Prison Industrial Complex
10 Prison Industrial Complex articles categorized as: Personal Narrative
The Prison Industrial Complex in Indigenous California
by
Stormy Ogden
Ogden describes the historical legacy of the racism, abuse and mistreatment of Native American peoples in the United States at the hands of the U.S. government. She connects their history with the current imprisonment of Native Americans, including her own story to demonstrate the oppressive impact of incarceration.
Life’s Turning Points
by
Karen Johnson
Karen tells how her life has taken an unexpected turn through incarceration. Trying to hold on to the bonds of wife and mother while doing time.
Freedom Fantasy
by
Sara Olson
In March, 2008 I was released from Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, California after over six years in prison. I won a writ, a portion of one anyway, in October, 2007 in Los Angeles that agreed with my attorneys that the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) had violated my double jeopardy right by adding a year to a sentence that a real court had already addressed. I got half-time, so six months were deducted from my sentence and the BPH commanded staff at CCWF to release me March 17, as the court had ordered.
A Modern Modest Proposal
by
Sara Olson
The systems of federal and state and corporate imprisonment, the Prison/Industrial Complex, are growth industries in the United States. While there has been much attention worldwide to the human rights travesty of massive American incarceration, criticism has brought no reduction, only growth in the numbers. Incarceration is aimed at a certain group of people Blacks, Latinos, and the poor.
Fourth of July at CCWF July 2006
by
Sara Olson
Olson tell of a Fourth of July and Life at CCWF When you come into the CDC, it’s a whole different world. It’s like t third world country. You’re completely cut off from civilization. I was freaked out when I got here. I was sure some of the prisoners were men. ‘Are they men? I asked. I had no idea You’re isolated.
Are We Really Innocent Before Proven Guilty?
by
Jennifer Price
Jennifer tells her experience in the criminal justice system. In my experience a Public Defender is more like a ‘figurehead’, appointed to the poor to give the illusion of fair representation and justice for all. My Public Defender advised me to accept one of the plea bargains. I looked at him and said, “But I am not guilty”. He said that didn’t really matter because I looked guilty”.
Suicide City
by
Sara Olson
In March, 2008 I was released from Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, California after over six years in prison. I won a writ, a portion of one anyway, in October, 2007 in Los Angeles that agreed with my attorneys that the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) had violated my double jeopardy right by adding a year to a sentence that a real court had already addressed. I got half-time, so six months were deducted from my sentence and the BPH commanded staff at CCWF to release me March 17, as the court had ordered.
Prison Life: A Day
by
Marilyn Buck
Marilyn Buck illustrates a prisoner’s determined efforts to reaffirm her own humanity in the face of constant indignities by describing one day of her own life in prison. Buck is a political prisoner serving eighty years in prison. She has been an active supporter of the Black Liberation movement and other struggles for self-determination.
Excerpt from Banished Pride
by
Gina Autrey
I have a hard time trusting others. My friendship is not something that is given freely. I can count on one hand the people who I truly consider to be my friend.
Two Immigrants Who Followed the Path to Citizenship Tell Stories of Detention and Deportation
by
Amy Goodman
and Carolina Fulecio Hernandez
This interview by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now explores women’s experiences with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including detention and deportation. Carolina Fulecio Hernandez describes her arrest by ICE agents, followed by detention and deportation to Guatemala. Sharon Nyantekyi describes her detention at a private detention facility run by Corrections Corporation of America.