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The Foundation For Liberating Minds new campaign uses narrative organizing to bring awareness to injustices faced by Oklahomans affected by the state’s prison system. Coined the 1 in 2 Campaign, one out of two people in Oklahoma have been affected by state incarceration.
The project highlights stories from those whose felony status has prevented them from leading a stable life. “This could very well be your family member or your best friend,” said Community Building Coordinator Tevin McDaniel. “Instead of thinking of them as criminal think of them as your brother, your sister, or your friend.”
Using reparative justice they want the focus to shift from punishment to accountability. “Our theory of change is that when we raise public consciousness around an issue people are more likely to act,” stated Aurelius Francisco, Co-Executive Director of FLM.
Prison population
Oklahoma’s prison population has been rising steadily. Currently, there are around 22,000 people in state prisons. Black Oklahomans make up 7% of the population but represent 27% of the overall prison population. With one of the highest levels of incarceration in the country, roughly 1 in 2 Oklahomans have been impacted.
Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, OK
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Re-entry solutions
Re-entry solutions for Oklahomans released from prison exist to help them adjust post-release. The efforts include helping the formerly incarcerated find employment, receive basic needs and services, and register for proper identification.
When asked about the helpfulness of these resources a recently released Oklahoman told BWST that they are “Basically non-existent.” They stated that, “There are some work programs to help people get a job, but nothing was easy to access.” For those without personal resources aid options in finding a home or job are rare.
Limited job resources adds to the existing difficulty of securing housing.
Landlords and property companies typically require applicants to have at least three times the monthly rent in income, stable employment status, and clear background checks. If an applicant fails to meet these standards then they are denied housing.
The Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency does not accept applications from individuals who have engaged in criminal activity in the last three years. Even if they did The Housing Authority cut off application submissions in October of this year due to underfunding.
Landing jobs with a felony can be incredibly difficult. Transitional positions can be offered to those freshly out of prison but are often temporary and pay very little. “First thing I did was try to get a job,” states Mashilah, one of the formerly incarcerated people working with the 1 in 2 Campaign.
“That scarlet letter of an ‘F’ that I have on my back and on my chest.” She was able to quickly land a restaurant job but was only making $10 an hour. The low wage was not enough for her to support herself and her children so she decided to go back to school. Now enrolled in a program to become a certified nurse assistant, she will be eligible for higher paying positions.
“The economic impact continues to shackle people even after they’ve been out.” Fines and fees related to hiring a lawyer or owed to the courts can add heavy tolls on everyday finances. Years and fines can be added to a person’s sentence for infractions committed while in prison. “They’re still being targeted in those systems which adds up to how much money they end up having to pay afterward,” says McDaniel.
Rehabilitation
“This campaign is trying to show just how inept the legal system in Oklahoma is at rehabilitating people,” Francisco adds. Talib, another storyteller the campaign highlights, said “They’re titled ‘Department of Correction’ when they need to be titled ‘Department of Detention’ because there’s no correcting that goes on in the justice system in Oklahoma.”
FLM believes that rehabilitation needs to happen at the community level. Including repair and transformation in community resources could help see incarceration levels go down.
Francisco adds “If we work with the politic of empathy, of trying to understand why people do the things they do, we’ll be better able to address a lot of the problems we see in our communities.”
To learn more about FLM and their work visit www.foundationforliberatingminds.org