A formerly incarcerated veteran, Al, talks about his experience in the Navy and how being a veteran has impacted his experience with the criminal justice system.

Jackie Sumell shares her experience being mentored by Herman Wallace of the Angola 3. This mentorship led her to create The Solitary Gardens, a work of performance art exploring the intersection of gardening and criminal justice reform. She shares insights into how art can be used for social activism.

Sherrill Roland discusses how being incarcerated in a federal jail inspired him to start The Jumpsuit Project, a work of performance art born out of his thesis proposal at the University of North Carolina.

© Sherrill Roland

Transcript

Kevin shares the story of his crime, incarceration, and reintigration process. When Boyd was 16, he gave his mother the keys to his abusive father’s residence. Although she had previously spoken about murdering Kevin’s father, her ex-husband, Kevin did not take her seriously. He wishes he had, because his mother murdered his father that night and framed him for the crime. After over 25 years of incarceration, Kevin was finally released when his case was re-tried with new laws and new evidence. He attributes his relative success reintegrating to his profession as a tradesman and his optimism. Boyd calls us to attend more to law and less to politics when it comes to performing and assessing legal proceedings. Otherwise, he says, “we play chess matches with people’s lives and we don’t think there’s consequences to that.”

Transcript

Ricardo Cortés discusses how his art practice as an illustrator and author has shaped his view of criminal justice reform. He shares insights into his experience with residency at Rikers Island, in Queens, NY, and his subsequent encounters with centers of incarceration.

¬© Ricardo Cortés

The interviewee spoke to their experiences working as a social worker providing mental health services in the criminal justice system. She described different approaches to working with clients, whether more restrictive or ones that offer more autonomy. Additionally, she offers her experiences in confronting the hierarchies and “rules” that govern mental health in the criminal justice system and the ways mental health professionals become overshadowed by correctional officers, police officers, and judges. Overall, she expresses her affinity for restorative approaches in working with incarcerated individuals.

The interviewee shares her experience with complications that arose while providing mental health services within a residential substance abuse treatment program in a women’s prison.

Transcript

The interviewee shares her experience with complications that arose while providing mental health services within a residential substance abuse treatment program in a women’s prison.

Jane describes her struggles in visiting and sending books to her incarcerated niece, in addition to detailing her niece’s experiences with personal safety, community, and employment as a lifer in a women’s prison in Pennsylvania. She also discusses her friend’s rehabilitation and court experiences.

The interviewee shares her experience with recovering from drug addiction and eventually becoming a substance abuse counselor for a non-profit organization.