Protect Your People: A conversation with Raj Jayadev and Imani Shu'la

The courthouse is an important part of every story of mass incarceration in America and, too often, it is a place of powerlessness for those facing criminal charges, their families, and their communities. But the courthouse can also be an important site of resistance, a place where Americans affected by incarceration can become agents of change—even though they are not lawyers or judges. In Protect Your People: How Ordinary Families Are Using Participatory Defense to Challenge Mass Incarceration, celebrated criminal justice advocate Raj Jayadev provides a comprehensive introduction to participatory defense, the incredibly effective community organizing model that leads to better outcomes for criminal cases, shifting power in courtrooms along the way.

On Wednesday, February 19th, Jayadev and Knoxville-based advocate and Community Defense of East Tennessee Executive Director, Imani Shu'la, will host 2 events to share readings from Protect Your People and guide a discussion about participatory defense:

• 12:00-1:00PM: Lunch & Learn at the University of Tennessee College of Law, Room 241
• 6:00-7:30PM: Dinner & Discussion with the community, location TBA.

Both events are free & open to the public; RSVP is required to attend. Food will be provided at both events. These events are hosted by the Appalachian Justice Research Center, Community Defense of East Tennessee (CDET), Silicon Valley De-Bug, the UT Legal Clinic.

Read an excerpt from Protect Your People here: https://inquest.org/people-powered-defense/

Host or Publisher UT Appalachian Justice Research Center