Good News from Prisoners in Christ

December 21, 2023 - News from PINC

Good News from Prisoners in Christ: In 2016, the Prisoners in Christ team sponsored a viewing and discussion, organized and led by Troy Rienstra, of the documentary 13th. Thanks to pressure from Troy and other “credible messengers,” measures are being considered at the state level to eliminate slavery from the Michigan Constitution. Section 9, Article 1 currently reads: ” … neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crime, shall ever be tolerated in this state.” This is a reflection of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution which provides that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” In 2022, four states approved ballot measures to remove this “exception.” It’s time for Michigan and our country to do the same and more!

The proposed amendment is a hopeful step toward closing a loophole that allows slavery as criminal punishment. This takes the form of solitary confinement, labeled “torture” by Human Rights Watch organizations, and the theft of talent, time, and treasure from people while under control of the state Department of Corrections, whether incarcerated or on parole or probation. But, according to Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow,” this change most likely will “merely adjust names, labeling, practices, even policies, doing that to maintain the system of mass incarceration as opposed to dismantling or correcting it. ” In this interview, Alexander calls people of faith to engage in education, analysis, and action – to go beyond praying for prisoners, and doing acts of charity which she calls “necessary but tinkering around the edges.” Are you willing to join Prisoners in Christ as we put our hands to the plow and dig deep into advocating for real change? Follow our work on www.prisonersinchrist.org, or reach out to Troy by emailing info@prisonersinchrist.org