Ending Criminalization and Incarceration

People of color with disabilities and Deaf people are arrested and incarcerated in the U.S. at disproportionately high rates. But, they have largely been ignored by efforts to end mass incarceration. Activating Change is centering people with disabilities and Deaf people in the movement to end criminalization and mass incarceration.

Racial and Disability Disparities in Our Criminal Legal System

Racism and ableism work together within the American criminal legal system to disproportionally harm people of color with disabilities and Deaf people. The system over-polices and over-incarcerates communities of color. At the same time, we have criminalized many behaviors and manifestations associated with disabilities. This has resulted in deep racial and disability disparities at every phase of the criminal legal system.  

 
2/3 of black men with disabilities will be arrested before the age of 28. 30-50% of people killed by police are people of color with disabilities. 80 percent of women and 65% of men in prisons have at least one disability.

Disability equity has been excluded from justice policymaking and advocacy. Without the intentional consideration of disability and race, the solutions to mass incarceration that are being implemented today will continue to fail people with disabilities. There will be two tiers of justice and the disability disparities we see will worsen.

Our Approach

  • Raising awareness and expanding narratives around ending mass incarceration to include disability and Deaf communities.

  • Providing training and consultation to criminal justice reform organizations and initiatives to build baseline accessibility and capacity for deeper, longer-term change work.

  • Working to end systemic ableism and audism in criminal legal systems by engaging disability and Deaf organizations in the movement to end mass incarceration.

  • Fostering partnerships between criminal justice reform organization and initiatives and disability and Deaf organizations.

Ending Criminalization and Incarceration Resources

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