Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women

I've reviewed the new documentary Out in the Night for both Bitchmedia and Truthout:

Do Black Lesbians Have the Right to Self-Defense? Truthout, June 11, 2014.

In Philadelphia? Join me for:

Reproductive Justice for Incarcerated Women & All Women Impacted by the Prison Industrial Complex
an interactive discussion hosted by the Working Group on Mass Incarceration of the Germantown Monthly Meeting

Monday, June 30th, 2014
6pm to 8:30pm

Meeting House at Germantown Friends School
47 W. Coulter Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144

Accessible by Septa (23 bus on Germantown Avenue or Germantown stop on Chestnut Hill East regional rail-see

Wed, May 28, 7 to 8:30 pm
Asian American Writers Workshop

I'm honored to have participated in the upcoming No Selves to Defend: A Legacy of Criminalizing Women of Color for Self Defense, a zine to both raise awareness about women of color incarcerated for self-defense *and* raise funds for Marissa Alexander's legal defense.

If you are planning to attend the Left Forum, I'll be speaking at two panels on gender and incarceration. (Note: The Left Forum is not free. You have to pay to get in. There is also no childcare provided.)

Why Are Women In Prison?: The Politics of Risk

Saturday, May 31, 12 to 2 pm, Room 1.76

In discussions about prison reform and decarceration, how does the concept of "risk" influence who goes to prison and for how long?

Policing Gender: a dialogue at the Foundry Theatre

I have the honor to be speaking alongside Kai Lumumba Barrow and Andrea Ritchie (Streetwise and Safe) on WEDNESDAY, May 14th, as part of the Foundry Dialogues.

What's gender got to do with policing and prison? Did you know that the number of women in prison is increasing at nearly double the rate for men? What does this mean?

Today, the ACLU released Worse than Second Class: Solitary Confinement of Women in the United States. Recognizing that women in solitary are often ignored, the report examines the gendered impact of solitary and issues a series of recommendations.

The Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Conn., is the prison made famous by Piper Kerman’s memoir-turned-Netflix-show “Orange is the New Black.” It’s also where the real-life group Families for Justice as Healing got its start.

In the fall of 2010, at a table in Danbury’s prison yard, five women decided that incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women needed to be part of the process of drafting and advocating for legislation that affects their lives and freedom.

I'll be tabling with the POC Zine Project for ONE DAY only. Swing by and say hello.

and not just its distant history, but a history from only two years ago:

On Tuesday, April 2nd, California's Sterilization Prohibition bill (SB 1135) goes before the state's Senate Health Committee. The bill limits sterilization surgeries in all California state prisons, county jails, and other detention centers. It bans sterilizations for birth control purposes—surgeries would be restricted to those with life-threatening medical emergencies and for curing physical ailments.

Is such a bill really necessary?