From Truthout:
Shadeed Beaver, who is 13 years into a 27-year prison sentence, was excited when he first learned about “Bridges To Life,” a restorative justice class offered at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, Washington. The class, which pairs incarcerated people with victims of crime, guides participants through conversations aimed at developing mutual understanding. It provides a rare opportunity for incarcerated people to confront the harm of their actions — and for people who have been harmed to understand some of the factors that lead to crime.
Beaver paid close attention during the first class, as they discussed how crime affects entire communities — not just the direct participants and victims. But at the end of the class, a prison guard demanded he submit to a strip search before returning to the prison’s living unit.
Beaver was taken aback. Guards sat close by the entire class, and there were cameras everywhere. The nonincarcerated participants had badges allowing them access to the prison. His friends who had taken the class previously never had to be strip searched afterward. Coninue reading >>>>
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