The latest piece supported by Solitary Watch’s Ridgeway Reporting Project is written by Christopher Blackwell, an award-winning journalist and grassroots organizer incarcerated in Washington State. Below is an excerpt from his piece exposing the state‘s manipulation of a victim protection policy to censor his freedom of expression and that of other incarcerated individuals. Read an excerpt below and find the full story at The Appeal.
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In February 2021, Washington State Representative David Hackney invited me to testify in support of legislation reforming the state’s use of convictions in juvenile court to increase adult sentences and requiring courts to consider the science around brain development for young adults when deciding on punishments. I was excited to share my story. Given I had entered the juvenile system for the first time at 12 years old, I had a lot to share. I was also with my wife, Chelsea Moore, one of the key authors of the bill…