Prison, jail, and detention center conditions vary by state—and so do resources on how to work for change. AFSC’s programs in Michigan, Maryland, California, New Jersey, Washington state, Arizona, and Colorado can help you get started.
Incarceration negatively impacts people on both sides of prison, jail, and detention center walls. Many people in confinement are denied access to adequate living conditions, adequate medical and mental health care, meaningful education, and legal and religious materials. Upon return to the community, people are faced with multiple obstacles and lack of access to community-based reentry services.
AFSC works to ameliorate these conditions, both through direct work with people in prison and through advocacy at the state and federal level. AFSC also lifts up the stories of resilience, perseverance, and resistance from people living behind bars.