CALLING ALL NEW YORKERS concerned about mass incarceration, racial targeting, abusive prison conditions and the criminal INjustice system to come to Albany on May 5th for NEW YORK AGAINST PRISON INJUSTICE – rally, march, and day of action.
To register for the bus click here: https://nysprisonerjustice.wufoo.com/forms/pg8uto1y29dgq/
NEW YORK AGAINST PRISON INJUSTICE
MARCH AND RALLY
Monday, MAY 5TH, 12:30 PM
ALBANY, East Capitol Park (Eagle Street between Washington Avenue and State Street)
Free buses from NYC and Upstate:nysprisonerjustice[at]gmail.com or 518-434-4037
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: CORNEL WEST
FEATURED PERFORMERS: Taina Asili, Daughters of Creative Sound, and more TBA
STOP SOLITARY – REFORM PAROLE – RELEASE ELDERS – CREATE TRUTH & JUSTICE COMMISSION
Ban Post-Prison Discrimination – Educate, Don’t Discriminate – Overhaul Public Defense – Raise the Age – Support, Don’t Incarcerate, Domestic Violence Survivors – End the War on Drugs
ALSO INCLUDED in the May 5th Day of Action:
LOBBY DAY TO HALT SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
10 a.m. Press Conference, LCA Press Room, Rm. 130 Legislative Office Building
Full day of legislative meetings, gather 10-10:30 A.M., Room 211
To join in lobbying, contact Suzie at skoneschusky@urbanjustice.org or 646-459-3044
Sponsored by Campaign for Alternatives to Solitary Confinement
AND:
2:30 PM PAROLE REFORM SPEAKOUT
Gather at the Million Dollar Staircase, 4th floor west side Capitol Building
Sponsored by The Riverside Church Parole Reform Campaign
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New York Against Prison Injustice
The problem – the criminal justice system:
locks up far too many people, for far too long – 86,000 in prisons and jails in New York State
cages people under harsh & inhumane conditions, including solitary confinement and staff abuse
fails to release people who demonstrate readiness to return home
is racially targeted against communities of color
imposes lifelong post-prison discrimination
prevents real solutions to social problems
breaks up families and harms communities
is not effective – does not keep communities safe
There is a better way:
restorative, reintegrative, & community-based justice instead of punishment
public health solutions to addiction & mental illness
economic & social solutions: jobs, housing, food, healthcare, education, racial justice
community safety & healing rather than revenge
invest in strengthening communities instead of more law enforcement
Steps to get there:
reform parole: approve applicants based on fair evaluation; pass SAFE parole act
release elders: if the risk is low, let them go
ban solitary confinement and use more humane and effective alternatives
ban post-prison discrimination in education, jobs, housing, and voting
support people coming home; ensure access to medical, mental health, & substance abuse care
overhaul the public defense system statewide
create a truth, justice, and reconciliation commission for racial impacts of mass incarceration
raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 for all children to be treated as children
make higher education available to all, in and out of prison; stop the school to prison pipeline
end the war on drugs and use a public health approach to address addiction
pass domestic violence survivors justice act—support, not incarceration, for survivors
stop local jail expansion; stop stop and frisk; reform bail practices
end surveillance, infiltration, entrapment of members of Muslim, Arab, & S Asian communities
stop mass deportations & support immigrant families
invest in community-based mental health care and use crisis intervention teams
end all shackling of pregnant women; support family ties; bring back the buses
reduce draconian prison sentence lengths; use restorative justice & alternatives to incarceration
free all political prisoners
Who we are:
people working to replace mass incarceration, punishment, abusive prison conditions, and racial targeting with humane, community-based, effective solutions for community safety & well-being.
-new york state prisoner justice network-riverside church prison ministry parole reform campaign- campaign for alternatives to isolated confinement-release aging people in prison-center for law and justice-prison action network-campaign to end the new jim crow- education from the inside out coalition-raise the age campaign-prisoners are people too-end the new jim crow action network-ithaca prisoner justice network-nys defenders justice fund-binghamton justice projects-capital area against mass incarceration-new york students rising-drug policy alliance-coalition for women prisoners-nyc jericho movement-muslim solidarity committee
For more information: nysprisonerjustice[at]gmail.com