On Wednesday, April 6, the advocacy group Building Justice in Berks will screen Incarcerating US, the first of four feature length films in a series about over-criminalization and criminal justice reform. The group hopes to encourage community dialogue about alternatives to mass incarceration and the nature of Berks County’s future jail.
“This jail is the largest financial project ever undertaken by the county,” said founder and activist Crystal Kowalski. “It will impact our wallets, our environment, and generations of Berks County families whose lives are shaped by incarceration.”
“The citizens of Berks County have a legitimate interest in the decisions that are made regarding the new prison and our voices should be heard and considered,” said retired Judge Arthur E Grim. “There are critical factors to be addressed including community safety, cost to taxpayers, the implementation and enhancement of programs of restorative justice, and right sizing of the facility. If we draw upon the collective expertise of government, civic leaders, impacted citizens, and justice system experts we may find it less cost prohibitive and better for the health of the community.”
Building Justice in Berks came together in January this year as Berks County Commissioners renewed their plans to build a new county jail. Building Justice in Berks is presenting this film series in partnership with: Bullfrog Films, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Barrio Alegria, Berks Stands Up, Lancaster Bail Fund, League of Women Voters of Berks County, NAACP Reading Branch # 2289, Reading Film Fest, Sunrise PA, and ACLU PA.
Each film showing will be followed by a talkback session with audience members and an opportunity to deposit comments or questions into a drop-box. A panel discussion will be held after the final film in the series, addressing topics of interest that arose during the series, and topics submitted through the drop-box.
Films in the series:
Incarcerating US exposes America’s prison problem and explores ways to unshackle the Land of the Free through vital criminal justice reforms.
Seats at the Table focuses on a unique college class that brings students together with the residents of a maximum-security juvenile correctional center through the study of Russian literature
The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic story of human potential and transformation as it documents the stories of a group of prisoners as they enter into an arduous vipassana meditation program.
Unguarded takes us inside the walls of APAC, the revolutionary Brazilian prison system centered on restorative justice and the full recovery of the person.
WHERE: GoggleWorks’ Albert & Eunice Boscov Film Theater, 201 Washington Street, Reading
WHEN: Wednesday April 6 at 7PM – Incarcerating US
Wednesday April 13 at 7 PM – Seats at the Table
Wednesday April 27 at 7PM – The Dhamma Brothers
Wednesday May 4 at 7PM – Unguarded
