"The reason for us being here is that this year, seven incarcerated people died... Four of them committed suicide after being in segregation for long periods."
We have over-incarcerated and over-criminalized since the 1970's, which is when the RI prison system became one of the states growth industries. Never enough $ for supportives services that could have kept people from ever being deprived and desperate enough to fall into criminalized behaviors, but always $$$$ for bigger and "better" damn jails. This has happened all over this country, and the horrendous circumstances at the ACI (and at our federal prison) are the result. If only we would realize societal culpability we could begin to avoid this same circumtance for our future. Instead we stand by while state-funded human misery goes on. Great credit to D.A.R.E and others for as always bringing inequity to light in our faces at very "inconvenient" times like PVD Fest, Waterfire, etc.
We have over-incarcerated and over-criminalized since the 1970's, which is when the RI prison system became one of the states growth industries. Never enough $ for supportives services that could have kept people from ever being deprived and desperate enough to fall into criminalized behaviors, but always $$$$ for bigger and "better" damn jails. This has happened all over this country, and the horrendous circumstances at the ACI (and at our federal prison) are the result. If only we would realize societal culpability we could begin to avoid this same circumtance for our future. Instead we stand by while state-funded human misery goes on. Great credit to D.A.R.E and others for as always bringing inequity to light in our faces at very "inconvenient" times like PVD Fest, Waterfire, etc.