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Algunas partes de esta página se generan automáticamente y podrían contener errores menores. Se recomienda usar el juicio crítico al interactuar con ella.
I was born and raised in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. At the age of 17, I was arrested for being an accomplice to a robbery, charged as an adult, and incarcerated on Rikers Island. At that time, there were over 20,000 people detained on Rikers. Unlike today, there was no interest, no concern, and no media attention about the dehumanization and culture of violence that thousands of people like myself experienced on Torture Island. I served 19 months of hell on that penal colony. After serving 20 years from a 20-40 year sentence in prison, I returned home to the city that I love and found that the culture of violence and human rights violations on Rikers still remained.
I know Rikers.
I know the pain it causes. I know the emotional turmoil and physical agony people on that island face. I know the effect it has on families and communities. I know it is destructive and harmful for everyone that comes into contact with it — detainee, visitor, and employee alike. I know that until every last person is off of that island, we will never wash away the moral crisis that stains our city.
I know Rikers.
I know that only people who have been harmed by Rikers can ensure its closure. I know that we started this movement and I know we will see it through. I know that I support the plan to go from 12 jails across our city down to 4 borough-based facilities unlike anything we’ve seen before, and with important conditions that will improve the plan. [Link to full testimony] I know we need to reinvest the money we spend on that Torture Island and implement our plan to #buildCOMMUNITIES.
I have been a leader with the campaign to #CLOSErikers since the beginning because I know that Rikers is a human rights crisis. It is the Abu Ghraib of New York City. Closing it is urgent and cannot be delayed.
#iknowRIKERS #CLOSErikers
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
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JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
Since 2014, JustLeadershipUSA has maintained our commitment to ensuring systems-impacted voices are at the forefront of the movement for criminal legal reform, empowering directly impacted leaders in over 45 states with the tools, resources, and connections to transform their work.
Your donation will provide crucial support for our leadership training programs, empowering future generations of leaders and propelling the work of JLUSA and our alumni as we continue to advocate and push reform on issues that matter the most in our communities.
In just 10 years, JLUSA and our network of leaders have worked to dismantle decades of harm caused by the criminal legal system.