Artists Against Mass Incarceration is a panel featuring Ricardo Cortés, Sherrill Roland, and Jackie Sumell. Our panelists will be discussing their own relationships with the carceral state, and how they respond to mass incarceration through art. November 22, 2021

The prison industrial complex creates a variety of barriers in accessing and spreading information about incarcerated life. This exhibit features two journalists for the Marshall Project who discuss the role of journalism in creating rhetoric around incarcerated life. Some interviewees also discuss the challenges and importance of providing written resources and news to those incarcerated. Finally, a freelance writer, the founder of Prison Writers and the co-founder of the Prison Journalism Project share how they amplify incarcerated voices.

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: Advocating reform for the American Justice System explores the role of legal actors in the US court system and the intersection between justice and order in the legal systems in the US.

Michael oral history interview, 2021 July 21
Linda oral history interview, 2021 July 22

Resisting the System: Activism Within the Criminal Legal System articulates some of the most pressing issues facing those working on the front lines to change the carceral system.

Bonnie oral history interview, 2021 July 15
Nicole oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Linda oral history interview, 2021 July 22

Interviews in the exhibit, Strained Family Dynamics in the Era of Mass Incarceration, display how straining the United States‚ system of mass incarceration can be on family dynamics and relationships. The prison system separates families, and many family members must decide how to best support their loved ones while they are imprisoned. Family members and formerly incarcerated individuals describe the difficulties they face in maintaining stable relationships with their family members. Some interviewees touch upon how they view the prison system and its policies.

Elizabeth oral history interview, 2021 May 16
Beth oral history interview, 2021 July 08
Jane oral history interview, 2021 July 15
Shantel oral history interview, 2021 July 15
Rachel oral history interview, 2021 July 16
Zach oral history interview, 2021 July 19
Lori oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Ayana oral history interview, 2021 July 23
Lisa oral history interview, 2021 July 26
Leslie oral history interview, 2021 August 01

This exhibit, The Necessity of Conversation: Oral Histories From Volunteer Prison Visitors, contains interviews with individuals who volunteer with Prisoner Visitation Services (PVS). PVS is a visitation program that pairs volunteers with incarcerated individuals in federal and military prisons who do not ordinarily receive visits from friends or family. PVS‚Äôs purpose is to provide incarcerated individuals ‚Äúwith regular, face-to-face, contact from the world outside of prison to help them cope with prison life and prepare for a successful re-entry into society.‚Äù The interviewed volunteers identified various motivating factors for their volunteer work, such as religious motivations, personal interactions with the justice system, and desires to respond to injustices within that system. Many interviewees expressed that the justice system should be less punitive and more rehabilitative. This exhibit provides the perspective of individuals visiting prisons while simultaneously sharing bits and pieces of the stories of incarcerated individuals who participate in the PVS program.

Dorothy oral history interview, 2021 April 22
Miguel oral history interview, 2021 April 23
Anonymous (03) oral history interview, 2021 April 24
Theodore oral history interview, 2021 July 12
Mark oral history interview, 2021 July 13
Valerie oral history interview, 2021 July 13
Victoria oral history interview, 2021 July 13
Bonnie oral history interview, 2021 July 15
Shantel oral history interview, 2021 July 15
Jack oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Ken oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Larry oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Tom oral history interview, 2021 July 20
David oral history interview, 2021 July 21
Ken oral history interview, 2021 July 21
Liz oral history interview, 2021 July 21

The exhibit, The Place of Prisons: Presence and Absence of Prisons in the Rural America Consciousness, explores the economic impact of prisons in rural communities. While the physical presence of prisons is absent from the experience of much of the American population, they are often central to the lives of people in rural communities across America. The prison plays a large role in the social fabric of these communities by contributing to economic growth through the creation of jobs for large segments of the population and a market for local businesses. In general, the interviews in this exhibit demonstrate the belief rural communities hold that prisons have a positive impact on their lives. As a result, they are willing to lobby state and federal governments to maintain and further develop prisons within their towns.

Kristin oral history interview, 2021 April 21
Brandon oral history interview, 2021 April 30
Debbie oral history interview, 2021 April 30

The Power of Prison Education explores the role education plays in the lives of incarcerated individuals across the United States. From theater to women‚Äôs literature, different types of education help to give incarcerated persons a voice while they are behind bars. Given that 41 percent of incarcerated people do not have a high school diploma, education programs provide valuable opportunities during and after their incarceration. Despite the clear benefits, less than 50 percent of incarcerated adults can participate in educational programs and only twenty-one percent are enrolled in post-secondary initiatives. These interviews demonstrate the importance of expanding access to educational opportunities to all people in prisons and jails.

Jean oral history interview, 2021 July 19
Benjamin oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Chrysanthi oral history interview, 2021 July 26
Cara oral history interview, 2021 July 27
Baz oral history interview, 2021 July 28

Understanding Mass Incarceration as a Public Health Epidemic investigates the shortfalls of healthcare systems both within correctional facilities and post-release through the perspectives of multiple actors, including justice-involved formerly incarcerated individuals, activists, social workers, and researchers. This collection of oral histories captures how the challenges born of the fragmented healthcare system fail to provide adequate care along the intersections of mental, physical, and emotional well-being. This exhibition also considers the failures of these systems specifically as it pertains to the disproportionate impact on Black and Brown and low-income communities.

Anonymous (02) oral history interview, 2021 April 21
Anonymous (04) oral history interview, 2021 April 25
Ayoola oral history interview, 2021 April 25
Tevin oral history interview, 2021 April 28
Eric oral history interview, 2021 April 29
Anonymous (06) oral history interview, 2021 June 18
Lisa oral history interview, 2021 July 16
Anonymous (07) oral history interview, 2021 July 29
Anonymous (08) oral history interview, 2021 July 29
Gloria oral history interview, 2021 July 20
Brad oral history interview, 2021 August 03