Kite Line

This week we feature an interview with Patrick, who reflects on his experience with addiction and prison. His story is both deeply personal and analytic, illuminating systemic connections and paths forward. We also share a long letter from a current Indiana prisoner, who makes an urgent plea to all of us for contact and for …

For prisons to function smoothly and profitably, the major tools of

control - violence, surveillance, separation - must be complimented by a

host of less obvious instruments and technologies. These include

censorship in the mail room, the cultivation of racial tension,

integration of prisoner labor into facility maintenance, cafeteria

operations, and private contracting, among many others. This week on

Kite Line, we go in depth on another of these minor but vitally

important aspects of the prison: commissary, the private market run by

prisons to sell products to prisoners. We include research projects and

interviews with current and ex-prisoners that demonstrate how commissary

is vital for supplementing inadequate diets, protecting social status,

maintaining communication with the free world, and - from the

perspective of prison administrators - racking up enormous profits.

One of the people we interview in this episode reflects on how prison

distorts your sense of proportion. Suddenly minor variables can

translate into life-or-death stakes, which is the best summary we've

heard of the role of commissary.

For prisons to function smoothly and profitably, the major tools of control – violence, surveillance, separation – must be complimented by a host of less obvious instruments and technologies. These include censorship in the mail room, the cultivation of racial tension, integration of prisoner labor into facility maintenance, cafeteria operations, and private contracting, among many …

This week features a variety of conversations that we are sharing with you through a partnership with StoryCorps. The event, Dismantling Barriers to Life, was about the impacts of mass incarceration. Dismantling Barriers to Life was hosted last month in Chicago, and these are some of the stories collected for the event. We hear people talk about how incarceration affected their families, ability to get jobs, and their friendships.

The first story will feature a conversation between Jonathan Little and Lamonte Ley. They are from the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago, and they discuss the changes they’ve seen in the neighborhood and reflect on the work that they do. Our second story will feature a conversation between Marty Winefield and Sara Frank. Winefield speaks to his girlfriend, Sara Frank about how his father was absent for a lot of his childhood and how this affected him. Then, we feature a conversation between Chanita Howard and Fres Oquendo. Chanita and Fres are members of CGLA’s Leadership Council, which is a group of people impacted by the criminal justice system and seeks to advocate against barriers to employment. In this story Chanita describes her barriers to employment. Following that, we hear a conversation between Beverly Houston and Collete Payne about their experiences as women in prison, and the bonds they formed on the inside. The last story will feature Lisa Daniels. On July 22, 2012, Lisa Daniels' son was killed in a drug deal that went bad. Darren Easterling was 25 years old, a father of two children. In this piece she talks about her son's story and how she has worked to redefine Darren's legacy. Daniels founded the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Justice in her son's honor.

This week features a variety of conversations that we are sharing with you through a partnership with StoryCorps. The event, Dismantling Barriers to Life, was about the impacts of mass incarceration. Dismantling Barriers to Life was hosted last month in Chicago, and these are some of the stories collected for the event. We hear people …

This week, we focus on the closing of a volunteer-run dorm in the Monroe County Jail. The Addicts in Recovery, or AIR Dorm, has been a unique part of the local jail programming for several years. The AIR program provides a place for selected inmates to participate in intensive addiction recovery programs (addiction treatment, anger management, community building, meditation, parenting, etc.), in both inmate-led, volunteer-led, and staff-led sessions. The closing of such a dorm means that it will be replaced by a state-run program that cooperates with the sheriff's department, and follows direction from above, rather than direction from those living in the dorm. We hear from people who have worked in the AIR Dorm and people who have lived in the AIR Dorm about their experiences with this type of program vs. a top-down model of treatment.

This week, we focus on the closing of a volunteer-run dorm in the Monroe County Jail. The Addicts in Recovery, or AIR Dorm, has been a unique part of the local jail programming for several years. The AIR program provides a place for selected inmates to participate in intensive addiction recovery programs (addiction treatment, anger …

Content Warning: This episode contains strong imagery about domestic violence and other abuse.

This week, we examine the intersections between domestic violence, along with other forms of gendered violence, the courts, and the prison system. To begin, we share thoughts from a collaborator about Bresha Meadows - a teenager facing murder charges after killing her abusive father - and what her case reveals about the racist limitations on what "self-defense" means in this society. Then we move on to an

interview with Evelyn Smith, a social worker with Middle Way House and a local activist, as she shares her reflections on self-defense, domestic violence, the police, and the limits state-sponsorship has placed on the original feminist vision behind domestic violence shelters.

April 10-17 is the Week of Action for Bresha Meadows, who will be in court on May 8th. You can download posters, read about her case, and get updates at her support website: www.freebresha.wordpress.com

Content Warning: This episode contains strong imagery about domestic violence and other abuse. This week, we examine the intersections between domestic violence, along with other forms of gendered violence, the courts, and the prison system. To begin, we share thoughts from a collaborator about Bresha Meadows – a teenager facing murder charges after killing her …

Our focus for this episode is writing to prisoners. After some prison-related news, we speak with Lukah Revolt, who explains how she went from writing a few political prisoners to writing more than 30 people on the inside. Lukah explains the basics of sending a letter inside, and why it is important to communicate with people who are locked up.