By Jeff Kronenfeld

The Copper State’s capitol will be filled by the

voices of the voiceless next week. They will ask lawmakers to stop the

unprecedented rise in the number of Arizonans being thrown in prison. Legendary

rock guitarist Wayne Kramer and the ReFraming Justice Project of American

Friends Service Committee-Arizona (AFSC-AZ) are making sure those pleas are

heard. Kramer will perform with a group of musicians that are directly impacted by the criminal

justice system at

Kick Out the Jams for Justice on Monday, January 20. ReFraming Justice Day 2020

begins the next morning. Directly impacted people will take the lead again, sharing their

experiences with lawmakers.

For Grace Gámez — program coordinator of AFSC-AZ’s ReFraming Justice Project — the events are the culmination of years of work. She founded the ReFraming Justice Project as a way for directly impacted people to share their stories with the community. Over time, its mission expanded. Now it conducts research on mass incarceration, helps the released reintegrate and empowers them to advocate for reform. Despite the growth in its mission over the years, the group never forgot the power of the story. “I felt like if the stories of directly impacted people were told in these public ways that it might create an opening for our communities to think about not just folks who've been system involved, but also how they vote,” Gámez said.

Arizona has the fourth-highest rate of incarceration in the country. Over 41,000 people are in prison around the state, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. AFSC-AZ advocates for reforming this bloated system and doing more to support those it impacts. The organization built relationships with lawmakers and, of course, those who know what life is really like on the inside. It also fostered links to other nonprofits and advocacy groups, both in and out of the state. This will be the second ReFraming Justice Day.

Unlike the previous year’s event, this one will

feature musical performances from an icon of rock history. Kramer is a founding

member of MC5, a legendary rock band formed in Michigan in 1963. Their

hard-driving beats and politically aware lyrics influenced generations of

musicians from The Clash to Rage Against the Machine. The band was successful,

landing on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1969, but broke up in 1972.

Kramer became involved in the cocaine trade. Eventually, he was arrested and

served time in federal prison from 1975 through 1978.

The Clash released the song “Jail Guitar Doors”

the same year Kramer was released. The song immortalized Kramer’s days as a

rocker and then outlaw. In 2007, Billy Bragg began bringing music and

instruments into prisons in the U.K. to honor a deceased bandmate from The

Clash. Kramer learned of the initiative and wanted to start a version in

America. He and Bragg launched Jail Guitars Doors USA in 2009. The nonprofit

donated instruments to 157 penal institutions throughout the country since then.

It developed a trauma-based songwriting program currently operating in 11

prisons nationally, including Arizona. They also work with youth populations in

and out of penal institutions. Graduates of the program locally will perform

with Kramer for the Kick Out the Jams for Justice event at First Church UCC

Phoenix. Before the concert, Gámez will moderate a discussion panel with all

the musicians, including Kramer.

Another exciting part of ReFraming Justice Day

this year is a program to train directly impacted people to become leaders in advocating for reform. Such

leadership development efforts are run by many organizations across the

political spectrum. What makes the RFJ Leaders program so revolutionary is that

it empowers some of the most marginalized people in society: former prisoners.

In preparation for Tuesday’s lobbying marathon,

the 15-members of the RFJ Leaders program participated in three educational

workshops. Of course, one focused directly on legislative advocacy. AFSC-AZ

Communications Director Joe Watson facilitated another group workshop. He

covered how directly

impacted people can

interface with the media. Participants are trained on how to handle intrusive

or insulting questions and even get to practice skills in mock interviews.

Gámez led the third workshop. It teaches former inmates how to share their

stories in three minutes or less. This is valuable not just in advocacy work,

but also for job interviews and in other situations.  

ReFraming Justice Day 2020 will begin with Kramer

performing the national anthem in the Rose Garden of the Capitol next Tuesday

at 10 a.m. This will be followed by speakers with experience in the system

sharing their stories and insights, such as Matthew Charles. He was one of the

first people released as a result of the federal First Step Act last year.

His story catapulted onto the national stage when he was unable to find a place to live due to his criminal background. This experience is extremely common for the formerly incarcerated. What was less common is that Charles attended the State of the Union address as First Lady Melania Trump’s personal guest. He was saved from state-sanctioned homelessness by the intervention of Kim Kardashian West. Charles will speak about the need to modernize Arizona’s sentencing practices. “When a person comes out, we banish them from our communities. We make it really hard for a person to reintegrate into their families, into their neighborhoods, and into the workforce,” Gámez explained. “Then, when folks fail, we blame them.”

Arizona’s 2020 legislative session commenced on January 13. AFSC-AZ has yet to officially endorse any specific bills, but they will be supporting a range of policy reforms. Bills meaningfully addressing collateral consequences, reducing the 85% rule, increasing substance abuse treatment options and re-entry are the kind of policies they advocate for. However, there are four anti-LGBT+ bills — HB2080, HB2081, HB2082, and SB 1082 — they oppose. Above all, they will advocate for those impacted by laws to have a role in drafting them, including those that are LGBT+. “I am proud that we have finally arrived at a moment when the voices of those impacted by incarceration and mass criminalization are heard as credible and respected sources on these issues,” Gámez said. “This day is explicitly focused on pouring into the leadership capacity of directly impacted people and connecting them to meaningful opportunities to engage and to lead.”