As we continue our journey in this world as change agents, we learn more and more about the intricacies of intersectionality. We learn that things that we might not necessarily know as connected to be inextricably tied together. This teach-in will explore the intersections among environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and prison abolition. Climate change disproportionately impacts incarcerated people, communities that are targeted for over-policing and punitive criminal justice policies, and communities where prisons, jails, and other carceral institutions are located. Together, speakers, panelists, and you (participants), will explore the intersectionality between mass incarceration and climate change and environmental racism as a whole through discussion and introspection.

At U-M's first Earth Day 50 years ago, there were more than 150 different teach-ins on a wide range of topics, and we hope to capture that spirit with updated teach-ins aimed at tackling the biggest challenges of our time. University of Michigan, the Ecology Center, the City of Ann Arbor, and community organizations are collaborating to host dozens of in-person workshops throughout campus and the city. The workshops will be practical, participatory, and oriented towards action. They’ll hit across a number of schools, colleges, and subject areas, from transportation, ecology, business and humanities, to engineering, human health, public policy, law, and others. This teach-in is hosted by the School of Environment and Sustainability, the Residential College, the Prison Creative Arts Project, and the U-M Carceral State Project.