WHITE PAPERS
Vaccine Rollout Support
We write today in our role as scholars and collaborators at UW-Madison in the fields of criminal justic and infectious disease epidemiology. Our goal is to express our wholehearted support for your recommendation to include both facility staff and residents of congregate settings, including people who are incarcerated, in your draft recommendations for priority groups in COVID-19 vaccine phase 1b. continue reading.
There Could Be Many More Kenoshas Across Wisconsin
In August of 2020, the police violence and Black Lives Matter protests that have rocked cities across the country for years came to a head in Kenosha, a small Wisconsin city between Milwaukee and Chicago. On August 23, a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake, a young Black man, seven times in the back as he was trying to enter his car. Coming on the heels of the killing Alvin Cole in nearby Wauwatosa and Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery in other parts of the country, protests quickly spread in the wake of Jacob Blake’s killing. In Kenosha, Black Lives Matter protesters clashed with armed, white counter-protesters who claimed to be protecting local businesses. These clashes turned deadly when Kyle Rittenhouse, a white 17-year old from a city across the border in Illinois fired into the crowd, killing two protesters. Black Lives Matter protests and the threat of rightwing, white militias continued and ultimately the National Guard was called in to control the situation. continue reading.
Cites our report, “Flowers Grown in Concrete: Exploring the Healing Power of the Arts for People Experiencing Incarceration
People experiencing incarceration have endured trauma. However, there are minimal therapeutic opportunities available to this group although this is necessary for incarcerated individuals to heal and effectively re-engage with society. Engagement in the arts assists them in coping and combatting ongoing trauma. Arts in Corrections enriches lives through healing, building long-term life skills and self-esteem, cultivating aspirations, and greatly improves. participants’ mental health. continue reading.