September 24 — “The Covenant: Correcting the System of Unequal Justice”
The US justice system has a history of unequal and unfair treatment of people of color, especially towards African American men. This discussion is the third in a series of conversations based on the book The Covenant with Black America commissioned by Tavis Smiley.
When: Monday, Sept. 24 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Where: Starbucks 3021 W. 16th St. Indianapolis, IN 46222
SEATING IS LIMITED. RSVP TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE. RSVP by calling or emailing Cindy at 317.920.0231 or cindyball@sbcglobal.net
($5.00 min. donation accepted to support children orphaned by AIDS in Africa) Sample beverage and pastries provided complimentary of Starbucks
Sponsored by: Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
The concept and practice of the Cradle-to-Prison Superhighway (CPS) has a damaging and devastating effect on individuals, families, the community and taxpayers. In terms of race, nationally 29% of African American men will serve time in prison compared to 16% Hispanic males and 4% white males. The male to female ratio is 10:1. According to the 2000 National Census, there were 83,688 imprisoned women, which constitutes approximately 6% of the prison population. Women are the most rapidly growing segment of the US prison population (growing 88% between 1990 and 1998). Today, black women are now 8 times more likely to be incarcerated for similar offense than white women. And regrettably, the juvenile justice system is no better. In 1991, it was found that 600,000 juveniles were under some type of correctional supervision, 17% of which were in prisons, juvenile detention facilities, or jails. State statistics are much higher, in some cases 8 times higher for people of color. According to The Covenant, “CPS is defined as a network of legislation, policy, practice, and structural racism that has fostered blacks being incarcerated at unconscionable levels at increasingly younger ages for increasingly minor acts.”
The goal of this conversation is to find out what is being done in our local community to halt unfair and unjust sentencing, to learn about prison re-entry efforts, to use our collective voices to give voice to the marginalized, and to join efforts to demand change in our state and nation for a more just, fair and equitable due process. Dave Rozzell, Director of the Indianapolis Commission on African American Males (ICAAM); Kim Boyd, President and Founder of The H.O.P.E Team (Helping Others Prosper Economically); and Rhiannon Williams with PACE/OAR, Inc. will join formerly inmates to talk with us about the needs and what we can do collectively as a community of concerned citizens.
If this sounds like an interesting event, check out the ACLU debate “Prisoner Re-Entry: When is a crime paid for?” November 7.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
[…] September 24 — “The Covenant: Correcting the System of Unequal Justice” The US justice system has a history of unequal and unfair treatment of people of color, especially towards African American men. This discussion is the third in a series of conversations based on the book The Covenant with Black America commissioned by Tavis Smiley. check it out […]