Contemporary Issues in Prison Abolition,
With Johnny Perez, Director of U.S. Prisons Program
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Saturday, October 30, 2021
6:30 - 8pm
Sharpless Auditorium
Co-sponsored by Family & Friends Weekend and the Quaker Affairs Office Friend in Residence Program.
Keynote Summary:
Mr. Perez will explore the importance of looking at prison conditions within the context of prison abolition, with an emphasis on the most inhumane conditions and policies, including solitary confinement, and perpetual punishment. He will share lessons from his work across eighteen state campaigns seeking to end solitary, his direct experience with thirteen years of incarceration in New York, and the role of people with justice involvement in shaping a society reflective of our shared values.
Bio:
Drawing on the wisdom of thirteen years of direct involvement with the criminal justice system, Mr. Johnny Perez works as the Director of the U.S. Prisons Program for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, an interfaith membership organization comprised of 325 religious organizations working to end U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Through his leadership, Mr. Perez coordinates NRCAT’s existing campaign efforts to end the torture of solitary confinement, adding value and strategic insight to building the capacity of faith leaders and directly impacted communities to engage in education and legislative advocacy across the United States.
He adds insight and guidance as a proud participant on the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Law Center and the Urban Justice Center, both non-profit public interest law firms advocating for the rights, dignity, equity, and opportunities of underserved populations. Additionally, after three years in solitary confinement, he now leads a national movement to end the practice in coalition with the Unlock the Box Campaign. Mr. Perez recently joined as an advisory board member and research consultant of the Urban Institute’s Prison Research and Innovation Initiative, a comprehensive effort to spur innovation to make prisons humane, safe, and rehabilitative environments.
A sought after speaker and organizer, Johnny has been invited to provide major presentations, and guest lectures, on criminal justice reform at law schools and institutions of higher learning nationwide, including various state, regional, and national conferences on topics including the perpetual consequences of justice involvement, access to higher education, and solitary confinement. His commentary has been published by The New York Times, The Fordham Law Journal, Ebony Magazine, the Daily News, the Washington Post, and USA Today, where he was recently nominated as a USA Today 2020 Leader of Change. Mr. Perez has made appearances on Now This, Capital Tonight, and the Sundance Film Festival . He was recently highlighted in the new short film: After Rikers: Justice by Design about a future NYC without Rikers Island jail complex in New York City. Johnny is a father to a teenage daughter and a three-year-old son. He lives in Harlem and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from St. Francis College of Brooklyn where he continues to mentor formerly incarcerated students and was recently nominated as the inaugural Franciscan Service Fellow.
Photo Credit: Allegra Abramo, by permission of the speaker.