Philadelphia, PA: At approximately 5:45 this morning activists called attention to this week's meeting of the American Correctional Association by hanging a banner off a train trestle that crosses busy Rt. 76 (the Schuylkill Expressway). The banner, reading "Crime is a Commodity, Corporations Profit," called motorists' attention to the prison industry group, which activists accuse of valuing profit over the well-being of those incarcerated in America's prison system. Community members plan to voice their dissent against the collaboration between for-profit industry and the prison system tonight with a "March For Justice."
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MARCH FOR JUSTICE BEGINS WEEK OF PROTEST AGAINST THE PRISON INDUSTRY
Who: Coalition Against the American Correctional Association
What: PERMITTED MARCH & RALLY, Press Briefing
When: Monday, August 12th, 2001, 6PM
Where: Police Headquarters, 7th & Race, Philadelphia PA
The Coalition Against the American Correctional Association (CAACA) will begin a week of protest Monday night with a permitted March For Justice that will begin at 6:30 PM from 7th & Race and proceed up Arch to Love Park. The march will be proceeded by a Press Briefing at 6PM that will be a chance for the press to hear about some of the issues that marchers are concerned about. The march will make several stops along the way to speak about the different ways the prison industry has negatively affected their communities. The press briefing will include information about a study released by the Justice Policy Institute that shows the racial disparity in incarceration that exists in Pennsylvannia as well speakers from groups including ACT-UP, Youth United For Change, Mothers Organized Against Police Terror, Pennsylvannia Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty and others.
Monday evening?s protest will be preceeded by a day of Street Theatre and other small actions outside of the annual American Correctional Association Trade Show taking place at the Philadelphia Convention Center, 12th & Arch. The American Correctional Association describes the trade show on its website as such: "The corrections market is growing due to skyrocketing offender populations. The inmate population in the United States is almost two million, with dramatic increases forecasted for the next few years. In the United States alone, more than $5 billion is spent on the construction of new jails and prisons annually. Over $50 billion is budgeted annually for the day-to-day operations of correctional facilities. Product and service demand is increasing in every area from toiletries to furniture to communications equipment. Don't let your company miss out on this prime, revenue-generating opportunity!"
Protesters, many of whom attended a Counter Convention Against the ACA this past weekend, are part of a groundswell of recent criticism against the creation of an immense profit-generating industry that is based around incarcerating ever larger numbers of citizens. "These people (the American Correctional Association) can?t present viable reforms?they ?ve got vested interests in the destruction of our communities," says Philadelphia Resident April Rosenblum, "They look at our families torn apart by addiction, our youth denied real resources and education?and what they see is money to be made off imprisoning us."
STOP THE ACA CALENDAR
Monday August 13th (Noon-4pm) What: Roving Street Theater Protest Where: Outside the Convention Center, 12th & Arch Streets. Contact: puppets@stoptheaca.org
Monday August 13th What:March Against The Philadelphia Criminal Injustice System When: 6:30 PM SPECIAL PRESS BRIEFING AT 6PM AT 7TH & RACE Where: 7th & Race (across the street from the Roundhouse Jail) Contact:215.724.6120
Tuesday August 14 What: Anti-Death Penalty Rally: JFK Blvd. & Broad Street When: 11:30 AM Where: Municipal Services Plaza, Between Arch & JFK, Broad & 15th Contact: 215.724.6120
What: U.S. Prison System is Modern Day Slavery --a Forum Inviting White People to Hear the Truth from the African Community When: 7:30 PM Where: Uhuru Solidarity Center 2240 Mt Vernon St. (1 block south of Fairmount Ave) Contact: African People?s Solidarity Committee 215-546-9616
Wednesday August 15 What: Prison Health Care Rally on Lack of Care for Prisoners With AIDS When: 11:30 am Where: 12th & Arch Contact: 215.731.1844 or actupphilly@critpath.org
Source:
COALITION AGAINST THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION, Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12th, 2001
CONTACT: Thea Rome 609.221.2311
WEBSITE: www.stoptheaca.org
EMAIL: phillypressoffice@yahoo.com
