Lunch & Learn Looks at Mass Incarceration

Soul

Oct 13

Some troubling statistics about mass incarceration:

1 in 2 Americans have experienced the incarceration of a close relative
The US has less than 5% of the world’s population but it holds 25% of the world’s prison population
There is a disproportionate amount of people of color, poor people, and men who are currently in prison

This problem of mass incarceration is a complex societal issue that is exacerbated by other contributing factors such as: the school-to-prison pipeline, corporal punishment, gentrification and policing, the war on drugs, and sentencing protocols. These sometime controversial structures of disenfranchisement often lead to additional negative consequences. Failure to complete high school, higher rates of unemployment, and lower incomes are just a few outcomes that feed the issues of mass incarceration.

Your Comprehensive Training & Education team met with LSU staff at our most recent Lunch & Learn “Chew on This” to discuss the issues that contribute to our country’s problems with mass incarceration. Concepts like “zero-tolerance policies” are thought to play a significant role in the so-called school-to-prison pipeline because it’s model of harsh punishments instead of focusing on restorative justice is similar to the principles involved when police officers are arresting and jailing people for non-violent, low-level offenses. The practice of gentrification, more affluent people moving into an existing community, disrupts the way of life through increased policing, the expansion of higher rent districts, and the displacement of the people and cultures of the existing community. These practices tend contribute to isolation and the inability for lower socioeconomic folks to survive.

Ultimately, the issues of mass incarceration are a growing community, state, and country wide problem that need to be addressed. Lunch & Learn participants shared thought provoking commentary of how we can collectively make a difference. One solution was promoting community building through evidenced-based programs that are cost-effective and focus on the highest-risk areas and highest-needs inmates. Providing economic resources to marginalized communities helps to promote opportunities and education. Reducing recidivism through justice reform and targeted programming may also contribute to improvements in some communities. Ultimately, most agreed that having your voice be heard through the right to vote is the most impactful way to enact change.

More about Chew on This

Chew on This are voluntary sessions facilitated by Ashleigh Clare-Kearney Thigpen & Eddie St-Vil with an opportunity to bring in guest speakers. In an effort to create a transformational culture rooted in our core values, it is important that we continue engaging in dialogue and participating in trainings that prioritize our commitments and highlight our priorities. Taking part in these opportunities will not only foster personal and professional growth, but epitomize excellence. This series provides LSU Athletics team members with an opportunity to engage in critical discussions to help explore perceptions and foster understanding. The goal of these sessions is to bring team members together in an informal atmosphere to collaborate and learn.

Upcoming Session