by Paige Deur Matthew grew up in a Christian family. At nineteen, he gave his life to Christ and began to see his life transform. Four years later, he found his life falling apart as he sunk into depression. “This was at the beginning of my marriage when I was supposed to be happy, but I [...]Read More
Sacred Neighboring
By Rev. Dr. Lori E. Banfield 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you [...]Read More
The Weaponization of Trauma upon Reentry
by Antonio (Tony) Pizarro What is trauma? How does trauma affect reentry? This is the question that we should be asking ourselves. We fight collectively for liberation. Yet, once liberation is achieved there is no fight to address the traumatizing events that could hinder a successful reentry [...]Read More
How our Church got Involved in Mass Incarceration
by Joe Marcucci Our entry to the dizzying world of Mass Incarceration began with the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, and the book Rethinking Incarceration by Dominique Gilliard. We were determined to move the marker for what our church was engaged with. When the initial registration for [...]Read More
As a product of America’s school to prison pipeline, I…
by Michael Simmons CW: This post includes stories about suicidal ideation. I remember the first time I wanted to kill myself. It was the day of what was supposed to be a fun game of football between two teams of freshman high school students. During the game, a play was called in the huddle, [...]Read More
Locked in Solidarity 2023: Addressing Mental Health and Trauma from Juveniles through Reentry
Navigate this webpage: Introduction to LIS 2023 It’s that time of year again! Locked in Solidarity, CCDA’s awareness & action week on mass incarceration, is February 5-13, 2023. Mark your calendars and rally your community for this important annual focus. We were [...]Read More
LIS 2022 Recap
Participant Highlights LIS Friends LIS Friends is an informal band of CCDA leaders & partners from cities across the United States who share a common passion for mass incarceration, and who seek company, wisdom and practical assistance in local engagement and [...]Read More
Is there hope to end mass incarceration?
I occasionally speak to churches and other Christian gatherings about my research, on the history of American religion, crime, and punishment. After I walk through the history of Christian contributions to the creation and maintenance of America’s systems of mass incarceration, I often receive some [...]Read More