws, domesticviolence,poverty)Whataresome oftheconsequences?(herdaughtershave nomotherathome,twoofherdaughters hadchildrenasteenagers) 3. Ifyouwerealawmaker,whatkindoflaws wouldyouproposetoresolvesomeofthese issues? SeetheMediaThatMattersSeason8Discussion Guideformoreideasanddiscussion

 ByAnyMediaNecessary

May2009

 ByAnyMediaNecessary

May2009

I,foryears,haveexpressednodesiretousemytimehereplayingbasketball,liftingweights, watchingTVorplayingcardandboardgames.IfImustbeincarcerated,withnohelpin questioningmyconviction,IbelieveIshouldbeabletoexercisemy(allegedright)tothe pursuitofhappinessbydoingwhatIcantoreachthesekidsaroundmeasdootherswho feeltheyarejustleftinasystemagingandwaitingtodiewhilegettingthemtounderstand thatcrimeandprisonlifearebothjustbasicallyblankcheckswrittenoutforthosewhotryto cashthemoninnercitystreetsofpoverty.

DarrellJones,Hasorganizedandsupportedmanycommunityorganizationsfrombehindprisonwalls

TheRealCostofPrisons(20Minutes)
Beforetheclass,visit [wbztv.com/local/Voices.From.Behind.2.799847.html] andprintthearticleaboutVoicesBehindtheWall. Makecopiesfortheparticipants.Eitherhavesomeone readaloud,orgivepeopletimetoreadandthen discuss. 1. WhathasDarrelllostinhistimebehindbars? Howhashisfamilyalsolost? 2. Whatwasthepurposeofthevideoproject? 3. Howdoyouthinkpeoplebehindbarscan bridgerelationshipsandbuildwithpeoplein thelargercommunity? 4. Whataresomeofthebenefitstobuilding thesebridges?

onesetofobstacles,earningmoney,housing,or reunitingyourfamily.Giveeachgroupaflipchartand spendabouttenminutesusingtheworksheetsto discusssomeofthesechallenges. Havethestudentstakeabouttenminutespresenting backtotheirgroupaboutthechallengesthatthey discussed.

NowWhat?(25Minutes)
Goto[www.congress.org]andlookupyourelected officials.Havestudentswritealettertotheirelected officialsabouttheissuesthattheyvediscussedtoday andhowtheydliketoseethingschange.Itmaybea goodideatospendafewminutestalkingaboutwhat someoftheseissuesarebeforewritingtheletters. Givestudentsenvelopesandstampsandhavethem addresstheirletters. Alternately,studentscanwritealetterofsupportto HamedahHasanorDarrellJones. 5

ComingHome(20minutes)
Goto[http://realcostofprisons.org/obstacles.html] andprintthethreeworksheetsforyourparticipants. Dividethemintothreegroupsandgiveeachgroup

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May2009

ForMoreInformation,Ideas, InsightandAction:
AmericanVioletisbasedonreal eventsof2000,whenasmalltown DAinTexassystemicallymade blacksinpublichousingatargetof aggressivedrugraids.Withthehelp ofalocalattorney,theACLU successfullysuedtheDAforracial discriminationandforusingthe testimonyofonlyoneinformantto indictcountlessindividuals. RinkuPatel,MotherJones ReviewofupcomingAmericanViolet

Specialthanksto:
EndtheOddsCoalition StrongestLink Reflect&Strengthen MelissaMummert HamedahHasan TheRealCostof Prisons TeenEmpowerment
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PerversionofJustice www.perversionofjustice.com TheRealCostofPrisons www.realcostofprisons.org ReflectandStrengthen www.reflectandstrengthen.org TheFreedomProjectNow www.freedomprojectnow.com StrongestLink www.strongestlink.org CriticalResistance www.criticalresistance.org YouthPromise http://99problems.org/youthpromise/ TeenEmpowerment www.teenempowerment.org PressPassTV www.presspasstv.org