Recently Derrick Washington, the founder of Emancipation Initiative, was published in The Boston Globe arguing for the abolition of life sentences. Please read that article linked here and vote “yes” in the poll at the end that Massachusetts must abolish life without parole sentences.
Below find Derrick’s longer form piece about why Massachusetts must abolish life without parole sentences.
1,200+ SLAVES OF THE STATE
by Derrick Washington
Some were shocked when the USA Today released an article in August of 2014 titled “YEP, SLAVERY IS STILL LEGAL” Massachusetts holds 1,200+ incarcerated persons who are condemned to a Life Without the possibility of Parole (LWOP) prison sentence. LWOP is slavery and certainly needs to go. A move to strike all Massachusetts LWOP sentences would restore dignity throughout the State, strengthen communities and promote equity throughout the criminal legal system.
Shackled at the ankles while cuffed at the wrists, I myself was placed in a kennel sized partition until I arrived at some cut out swath in the wilderness. There, stood a fortified concrete structure bounded by endless reams of barbed wire, menacing guard towers and what seemed like a limitless line of fencing. Hovering above were rain clouds, presaging a cascading distillation of misery to follow. Stricken by the novelty of such an atavistic experience, a condemned bunch of us stood expressionless with low hanging heads. Still shackled at the ankles, chains screeched against the concrete as we trudged into a heavily guarded multi complexed structure. Most of us had no idea what awaited us inside. However, we were certain that for some of us who were sentenced to LWOP, our foreseeable futures would consist of relentless pain, hopelessness and suffering.
The United State’s Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments abolished chattel slavery and asserted American citizenship to those persons who’ve been generationally deprived of such for centuries. However, the ‘gift’ and ‘curse’ of the 13th amendment resuscitates its reverberating pulses of slavery through it’s ‘exception’ clause which is solely realized through a sanction of LWOP prison sentences.
LWOP incarceration as slavery is unique from the traditional mode of chattel slavery in which most people associate with ‘whips’ and ‘chains.’ Slavery in the sense of LWOP is described as an incarcerated person existing indefinitely as chattel property of the State of Massachusetts absent any chance of regaining their liberty. Chattel simply means an article of personal, movable property. Slavery in its absoluteness means existing as property of another which, could range from sex trafficking, bondage, or any form of involuntary prolonged restraint while under the direct or indirect control of another or, State.
Those condemned to LWOP become limitlessly deprived of an ability to participate in the political process and are denied any inkling of hope.
The Ninth Amendment ensures that although certain rights are not enumerated in the U.S. Constitution, ‘shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.’ As evidenced in this language, the Ninth Amendment offers an interpretation as ‘hope’ being a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Foreclosing any sense of hope for the current 1,200+ incarcerated lifers has an adverse effect on incarcerated families, and many urban & inner city communities. There are countless men & woman from MADOC’s 1,200+ LWOP population who are invaluable assets to our communities and can serve to educate youth and young adults to avoid missteps that spur cyclical spells of a school to prison pipeline. Just visit an AACC or Lifer’s Group meeting at MCI Norfolk and you’ll quickly become a believer in Restorative Justice while being in the presence of LWOP prisoners.
Post released LWOPers are a unique population who are able to speak to future generations on how their decisions had grave consequences. Having credible mentors who’ve actually made it out of Massachusetts’s graveyards of exclusion (prisons) to return to the community and assist in channeling youth violence into positive pro social community activities is what my community needed and wholesomely lacked.
Abolishing LWOP sentences not only restores dignity in a system that is deeply flawed in rendering equitable outcomes throughout the criminal legal system but, it will in turn infuse a sense of faith in a system where outcomes differ based on class and privilege. For instance, LWOP sentences are distributed inequitably as persons such as John Martorano involved in the Bulger proceedings admittedly confessed to killing over 20 people received 12-15 years, while there are many others who languish in a Massachusetts prison cell indefinitely as a result of a single hearsay witness’s testimony. Such facts belie an interest for public safety and more so illustrate the autonomy in which overzealous prosecutors wield over the process to pursue LWOP.
A primary force in administering LWOP is not for public safety reasons and largely for retribution. Retribution is relevant in the conversation of ending LWOP. I extend my love and highest regard to anyone who has ever lost a loved one to senseless violence. Unfortunately, there is no way to compensate a family member, friend or loved one for a loss of life. However, as an evolving society, it’s important we don’t remain at the endless gates of retribution steadily and arbitrarily picking and choosing ‘who’ deserves a harsher penalty than who. Everybody deserves to have hope. Taking another life through LWOP sentencing and making another family suffer after an offender has demonstrated absolute growth, self-correction and a wisdom for resolve is senseless. As a State, we must value all citizens and refuse to let the worst of some bring out the worst in us. Norway and other nations value all their citizens which is of no surprise that their Constitution’s don’t reflect LWOP sentences.
Abolishing LWOP will not open a flood gate for undeserving freedom seekers to unleash bedlam upon society. In fact, it would restore hope by allowing those who’ve grown from their experiences and allow review for prospective release which, if granted would be given under strict monitoring conditions as has been the case of those serving life With Parole. SUFFRAGE + CITIZENSHIP = DIGNITY #ENDLWOP
Your Student & Champion,
Derrick Washington
Emancipation Initiative (EI)
emancipation@gmail.com
@MassPowerVote
Facebook: @emancipation.initiative
Families for Justice As Healing (FJAH)
Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign (HPDC)
Young Abolitionist (YA)
Formerly Incarcerated and Incarcerated Men (FIIRM)
Corrlinks.com (to set up email, type in slave #W89316)
2019-2020 Legislative Session
Update: The Judiciary Committee Hearing is now scheduled for Tuesday, October 8th at 11am at the Massachusetts Statehouse, 24 Beacon Street, Room A-1, Boston MA 02133. We need to show up in strong support to show why we need to #EndLWOP.
The best way to get Hearing Room A-1 is through the Bowdoin Street entrance at the intersection of Bowdoin Street and Ashburton Place. Feel free to call us, 617-869-2773, if you’re having trouble finding the Hearing Room.
In 2019, in the first time in Massachusetts history, legislation was introduced to end the sentence of life without parole. S.826/H.3358, An Act to Reduce Mass Incarceration, would reinstate the possibility of parole after 25 years. Importantly, this legislation would be retroactive, meaning that it would apply to all of our loved ones who are currently incarcerated on life without parole sentences. With 1000+ people incarcerated in Massachusetts incarcerated on the sentence of life without parole — or death by incarceration — ending this sentence would contribute to reducing mass incarceration in Massachusetts.
We have the power to free our loved ones, and we know that our loved ones can contribute to making our communities safer. We also know that if the money spent to incarcerate our loved ones instead was invested in our communities — communities most impacted by incarceration and violence — we would have stronger and safer communities than anything incarceration could ever give us.
Please email us at emancipationinitiative@gmail.com if you are interested in getting involved and/or would like to testify at the hearing at the State House.
Do you know who your legislators are? Are they on the Judiciary Committee? Find out who your legislators are here.
