COMMON THREADS

Decades of Incarceration. One Call for Change.

"Common Threads" examines the persistent effects of harsh sentences and challenges the cycle of incarceration, questioning whether change will arrive soon enough for those who have already served long decades behind the razor wire.

 Today I received my first Prison Radio newsletter/flyer, it was very touching. I read the narrative about Mumia Abu-Jamal. Sorry if this Kentucky girl mispronounces that name. I often tell people here who whine and moan about a 5-year sentence or people who’ve returned to prison 3, 4, or 5 times, that want to moan and whine, that it could be worse.

Mumia has been in prison for 44 years, and myself approaching 41. I was humbled by his years of speaking out and his thriving during his suffering.

I started thinking about our similarities of decades in prison, achieving educational milestones, clear conduct in prison, and aging health issues, I just got to hoping and praying we can both continue to be dedicated and persevere. Then questions began to come to mind, can we live long enough to see changes and reshape laws that make sense? Can our educated, compassionate, and rehabilitated voices bring about second chances, second-look laws, or even begin to hold politicians and legislators to put feet to their rhetoric about all of these changes? Can we please see changes in incarceration, health care, parole board decisions, and human rights? Can we see all as human beings? No matter if we’re free or incarcerated.

I hope the many campaigning for Mumia's freedom will be successful and I appreciate their energy, efforts, and boldness. I understand death by Incarceration because mine is illegal too. I was not sentenced by a judge or jury to die in prison. My prison record does not warrant it either.

Mumia's judge said he would help them fry him. What judge would say that? My prosecutor tried to do the same thing by calling me as lesbian 253 times because, like I’ve said before, it was a crime here in Kentucky still in 1986 and he dwelled on the drugs, the bar life, and not the facts of the case. One major fact is I did not physically harm anybody but now sit here with death by Incarceration.

This is Karen, and I’m asking you to please fight for me, for Mumia and second chances, second look laws and freedom for those of us who have lived for these for decades. Let our common threads be life outside the razor wire so we can help others to choose a better path.