#NNPA BlackPress

SPECIAL REPORT: Mass Incarceration of Women and Minorities a New Crisis

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Probation is often billed as an alternative to incarceration, but instead it is frequently set with unrealistic conditions that undermine its goal of keeping people from being locked up, she wrote for the Prison Policy Initiative. For example, probation often comes with steep fees, which, like bail, women are in the worst position to afford.

Published

6 years ago

May 5, 2019

Oakland Post

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Although the number of people in prisons and jails in America has slightly declined, numbers released on Thursday, April 25, by the Bureau of Justice Statistics still show that nearly 1.5 million individuals were in prison by the end of 2017.

The statistics also note that the U.S. continues to lock up more people than any other nation. And, despite a narrowing disparity between incarcerated black and white women, females have emerged as the new face of mass incarceration.

“I don’t think this should be much of a surprise as two of the main for-profit prison companies were founded around the same time,” said Ron Stefanski, whose website prisoninsight.com, works to hold prisons accountable for the treatment of current, former and future inmates.

“When these for-profit companies were created, they found a way to generate revenue off of inmates and this led to a huge influx of prisoners, both male and female,” Stefanski said.

In 2000, black women were incarcerated at six times the rate of white women, but in 2017, black women were imprisoned at less than double the rate of white women, according to the latest information.

The number of white women in prison has increased by more than 40 percent since 2000 while the number of black women incarcerated has fallen by nearly 50 percent.

The most recent report from the Prison Policy Initiative revealed that, looking at the big picture shows that a staggering number of women who are incarcerated are not even convicted with one quarter of the women behind bars having not yet gone to trial.

Sixty-percent of women under the control of local authorities have not been convicted of a crime and adding to the picture of women in local jails, aside from women under local jurisdictions, state and federal agencies pay local jails to house an additional 13,000 women, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

For example, ICE and the U.S. Marshals, which have fewer dedicated facilities for their detainees, contract with local jails to hold roughly 5,000 women – so the number of women physically held in jails is even higher.

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, avoiding pre-trial incarceration is uniquely challenging for women.

The number of un-convicted women stuck in jail is surely not because courts are considering women, who are generally the primary caregivers of children, to be a flight risk, according to the Prison Policy Initiative report.

The far more likely answer is that incarcerated women, who have lower incomes than incarcerated men, have an even harder time affording cash bail.

When the typical bail amounts to a full year’s income for women, it’s no wonder that women are stuck in jail awaiting trial, the report’s author said.

Even once convicted, the system funnels women into jails: About a quarter of convicted incarcerated women are held in jails, compared to about 10 percent of all people incarcerated with a conviction.

Also, while stays in jail are generally shorter than in stays in prison, jails make it harder to stay in touch with family than prisons do.

Phone calls are more expensive, up to $1.50 per minute, and other forms of communication are more restricted – some jails don’t even allow real letters, limiting mail to postcards.

This is especially troubling given that 80 percent of women in jails are mothers, and most of them are primary caretakers of their children.

Thus children are particularly susceptible to the domino effect of burdens placed on incarcerated women, the report’s author said.

Black and American Indian women are markedly overrepresented in prisons and jails, according to the report.

Incarcerated women are 53 percent White, 29 percent Black, 14 percent Hispanic, 2.5 percent American Indian and Alaskan Native, 0.9 percent Asian, and 0.4 percent Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.

“While we are a long way away from having data on intersectional impacts of sexuality and race or ethnicity on women’s likelihood of incarceration, it is clear that Black and lesbian or bisexual women are disproportionately subject to incarceration,” Prison Policy Initiative Author Aleks Kajstura said.

Three out of four women under control of any U.S. correctional system are on probation, according to Kajstura.

Probation is often billed as an alternative to incarceration, but instead it is frequently set with unrealistic conditions that undermine its goal of keeping people from being locked up, she wrote for the Prison Policy Initiative.

For example, probation often comes with steep fees, which, like bail, women are in the worst position to afford.

Failing to pay these probation fees is often a violation of probation.

Childcare duties further complicate probation requirements that often include meetings with probation officers, especially for women with no extra money to spend on babysitters or reliable transportation across town.

“All of these issues make women particularly vulnerable to being incarcerated not because they commit crimes, but because they run afoul of one of the burdensome obligations of their probation supervision,” Kajstura said.

Still, she noted in the report that the picture of women’s incarceration is far from complete, and many questions remain about mass incarceration’s unique impact on women.

“Based on our analysis in this report, we know that a quarter of incarcerated women are un-convicted,” she wrote in the report.

Kajstura continued:

“But is that number growing? And how do the harms of that unnecessary incarceration intersect with women’s disproportionate caregiving to impact families?

“Beyond these big picture questions, there are a plethora of detailed data points that are not reported for women by any government agencies, such as the simple number of women incarcerated in U.S. Territories or involuntarily committed to state psychiatric hospitals because of justice system involvement.”

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#NNPA BlackPress

Why Not Voting Could Deprioritize Black Communities

NNPA NEWSWIRE — President Biden’s Justice40 initiative. This executive order ensures that 40% of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing deep-seated inequities.

Published

3 days ago

November 1, 2024

Oakland Post

By Anthony Kinslow II, PhD

For generations, Black communities have been systematically denied the resources and opportunities provided to other American communities. Justice40 is more than a Biden-Harris initiative — it ensures a financial commitment to restore communities from historical inequities and bring lasting investment where needed most. It doesn’t matter if you don’t love Vice President Kamala Harris, are skeptical about her policies, or dislike her background as a prosecutor. If we want to see the progress and resources for Justice40 communities continue, we need to vote for her. The stakes in this upcoming election go beyond personal feelings and political preferences. A crucial piece of policy that directly impacts Black communities across the country is on the line:

President Biden’s Justice40 initiative. This executive order ensures that 40% of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing deep-seated inequities. Because the initiative was instituted via executive order if we don’t have President Kamala Harris in November, the executive order will likely be struck down. Justice40 touches every federal department—housing, education, transportation, energy, environmental protection, and much more. Using a broad range of metrics to define disadvantaged communities, the program is designed to avoid legal challenges while ensuring that many Black communities benefit from these federal investments.

Despite this historic initiative, much of the progress to implement this initiative could be undone by the results of this election. Justice40 is an executive order, and like all executive orders, it can be canceled with the stroke of a pen by the next president. If a Republican administration takes over, there’s every reason to believe this effort will be scrapped, especially with Trump’s explicit desire to reverse Biden’s policies. This is why we must cast our vote. This isn’t just about a candidate– it’s about securing a future where Black communities are finally prioritized.

In a Harris administration or a continued Biden-Harris presidency, we can expect the Justice40 program to grow and be further institutionalized. This progress has already started slowly but surely in departments such as the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with leaders working on systemic change. I know Many of our people in these positions working to make meaningful, lasting changes. This is in stark contrast to Trump’s presidency. While government work is always slow, the groundwork is being laid. For this progress to take root and continue benefiting our communities, voting to preserve it is essential. This is our vote to keep federal funds flowing to our neighborhoods.

SO, VOTE! Together, we can ensure that the Justice40 program continues to grow and uplift communities that have been left behind for far too long.

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#NNPA BlackPress

From the March to the Ballot: Honoring the Legacy of Our Fight for Justice in 2024

OP-ED: Think of the brave souls who walked through hostile crowds, the organizers who endured long nights of planning, and the thousands who faced violence just to secure the right to vote. When Dr. King led the Selma marches in 1965, he and countless others faced brutal attacks because they knew that equality at the ballot box was the key to justice.

Published

4 days ago

October 31, 2024

Oakland Post

In 1955, on that faithful day in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks took a seat on a bus and sparked a movement that would forever alter the course of history. Her quiet act of defiance was supported by leaders like E.D. Nixon, who had long been organizing Black communities and fighting for justice. That single, powerful moment ignited the Civil Rights Movement, leading Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to march on Washington in 1963, where he declared his dream for a just America—a dream he knew could only be realized if every American had an equal say in their democracy.

As we approach the 2024 election, we stand on the shoulders of those who risked everything for this fundamental right. They marched, organized, and even gave their lives so that future generations would never face the oppression they did. The battles they fought didn’t end in the 1950s and ’60s; they continue today, and their sacrifices demand that we make the most of our right to vote. This election is our moment to honor that legacy.

This year, our votes hold more than just political weight; they’re the latest step in a struggle that has spanned decades. Think of the brave souls who walked through hostile crowds, the organizers who endured long nights of planning, and the thousands who faced violence just to secure the right to vote. When Dr. King led the Selma marches in 1965, he and countless others faced brutal attacks because they knew that equality at the ballot box was the key to justice. Today, we’re called to continue that fight by showing up, standing up, and making sure that every vote for progress is counted.

This election is about more than just policies or party lines; it’s about the future of Texas, the United States, and our communities. It’s about choosing leaders who will stand against injustice, fight for economic equality, and protect the well-being of all Texans. We need leaders like Colin Allred in Texas, who will champion progress, and Kamala Harris leading on the national stage, guiding us toward a brighter, more inclusive future. And we also need to elect leaders like Angela Alsobrooks to the U.S. Senate in Maryland, who will continue the fight for justice and equality. If we can flip the House, we’ll have the chance to make history with Hakeem Jeffries as the first African American Speaker of the House. But none of this progress is possible without each of us using our vote.

On that fateful day in 1955, Rosa sat so that others could one day stand up and demand equality and justice. In 2024, we have the chance to fulfill that legacy—not just by casting our own votes but by mobilizing our communities and ensuring that every voice is heard. Let’s make 2024 a year they would be proud of—a year where we move forward together, united, for a fairer, more inclusive America. Kamala is ready to run, and now we must do our part. This is our moment to make history, honor the past, and secure the future.

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#NNPA BlackPress

A Historic Closing Argument

Evoking images of marches and a vision of unity, she said, “I grew up as a child of the civil rights movement.” She said, “My parents took me to those marches, pushing me in a stroller through crowds of people of all races, faiths, and walks of life, all fighting for the ideals of freedom and opportunity. I’ve lived the promise of America.”

Published

5 days ago

October 30, 2024

Oakland Post

By Stacy Brown, Sr. and Greer Marshall

With just one week until the pulse of the nation beats at the ballot box and over 51 million votes already cast, Kamala Harris stood before an audience Tuesday night that outgrew its bounds. What was once imagined as an intimate gathering of 8,000 souls evolved into an ocean of hope, a swelling tide of support that illuminated the final stretch of her journey, with over 75,000 people gathering at the Ellipse in our nation’s capital.

At 7:37 pm, under a sky heavy with purpose, Harris stepped onto the stage, embraced by a wave of thunderous love—a scene lit in flashing reds and blues, where applause rolled like a breaking tide. Her spirit was ablaze as she lifted her voice: “Good evening, America!” Each word rose above the chants of her name, pulsing through the crowd, “Kamala, Kamala.” Her gaze remained steady and with reverence for each life present as she continued to speak. “Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives.” When she paused, it was clear that she was feeling the weight of the moment. With clear conviction, she said, ”One week from today, you will have a chance to make a decision that directly affects your lives, the lives of your family, and the future of this country. It will probably be the most important vote you’ve ever cast,” she said. Beyond selecting between two parties and two candidates, she said, “It’s about more than just making a choice—of whether you have a country of freedom or one ruled by division.”

Emphasizing her focus on “common ground and common-sense solutions,” Harris promised to hold space for all, regardless of creed or corner of the country. “I am not here to play politics; I am here to make progress,” she proclaimed, as “Freedom” and “USA” banners waved above the crowd like living symbols. “Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms. It’s time to turn the page on the drama, conflict, fear, and division,” Harris advises.

The atmosphere was pulsating, like a never-ending fiesta for the soul. To secure her spot, Fatimah Glasnow came five hours early from Southeast D.C. and said she was deeply moved. “The feeling here is hope, love, and peace,” Glasnow said. “An America where we can all thrive, regardless of our race or gender. I needed this kind of energy in my life.”

Glasnow felt seen and empowered, and her faith was renewed by Harris’ words, especially on issues of social and maternal justice. “She’s advocated for social justice and, really, justice itself.”

For Harris, this gathering was more than a rally; it was a moment to lay bare the heart of her mission, a testament to what fuels her as a leader. There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me,” she shared. “I don’t like it. It’s what my mother instilled in me—a drive to hold accountable those who use their wealth or power to take advantage of others.”

When addressing the fall of Roe v. Wade, her resolve was clear. She promised America, “I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justices took away from the women of America.” With this pledge, Harris reaffirmed her steadfast commitment to preserving and expanding civil rights.

Capitol Hill resident Leander Davis, a social services worker, said Harris’ words resonated deeply. “She’s all of us,” Davis said. “She’s been criticized, ostracized, demonized, and called all sorts of names, yet she hasn’t stopped fighting for what’s right. When she’s president, we will all be better off.”

Harris’ campaign is woven from a life spent challenging injustice and protecting those vulnerable. This was personal. As her words echoed, the crowd’s response was nothing less than electric. Harris made it clear: Her campaign was a call to action. Vowing, “If you give me the chance to fight on your behalf, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way.”

A striking contrast to the divisive language that has marked Trump’s racist rhetoric, Harris did not shy away from the comparison. “If elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office,” Harris said, gesturing toward the White House, “with an enemies list. When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list.” Her words painted a vision of governance rooted not in vengeance but in purpose. Her administration, she pledged, would focus on practical solutions: lowering costs, supporting working families, and rekindling a sense of unity and shared ambition across the nation.

Though her years as Vice President under President Joe Biden had been an honor, Harris acknowledged the urgency of a new direction. “I have been honored to serve as Joe Biden’s vice president,” she said. “But I will bring my own experiences and ideas to the Oval Office. My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different.” Her voice conveyed both respect and determination—a promise to carry forward Biden’s legacy but forge a new path to meet America’s evolving needs.

The vice president confronted the charged topic of immigration, calling for accountability and cooperation. “Politicians have got to stop treating immigration as an issue to scare up votes in an election—and instead treat it as the serious challenge that it is,” she said, “that we must finally come together to solve.” She also insisted that “I will work with Democrats and Republicans to sign into law the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.”

Harris said while she will focus on prosecuting cartels and transnational gangs, “we must acknowledge we are a nation of immigrants.” Vowing to push for change that would reflect the country’s roots and values. Harris said, “And I will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hardworking immigrants, like farmworkers and our laborers.”

As her speech reached its crescendo, Harris delivered a final rallying cry. “America, we’ve been consumed by division, chaos, and mistrust for too long. But it doesn’t have to be this way,” she proclaimed, her voice rising with passion. “It is time for a new generation of leadership, and I am ready to offer that leadership as the next President of the United States.”

Her voice was thick with memory and gratitude as she reflected on her mother’s sacrifices and determination, sharing, “I saw how hard our mother worked to give her daughters the same chances this country gave her,” Harris said. “Growing up, I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love, who instilled in me the values of community, compassion, and faith that have always defined our nation at its best. I’ve lived the promise of America.”

In her closing remarks, her face reflected the nation’s hopes and struggles. “I’ve spent my life fighting for the people who have been hurt and counted out, but never stopped believing that in our country anything is possible,” Harris said. “I have lived the promise of America, and I see the promise of America in all of you. In all of you, I see it.”

Harris’ message was unmistakable: this was a campaign fueled by purpose and people and grounded in the unyielding pursuit of justice. More than a candidate, Harris stood as a bridge to a future where leadership meant action and inclusion, a vision built on the resilience and spirit of every American she vowed to serve.

In these final days of her campaign, Harris stands at the crossroads of dreams and demands. Surrounded by an ocean of optimistic faces, on this night, Harris underscores the magic of the moment. She reminds us that our decision was more than just a vote—it was a breath of courage, a step toward a world remade.