Dear Friend, 

Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on December 10th and was established in 1948 to commemorate the need to continue striving towards making sure that everyone across the globe is granted fundamental human rights. This year, we are proud to celebrate Human Rights Day while simultaneously acknowledging the work that still needs to be done in our criminal legal system to uphold these rights for all citizens. 

At ARC, we know that incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people are deserving of dignity and compassion. Unfortunately, human rights violations occur at every stage of the criminal legal system. This is especially true for children, who are particularly vulnerable when they come into conflict with the law. Every year, 76,000 children are prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system in the United States— 83% of whom are racial minorities. Approximately 4,500 children are currently living in adult facilities, exacerbating underlying trauma. Over half of women incarcerated in prison and 80% of women in jails are mothers-- many of whom are fighting to see their children. ARC works to end these kinds of human rights violations and have been instrumental in a number of policy wins to that end. John, stand with us and make a donation in honor of Human Rights Day and the work ARC does to protect our incarcerated community. 

Get involved in supporting ARC in our fight to: 

• Ensure that all work in prisons is fully voluntary by eliminating laws and policies that punish incarcerated people who are unable or unwilling to work.  

• Allow incarcerated workers the same labor protections afforded to other workers in the United States, including minimum wage, health and safety standards, unionization, protection from discrimination, and speedy access to redress when their rights are violated. 

• Institute comprehensive safety and training programs for all work assignments in correctional institutions.  

• Invest in prison work programs that provide incarcerated workers with marketable skills and educational training that will help them to find and secure employment after release. 

• Eliminate barriers to employment after release. 

• Amend the US Constitution to abolish the 13th Amendment’s exclusion that allows slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. 

It is critical that we ensure that every human voice is heard and that all people everywhere are treated fairly and just. Please consider making a donation in honor of those incarcerated men and women whose right it is to live under a just and fair system.  Your support will help more incarcerated people experience true freedom and allow for their dignity as human beings to be restored and upheld. 

Thank you as always for standing with our community. 

Sincerely, 

Sam Lewis 

Executive Director 

Anti Recidivism Coalition