MAY 31, 2024 INJUSTICE MOTHERS from last page Kat Layton Kat Layton, who is running for County Commissioner in District 6, said this about turning out for the rally. “Today, I am here in solidarity with the many parents, loved ones and mothers of people who are incarcerated in the Women's Huron Valley prison. I appreciate seeing people here today standing together and standing for what is right and what is just, and that is freeing people from these systems of harm and freeing these people from systems of oppression. “The conditions of the prison are historically not [good], and people are dying at disproportionate rates.” Layton believes it is time to use government funds for building healthy communities as opposed to maintaining a broken system." We were interrupted by people chanting: “End Mass Incarceration!” and “Free Krystal Clark!” “I did the Day of Empathy a few years ago, where we talked to different legislators about ending the practice of leaving people in shackles when giving birth and of having their child ripped away from their hands the moment that they do give birth. It's very traumatic,” Layton added. She speaks from authority as she graduated with a degree in Human Development. She continued, “Having a child born in prison is traumatic to the mother, the child and the community. It damages family connections and it damages community connections … It's all interrelated, it's all interconnected.” A common question people have about abolition is, “If we abolish prisons, what will we do with all the criminals?” Layton challenged the assumption. According to her, we don't often think of abolition as something we build as opposed to something we destroy. She believes it is imperative to think through what we can build that is new so that one day we can start relying less on those systems of oppression. Abolition doesn't happen overnight, but it starts with the basics — respite centers, housing, education opportunities, access to medical care. Layton concluded, “It's all of the things that are truly investing in the community. We will have less people perpetrating harm because there's no harm being perpetrated on them.” A sense of community also leads to crime prevention because to be part of a healthy community is to have Lark from Lansing General Defense Committee people who love and support you and also put you in check if you behave counter to cultural expectations, According to Layton: “Accountability is community.“ To learn more about Day of Empathy, visit https://dream.org/day-of-empathy/ see MOTHERS page 11 GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7
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