“Society needs new answers as we face this re-entry crisis. This current wave of returnees – mostly Black and brown – is the inevitable outcome of the mass incarceration of our people over the last 30 years. We must take a hard look at the prison industrial complex and fight this effort to jail and imprison our future.�
The Male-Development Empowerment Center (MDEC) will host a Symposium May 15, from 9 AM to 3 PM at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, on Re-entry to look at the historical, racial, cultural and economic dimensions of returning after incarceration.
There are presently 2,270,000 men and women incarcerated in the United States, and over 600,000 are released annually. This equals 1,600 people returning back to their communities each year. The process of re-entry helps connect, guide, and support these post-incarcerated individuals in their reintegration into society and the community.
The division of the MDEC Re-entry program grapples with these questions that are so critical for communities of color: How do we find the resources, programs, housing, and access to needed health care services and employment that are necessary to curb recidivism and criminal behavior? Paul Washington, director of community outreach and re-entry, said, “Society needs new answers as we face this re-entry crisis. This current wave of returnees – mostly Black and brown – is the inevitable outcome of the mass incarceration of our people over the last 30 years. We must take a hard look at the prison industrial complex and fight this effort to jail and imprison our future.�
A number of elected officials, including Council Members Charles Barron and Yvette Clarke and State Senator John Sampson, will join educators and community activists such as Herman Ferguson of the Jericho Movement and Rosa Clemente of the Community Service Society in addressing this crucial issue. The symposium is dedicated to the life and legacy of George Jackson, activist, intellectual, and humanitarian.
This historical event will take place at the Medgar Evers College Founders Auditorium at 1650 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. Admission is free. For more information, call Paul Washington at (718) 270-6490.
