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Race, Space & Place: How White-Normativity and The Racialized Other concepts impact U.S. Immigration Perceptions, Policy and Detention

December 5, 2014 by Ashley C. Rivera

When analyzing contemporary socio-economic and political issues, it is important to address the histories that shape mainstream national ideologies. Once adopted, these histories highly influence policies relevant to the nation as a whole. Thus, within this blog series I will highlight some of the often ignored historical influences that have guided popular national perceptions of race, space and place. Read more about Race, Space & Place: How White-Normativity and The Racialized Other concepts impact U.S. Immigration Perceptions, Policy and Detention

NEW Report Examines the Costs and Consequences of Vermont’s Over-Reliance on Out-of-State Private, For-Profit Prisons

(MONTPELIER, Vermont) — A new report released today by Grassroots Leadership, a national social justice organization that works to end for-profit incarceration, examines Vermont’s 10-year history of shipping inmates to private prisons out-of-state as a respo Read more about NEW Report Examines the Costs and Consequences of Vermont’s Over-Reliance on Out-of-State Private, For-Profit Prisons

9 Reasons Grassroots Leadership is Thankful Today!

November 26, 2014 by Bob Libal

We have a big challenge at Grassroots Leadership.  There is a lot of work to be done, and fighting a billion dollar for-profit prison industry is not easy work.  But there is also much to be thankful for.  The hard work of Grassroots Leadership staff, volunteers, and allies is really helping change the world to make it more just. Here are a few of the things that we at Grassroots Leadership are thankful for this year.

1. Organizing Wins #ImmigrationAction, & Those Who Continue to Push for #Not1More Deportation! Read more about 9 Reasons Grassroots Leadership is Thankful Today!

Texas Prison Bid'ness:"No Sanctuary: Big Business and Family Detention" premiered in Austin

November 25, 2014

The newest film by Austin-based filmmaker Matthew Gossage about family detention, "No Sanctuary: Big Business and Family Detention" premiered to an audience of over 80 people in Austin, TX last Friday.

The film, a short documentary running about 30 minutes, gives a brief history of family detention and the coalition that brought it to an end at the T. Don Hutto family detention center. It also follows a mother, Sara, who together with her 7-year-old daughter was detained in the newly opened Karnes Family Detention Center. Sara and her daughter, Nayely, won freedom from Karnes after their lawyer took their story to Grassroots Leadership and the media. Nayely has brain cancer and was not receiving medical inside the Karnes County family detention center, which is operated by the GEO Group.

The film is available for advocacy and organizing groups around the country who want to learn more about family detention and what they can do to bring this practice to an end, once and for all.

Watch the trailer below. If you would like to show the film in your commnunity, email tuff@grassrootsleadership.org

  Read more about "No Sanctuary: Big Business and Family Detention" premiered in Austin