I recently finished Mariame Kaba’s We Do This Till We Free Us as part of my preliminary research into the persistent failures of criminal justice reform and the criminal justice system. An incredibly thought-provoking collection of articles and in-print interviews, We Do This Till We Free Us masterfully illustrates how the criminal justice system and the carceral state’s focus on punishment, by design, fails to address harm. For example, it doesn’t demand nor encourage accountability, conflates incarceration with justice, and does nothing to support the healing of either victims or perpetrators. A focus on punishment and a glaring lack of social support act as a sturdy foundation for a system that is chronically retributive and recidivist.
I feel an immense sense of gratitude for this text (pictured above) and how it has set up the trajectory of my research for the summer. As I consider possible interventions, specifically through research into the work of jailhouse lawyers and the framework of legal empowerment, I am struck by the idea of care. As I learned from Mariame Kaba, a core tenet of abolition is the need to reduce harm. Through my research and time with the Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative and Bernstein Institute team thus far, I have found that care is critical in this work.
For those who I have the honor of collaborating with at JLI, care comes so naturally. Care, of course, extends to their personal relationships and how they treat one another. However, care is also central to how they position themselves within the criminal justice space and the world more generally. As a legal empowerment organization, care is front and center in everything the JLI does, from how they handle correspondence with members, to their research, to their conversations about the work. To care for others, as I have learned from them, is in part to maintain their dignity, value, and personhood.
My coworkers Gabi, Nick, Alejandra and I attending a rally to save Toñita’s Social Club in Williamsburg
With this foundation of the relationship between harm and care as a backdrop, I am excited to see how my research continues to unfold throughout the summer. I am still in the preliminary phase of my research, working through different foundational texts. Next on my list is Black Sash: The Beginning of A Bridge in South Africa which focuses on the history of legal empowerment in South Africa. I am excited to continue textual research as I prepare for interviews which I hope to begin in July. I am also excited to continue working with the Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative and Bernstein Institute team. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many thoughtful and passionate people, and I look forward to continuing to learn from and collaborate with them during this process.