Approximately 21,394 Mississippians are incarcerated.
That’s roughly one out of every 140 citizens — the second highest incarceration rate per capita in the U.S.
With such a high percentage of Mississippians being locked up, many of their friends and families need solidarity. That’s what inspired Quincy Brooks to start SILO — Supporting Inmates and their Loved Ones — in May 2013.
Brooks, 41, has a background in psychology and worked for Community Counseling Services for 13 years. She started the group after her 26-year-old son was sent to prison for a drug crime in 2008. Her son was the first in the family to serve time, and Brooks said it shocked her.
Saturday, SILO held a march from the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center to Propst Park, where speakers discussed Mississippi’s recidivism rate, the rate at which released inmates end up back behind bars, and what steps can be taken to improve it.
Many locked up are not guilty of assault, rape and murder, but of non-violent crimes. In Mississippi, non-violent crimes can lead to long sentences that turn petty criminals into repeat offenders.
That’s what happened to one of the men who spoke Saturday, Aaron Pulsifer.
Pulsifer, 39, was convicted of false pretense for writing bad checks when he was 17. He was tried as an adult and served five years behind bars. He said as a convicted felon, he always gets told no.
“What I would like to see is convicted felons coming together and trying to be successful,” Pulsifer, who is a carrier for The Dispatch, said.
The problem facing many convicted felons is trying to find work after their time has been served. Brooks said many cannot find a job, and can turn back to crime to make money, which will get them locked up again.
“Being turned down — that’ll hurt them,” Pulsifer said. “They feel like all they can do now is crime and prison.”
Anthony Williams, 38, struggled to find work after his release. Groups like SILO let him know he is not alone.
“If I’m able to talk to people who have been in the same situation, that helps make it better,” Williams said.
Bills proposed
Recently, the nation’s high incarceration rates have struck the conscience of lawmakers at the state and national level. Several bills are on the horizon that would see our criminal justice system reformed to focus on violent offenders, while offering more social rehabilitation services for non-violent criminals. In 2014, Mississippi passed the Mississippi Corrections and Criminal Justice Reform Act to address the inefficient system. The new law emphasizes treatment over sentencing for drug users.
Nationally, the Second Chance Act of 2015 seeks to offer similar treatment to non-violent felons nationwide by allowing them to vote and help them find work.
Weekend event
At Propst Park, not all of those who attended had served time or had immediate family members doing so.
Columbus councilman and state senate candidate Kabir Karriem came to offer his support. Karriem sits on the National Coalition for Justice and helped push through city policy allowing convicted felons to work for the city of Columbus. He said passing further criminal justice reform is something he hopes to do if he wins his election. Part of the battle is against the state’s five, private, for-profit prisons that house 3,971 inmates.
Local pastor Michael Tate also showed up to offer his support. He said biblical teachings say that for one crime, there should be one punishment, meaning after time is served, felons should be given a chance to contribute to society.
Brothers Melvin, 31, and Ronald Gatewood, 32, said they came out because they know many people who have served time and struggled to adjust on the outside. The two are Army veterans and are concerned by the high number of their brothers-in-arms who are being locked up.
“Once you did you time, you should be able to live your life,” Melvin Gatewood said.
SILO earned its non-profit status in July, Brooks said. The organization is starting to pick up steam. Brooks has an office at 105 5th St. N. Recently, SILO has picked up an executive board with many prominent criminal justice figures in town. Board members include constable Sonny Brooks, Municipal Judge Nicole Clinkscales, Lowndes County Chancery Clerk Lisa Neese and former Lowndes County School District employee Yolanda Jones.
Brooks hopes to one day have a full building for a halfway house and offer GED services. But she will need more funding for that.
“Everything I’ve been doing so far, I’ve been doing out of pocket,” Brooks said. “This is a passion of mine, and I want to help draw attention to it.”
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