Post Read Week 14

The first reading, “Critical Resistance and INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. Gender Violence and the Prison Industrial Complex” discusses the idea of the PIC movement needs to include more than just the role of prisoners, but also including the roles of people, genders, and sexuality. It addresses state violence towards societies and goes far enough to divide state violence into two categories: state and intrapersonal.

The second reading, “Abolitionist Alternatives,” discusses the idea of abolishing the PIC. It has a problem with the relationship shared between corporations, businesses, and other industries or sources of income tied to prisons. Davis feels that by eliminating these industries and corporations or the many issues like the war on drugs, criminalizing immigration, and the lack of support for youth, you can also eliminate that PIC. Davis would like to increase and improve the use of rehabs and schools as alternatives to prisons.

In the “Future for Hope: Mothers and Prisoners in the Post-Keynesian California Landscape,” Gilmore gives the history of the Mothers ROC and what they have been able to accomplish.  It emphasizes that they are a support group that provides legal advice, workshops, and friendship to those who know someone who has been arrested. Members of the ROC use publicity and observing court hearings as a way to bring awareness to the PIC and the people who enforce it.

The last reading, “Re-Think: Accountable Communities,” utilizes the idea that the community should take on responsibility to dealing with problems because they can’t trust the intentions or actions of the authority. Community members would hold others accountable for their actions when dealing with problematic situations.

The first reading deals a lot with the state in relation to different genders, sexualities, and classes. Where as the second one about abolishing the PIC deals more with state and the things, the war on drugs, education, mental health resources, immigration, and money, that lead up to someone ending up in prison. Mothers ROC addresses the issue of how people end up being arrested and the hidden agenda behind the arrests. They educate and advocate for prisoners and the families while also create awareness about the racial discrimination that occurs throughout the PIC. The last reading addresses issues that they have with local, state, and federal authority by keeping issues contained to their community. Their solutions deal directly with racial discrimination and their lack of faith in the corrupt authority.

The first thing and individual can do to challenge the PIC is being aware of what’s wrong with the prison systems and becoming familiar with the PIC. Just by being aware they’re helping. People could also pay more attention to the news and the crimes being committed, paying attention to the details of the case and how they may have been distorted or mishandled. People would also join organizations that fight, support, or advocate for prisoners. There are many things available for people to do but they have to want to make a difference.

This article relates to what we’re discussing about the PIC because ICE was mostly going after non-violent, minor offenders and arresting them, instead of the more violent criminals. Harris informed police departments that the detainments were not binding requests or orders and that they were had the option to release the people arrested. This deals with the race discrimination and criminalizing of immigrants, targeting them as people who should be imprisoned. I think that Harris did participate when she informed the police departments of their ability to release people they felt didn’t need to be detained any longer and to focus on criminals with violent criminal records. She may have decided not to participate any further after that, but she was the catalyst for creating awareness among officers; however it’s now left up to them to make smart decisions.

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