Family

319 | Ray Luc Levasseur on Parenting in Prison

Up first, we have our monthly round up of prison disturbances, as compiled by Perilous Chronicle. In celebration of over 300 consecutive weekly episodes of Kite Line, we are revisiting some features from our archive of shows. In this clip from Episode 58, which aired in 2017, we return to the topic of incarceration’s impact…

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314 | Prison’s Impact on Families

We are again sticking close to home this week. We share the second part of a panel on the effects of incarceration on families. Max E. Smith, Becky Harris, Stacy Flynn, and Ashley C. Ford speak on their experiences of having incarcerated loved ones or how their time inside affected their family members. All Indiana…

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313 | Incarceration’s Burden

We are sticking close to home this week. We share the first part of a panel on the effects of incarceration on families. Max E. Smith, Becky Harris, Stacy Flynn, and Ashley C. Ford speak on their experiences of having incarcerated loved ones or how their time inside affected their family members. All Indiana residents,…

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253 | Truth Never Dies

This week, we hear from Koby Bluitt, daughter of Leon Benson, a long time Indiana prisoner and organizer. She tells us about Leon, their relationship, and her current efforts to help him get free. We’ve covered Leon’s case on Kite Line before: a case of poor eyewitness testimony that helped convict the man of a…

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251 | Parole Illinois, Part Two

Last week, we heard from Kim, Shari, Lauren, Pablo and Brian about Parole Illinois, a group fighting to reinstate, as they put it, “earned discretionary reentry”. This is the last of a two-part conversation with them. In 1978, Illinois abolished discretionary parole system. Today, it remains one of just sixteen states (plus the District of…

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250 | Parole Illinois, Part One

We start this episode with our monthly list of prison disturbances compiled by Perilous Chronicle, an journalistic collective that tracks prisoner protests across the US and Canada. Afterwards, we share the first part of a conversation with people working with Parole Illinois, a group campaigning for a fair and inclusive parole system. In 1978, Illinois…

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171 | Families Speak Out Against the Gladiator Fights, Part Two

As we covered last week, prisoners in California have been subjected to a new and disturbing round of gladiator fights – conflicts between prisoners instigated by guards for their own amusement or to break down solidarity between different groups on the inside.  This week, we continue sharing a powerful conversation with three women whose husbands…

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170 | Families Speak Out Against the Gladiator Fights, Part One

Prisoners in California have been subjected to a new and disturbing round of gladiator fights – conflicts between prisoners instigated by guards for their own amusement or to break down solidarity between different groups on the inside. This week, we will begin sharing a powerful conversation with three women whose husbands have suffered from this…

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156 | Ona Move: Reflections From a MOVE Family

This week, we hear reflections from members of the MOVE Organization. Speaking at the 2019 Fight Toxic Prisons convergence, they give their thoughts on the past and current struggles of MOVE family members behind bars.  Mike Africa, Jr., who was born in prison, speaks about the MOVE Organization, and having his parents on the inside…

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154 | Close Dekalb County Jail

This week, we spoke with participants in the struggle to close Dekalb County jail in Atlanta, Georgia. They walked us through the launch of the movement there, when prisoners smuggled out photos of horrendous conditions inside, which were posted on social media by family members. Since then, a wide range of people have worked to…

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