The Real Cost of Prisons (with Bianca Tylek)

The call to end modern-day slavery and the prison industrial complex is gaining momentum because of organizers committed to realize the dream of abolition. At upEND, we understand that the demand to end incarceration is deeply linked to the movement to end family policing. 

Nearly half of the people in state prisons are parents to children under 18, which pushes thousands of kids into the foster system while also destroying their support systems. 

Then, one in three families dealing with incarceration goes into debt trying to stay in touch with their loved ones due to predatory systems profiting from imprisonment. Our episode guest works to end this cruel practice and keep families connected. 

Episode Guest: 

Bianca Tylek is one of the nation’s leading experts on the prison industry and the Founder and Executive Director of Worth Rises, a national organization working to end the financial incentives for incarceration.  Bianca is a leader in the national movement to make prison and jail communication free, which has saved families more than $400 million and generated two billion additional minutes of call time to date. She also leads the #EndTheException campaign to end prison slavery. 

Episode Notes:

• Support the work of upEND: upendmovement.org/donate

• Read “Both sides of the bars: How mass incarceration punishes families” by Prison Policy Initiative. 

• Visit worthrises.org to support their work and subscribe to their newsletter. 

• Follow @WorthRises on Twitter and Instagram. 

• Follow Bianca Tylek on Twitter. 

• Bianca mentions the letter archive from #EndTheException. 

• To learn more about the #EndTheException campaign to end prison slavery follow @endtheexception on Instagram and visit endtheexception.com to take action.

• Read “The Prison Industry: How It Works and Who Profits” by Bianca Tylek and Worth Rises. 

Credits: 

• Hosted by Josie Pickens and Jaison Oliver
• Produced by Sydnie Mares
• Mixed by Luke Brawner