Joseph Pace sits down with the co-founders of Oakland-based Re:Store Justice, Alex Mallick and Adnan Khan, who was recently released from San Quentin after 16 years. They argue that prisons need to prepare people for reentry from day one, because almost all incarcerated people will get out eventually.
Is there the political will to prioritize rehabilitation? What is next for reform advocates in their efforts to make our criminal justice more equitable and humane for everyone involved?
Producer: Wendy Holcombe
Guests:
Alex Mallick - Executive Director, Re:store Justice. Her work in California includes policy and advocacy to advance criminal justice reform. In addition to working on legislation, she works with incarcerated individuals to help change the narrative and shine a light on the power of rehabilitation.
She has been involved locally in the Bay Area in advocating against extreme sentencing for youth and has worked with survivors of crime to amplify their voices and commit to healing through restorative justice practices. Prior to joining Re:store Justice, she worked at Human Rights Watch as an Associate Director in the Bay Area. She is a board of member for The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth.
Adnan Khan - Co-Founder of Re:store Justice. Adnan also created FIRSTWATCH, a media filmmaking project produced entirely by incarcerated men at San Quentin State Prison. Adnan works in collaboration with survivors of crime, currently and formerly incarcerated people, district attorneys, CDCR officials and other stakeholders to move towards restorative practices. While incarcerated he Co-Founded the organization Re:store Justice and worked on the felony/murder rule legislation, Senate Bill 1437. The bill passed in August 2018 and on January, 18th 2019, Adnan was the first person re-sentenced under the bill he helped create. Today, he is continuing his advocacy & work at Re:store Justice. He was also featured in the podcast out of San Quentin called Ear Hustle.