Personal Empowerment
Your Child’s Destiny:
Prison Should Not be an Option
In addition to initiatives to help African
American youth survive encounters with the
police, a number of organizations are promoting ways to help parents educate their children on the types of behaviors that will help
keep them from being incarcerated, and when
already incarcerated, how to re-enter society
once released from prison.
One such organization is Mothers
(Fathers) for the Advancement of Social Systems Inc (MASS) which was founded to help
newly released prisoners readjust to life on
the outside. Joyce Ann Brown, who died on
June 13, founded the organization based on
her own experience. Brown was incarcerated
for nearly a decade for a robbery and murder
she did not commit. As a result, she knew
firsthand how difficult it can be to re-enter
society after an extended stay in the penal
system.
26 HimPower August 2015
Her legacy lives on through MASS with
the help of her daughter, Koquice Spencer
who travels around the country helping to
keep the conversations going. Recently, Spencer was co-keynote speaker for Your Child’s
Destiny - Prison Should Not be an Option
sponsored by Brookland Baptist Church Prison
Ministry (SC). She was joined by co-keynote
speaker, Kimberly Jenkins-Snodgrass, an Army
veteran, consultant to MASS and volunteer at
the Center on Wrongful Convictions/Women’s Project, Northwestern Law.
To learn how you can get MASS
involved in your church or community, contact: Kimberly Jenkins-Snodgrass via email
at [email protected].
Or how you can start Your Child’s Destiny Prison Should Not be an Option in your community, contact
[email protected].