From Vera:
Introduction
Restoring Promise is an initiative of the Vera Institute of Justice that seeks
to transform prison cultures, climates, and spaces by partnering with
correctional leaders to reimagine housing units for young adults and realign
corrections policies and practices with a commitment to human dignity.
Transforming the United States prison system has been the goal of Vera’s
groundbreaking work with corrections agencies since 2016, when Vera and
the MILPA Collective opened the first of now seven young adult housing
units in five states. Testimony from corrections staff and incarcerated
people and results from a randomized control trial of Restoring Promise
units in South Carolina demonstrate what Vera knows to be true: when we
treat people with dignity, we can create a sense of purpose beyond custody
and control, forge community, and make prisons safer.
We connect the root causes and consequences of mass incarceration
to explore how it manifests in the conditions of those working or
incarcerated in carceral settings, and work to shift correctional culture to
ensure that if people are confined, they are treated with dignity. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, are a set of international guidelines that outline standards for housing and
treatment of incarcerated people. These Dignity Principles draw inspiration from the Nelson Mandela Rules, build on lessons from our work to open young adult housing units in prisons and jails, and were formed in partnership with national organizations working in and with prison systems and jurisdictions to significantly reduce harm for all who are incarcerated. The guidelines for physical design changes were informed by engagement with Restoring Promise’s partner MASS Design Group. Together, we created this set of dynamic principles focused on human dignity to help corrections professionals, incarcerated people,
and advocates, including nonprofit leaders and government officials,
improve prison conditions and culture. Although the Dignity Principles
provide a guide to create more humane environments in prisons,
Restoring Promise also encourages decarceration to reduce the number
of people held in prison and eliminate the racial disparities behind
prisons walls.
Read the full report here.
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