Defender Mothers and Others - Mutual Support for Families Impacted by NJ Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice

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Defender Mothers/Others-Mutual Support-Families Impacted by NJ Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice #DecarcerateNJ http://bit.ly/28UWaBb

"I know of at least one situation coming up this week in Newark where a mother has reached out to me.  If you might be interested in lending your support – please contact me and I will connect you to her."

NJ faces a siege of racial disparities in sentencing to prison where a Black is 12times likely a white resident to end up incarcerated in NJ’s statefacilities.  NJ is THE WORSE in the nation in this regard.  That is roughly twice the national average which is a 6:1 ratio – itself a horrendous figure.  Every aspect of the criminal justice system in NJ is suspect in the generation of these horrifying results.

What if mothers of those that are incarcerated and facing incarceration in cities across NJ (and around the nation) started up Defender Committees to support each other and advocate together?  What if they mobilized for courthouse proceedings – met for press conferences and pickets with signs outside the court and / or went into the courtoom during the trial to sit with the mother and other loved ones of the accused and through their physical presence – convey to the court, the prosecutor and the system that the community is aware of the situation, monitoring and prepared to act accordingly against any aspect of racism seeping into the proceedings?

The challenge is that nobody wants to be seen as pro-crime especially in communities beset with violence and street crime.  However, no matter what anyone did or did not do - there are serious disparities from top to bottom in how so-called criminal justice is meted out in NJ – a 12:1 ratio of likelihood to catch a prison sentence for NJ’s Black population vs. its white population.  Nobody would be saying that some might not need to be separated from the community for a time – but that children and loved ones should not be OVER prosecuted - over charged - over

sentenced which is exactly what is happening to NJ’s Black alleged offenders as documented in the Sentencing Project report,

A mutual support committee among mothers and family members that have a common interest in seeing racism eradicated from the equation could provide watch dog monitoring, occasionally picketing and press conferences, attendance of each others cases, etc.  It would be an undertaking but it could be the kinds of struggle needed to start to drive the scourge of mass incarceration concentrated on NJ’s Black population back on a case-by-case basis.

The reality is that the determination of the court is largely influenced by the political climate.  NJ’s racist climate when it comes to justice related issues now is the determining factor.  Intervention from impacted families, especially mothers, and advocates can begin the fightback around these issues.

If you are interested in such an approach, or you have a case where you can use support – please contact Decarc@DecarcerateNJ.org/ 908-881-5275 and I will try to connect you with others.

I know of at least one situation coming up this week in Newark where a mother has reached out to me.  If you might be interested in lending your support – please contact me and I will connect you to her.

Sept. 9 Current Status: http://decarceratenj.blogspot.com/2016/06/nj-sept-9-status-report-as-of-june-23.html