[Bookstoprisoners] Panel on Racial Disparity in Illinois Prisons

[Danielle Chynoweth]

 Tuesday, March 27, 7 p.m. in Saunders Lounge of the Pennsylvania Avenue
Residence Hall.

* *

*More Black Men in Prison than in College: *

*Why It's Everyone's Problem *

* *

* Panel addresses racial disparity problem in Illinois prisons *



*Urbana, IL – *On Tuesday, March 27, IDEAL (Illinois Drug Education and
Legislative) Reform and the Coalition of Students for Social Change, in
conjunction with nine other organizations, will present a panel to address
the urgent and devastating problem of racial disparities in incarceration in
Illinois.  The panel will be held from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Saunders Lounge in
Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls.

* *

Walter Boyd of the Protestants for the Common Good in Chicago, IL will
present the issues of racial profiling, the prison-industrial complex, and
the plight of people of color, especially in Illinois.  Why are race and
incarceration so closely linked?  What are the indications for society and
most importantly, what can we do?  A native Chicagoan, Boyd brings enormous
experience and commitment to the cause of protecting the rights of
ex-offenders.  He served in the Illinois Department of Corrections as a C
Number inmate for 24 years and is part of the community-based Developing
Justice Coalition.

* *

Adam Wolf of the American Civil Liberties Union Drug Law Reform Project
(DLRP) in Santa Cruz, CA will explain what he sees as the *intended* racial
consequences of American drug policy.  Wolf and the DLRP have litigated
cases that have reached the Supreme Court.  Specifically, he will
address confidential
informants, selective enforcement of drug laws, selective prosecution of
drug laws, use of drug dogs in public schools of color, mandatory drug
testing of pregnant women of color, and crack-powder sentencing
disparity.  Wolf
is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a former
professor at the University of California-Los Angeles.



The discussion will close with a question-and-answer session and a spoken
word performance from local artist, student and columnist George Ploss.



As of June 2001, there were nearly twenty thousand more black males in the
Illinois state prison system than there were black males enrolled in the
state's public universities.  According to the most recent data available
(2002), Illinois ranks first in the per capita rate of incarcerated
African-Americans convicted of drug possession offenses.

The panel is presented by IDEAL Reform and the Coalition of Students for
Social Change in coordination with: Black Graduate Students Association,
UIUC Chapter; Black Law Students Association; C-U Citizens for Peace and
Justice; Graduate and Professional Students of Color; International
Socialist Organization; Intersections Living Learning Community – Housing;
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.; Students for a Sensible Drug
Policy, UIUC Chapter; Together Encouraging the Appreciation of
Multiculturalism (TEAM); and the UIUC Faculty Association.



*Illinois** Drug Education and Legislative [IDEAL] Reform is an
Illinois-based not-for profit advocacy organization, working to foster
public and healthcare policies that best respond to the societal problems
associated with drug prohibition and risks of drug misuse. *

* *

*The Coalition of Students for Social Change creates a community for
student-professionals who are committed to working for social change and
aims to develop ways to maintain our meaningful involvement in the
community.*



*#       #       #          ***





********************************

Mike Rosenow, Coordinator

UIUC Faculty Association

1001 S. Wright St., Ste 14

Champaign, IL 61820

217.337.5986

fax: 217.337.1533

upe at prairienet.org

http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/upe
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