🔊 LEGACIES OF RESISTANCE IN CA PRISONS 

A series on the history of imprisoned-led resistance in California, and what it means for the fight to close prisons today. Check out and share the full post here

California's prisons have always been sites of resistance. For our second post of this series (check out the first here: bit.ly/prisonlor1), we focus on Ironwood State Prison, located in Blythe, CA.

We feature the work of CURB member organization Democracy Beyond Bars (DBB) — an incarcerated-led abolitionist organization whose mission is to contribute to the decarceration and closure of US prisons and the self-agency of incarcerated people. DBB has chapters in Ironwood and various other state prisons. 

Comment “DBB” if you are interested in ways to support their work!  

Ironwood State Prison is a site of climate hazards, one of eight prisons most vulnerable to extreme heat according to @ellabakercenter’s Hidden Hazards report. In collaboration with inside advocates, this report uplifts key recommendations to effectively mitigate climate hazards inside California prisons such as reducing the size of the incarcerated population, creating and implementing rapid release policies, prioritizing prisons vulnerable to climate hazards for closure, and more.

Blythe is one of the many towns in California impacted by a false promise during California’s prison construction boom. In many rural communities, prisons were sold as a solution to economic decline and instead created dependence on a single, unsustainable economy which failed to lift the town out of poverty. 

Our communities must demand better than economic dependence on incarceration and human suffering. Prison closures can generate $150 million annually in savings. Imagine what these funds could do if invested in community needs. 

What have you heard about Ironwood Prison? Comment your experiences or stories of resistance below!