“Everyone sits in the prison of his own ideas; he must burst it open, and that in his youth, and so try to test his ideas on reality.” TryingIdeasRealityYouthTestsPrison Book:Einstein on Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms Source: Einstein on Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms
“In a society where some people are far more educated than others, in which public education is ill-funded - here I am speaking of the U.S. - while we build more and more prisons to incarcerate youth who ought to be in school, there is already a gap between those with education and those without. Those with educational privilege can be seen as arrogant, remote, alien - and very often they believe themselves superior.” PeopleBelieveSchoolYouthOughtPrisonIllPrivilegeEducationalSuperiorsEducatedAliensGapsArrogantHere I AmPublic EducationPeaking Author:Adrienne Rich
“We would never throw up our hands and say to those white boys - well, too bad, if you had just stayed away from marijuana or not dealt dope to your friends when you were 18 you wouldn't be serving a life sentence in prison right now. You wouldn't be locked out of jobs, unable to even get work at McDonalds. No, instead we'd say, "What's wrong with us as a nation that we would condemn so many of our young men to a life of poverty, exclusion, and scorn simply because they made a few mistakes in their youth?".” IfsMenWellsMadeHandsJobsYoungNationsWhiteMistakeBoysPovertyYouthRight NowPrisonSentencesYoung ManServingMarijuanaLockedScornDopeExclusionMcdonalds Author:Michelle Alexander
“Not many academics do labor education. Why not? The need is great. This is where the youth are so important. If faculty were as engaged as young students are in anti sweatshop campaigns, prison campaigns, etc., it would be a good thing.” IfsNeedsImportantWould BeYoungYouthStudentsLaborPrisonGood ThingsCampaignsEngagedEtcFacultyWhy NotSweatshopsYoung Students Author:Michael Yates
“I live a much better life without having to worry about people chasing me. I spent five years in prison from 21 to 26, which is probably the best part of my youth behind bars. I was in some very bad prisons overseas as well. It was not a fun life, it was a very lonely life in reality. I was a smart enough kid to know that I was going to get caught. The law sometimes sleeps, but the law never dies. I knew it was just a matter of time. I would be caught and I'd get punished and face the consequences.” PeopleSometimesEnoughRealityKidsFunSleepWorryYouthSmartConsequenceLonelyPrisonBetter Life Author:Frank Abagnale
“Furthermore, the financial and social investment in prisons means that black and brown youth become, essentially, fodder for the machinery of capitalized incarceration. The steady supply of guns in the U.S. makes an already untenable situation even more dangerous, and all of us must raise our voices, write to Congress, hit the streets in protest, attend budget meetings of local municipalities - all to state our opposition to such criminal procedures and practices for our youth.” WritingMeanBlackSituationDangerousYouthGunPrisonMeetingsInvestmentFinancialProtestSteadyIncarceration Author:Michael Eric Dyson
“Death, torture and prison are part of daily life for the youth of Iran. They are not like us, my friends and I at their age; they are not scared. They are not what we were. They hold hands and scream: “Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! We are together!” They understand that no one will give them their rights; they must go get them.” GivingHandsAgeTogetherRightsYouthMy FriendsPrisonScaredTortureDaily LifeIranScreamHolding Hands Author:Marjane Satrapi