Photo Courtesy of AP (Jacquelyn Martin)
A new movement called The Prison Reform Project has officially launched to help publicize and bring national attention to the thousands of innocent Black prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted.
The Prison Reform Project is an organization and movement that aims to publicize wrongful convictions and help change the prison system in every state across the country.
There are currently thousands of innocent prisoners serving time in federal and state penitentiaries and thousands of inmates in city and county jails that can’t afford the bail that has been set.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Black men account for about 34% of the total male prison population. Many of these men are in prison for minor crimes such as possession of marijuana which is now legal in most states.
Research revealed a 52% chance that a low-income Black man has been behind bars at one point during his life. What’s worse is that both Black men and women are more likely to be convicted for a crime that they didn’t commit, serve more time in prison, and have a much harder time getting back on their feet when and if they are released back into society.
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The organization’s founder and director, C. Beasley, was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to prison for many years in California. He says his goal is to help as many inmates as possible to get the fair treatment and justice they deserve. He also wants to help newly released prisoners who often suffer from homelessness, joblessness, and mental health issues.
Beasley wants to do as much as possible to push a new prison reform agenda and help overturn wrongful convictions. “We are just getting started and will soon be rolling out a lot of free community services to help this cause. Put simply, America’s prison system does not rehabilitate people and has been proven to destroy families.”
You can find more details and information about The Prison Reform Project and/or donate by visiting PrisonReform.com.