More Than Our Crimes
"More Than Our Crimes amplifies the voices of the nearly 200,000 Americans in federal prison — with a special emphasis on residents of the District of Columbia." (https://morethanourcrimes.org) The 51st partners with this organization to include returning citizens and incarcerated D.C. residents among our Opinion contributors.
Opinion: The SAVE Act would disenfranchise incarcerated residents
For D.C. residents in prison, voting is one of the last connections we have to our communities.
Opinion: Fear shouldn't make our policy decisions
A shooting in my apartment building left me and my neighbors shaken. But fear shouldn't make us lose sight of our humanity — or of the facts.
Opinion: What I learned about democracy walking the halls of Congress
In seven short months, I had gone from being among the “dregs” of society to getting an audience with the people who help make this country’s laws.
Opinion: The federal Bureau of Prisons fails D.C. residents
D.C. doesn’t have its own prison, so its residents are sent to federal facilities all over the country. This is a bad system that serves no one.
Opinion: Jeanine Pirro is wrong about D.C.'s 'second-look' laws
Giving incarcerated people hope for a possible return is valuable not just for them, but for their families and communities.
Opinion: The D.C. Council must not cut an effective violence interrupter program
Violence interrupters do crucial work in this city. They deserve to be supported.
Opinion: D.C. must restore local control of parole
We owe it to the incarcerated residents whose chances at release keep being arbitrarily denied.
Opinion: Prison phone restrictions sever D.C. residents from their loved ones
For incarcerated people, access to communication with the people they love is as necessary as food and water.
Opinion: Fresh out of prison, I am discovering the good, bad and ugly of technology
Robert Barton, a D.C. resident and returning citizen, says his "newness" to the world after 30 years in prison has given him a fresh perspective on the role of technology in society.
Opinion: D.C.'s disorganized reentry services fail returning citizens
D.C. has a well-deserved reputation for providing comprehensive reentry services to returning citizens, but they're still not doing enough.