Changing the Narrative: VT Criminal Justice Reform Podcast
The United States continues to hold the title for the world’s highest incarceration rate, holding more than 20% of the world’s prison population. The retributive approach the U.S has adopted has allowed their prison population to grow over 500% since 1970 and has encouraged issues of mass incarceration, racial and socioeconomic inequity, and overall injustice for those in the system, as well as you and your neighbor. Although the criminal justice system continues to preach about their mission of punishment = public safety, they continue to function in a way that benefits a ‘superior’ tier of corporations and lobbyists while failing to consider the wellbeing of taxpayers, incarcerated peoples, and the overall functionality of society. Luckily, for all the people backing the current criminal justice system, many others are beginning to push for criminal justice reform here in the United States.
The issue of mass incarceration and the crippling consequences of the criminal justice system are hardly heard about in our daily intake of media. While these issues continue to be silenced, they are significantly impacting all and every community in the United States. As you dissect the criminal justice system, you’ll find the inequality and injustice hidden in between each and every crack of the system. So why is the United States the largest incarcerator in the world and why have we allowed this question to not be headlining in our news?
“Vermont Criminal Justice Reform Podcast” is a podcast I started with a mission to spark up some much needed discussions around the criminal justice system. The culture around incarceration has become so taboo that there is a lack of representation for these people whose voices have been silenced by the system. I became very invested in doing my part in representing those who are seen as ‘the other’ in society and with that, a podcast was born. Early on in my college career, I invested my time in many criminal justice courses and internships that allowed me to meet a lot of amazing people doing outstanding work for reform here in Vermont. I took a few months to intern with the Williston Community Justice Center where I participated in restorative justice panels and witnessed a supportive community do their part to promote change in their little part of the world. After submerging myself into a local Vermont community, I realized there was a desperate need for conversation around reform.
This five-episode podcast will take listeners into a deeper exploration of the criminal justice system through the eyes of local experts. We will discuss the complications that come along with community supervision and re-entry, the stigmas around responsible parties and incarcerated folks, the war on drugs and a popular alternative to the courts, restorative justice panels. While you listen to the podcast, my wish is for listeners to learn something new and share their newly discovered knowledge with those around them. The best way to promote change is to become involved in discussions that challenge the systems we currently have in place and I hope this podcast can prompt someone to speak more confidently about the issues society faces when it comes to the criminal justice system. If you are interested in listening, the Soundcloud link will be below and click here for the Spotify link. Thanks for being a part of the discussion!
