Victory Bus Project/Prison Industrial Complex/What you can do

What is obvious to one person is totally not obvious to someone else. I think that is what is implied when people say that common sense is not so common. So this to me is common sense. Our country has a prison-industrial complex and this is a terrible thing. Here is the Prison-Industrial Complex (PIC) in short.

Americans have too many people in prison, there is an entire industry that is geared around keeping offenders (many low level) behind bars, and it is a waste of money and a crime against both those individuals and all of us taxpayers footing the bill. When prisoners get out of prison they are not allowed to vote, their criminal record means they cannot pass the background check for jobs, while in prison they do work for pittance and they have no choice ~ it is slavery.

Most prisoners are black men (to extend the comparison to slavery). Our country has a long and terrible history and a heartbreaking present regarding the treatment of black men. This whole thing sucks.

Here is a great article about the PIC in The Atlantic for a more in depth view. (One of the many sample sentences that makes me want to throw my computer against the wall, "About 70 percent of the prison inmates in the United States are illiterate.")

The more I have been learning about the PIC the more it tugged at me and my belly.

Then I met Jalal Sabur, founder of the Victory Bus Project. Jalal realized two years ago that he could do two things at once. Brings families to visit their loved ones in prison and give them a share of good food as part of their trip. It is 15000% awesome on many many levels.

So, a group of us concocted an idea to donate food so the Victory Bus Project will have a consistent supply of food for the families. This allows Jalal to focus on expanding his reach in the community.

So... we have 13 days left and we are 65% of the way there...

Perhaps this is common sense to you too?

Sample Tweets:

Join me in supporting the Primrose Hill Farm Collective & Victory Bus Project’s Indiegogo!  http://bit.ly/1K3gm0f

I support the Victory Bus Project’s work. Join me in donating to their Indiegogo fundraising campaign!  http://bit.ly/1K3gm0f

Sample Facebook Posts:

The Primrose Hill Farm Collective recently launched an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to support the work of the Victory Bus Project. The money raised will fund the growing and supplying of locally grown farm fresh food for Victory Bus Project’s weekly trips to Hudson Valley area prisons for low-income urban families visiting their incarcerated loved ones. Please donate and share this link: http://igg.me/at/every-child-deserves-a-parent/x