I am posting the press release for the Tuesday, February 24 event, Decarcerating Plainfield and NJ Youth, scheduled to take place at 6:00 pm at the Plainfield Public Library, located at 800 Park Avenue. Click on the link to the website The New Jim Crow, based upon civil rights attorney and Ohio State University professor Michelle Alexander's powerful expose of the mass incarceration movement in our country. Plainfield School Board member and local blogger/activist David Rutherford has written a great deal about the decarceration movement on his blog, Plainfield View--click here and bookmark the link.
For Immediate Release:
Contact: David Rutherford (201) 637-3575
"Decarcerating
Plainfield and NJ Youth" will be the theme of a panel discussion at
the Plainfield Free Public Library on Tuesday February 24, 6pm in the Louise
Davis meeting room.
Several local and statewide organizations are joining forces and inviting the public to participate.
Several local and statewide organizations are joining forces and inviting the public to participate.
Plainfield Keep Youth and Streets Safe (KYSS) which was formed to call for an end to street violence in Plainfield, the statewide Decarcerate the Garden State, Plainfield Peoples Organization for Progress and the Plainfield View blog site edited by David Rutherford who is also a newly elected school board member are joining ranks to bring this discussion to town.
According to a Facebook event announcement, they have joined forces to co-sponsor a panel discussion on the impact of mass incarceration on the city of Plainfield and on the youth of New Jersey. They plan to also discuss "the need for a unified movement to bring about the end of the destructive system of mass incarceration and the need for youth to be at the forefront of that effort."
This event is absolutely free and open to the
public.
Sabrina Lyttleton, a co founder of the
Plainfield KYSS organization along with Steven Hatcher, a
representative of the Peoples Organization for progress, and Bob Witanek
of Decarcerate the Garden State, as well as other possible speakers, will be
addressing the audience and explaining their involvement and educating those in
attendance of "the heart breaking and astonishing injustices that are the
reality today." Ms. Lyttleton states that explaining why and how
Plainfield citizens, especially the youth should and can get involved is a
priority of the evening.
The organizers also hope to use the event to
launch a survey of the youth of Plainfield and beyond about the attitudes,
fears, and understanding of the mass incarceration issue.
KYSS founders sound off:
“This fight is personal,” says Sabrina.“I’m
raising a son in a society that is designed for him to fail. What kind of
mother would I be if I didn't fight for his rights? It’s every
mother’s responsibility to protect their child the best they can. My
involvement in this struggle is me protecting my child."
Nia Ali, who previously spoke at the Tour de
Decarcerate, says, “Learning all that I’m learning now….I feel like so much
has been kept from me. ….it’s my responsibility to share with the generations
after me so they aren’t kept in the dark.”
Amanda Garcia passionately explains, “The
Decarceration of NJ is of great importance and has essential relevancy to
Humanity. As humans who still exist in society, we should be aware of the
negative attributes that have been created before us to deter us from
prospering yet to be prosecuted and expressing the magnitude of inequality
amongst the uneducated minorities.”
KYSS has a facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/KyssinPlainfield
Decarcerate the Garden State has an active blog site at http://decarceratenj.blogspot.com/ and a website at http://DecarcerateNJ.org and a group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/DecarcerateNJ/
Decarcerate the Garden State has an active blog site at http://decarceratenj.blogspot.com/ and a website at http://DecarcerateNJ.org and a group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/DecarcerateNJ/
Plainfield view blogs regularly on Plainfield issues at: https://plainfieldview.wordpress.com/
For more information,s please call David
Rutherford, (201) 637-3575 or e-mail Sabrina Lyttleton at Sabrinalyttleton@yahoo.com
More information on the event is at the Facebook
event page https://www.facebook.com/events/1402605013368124/
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