Oct 11, 2022
Don’t be a copagandist – A Resource for Media on Covering “Crime” and Violence – Mia Henry, Lewis Raven Wallace, and Andrea J. Ritchie with research from No More Police: A Case for Abolition
No one today denies the power of language to influence our talk and thinking. This link, an avowedly abolitionist view, offers a series of rules for journalists who often use words to unconsciously advance the stereotypes of crime. Besides the don’ts, the authors offer a series of do’s. While many may not agree with the perspective of this article, it nonetheless offers considerable reflection on how the language of media and common discussion contribute to the difficulty of substantial change. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ee39ec764dbd7179cf1243c/t/633f171b80ebaa1eafb350f5/1665079067777/NoCopagandist.pdf Blogger Alec Karakatsanis (US) News and Public Opinion about Police (Karakatsanis is commenting on a Loyola Marymount University poll asking people about re-allocating part of the current police funding to social work, mental health and other social services) https://equalityalec.substack.com/p/the-news-and-public-opinion-about?utm_source=email Loyola Marymount University Poll: Angelenos Continue to Want Change From LAPD, LMU Survey Finds https://newsroom.lmu.edu/press-release/angelenos-continue-to-want-change-from-lapd-lmu-survey-finds/ LA Times article: Libor Jany Survey: Most Angelenos have favorable view of LAPD, despite lingering concerns around bias – https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fcalifornia%2Fstory%2F2022-09-28%2Fsurvey-most-angelenos-support-lapd Related tweet – Stella’s Circle (Canada) “Media has power in shaping public understanding of social issues. “Utilizing language which perpetuates stigma and discrimination” contributes to harms. We also question who is helped by inclusion of photos. Community members deserve better. Thank you Rebecca for saying so. (A controversy about media language in St. John’s, NF) https://twitter.com/StellasCircle/status/1578359501543321600?s=03 Resource available: The Press in Prison – Scalawag’s practical, abolitionist guidebook for journalists is now available for free download or purchase in print via Haymarket Books! https://scalawagmagazine.org/press-in-prison/ (Electronic download free for media.)
The Marshall Project (US) – Closing Argument
The Problem with the FBI’s Missing Crime Data – Many police departments have not adopted the feds’ new reporting system, muddling the picture about national crime trends.
Is crime up or down? The various candidates all have opinions. How reliable are the allegations, one way or the other, when almost all opinion is based on the FBI collected crime data? “The FBI released its 2021 national crime data estimates this week, and, as expected, the takeaway is far from conclusive. In short: The nation’s most thorough crime data collection program concluded it’s possible crime went up, went down or stayed the same…That’s partly because the year-on-year changes to the numbers were small. The FBI estimates that murders rose by about 4% compared to 2020, while overall violent crime decreased by about 1%. Officials cautioned that neither change is statistically significant, and concluded that crime rates were roughly flat.” https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/10/08/the-problem-with-the-fbi-s-missing-crime-data Link to FBI stats: https://crime-data-explorer.app.cloud.gov/pages/explorer/crime/nibrs-estimation
Tweet from John Pfaff: On Biden’s pardons – “Several people have said, about Biden’s drug pardons, that “hey, it’s a start, baby steps, celebrate that.” Two points on that: First, we are more than a *decade* into this reform push. It’s past the time for “starts” and “baby steps.” …Second, I still fear that elevating the Weed Narrative has actual costs—that it’s not just “small impact” but maybe NEGATIVE. The weed narrative reinforces the idea that we can solve mass incarceration without talking about violence. (CF string) https://twitter.com/JohnFPfaff/status/1578410358636957696?s=03 Related article: The Crime Report: Staff Biden’s Marijuana Pardon Only ‘First Step’ in Ending Drug War: Advocates https://thecrimereport.org/2022/10/07/bidens-marijuana-pardon-only-first-step-in-ending-drug-war-advocates/
The Conversation (Queen’s) – David White
Nobel prize in literature: Annie Ernaux and writing from experience
This may be an inspiring article for you, especially in the response of Ernaux, an 82 year French woman who says that the award imposes both responsibility and honour. “The academy praised her “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”… many in France praised her work for its ongoing focus on the French working-class experience. The interview is in French but with an English translation. https://theconversation.com/nobel-prize-in-literature-annie-ernaux-and-writing-from-experience-192050?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20October%208-9%202022&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20October%208-9%202022+CID_e25a0f520aa17a6789b04d9df5be4bb7&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=Nobel%20prize%20in%20literature%20Annie%20Ernaux%20and%20writing%20from%20experience Related article: The Crux – John L. Allen Nobel winner’s abortion memoir invites conversation, not caricature https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2022/10/nobel-winners-abortion-memoir-invites-conversation-not-caricature
Scientific America (US) – Sara Novak
Dementia in Prison Is Turning into an Epidemic: The U.S. Penal System Is Badly Unprepared – Older prisoners will make up a third of the prison population in a decade, and many of them will develop dementia
Besides the alarming increase in the number of elderly in prison (55 is considered elderly since prison has a debilitating impact on health and aging) Novak is reporting that the experience of prison will contribute significantly to the both the number afflicted and the process of aging and the onset of the various diseases. “A survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that the number of inmates age 55 or older increased by 280 percent from 1999 to 2016.” Advocates expect the problems to get worse, especially the victimization of those with dementia. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dementia-in-prison-is-turning-into-an-epidemic-the-u-s-penal-system-is-badly-unprepared/ Related article: The Marshall Project (US) – Rebecca Figueroa as told to Carla Canning I Had a High-Risk Pregnancy in Jail — Then I Gave Birth in Chains – When Rebecca Figueroa was arrested two months into her pregnancy, she didn’t worry because she wasn’t guilty. But seven months later, she was still in jail and totally unprepared for a high-risk pregnancy, childbirth in restraints and the constant fear of losing her daughter. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/04/01/high-risk-pregnancy-jail-birth-chains?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow
WTTW News (Chicago) – Brandis Friedman
Permanent Punishment, Part 1: Nearly 1,300 State Laws Prevent People with Criminal Records from Moving On After Serving Their Sentences
The link is to a 7min 23 sec video on the impact of permanent punishment or the consequences for a criminal record, with or without a conviction or prison / jail time. “Economic sanctions. Collateral consequences. Permanent punishments. There are 44,000 restrictive federal laws, rules, and policies that continue to penalize people long after they have served their sentence in prison. Permanent Punishment, a four-part series, examines this stark reality faced by nearly 3.3 million men and women in Illinois.” https://news.wttw.com/2022/10/03/permanent-punishment-part-1-nearly-1300-state-laws-prevent-people-criminal-records-moving (Written text included)