Political Mayhem Thursday: The Incarceration of Women

Yesterday at St. Thomas, ACS hosted Andrea James, the founder and leader of the National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. I've known and admired Andrea for a while, and it was wonderful to get her in front of our students to talk about her work. I just wish that we had more time for it!  People like Andrea offer a perspective that I cannot, and it is essential to get those other viewpoints into the flow of ideas and conversation in our classrooms and hallways.

Andrea is a forerunner for five others who will speaking at St. Thomas at a symposium on March 29, who were also formerly incarcerated: Alice Johnson, Amy Povah, Shon Hopwood, Jason Hernandez, and Rudy Martinez. Other speakers include Mark Holden (General Counsel of Koch Industries), Nkechi Taifa, and Roy Austin (who worked on clemency in the Obama administration). 

 The moving force for reform in criminal law has come largely from those who were incarcerated.  That they have found a voice and forums to be heard is in part a testament to the Obama administration, which encouraged that dialogue and sought them out both publicly and behind the scenes. The Trump administration has done the same, to some extent. 

I know that in many areas of reform, people despair of the political climate. In my field, though, there is reason for hope.