Rolling Stone — Civil Society Issues — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Civil Society Issues

Many issues that are primary drivers of mass incarceration cannot be remedied through government solutions alone. Issues such as broken families and mental health, both forever altered by over criminalization, cannot be simply be repaired through legislation. Civil Society has the unique capability to address certain social issues that government cannot, or to address them more effectively than government can. This section also addresses issues in which over-policing attempts to fix issues that should be handled through the community.

Incarcerated People Can Do More than Beat Harvard in a Debate

““Ninety-five percent of people who are incarcerated will eventually get out,” Ken Burns, the executive producer of the documentary, told Rolling Stone. “And the question is, do we want them as contributing members of society, or do we want them having used prison as a different kind of school to hone criminal skills? If you’re spending $100 billion a year to maintain our prison system and it has a 75 percent recidivism rate, something is broken.” This is the question that the four-part film examines with a critical eye. Directed by Lynn Novick and produced by Sarah Botstein, College Behind Bars profiles the Bard Prison Initiative, a Bard College program that extends its curriculum and has awarded nearly 550 full degrees thus far to matriculated students in six New York State prisons.“

Rolling Stone

November 26, 2019

Civil Society Solutions, Access to Outside WorldPhillip ReevesNovember 26, 2019Rolling Stone, Bard Prison Initiative, Ken Burns, PBSComment

Criminal Justice Legislation Means Nothing Without Follow-Through

“Here is the strangest part of both the Charles predicament and the Florida mess: If people simply chose to treat the formerly incarcerated by the letter of the law, and like fellow citizens, we could avoid all of this. “

Rolling Stone

March 21, 2019

PersonalismPhillip ReevesMarch 21, 2019Rolling Stone, Matthew CharlesComment

Civil Society Issues

Galsworthy CJR Program

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