Wednesday, November 29, 2017
6:15 p.m.
Armenise Building, D-Amphitheater
This documentary viewing and discussion took place prior to the "Behind Bars" conference at HMS, which examined various aspects of human rights and health issues in our prisons. In collaboration with educators, health professionals, and those involved in the criminal justice system—including former inmates, advocates, and law enforcement—the conference clarified the issues, explored possible policy and educational responses, and established avenues for action.
This movie screening was free and open to the public.
The United States leads the world in incarceration. The “War on Drugs” and prioritizing punishment over rehabilitation has led to mass imprisonment, mainly of the nation’s most vulnerable populations: people of color, the economically disadvantaged and undereducated, and those suffering from mental illness. Although these social disparities are striking, the health discrepancies are even more pronounced. What can be done to address this health and human rights crisis?
Panelists:
Rahsaan D. Hall, JD, MDiv
Director, Racial Justice Program
American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
Elizabeth Hinton, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of History and African American Studies, Harvard University
Author of "From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America"
Fatimah Loren Muhammad, MS
Director, Trauma Advocacy Initiative
Equal Justice USA
Moderated by:
Patrick Smith, PhD
Lecturer, Harvard Medical School