The following issues, in Kelli Bush’s words, are motivators for the work done through the SPP programs. Please refer to the larger context on how they achieve results and equity on these issues.
Climate Change: Although still debated, climate change is on the brink. It’s affects have already started to take place in our natural disasters we are all too familiar with. It has disproportionately affected minority and low-income communities, and has wiped species out to extinction. Unfortunately, the “real or fake” debates have expired, and the use of further debate is none. What the SPP is doing is extremely noteworthy because they are educating those who want to learn how to make a difference as well as actually being the change. The Project is bringing science into prison facilities, such as reintroducing two species on the verge of extinction, conserving biodiversity and lowering human costs. The SPP greenhouse gardens give incarcerated individuals a chance to grow fresh food for themselves and surrounding communities in need. We are looking forward to looking into the programs that gets the food out.
Mass Incarceration: The SPP efforts attempt to make prison facilities sustainable and provide opportunities for incarcerated individuals. This is in light of the prison industrial complex making life more than difficult for someone who has been charged with a crime and the growing number of incarcerated citizens. 1 in every 31 adults make up the current prison population, nearly 2.3 million adult American men and women are serving terms in prison. Taxpayers spend about $62 per day per inmate, and for some time the conservation has reflected a poor return on taxpayer’s money. It seems that a lot of taxpayer money is going to waste as we have overpopulated prisons that do nothing but allow prisoners to sit idly and pollute. A vicious cycle of re-entering incarceration is prevalent once an individual is charged with their first felony because opportunities are stripped from you as you gain no educational or professional experience in your time served.
Systemic Racism: There is no reason to deny that systemic racism is the root cause in why we have seen such a rise in incarceration. Black Males take 34% of the U.S. prison population, while only taking less than 14% of the U.S. population. Since the 1980’s “War on Drugs,” law enforcement has essentially been granted permission to harass communities of color. The Anti Drug Abuse Act of 1986 gave “crack” cocaine a much harsher drug sentence as supposed to “powder” cocaine, which is the same exact drug. All of a sudden, 5 grams of crack gave the government the ability to lock you up for the same amount of time as someone charged with 500 grams of the same drug in powder form. Blacks were on the frontlines on the other side of this bill, taking up more than 80% of crack charges while over 66% of crack users are White and Hispanic. President Barack Obama passed the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010, making this regime of disproportionate sentencing a 24 year endeavor. Black and Brown communities are still in turmoil from the crack epidemic, and families are currently suffering with the results. Marijuana is now a growing industry, weed companies traded on the NASDAQ, recreational and medicinal shops open in 44 states. Meanwhile, millions are still in prison for a “dime bag” gram of marijuana to this day, an overwhelming majority people of color. It is critical for us to take these statistics and facts seriously. It starts with not only efforts to free the wrongly prosecuted, but while they are in such a dark place, bring light to it. Bringing sustainability to prisons will not only change & improve lives, bring equity to the disenfranchised, but also help its surrounding communities reach sustainability.
