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Reuben Jonathan Miller, JLUSA board member and Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, spoke at Boston College’s Gerson Family lecture about the impact of mass incarceration.
“Most states restore voting rights to individuals after they are released from prison, but citizenship is about much more than voting, Miller said.
“‘Citizenship is also about belonging to a political community,’ Miller said ‘It’s about recognition as someone of value who can fully participate in the political economy and culture—and what we have is an alternate legal reality for people who have made mistakes.’
“Miller explained that even after release from prison, full reintegration into society is challenging because there are 44,000 laws across the United States that place restrictions on people with criminal records. …
“Miller emphasized that people of color are disproportionately affected by mass incarceration. Black people are twice as likely as white people to get arrested and five times more likely to be incarcerated after arrest, according to Miller.
“’Mass incarceration is an American problem,’ Miller said. ‘We overwhelmingly punish racial and ethnic minorities. We overwhelmingly punish our poor.’
“Miller said that while people are in prison, they are made to feel like they are voiceless and powerless.
“’More than anything else, it tells them that their voice doesn’t matter, that they’re a group that we shouldn’t care about,’ Miller said. ‘It sends a message about their democratic participation being unwanted. It tells me that their voice is unwelcome. There’s no place for them here.’
“The prison system goes beyond mere punishment, inflicting lasting harm on vulnerable people, Miller said.
“Mass incarceration is a series of crises. It’s a public health crisis. It’s a housing crisis. It’s an employment crisis. It’s a political crisis. It’s a problem of citizenship. It’s about how we prey on our most vulnerable among us.”
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.
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