Movement Moves
The movement to restore the human rights of incarcerated people must evolve in order to combat constant dehumanization of our most marginalized citizens.
August 2023, Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced a new digital mail center that would further hinder those incarcerated in the state, by creating additional barriers for communications with loved ones on the outside.
This has already been done across corrections in many states. Even in Michigan, mailroom staff screen each letter by opening and replacing its exterior envelope - discarding the mailer’s contact information - prior to delivering it to its intended recipient.
Our organization is building this project in response to what many refuse to see…
In PA as well as in SC, state prisoners are required to have all of their mail sent to a processing company (out of state) where it's opened, screened, scanned and uploaded to read on a digital device without ever having the opportunity to access the original hardcopy themselves.
These protocols have been established under the guise of maintaining security by seemingly eliminating the flow of “contraband”, but impacted people see the true purpose of mailing restrictions:
Reduce the strength of all outside connections as incarcerated people are further exploited within the prison industrial slave complex.
Have questions?
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It all begins with a letter. SawariMedia receives mail from incarcerated people all over the country, mainly in response to our newsletters. While prisoners don’t have access to internet or cell phones, we’ve created a process for them to be involved using snail mail. Our staff do the work of digitizing mailed contributions so that outside supporters can view and share it easily.
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Today users can get amplified access to our content before the app launches. This is available online via patreon or squarespace, while the app is only on mobile (and still in the process of development). Amplified accessors will also be provided a Prisonality Magazine subscription and have permissions to comment on submissions in the archive. Without amplified, in the app content will be limited to viewing with mobile restrictions.
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We look forward to a version of the application being available on the market for users to download sometime next year. A launch party will be within the week leading up to that time. As plans progress, make sure to subscribe to have details and exact dates sent to your email. If you cannot wait for the app to be on the market, then make sure try Amplified Access today!
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We’ve developed an agressive advocacy strategy to disrupt the financial exploitation of PISC. We have an entire category of our archive dedicated to financial exploitation to illustrate this. This is why we do not charge incarcerated readers for their program participation, subscriptions or campaign development. We compensate incarcerated contributors who send submissions in response to specific calls-to-action. Outside viewers willing to contribute to this work, accessing our archives support this strategy. Though a free version is available, memberships are supported via patreon and squarespace.
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No, this is an advocacy platform that gives people on both sides of the wall a space to express and reflect on the conditions of prisons all over the US. Outside supporters can connect with inside contributors if they so choose, but it is not a primary function of use. If you’d like to be connected with one of our inside organizers, please let us know using the “craft your experience” form here.
We’re redefining
the prison pipeline
by creating a new space called Prisonality, a publicly accessible channel that flows from the inside out.
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It all begins with a letter. We read each one that we receive. This project started as an effort to amplify marginalized voices. You’re support allows this work to continue in more creative ways.
