Alternatives to Incarceration: NBRJC Launches Campaign to Fight Mass-Incarceration

By: Alicia Strong

NBRJC is excited to announce the launch of the Alternatives to Incarceration campaign. Here in CT we continue to lock up Black and Latinx people at disproportionately rates . Here in CT incarcerated people are getting sick and dying in prisons because of the inhumane conditions. All while massively underfunding the services our communities need. This campaign is dedicated to educating people about the impact of mass-incarceration on our community and organizing justice-impacted folks to advocate for alternative investments that truly address the root causes of antisocial behaviors.

Here in New Britain our Mayor and Police Chief are calling for harsher sentences on young people who commit crimes. Despite the fact that new research shows our brains are not fully developed until 25 and incarceration can impact this development. That is why this campaign focuses heavily on alternatives to youth incarceration. Nevertheless, the broader campaign seeks to critique the whole system.

Mini-Grant Program

Each year, NBRJC awards no-strings attached commissary grants to currently incarcerated people in CT. The holiday season is especially tough for those who are incarcerated. Prisons are a business. Everything from personal items to phone calls cost money. It is very difficult for incarcerated folks to find employment in prison. When they do find employment, most inmates receive between $.75-$1.75 for a day of work .We deposit $20-$50 into their inmate account upon receiving an application and a print-out of their inmate account balance. This year, we were also able to partner with the People’s Fundraiser to award 3 New Britain families with incarcerated family members $250 each for the holiday season. Applications for this program are closed and will re-open in November 2022.

Voices from the Inside: Incarcerated Writers Program

We are thrilled to announce that NBRJC has launched Voices from the Inside, a program that solicits submissions from incarcerated writers in CT on various topics pertaining to the criminal justice system. NBRJC believes that those closet to the problem are closest to the solution. We also recognize that due to the lack of transparency in the CT Department of Corrections, the average person does not know what goes on behind prison walls. We developed this program so that the community can hear directly from those impacted by mass-incarceration.

We are looking for currently incarcerated writers who were incarcerated before the age of 25 to talk about their story. Our goals are twofold:

1. Bring attention to the failure of the current criminal justice system including the DOC. Especially as it pertains to youth.
2. Propose alternative solutions for policy-makers to address the increase in juvenile crime without relying on the police and prison system.

If you or someone you know is interested in writing about these topics, you are welcome to send submissions to:

New Britain Racial Justice Coalition
P.O. Box 251
New Britain, CT 06050

Spotlight on Youth & Criminal Justice in CT, Zoom Panel & Discussion

On Thursday, January 6th from 6PM-8PM we will be hosting a Zoom panel featuring community members who experienced incarceration before the age of 25. We will be discussing there experiences in the criminal justice systems and hearing about their proposed alternatives to incarceration. Registration required. Sign up here.

Get Involved & Stay Updated

Interested in getting trained and joining our fight to end mass incarceration and seek true investment in our communities? Join NBRJC as a member here or join our email list here.