Advocates for prison reform from across the nation gathered in Oxford for Ole Miss’ conference on “Rethinking Mass Incarceration in the South” this weekend.
The event sought to raise awareness toward mass incarceration, racial disparity and how the two intersect historically.
The three-day program consisted of panels, keynote speeches and a trip to the Mississippi State Penitentiary, Parchman Farm. Linda Keena, one of the primary organizers of the event, said she hoped attendees would gain a better grasp on the reality of incarceration.
“It gives them an opportunity to see mass incarceration in the South,” Keena said. “This whole conference is about mass incarceration in the South and so this gives them an opportunity to be able to put a face on what’s actually existing.”
Attendees also had the opportunity to see various programs set up by the University, including UM’s Prison-To-College Pipeline program designed to assist incarcerated men in obtaining a college degree.
Many of the participants, as well as presenters, came from neighboring states. Jermaine Thibodeaux, a historian from the University of Texas at Austin, said it is crucial to educate the public on where mass incarceration comes from.
“In terms of the public’s awareness of this great phenomenon, I think a great service has been done,” Thibodeaux said. “I’d probably point out the internet and social media for bringing this topic to the floor, in a really democratic way.”
The keynote speeches played a big role in the event. Among the notable speakers included Talitha LeFlouria, an associate history professor at Florida Atlantic University. Her speech was based off her book “Chained in Silence,” recounting the history of black women in the convict leasing system.
“I hope that people will literally and figuratively rethink mass incarceration,” LeFlouria said. “Considering the plight of African-American women and girls, who are oftentimes marginalized in conversations as it pertains to mass incarceration.”
The second keynote speaker, Melina Abdullah, a California State University Pan-African studies professor and self-professed ‘police abolitionist,’ said she hoped the audience understood how mass criminalization of black people aids in feeding police violence.
Abdullah serves on the leadership team for the #BlackLivesMatter movement and is dedicated to ending police and state-sponsored violence toward all people.
“When we talked about state sanctioned violence it is bigger than just police violence,” Abdullah said. “It includes all of these things – black job crisis, hopelessness, miseducation, under education – all of these things are included.”
(Photo by: Morgan Walker)
Brenda V. Smith speaks during the mass incarceration conference.
Brenda Smith, American University Washington College of Law professor discussed the ‘personal wounds’ mass incarceration leaves, not only on the incarcerated, but also on their families and communities.
Smith described incarceration as a “traumatic” experience and touched on the physical, psychological and sexual abuse that occurs during incarceration. The discussion following the lecture brought attention to the abuse inmates face from their communities after release.
Smith suggested the barriers placed on former convicts, especially non-violent offenders, should be lessened. According to Smith, a lesser sentence would allow them to perform their civic duties and become productive citizens by serving on juries, voting and owning their own businesses.
