Onward & Upward
Joshua Stewart, 37, graduated from Bethany University with a major in history and a minor in English literature. He was planning on teaching community college. He was even working on his master’s degree, until he was arrested for selling drugs. Four years for trafficking and…
An Obscured World of Punishment
Why do we know so little about mass incarceration? What psychological damage is developed in prison as a result of living in confinement? How can we respond to crime in an appropriate, humane way? These were questions asked and discussed by UC Santa Cruz psychology…
Art as Sanctuary
From handcrafted painting frames to a rusty and decrepit metal door in front of the entrance, “The Cell and the Sanctuary: Art and Incarceration” features art made by various individuals incarcerated in California’s prison system. The exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and…
Dozens Protest Deaths in Local Jail
Holding signs emblazoned with demands and frustrations regarding the prison system, about 80 protesters prepared to rally in downtown Santa Cruz at the Town Clock on Jan. 24. Organized by Sin Barras, the demonstration incorporated a march that ended at the Santa Cruz County Jail…
Pardon Our Overcrowded Prisons
There are currently about 17,200 students attending UC Santa Cruz. If our university was representative of the total American population, 120 of our peers would currently be behind bars, as on average 1 out of every 143 Americans is currently incarcerated. The country that likes to refer to itself as “the home of the free” in fact currently houses more than 2.2 million inmates — a quarter of the world’s total prison population.
Jail Expansion Would Be Step in Wrong Direction
The United States accounts for roughly 5 percent of the world’s total population, but 25 percent of its total prisoners. This is the net effect of policies that bestow the U.S. with the dubious honor of having the world’s highest rate of incarceration. The expansive…
Envisioning the Future of Black Activism
UCSC hosts 11th annual Afrikan Black Coalition Conference. The Afrikan Black Coalition Conference returned to UC Santa Cruz on Feb. 15 – 17 for the first time since the activist group’s initial assembly in 2004. The annual ABC Conference is conducted at a different UC campus each year, compiled with keynote speakers, a discussion panel, workshops, artistic performances of poetry and choreographed dances and a dance for all involved to move and groove together, as one.