by Eric C. Sapp, LSPC Staff Attorney Prefatory Note: This an abridged version of a text written in spring of 2023, in the context of advocacy regarding carceral wages. §1 Workers’ rights are human rights; let it be stated unequivocally that incarcerated workers are workers. §2 The prison and industrial capitalism arose in tandem. Carceral … [Read more...] about Theses on Labor, Exploitation, & Incarceration
Legal
Immigration, Citizenship, and the Constitution (Jurisprudence for Jailhouse Lawyers, Part VI)
by Eric C. Sapp, LSPC Staff Attorney Few provisions of the U.S. Constitution are clearer than the Fourteenth Amendment’s opening clause: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” U.S. Const. Amend. 14, Sec. 1 (emphasis added). Unambiguously, the … [Read more...] about Immigration, Citizenship, and the Constitution (Jurisprudence for Jailhouse Lawyers, Part VI)
CALIFORNIA ON LOCKDOWN: Know Your Rights
On June 12, CDCR placed all Level III and Level IV facilities on an indefinite lockdown due to an alleged increase in “violence, overdoses, and the discovery of contraband.” This affects 23 facilities and 34,000 incarcerated people. The lockdown effectively restricts internal movement (including to showers and dining halls), cuts off in-person and virtual visitation, prevents … [Read more...] about CALIFORNIA ON LOCKDOWN: Know Your Rights
A Brief History of Hunger Strikes
by Eric C. Sapp, LSPC Staff Attorney If the traditional struggle concerning nutrition in carceral facilities is that of getting enough food of decent quality, and adequate hydration1, the hunger strike inverts the situation. The hunger striker refuses the state’s regimen as an act of noncooperation, to which protest the authorities react by seeking to reimpose order and … [Read more...] about A Brief History of Hunger Strikes
Pride in Our Policy: Implementing the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act
Editor's Note: As we celebrate Pride Month, we want to recognize and center our transgender and LGBTQ+ members in custody, who face unique challenges and discrimination due to their identities. California has taken steps to improve the conditions transgender people endure in prisons, most notably in 2020 with SB 132: the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act. In 2025, … [Read more...] about Pride in Our Policy: Implementing the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act
