morethanstatistics-blog

[morethanstatistics-blog]

The following poem was written by incarcerated youth participating in the Performing Statistics Program. The audio is mixed by Catherine Komp.

I am powerful

I live a lifestyle that nobody knows

People shooting guns with life from the sun

Where I’m from we don’t have a sky or enough high school graduates

I was surrounded by potheads, but realized they were just kids like me

In and out of these brick walls

But light is all i wanna see

Just because I’m from the bricks doesn’t mean I don’t fit in college getting a degree

I’m smarter than you think

I am sixteen, fifteen, fourteen years old 

I am not a criminal

I am not an animal

I am powerful

When I was growing up my neighborhood sounded like police sirens

Smelled like old piss

And felt like a place with no hope

But it shouldn’t be where you are from

But where you want to be

Give me freedom

And I’ll bet I’ll succeed

If I had a superpower it would be to save people from dying

To take my mom’s cancer away

If justice transformed I would be doing work instead of time

You would hear me say we need freedom for unity

You will see what I did as an outlet instead of a crime

Teach me math, science, reading and language arts

Believe that I am powerful

And I will become something one day

I am outspoken

And I can not be broken

I will not be ashamed of who I am

Believe me

Believe me

Believe me

I am powerful

I am powerful

I am powerful

Read In Richmond, Art Brings Together Police and Incarcerated Youth

[morethanstatistics-blog]

TODAY! NPR’s WCVE published their first, in a two part radio series, on the widespread efforts to transform Virginia’s Juvenile Justice System. The piece features art from our Performing Statistics project and powerful thoughts, stories, and dreams from our legal partners at Legal Aid Justice Center and the RISE Coalition's Youth Advocacy Network!

http://ideastations.org/radio/news/building-community-alternatives-virginias-juvenile-justice-system

[morethanstatistics-blog]

This August, in partnership with the Richmond Police Department, ART 180′s Performing Statistic project used the art and training manuals created by incarcerated teens to train close to 75 active duty officers, school resource officers, and new police recruits.

The trainings led to powerful, challenging, human conversations and culminated with a rare community forum where youth, police and community members came together to try and reduce arrests in Richmond. Stay tuned to WCVE for a full report!!

#morethanstats #prisonsdontwork #RPD #art180 #performingstatistics #NPR #WCVE

[morethanstatistics-blog]

Throughout the fall, alongside the powerful art of the youth in our program, we will be posting various juvenile justice statistics. The photos include portraits of members of the Youth Advocacy Network (YAN). YAN works with youth who have personally experienced the juvenile justice system to dismantle the school to prison pipeline.

Find out more about their work here: http://www.riseforyouth.org/about/youth-for-rise-advocacy-network/

Stay posted and join the conversation!

All statistics provided by Legal Aid Justice Center.

#morethanstats #performingstatistics #lajc #RISEforYouth #wcve #npr #RVA #prisonsdontwork

[morethanstatistics-blog]

And we’re live! 

This summer, over the course of 8 weeks, ART 180 worked with an amazing group of incarcerated youth to reimagine the juvenile justice system.  These teens created incredible films, photos, poems, murals, police training manuals and much more. Their voices, stories and dreams are powerful, challenging, and urgently need to be heard!

This fall we are so excited to partner with Community Ideas Stations to share artwork created by the teens in our Performing Statistics program. The blog More Than Statistics is a constructive stage to elevate and inspire community conversations around policing, juvenile justice reform, and public safety. Follow the blog below and join the conversation with:

#MoreThanStats

#ART180 #Performingstatistics #prisonsdontwork #schooltoprisonpipeline