Narrative

Fifty years ago, the United States embarked on a path of mass incarceration that has led to a staggering increase in the prison population. Today, almost 2 million individuals – disproportionately Black Americans – are incarcerated in our nation’s prisons and jails. The prison population has grown 500% since 1973, the year America began to sharply increase its prison population.

The social, moral, and fiscal costs associated with the large-scale, decades-long investment in mass imprisonment cannot be justified by any evidence of its effectiveness. Misguided changes in sentencing law and policy – not crime – account for the majority of the increase in correctional supervision. Mass incarceration instigates poor physical, psychological, and economic outcomes for the people who experience imprisonment, for their families, as well as for the broader community. Imprisonment leads to declining prospects for employment and results in lower earnings in the longer term. Food insecurity, housing instability, and reliance on public assistance are also associated with prior imprisonment.

This year the Holy Breath Conglomerates NFP and a coalition of advocates, experts, and partners are launching a public education campaign, 50 Years and a Wake Up: Ending The Mass Incarceration Crisis In America. The campaign raises awareness about the dire state of the criminal legal system in the country, the devastating impact of incarceration on communities and families, and proposes more effective crime prevention strategies for our country.

The title for this campaign was born out of a colloquial phrase that incarcerated people sometimes use to describe the life of their sentence, plus one day (e.g. “I have 20 years and a wake up”). It also serves as a double-entendre, calling for our country to “wake up” to the harsh and dangerous realities of mass incarceration in America.

Goals and Objectives of this Campaign

The goal of this campaign is to leverage the historical significance of the current year as an opportunity to build widespread awareness of mass incarceration’s devastating impact on American communities and propose more effective paths forward.

By working in partnership we can leverage our collective resources to produce a robust slate of communications and activities, reaching a larger audience than any one of us could connect with individually.

The name of this campaign originates from a phrase often used by incarcerated individuals to describe the length of their sentence: “I’ve got 20 years and a wake up.” The “wake up” refers to the day they are released from incarceration.

This title reflects our commitment to connecting with justice-impacted individuals and advocates. It also serves as a double-entendre, calling for our country to “wake up” to the harsh realities of mass incarceration.

Our Call to Action

The Holy Breath Conglomerates launched the Why Initiative in March of 2022 to shed light on mass incarceration and excessive sentencing. Seventy-seven years for an armed robbery is excessive, no? Well our criminal justice system does not think so. We are committed to restoring and reviving the youth of Chicago by providing high-quality civic learning opportunities and community service projects that enable them to challenge inequality. Check out Kevin Gray's Story here.

Support our, Civic Life Program which engages youth in the following:

Civil Discourse

Youth Governance

Community Service

Project Based Learning

50 Years and A Wake Up

Y? Hold our Youth?

Team Members