Behind the Wall: Injustice in Our Criminal-Legal System
A program for FJC members and specific invited guests - not open to the public
Thursday, March 4 at 7:00 P.M. (virtual)
There is a wall that separates us from the reality of disparities in arrest, sentencing, incarceration, in-prison treatment, and post-release issues for people of color. This presentation aims to uncover that reality, and then invite participants to participate in groups taking action to move us towards true criminal justice in our state and our nation. Speakers will include Sandra Faiman-Silva, Ph.D. and Marlene Pollock, Ph.D.. Marlene is co-founder with her husband Dan Gilbarg of the Coalition for Social Justice (CSJ), an organization dedicated to building a grassroots movement for progressive social change to improve the lives of working and low income people in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond.
The presentation is being organized by the Social Justice Committee of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, and will take place via Zoom on Thursday, March 4th from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.
To learn more before (or after) the presentation, please visit the following links:
A 3-minute 2106 Ted Talk with Van Jones about how our prison system hurts POC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZZmMrFQzVs&ab_channel=TEDxTalks++%282016%3B+Van+Jones%29
Discussion about racial disparities in the criminal legal system in MA:
A 2020 comprehensive report by Harvard Law School about racial disparities in the MA criminal system:
https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2020/11/Massachusetts-Racial-Disparity-Report-FINAL.pdf
What Black Lives Matters means to an 11-year-old:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rP9gJlVgd0&ab_channel=Children'sDefenseFund
Up-to-date data on police killings by state and city:
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
List of research about how and why POC are overrepresented in prisons: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/race_and_ethnicity/
You may also wish to purchase and read “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. Copies are available at the Eight Cousin’s bookstore in Falmouth, which is providing us with a 15% discount.