States of Incarceration National Exhibit

States of Incarceration National Exhibit

States of Incarceration runs from Sept. 5 to Oct. 26 and is a project of the Humanities Action Lab, a collaboration between Arizona State University and 29 others led by Rutgers University - Newark, working with issue-based organizations and public spaces to foster public dialogue on social issues through public humanities projects that explore the histories and current realities of global concerns.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, Whiting Foundation, Open Society Foundations and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Special Events: 
Friday, Sept. 7 — 7 to 9 p.m. | Exhibit Launch & Documentary Screening
Produced by historian Dr. Judith Perera, the film “1994” reveals the history of noncitizen detention in the United States with a focus on the development of immigrant detention in Arizona.

Documentary screening of "1994" from 7 to 7:50 p.m. at Burton Barr Central Library (first floor, Pulliam Auditorium) with film Q&A to follow from 7:50 to 8:10 p.m. Reception to follow from 8:10 to 9 p.m. in the second floor exhibit space. 

Saturday, Sept. 22 — 1 to 4 p.m. | Cuentos de Fortaleza/Stories of Strength: Detention in the Southwest
Join us for this special storytelling event to amplify the voices of people impacted by immigrant detention in Arizona and beyond. To learn more visit MassStoryLab.com. Located at Burton Barr Central Library, first floor, Pulliam Auditorium.

Tuesday, Oct. 2 — 5 to 6:30 p.m. | "Who Cares About Immigrant Detention? Ignorance, Brutality, and Reasons for Optimism"
The latest assault on immigrants and noncitizens will destroy many lives before it is finished. But these attacks will be defeated for precisely the same reason that they are now energized: America has evolved. Join us for a lecture and conversation with Mark Dow, author of "American Gulag: Inside U.S. Immigration Prisons" (California, 2004).

Dow’s awareness of immigrant detention began in 1990 when he started teaching English at Miami's Krome Detention Center and, soon after, went to work for the Haitian Refugee Center. Over the next decade he visited jails and detention centers around the country and interviewed detainees, immigration officers and prison wardens. Most media were paying no attention to immigration prisons.

In this talk, Dow will reflect on the most significant surprises he encountered in writing "American Gulag": that the system was even more brutal than many on the outside imagined, and that correctional officers were often the harshest critics of that system. He will also discuss the accidents that led to writing the book in the first place as well as some of the mistakes made along the way — and the tensions we face today between optimism and realism. Please note this event is on the ASU Tempe campus at Pima Auditorium, Memorial Union.

Friday, Oct. 5 — 7 to 9 p.m. | Open Mic Night with Aliento“Confinement + Liberation: Finding Freedom in Spaces of Incarceration”
Aliento First Friday open mic is a welcoming space for people to be whole, feel safe and be in community. Come listen to and/or share your stories, songs, poems and dances that connect us, unite us and make us feel alive in our community. For more information, visit alientoaz.org. Located at Burton Barr Central Library, second floor exhibit space.

Saturday, Oct. 13 — 2 to 4 p.m. | Discussion: Is Incarceration the Best Approach to Address Criminal Behavior?
Private, for-profit prisons in Arizona and the country are a lucrative industry, viewed by some as contributing to the rise in incarceration. What economic, political and social factors play a role in today’s mass incarceration? Join us for this discussion with Dr. Julian Kunnie of the University of Arizona on the impact of mass incarceration. Located at Burton Barr Central Library, first floor, Pulliam Auditorium. 

Erica May
School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
erica.may@asu.edu
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Burton Barr Central Library