March 3, 2020 by V Leigh

Harvard University “continues to benefit from its historical ties to slavery through its investments in the prison-industrial complex.”

Reading costs 5
cents a minute and the prisoners earn 30 cents an hour. Reading a 330
page book costs them about $20. Prisons are designed to destroy
people’s humanity. https://t.co/yiWu2Eeid2

—
Joseph Hill (@jaceyhill) February
16, 2020

▪️ The US is the largest incarcerator in the world

▪️1 out of 3 Black boys can expect to go to prison in his lifetime

▪️50% of people in prison have some indicator of a mental health disorder

The prosecutorial system needs to change. https://t.co/0KmONR8L9X

— ACLU (@ACLU) February 23, 2020

Five Harvard students are suing the university's president, a senior fellow of Harvard Corporation, and Harvard's endowment manager over the university's investments in what they call the "prison-industrial complex." https://t.co/HkrKz3erBg

— CNN (@CNN) February 21, 2020

Harvard University “continues to benefit from its historical ties to slavery through its investments in the prison-industrial complex." https://t.co/CcUk72eUmN

— Black Enterprise (@blackenterprise) February 25, 2020

January 31, 2020 by V Leigh

Another inmate died in Mississippi’s Parchman prison

The death of India Cummings—she suffered a mental breakdown, was seen smearing food on herself+lying in a pool of her own urine—brought national attention to Erie County, NY jails. But the deaths haven't stopped: on average, 1 person dies every 6 months. https://t.co/oH0JtNzxqx

— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) January 16, 2020

Yet another person has died in Parchman prison this morning. According to Mississippi DOC, Thomas Lee died of "apparent suicide."

10 people have died in Mississippi prisons, 8 in Parchman, in the last 3 weeks.

4 of the deaths were in the last 5 days.https://t.co/WS0kmFQVgj

— Rebecca Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) January 23, 2020

The Mississippi Governor who created Parchman prison said he made it to run as an “efficient slave plantation.” The most in-depth account of its conditions is a book named “Worse than Slavery.” It was designed to exacerbate black enslavement, as we’re seeing with each news story. https://t.co/mrKL5XMgWU

— Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) January 25, 2020

The conditions in Parchman are dangerous and inhumane, and we are seeing the deadly consequences. As we fight to end mass incarceration, our government needs to meet basic human rights standards for the people under its care. #MSPrisonReformNow https://t.co/vleQMhL5yL

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 23, 2020

We often talk about the fact that the death penalty is racist, arbitrary, and error-prone. It has an emotional and psychological toll on the people forced to carry it out — prison guards, wardens, and witnesses. https://t.co/TuUXn5D8NS

— ACLU (@ACLU) January 9, 2020

Why does the U.S. have the highest incarceration rate in the world?

Because we criminalize poverty.
Because we criminalize homelessness.
Because we criminalize addiction.

Because we make recidivism easy.
Because we make finding employment hard.

Let's imagine something better.

— Mckayla Wilkes for Congress (@MeetMckayla) January 29, 2020

January 9, 2020 by V Leigh

76% of people currently incarcerated in America’s jails have not been convicted of a crime and most are there because they cannot afford bail.

61 year old Stephen Wayne Cole is the third person to die at the Bexar County jail in 12 months after being booked on a trespassing charge. Cole was held at the Texas jail because he couldn’t afford a $40 bond. https://t.co/lvSnZwqFZN

— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) December 28, 2019

All Mississippi prisons remain locked down after five inmates violently died in state prisons in one week https://t.co/qIG7tDIn39 pic.twitter.com/a50yk8YYvm

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 4, 2020

Meanwhile people who are homeless and charged with trespassing on non-residential property – as opposed to police officers committing home invasions – are dying in jail sometimes after being held for months because they cannot afford bonds of under $100. https://t.co/pXAnZemMxT

— Rebecca Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) January 2, 2020

BREAKING: After Fairfax County’s new prosecutor announces plan to drop prosecutions for pot possession, judge denies motion to dismiss first case. Says cases need to be evaluated on individual basis.

— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) January 2, 2020

At least five people have died in Mississippi prisons in the past week and it’s the result of longstanding issues that have been ignored for far too long — including chronic understaffing and failure to protect incarcerated individuals from harm. https://t.co/DmmDsb892d

— Real Justice (@RealJusticePAC) January 8, 2020

Greetings from today's contentious Metro Council meeting. Still on the agenda: presentation from CorrectHealth, the firm overseeing jail medical care, which has come under fire for an inmate death rate more than twice the national average. Background here: https://t.co/XzSp5f16ME

— Lea Skene (@lea_skene) January 8, 2020

Texas executes man whose trial featured false testimony https://t.co/wR9cfkraEr

— Shaun King (@shaunking) December 12, 2019

76% of people currently incarcerated in America’s jails have not been convicted of a crime and most are there because they cannot afford bail. https://t.co/dwyq4ULBnC https://t.co/Kp3XtNpe3n

— Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) December 28, 2019

October 30, 2019 by V Leigh

Sentencing and New Fact Sheet on Private Prisons in the United States

A man who had spent 1,181 days in the Fulton County Jail was released Wednesday after he was found not guilty of 21 felonies.

His attorney said the man only wanted to buy a $10 bag of marijuana, which nearly cost him his life and freedom. https://t.co/rlwiLh50ix

— AJC (@ajc) October 10, 2019

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What a difference a DA makes. Man walks out of prison after 28 years, 10th man exonerated under Philly's reform DA Larry Krasner.

Cops involved had a “pattern and practice” of coercing confessions. https://t.co/rh7xXfQBbT https://t.co/50XtUdqvhq

— David Menschel (@davidminpdx) October 10, 2019

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A Texas jury has found prison guard Lou Joffrion not guilty in the killing of David Witt, who was incarcerated at Darrington Unit. The DA charged Joffrion after video showed he slammed Witt, who was handcuffed, into the concrete floor so hard it killed him.https://t.co/1jCObTIlya

— Rebecca J. Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) October 14, 2019

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The Sentencing Project along with more than 250 other signatories signed an open letter to Wisconsin @GovEvers requesting clemency for Brendan Dassey, whose murder conviction was featured in Netflix's Making a Murderer. #bringbrendanhome #FreeBrendanDassey https://t.co/fb3Ya1gNkh

— Sentencing Project (@SentencingProj) October 25, 2019

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NEW FACT SHEET: 28 states and the federal government incarcerated 121,718 people in #privateprisons in 2017, representing 8.2% of the total state and federal prison population. https://t.co/K9ULb35siC pic.twitter.com/yixp7dhg8O

— Sentencing Project (@SentencingProj) October 24, 2019

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February 16, 2019 by V Leigh

In some cases, inmates have served more time awaiting trial than they would have for the crimes they are accused of committing.

America’s bail system is a war on the poor. Let’s get rid of it https://t.co/qlhTwvHLBY #SoJustBail #SaturdaySchool

— Rhonda Ragsdale (@profragsdale) March 31, 2018

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"… innocent people… plead guilty, simply so they can get out of jail with time served. In some cases, inmates have served more time awaiting trial than they would have for the crimes they are accused of committing."#SaturdaySchool #SoJustBail https://t.co/fI05fLJtYs

— Andrew H. (@CobaltTiNor) March 31, 2018

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Denver settles lawsuit with man jailed for five days because he couldn't pay a $50 bail fee. The man was also assessed a $25 public defender fee. As part of the settlement, Denver agreed to no longer hold inmates who paid bond but could not afford the fee. https://t.co/638YlzRgJB

— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) December 27, 2018

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From June to October, a total of six prisoners died in Ohio's Cuyahoga County jails. Three prisoners died in one week. “I’m not sending anybody else to this hellhole of a jail, unless it’s a violent felony,” one judge said. https://t.co/brmTsp3hjR

— The Appeal (@theappeal) December 23, 2018

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Lanekia Michelle Brown, 37, died at the Madison County, Mississippi Detention Center; she was 3-4 weeks pregnant and complained of stomach pains. “I need to know what happened to her…they won’t tell me or give me no information. That’s my child." https://t.co/wLEnq7CmP6

— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) December 25, 2018

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We're not the only ones fighting inhumane conditions in prison. An investigation by @virginianpilot found horrific deaths & brutal treatment of people with mental illness in jails across the US—just one of piece we recommend in our #SPLCWinterReadingList https://t.co/BmH1q42DIh pic.twitter.com/HdPrKdwYdo

— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) December 25, 2018

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Lanekia Brown, a Black woman, locked in a Mississippi jail. Pregnant. Complaining of stomach pains. Seen by a jail nurse, but not taken to a hospital. Lanekia died. A pregnant white woman in the jail complained of pain, was taken to a hospital & survived. https://t.co/UoqtVEo1DI

— The Appeal (@theappeal) January 3, 2019

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A man filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Hampton Roads jail after he says their neglect caused him to lose a foot. In late Jan., the jail paid $3 million to the family of a man who died at the jail while being held for stealing $5 worth of 'snacks.' https://t.co/lD23VimoCe

— The Appeal (@theappeal) February 14, 2019

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February 12, 2019 by V Leigh

The call for prison reform

Efrain Romero de la Rosa committed suicide after being held in solitary confinement for 3 weeks at Stewart Detention Center. We're already suing the private prison company, CoreCivic, that operates Stewart + forces the immigrants detained there to run it. https://t.co/CUXuQ55lTf

— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) December 18, 2018

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A 61-year-old woman died in a San Antonio jail last week. She was charged with trespassing, her first arrest. She had been held *since July* on a $300 bond – she apparently didn't have the $30 that would have sprung her. So many needless jail deaths. https://t.co/w7GS1FukjJ

— David Menschel (@davidminpdx) December 18, 2018

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Family of Janice Dotson-Stephens, who died at TX jail while held on $300 bail in trespass case, say they didn't know she was jailed. "She had…family who would have easily paid…to get her out of jail if that’s what we had to do to take the next step.” https://t.co/ZiENHVjiM1

— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) December 18, 2018

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Two Florida correctional officers charged by feds with violating the civil rights of kids locked up at the South Florida Reception Center after ushering them into a broom closet and striking them with fists and a broomstick. https://t.co/lOypXYI6RA

— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) December 18, 2018

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In 1 day, a New Mexico prison had 2 suicides in solitary confinement. New Mexico uses solitary confinement at one of the highest rates in the nation. https://t.co/thz23wrYHX by @kira_lerner

— The Appeal (@theappeal) January 29, 2019

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. @REFORM 1 in 5 African Americans are sentenced to a life in prison. Have you screened our film series on prison reform yet? #JusticeInCrisis https://t.co/2zKpnbJDHi

— Brave New Films (@bravenewfilms) February 1, 2019

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I break down NY’s unfair evidence laws in 5 minutes. “In NY people accused of crimes are denied all info until their trial begins. The result: NY has the 2d highest wrongful conviction rate in the country.” In 2019 we change things: https://t.co/92KprIBpp8 pic.twitter.com/4EmXyCwOpE

— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) February 1, 2019

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“The prisoners, who could see the protest from their cells, responded by banging against the metal bars on their windows, a haunting call and response that hinted at the mass of humanity inside, and out.” https://t.co/p69Fb9IB7V

— NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo) February 4, 2019

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December 11, 2018 by V Leigh

We must end the absurdity of the United States having more people in jail than any other country on Earth

Black youth only account for about 20% of the total youth population in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania—but they were 20X more likely than their white peers to be arrested and charged as adults in 2016 & 2017. via @theappeal https://t.co/JxCF3mYbii

— Sentencing Project (@SentencingProj) November 27, 2018

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Because of the use of a notoriously unreliable roadside drug test, a Georgia woman endured arrest, a million-dollar bond, and months of jail—over "meth" that was actually cotton candy.@laurenk_gill via @theappeal https://t.co/hBwIzThYCP pic.twitter.com/MAqAkl8R4e

— Inst. Policy Studies (@IPS_DC) November 27, 2018

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Reform of the criminal justice system must include a nuanced approach to the prosecution and sentencing of all crimes. Larry Krasner is one of the only DAs in the country that doesn't limit his reform to the prosecution of nonviolent crimes. https://t.co/GStcWahbi6 by @abgutman

— The Appeal (@theappeal) November 20, 2018

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For framing innocent Black men, a Florida police chief gets three years in prison. Raimundo Atesiano, the former Biscayne Park police chief, directed his officers to frame innocent men for a series of unsolved burglaries. https://t.co/6lqspz71Fn

— The Appeal (@theappeal) November 27, 2018

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We must end the absurdity of the United States having more people in jail than any other country on Earth. We have a racist criminal justice system that must be fundamentally transformed.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 25, 2018

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“I know what I did was wrong, and I had to pay the price for my actions… But this is the most extreme price there is.”

There's more than one family separation crisis in this country. https://t.co/nz2X3OZefp

— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) December 5, 2018

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BREAKING: An Illinois appeals court upheld a decision to sentence a man to 10 years in prison for stealing $33 worth of underwear from a Family Dollar store. https://t.co/7hQstxIFFQ

— Injustice Watch (@injusticewatch) December 5, 2018

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Bail was created to ensure that people show up to their court date, but instead it’s just used to punish poor people. @jduffyrice pic.twitter.com/kDEYAVysgP

— Liz Plank (@feministabulous) November 30, 2018

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Delaware prisoners say they were beaten, stripped and tortured for months after a February uprising, w/ guards physically and verbally abusing them to this day. https://t.co/MYsk5sKdT6

— Matt Ferner (@matthewferner) November 30, 2018

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Fred Clay was arrested for murder when he was 16, found guilty, and then spent nearly 38 years in prison in Massachusetts before he was exonerated. Clay has been out of prison for over a year but has yet to see any compensation from the state. https://t.co/rrTa616JFe

— The Appeal (@theappeal) December 3, 2018

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“I’m not trying to escape, I just wanted to cut myself,” Molly, who has a severe mental illness, told Illinois corrections officers. She used the razor wire from the fence to cut her arm. The prison responded with pepper spray and punishment. https://t.co/zqcw10QdNh

— The Appeal (@theappeal) December 5, 2018

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Life imprisonment has little effect on crimes rates, yet there are more than 200,000 lifers in prison. Watch our full video on the real impact of life sentences here: https://t.co/4nFkdPOvx3

Learn more at: https://t.co/pENPanaahG #EndLifeImprisonment #20YearsisEnough pic.twitter.com/YXiVMkmQ94

— Brave New Films (@bravenewfilms) December 5, 2018

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Where is the justice? A Tennessee court ruled that Cyntoia Brown, a #SexTrafficking survivor, must serve 51 years in prison before she is eligible for parole https://t.co/0JaprhGtgH pic.twitter.com/x4XiOEixNk

— Blavity News (@Blavity) December 7, 2018

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"Cyntoia [Brown] never described herself as a child sex slave, a term that is now being used to characterize her experience. … Such sensationalist language … obscures the complexities inherent in the experiences of young people in the sex trade.” https://t.co/CJH489IwzF

— The Appeal (@theappeal) December 11, 2018

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October 13, 2018 by V Leigh

Caging human beings is not benefiting our communities

Right now, a single parent can be held in jail for a nonviolent offense awaiting trial for weeks, months, or even years. Why? Simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. That’s just wrong.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 9, 2018

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"Placing women and minors (or anyone…) in jail exposes them to violence and misery. It exposes their families and neighborhoods to loss of income, stability, and the everyday companionship of a parent, spouse, sister, brother, neighbor, or coworker." https://t.co/3yQJRLzHfz

— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) October 5, 2018

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An Oregon sheriff releases videos a deputy made of Bryan Perry, who was in a padded jail cell, flailing around uncontrollably from a drug overdose. Deputies stood by and laughed at Perry. He died 5 hours after he was booked into jail. https://t.co/X2U0xBZZwj

— The Appeal (@theappeal) October 5, 2018

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Caging human beings is not benefiting our communities, creating a better word for future generations, or protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. We can invest our tax dollars in a better way. Follow @MassBailOut for live updates. #MassBailOut #EndMoneyBail pic.twitter.com/OhkGK8LuWZ

— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) October 3, 2018

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Debora Lyons, who suffered from mental illness, stole $155 worth of items from Walmart. It appears she was stealing out of necessity. She was arrested & her bail was set at $1,500. But she couldn’t afford to purchase her release. She hanged herself & died. https://t.co/jO4veGLUfr

— The Appeal (@theappeal) October 12, 2018

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BREAKING: The Washington Supreme Court just struck down the death penalty, citing racial bias.

This makes Washington the 20th state in the nation to outlaw the death penalty. We won't stop fighting until it's struck down everywhere in America.

— ACLU (@ACLU) October 11, 2018

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🚨🚨🚨HUGE news: Washington Supreme Court declares death penalty unlawful under the state constitution, converts ALL death sentences to life imprisonment. Capital punishment is over in Washington. https://t.co/Wv70eeVfQa

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) October 11, 2018

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This is a huge deal not only because it brings the number of states without the death penalty to 20, but its one of the only times abolition was explicitly tied to the racial disparities that @NAACP_LDF, @ACLU, and others have tried to highlight. https://t.co/ubt2pS37So

— Maurice Chammah (@MauriceChammah) October 11, 2018

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September 19, 2018 by V Leigh

Locked Up and Released in a Vicious Cycle

“Without sentencing justice, people—primarily poor people and people of color—will continue to be locked up and released in a vicious cycle that fails to address the root causes of systemic issues such as trauma, poverty, and racism.” @bravenewfilms

https://t.co/e10YhvqfBl

— ~P~ (@ItsMsPortia) September 6, 2018

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THREE YEARS AND NOT GUILTY. https://t.co/NXJNWo4kgM

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 6, 2018

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Opinion: Report says wrongful convictions have stolen at least 20,000 years from innocent defendants https://t.co/X40hdzrHvr

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 10, 2018

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Kalief Browder was in Rikers for 3 years as a teen without a trial. He endured beatings & solitary—where he attempted suicide. After his release, he took his life. In a recent debate, a Queens prosecutor tried to minimize the role Rikers had in his death. https://t.co/LPYBOIxoI7

— The Appeal (@theappeal) September 10, 2018

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July 16, 2018 by V Leigh

It’s sickening to witness people endure so much suffering

We have a racist criminal justice system that costs us billions of dollars, ruins lives and allows private prisons to profit off of human misery. It's time for real criminal justice reform. pic.twitter.com/XmjgwAvSna

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 12, 2018

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Cop asks my juvie client: “are you in a gang?”
He says no
“Hang out with gang members?”
He says no
“Know any gang members?”
Kid says yeah, my cousin is a Hoover crip
Cop lists my kid as “affiliated with the Hoover Crips” https://t.co/FvwllM5pUe

— you used to commie on my cell phone (@acekatana) June 12, 2018

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Mentally ill and incarcerated: In this Louisiana jail, inmate deaths mount as pleas are unheeded https://t.co/1DdaivYvLw via @faresmelissa @levinsonc pic.twitter.com/bKKPVmnLMh

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) May 31, 2018

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The mentally ill continue to be kept in extreme isolation in AL's prisons, a situation that is driving a steep rise in suicides. It’s sickening to witness people endure so much suffering while the state stalls and makes excuses.https://t.co/SEMBfaeD7Z

— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) June 20, 2018

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Oppression Monitor Daily

A Community Village Site

Prison Industrial Complex

Harvard University “continues to benefit from its historical ties to slavery through its investments in the prison-industrial complex.”

Like this:

Another inmate died in Mississippi’s Parchman prison

Like this:

76% of people currently incarcerated in America’s jails have not been convicted of a crime and most are there because they cannot afford bail.

Like this:

Sentencing and New Fact Sheet on Private Prisons in the United States

Like this:

In some cases, inmates have served more time awaiting trial than they would have for the crimes they are accused of committing.

Like this:

The call for prison reform

Like this:

We must end the absurdity of the United States having more people in jail than any other country on Earth

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Caging human beings is not benefiting our communities

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Locked Up and Released in a Vicious Cycle

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It’s sickening to witness people endure so much suffering

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