The United States leads the world in incarceration rates—driven by deep economic and racial inequities—and the impacts of one’s criminal background continue even after their time is served. Limited access to jobs, housing, and financial resources creates a cycle in which incarceration and poverty reinforce one another, affecting families and broader communities.

Join Jerry Blassingame, author, community leader, and executive director of Soteria Community Development Corporation, and Furman sociology professor Dr. Geniece Crawford Mondé, for a panel discussion on breaking these cycles. Drawing on lived experiences, research, and community leadership, Blassingame and Mondé will discuss the historical context behind current inequities fueling mass incarceration and barriers to opportunity after prison. After landscaping the issues, speakers will engage in a solutions-oriented dialogue on policy solutions and practical pathways to reentry.