8 minutes, 46 seconds
Worldwide Protests Erupt and the Prison Education Program is There
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The world watched in horror for the 8 minutes and 46 seconds of George Floyd's torture and death at the hands (or rather knees) of police officers. In the wake of his killing, and that of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, people flooded the streets in condemnation of these murders and the system of injustice that has delayed (or denied) arrests. Injustices in America's legal system were unveiled and the denunciation was
global
. We are thankful for the subsequent activism of many Prison Education Advisory Team members--publicly and behind the scenes. Even as they were processing their own grief and anger, they were and are educating, empowering, advocating, protesting, petitioning, documenting, praying, and assisting.
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Prison Education Advisory Team member, Rev. Dr. Chris Kimmenez of
Healing Communities USA, and faculty member, Rev. Dr. Lori Pearson Banfied of
Redemption Housing (graduate of Eastern's DA in Marriage and Family Therapy program), advocated for incarcerated persons especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Read
more.
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Dr. Kimberlee A. Johnson, PEP Director, spent an afternoon in the Art Museum area of Philadelphia following a march that brought over 2,500 protestors. Smaller groups of people came throughout the day to walk, to give / hear speeches, to provide personal protective equipment to demonstrators, to share petitions, and to sit and reflect. Protests had been occurring for a week. She interviewed many who came that day and afterward created this video reflection on the important role of protests in social movements.
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Implicit bias and racism impact incarceration.
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Implicit bias and racism lead to unfair, detrimental, and sometimes deadly consequences for people of color in America's legal system. Bias impacts everything from civilian calls to 911 to policing to prosecutions to sentencing to parole decisions.
And our incarcerated students are certainly impacted by this system.
The individual stories may vary, but the men share a thirst to better both their current situation and future outcomes. We are offering them another chance, education, resources, growth opportunities, and hope.
Your
support
of these men is critical
.
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Will you help today?
Recurring monthly gifts or one time donations are needed.
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Some great news
PEP receives the Second Chance Pell (SCP) Experimental Site Award!
The
U.S. Department of Education
announced that Eastern University is included in the expansion of the SCP initiative to provide need-based Pell grants to people in state and federal prisons. We are now one of 130 colleges in the country with this opportunity. Celebrate with us as we endeavor to bring degree education to incarcerated men at SCI Chester, a medium security prison near Eastern University. Please pray as we move forward to request the necessary approvals from MSCHE for this new location.
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FAST FACT
As of June 2, at least 40,656 people in prison had tested positive for COVID-19
an 18% increase from six days before.
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Your contribution is crucial to Prison Education Program students.
Please invest so that men return home better prepared to reunite with their families, and contribute to our communities.
Your gift matters!
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PEP--providing transformative education for our neighbors who are incarcerated and returning from incarceration
FOLLOW US:
@EUPrisonEd
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