Category: Prison industrial complex

Trans activist Dean Spade holds court at DePaul

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date September 30, 2013

Noted trans activist, attorney, Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) founder and author Dean Spade was in Chicago presenting on his book, Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics and the Limits of Law. The event took place Sept. 24 in the DePaul Student Center.

Chicago Chronicles Feminism Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Reporting

Angela Davis on Guns, Violence, and History

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date September 9, 2013

Prison abolitionist and activist Angela Davis was in Chicago Sept. 7, as the keynote speaker at “Bending the Arc,” a new symposium series in honor of late civil-rights attorney and activist Robert Howard.

Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Reporting

Kaitlyn Hunt update: more controversy

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date August 25, 2013

Kaitlyn Hunt, the Sebastian, Fla., teenager who was charged with having sex with a minor girl, has recently found herself in more controversy and in jail. On August 19, Hunt was brought to the Indian River County Jail by her bail/bond agent and booked, according to reports.

Chicago Chronicles Hate Crime Legislation Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Reporting

Event looks at Trayvon Martin case through queer, feminist eyes

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date August 21, 2013

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin verdict, Chicago has seen several public events and workshops exploring its aftermath. On Aug. 15, queer and feminist scholars gathered at the famous Hull House for a panel titled, “Transformative Justice and The Trayvon Martin Case: A Consideration.”

Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

Bars For Life: LGBTQs and Sex Offender Registries

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date August 5, 2013

“Within the next couple of years, we’re going to have a million sex offenders, people found guilty or who plead guilty. That’s an enormous population we’re going to isolate from mainstream society.”

Chicago Chronicles Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Reporting

Activists protest sexual abuse of incarcerated youth

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date August 4, 2013

On July 30, approximately 50 people gathered outside the Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle St., to participate in a silent protest against the sexual abuse of incarcerated youth. The event, which began at 8:30 a.m., was scheduled before the Illinois House Restorative Justice Committee held a hearing in response to response to a recent Department of Justice (DoJ) report and findings.

Feminism Film, Art, Television, and Media Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

“White Chick Behind Bars”: My Review of Orange is the New Black, Season 1

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date July 18, 2013

The show can’t conceive of the fact that the biggest hurdle for most of the women in prison with Chapman is not that they made ‘bad choices,’ but that their future choices are foreclosed by prison.

Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Reporting

Florida lesbian teen won’t take plea on sex crime charge [Windy City Times Special Investigative Series: LGBTQs and the Criminal Legal System]

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date May 24, 2013

A Sebastian, Fla., teenager is being charged with a crime that could potentially place her on the state’s sex offender registry. At the same time, some publicly disseminated statements about her case appear to be inaccurate.

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Chicago Chronicles Prison industrial complex Queer Politics, Culture, and History Race, Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Reporting

Beth Richie on race, gender and the ‘prison nation’

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date May 22, 2013

“Excerpt: I realized that in some ways the closing of the buildings doesn’t change all that much, because as we close more buildings, we put more people in ankle bracelets, under house arrest, or make their probation longer.”

Chicago Chronicles Prison industrial complex

Cut Schools! Build Prisons!

Post author By Yasmin Nair
Post date March 28, 2013

It’s also significant that the text of the bill specifically names “gang members,” code for youth of colour.