REICI
racial equity in corrections initiative (REICI)
The Racial Equity In Corrections Initiative (REICI) is an organization-wide effort to eliminate institutional racism and its impact on Black and Brown prisoners in the day-to-day operations of Massachusetts’ prisons and jails.
mission
The Racial Equity in Corrections Initiative (REICI) is an organization-wide initiative offered through Prisoner Legal Services, a nonprofit and anti-racist organization, that advocates equity and the humane treatment of incarcerated people in the Commonwealth. REICI’s mission is to build awareness, solutions, and leadership to combat institutional racism and the discriminatory treatment of black and brown people in day-to-day correctional operations through client and legislative advocacy; community building and education; internal efforts designed to increase staff understanding of racial equity work and an anti-racist policy; and litigation.
We strive for a healthy and prosperous society that promotes all people having equitable access to opportunity, including incarcerated populations. We recognize that to achieve our vision, we must lead in making the changes we want to see in society. Our charge is to:
- Remain steadfast in our commitment to respect the humanity of all incarcerated individuals while acknowledging that to do so means we must be actively conscious about race and racism and take action to end racial inequities;
- Stand in the gap to directly support Black & Brown people affected by inequity;
- Create space at the table for all groups to contribute and commit ourselves to involving staff, community members & families as partners in the ongoing process of developing and implementing racial equity work in the correction system; and,
- Engage in earnest dialogue and active listening in order to better understand those who are different from us, staff and clients alike.
why is reici important?
In Massachusetts, Blacks and Latinx make up 54% of the prison population, despite making up less than 22% of the state’s population.
REICI is a complex and ambitious undertaking, as such, PLS has a number of projects that work towards achieving the goals set forth above.
Innovations in Anti Racism to Address the Overdose Crisis
PLS has been awarded a grant from RIZE for a project entitled Innovations in Anti-Racism to Address the Overdose Crisis. This project will support our efforts to ensure equitable access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Black and Brown prisoners. The project is the first legal-medical advocacy clinic of its kind and will incorporate a multi-faceted approach to challenge the Massachusetts Department of Corrections’ failure to provide prisoners of color (POC) equitable access to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment.
The project is funded by a grant from RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, Inc., a foundation committed to ending the opioid epidemic and reducing its devastating impact on people, families, and communities.
PRISONERS’ LEGAL SERVICES
50 Federal St., 4th Floor, Boston MA 02110