by Thug Scholar
Imprisonment is an isolating and soul damaging experience. With the US possessing the largest prison population in the world (the majority for economic and non-violent crime) the result is a mass of people who are cut off from the outside, emotionally and spiritually, under a punitive institution. Prisoners face mistreatment from guards, emotionally and physically. One’s sexual orientation, art, reading, and gender status can lead to solitary confinement, although authorities give the excuse that it is due to “gang affiliation” (which in itself is a flimsy argument, being that gang affiliation simply could be reading a book about a radical political group) and is argued to be a form of torture by human rights groups. Due to these punitive practices towards people incarcerated, it is imperative that people on the outside show solidarity with people behind brick walls. It is an act of radical abolition—a step towards an eradication of America’s prison industrial complex, an institution that does not, in the words of Angela Davis, “disappear problems, but disappears people.” The Black and Pink Pen Pal Chicago chapter define the prison industrial complex as, “that system that relies on surveillance, police, and prisons to solve social, political and economic problems and controls communities of color.” As prison abolitionists, they view letter writing as an act of solidarity with people on the inside, as a way of breaking down the isolation created by the institution. On Sunday, I attended their first orientation, which discussed the importance of camaraderie in the pen pal relationship, as well as the vulnerability that comes with prisoners writing letters to people on the outside. Discussions emphasized honesty, boundaries, intimacy, and emphasized letter-writing as solidarity, not charity. I now have a new pen pal named Jesse. Here’s to a meaningful friendship that will break down the concrete.
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ATS MagAgainst the Stream Magazine is an urban platform. We edify our readers by finding noble, pure, and true talent and giving it a stage to flourish. While we love bragging about the folks around us, we also tackle urban issues by giving real world solutions. Archives
October 2015
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