Tag: prison

It’s time to stop the use of solitary confinement

BY SAVANNAH MARTINCIC Albert Woodfox spent more than 40 years in solitary confinement in the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary, nicknamed “Angola.” From 1972 to 2016, Woodfox’s entire world was encapsulated in a six-foot-by-nine-foot cell, trapped by weak evidence, an unfair…

America Needs to Fix its Broken Mental Healthcare System

BY SAVANNAH MARTINCIC In the wake of years of mass shootings, mental illness has become a frequent topic of discussion. However, mental health care in America remains a system that does not meet the needs of some 47.6 million people…

Hypocrisy of Prison Labor

BY IVAN ANYANWU, CONTRIBUTOR The 13th Amendment did not outlaw slavery in America. This is reflected in its language: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime … shall exist within the United States.” We exist, effectively, within…

Injustice in the “Justice” System

James Forman Jr. gives a lecture on the mass incarceration of African Americans BY NAYOMI SANTOS, STAFF WRITER *Not actual name for confidentiality purposes Social justice is one of Mason’s greatest values. Many dedicated students and faculty are motivated and…

Products of prison labor on campus

HOW FURNITURE AND SUPPLIES MADE BY PRISONERS END UP IN MASON CLASSROOMS By Erik Truong, Staff Writer The furniture used at Mason every day, along with supplies in the academic buildings and residence halls, are all the products of prison…