The members of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) celebrated their 40th-anniversary last week at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. The group provides legal advocacy and works to create policies that will positively affect those who are in prison or have recently been released from it.
There were three guest speakers at the gala: Journalist Marc Lamont Hill of Black News Tonight, Vonya Quarles, the executive director of Starting Over Inc., and Michelle Alexander, author of the book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Each spoke about the work they’re doing to advocate for alternatives to prison and the idea that it is not the only form of punishment that can be used.
“The way that people look at prison right now in this moment is different than how people looked at prison 40 years ago. Having a sold-out event, a room full of people to discuss prison reform, is new,” said Dorsey Nunn, the group’s executive director.