Prison reform advocate to speak at Democratic luncheon

The featured speaker at Monday's Democratic luncheon will be Jodi Hocking, Executive Director of Return Strong, a grassroots organization born in the heart of the pandemic by a group of women with incarcerated loved ones who came together to fight for transparency and accountability in Nevada's prisons.

Return Strong says it is "committed to deconstructing the prison industrial complex by unapologetically fighting for people of color and people experiencing poverty in all phases of the criminal legal and correctional systems." They use the power of collective action to disrupt injustice and inequity, partnering with others in the fight to create a system that encompases truth, justice, humanity, and healing. They say they are more than an organization, they are the foundation of a movement bound to each other as well as other like-minded people.

Return Strong organized families to read letters from members as public comment at the Board of Prison Commissioners quarterly meeting. This has put accounts of harm happening in Nevada prisons onto the public record. They also reached out to incarcerated people, asking them to share their stories about the impact of restitution deductions. In response, Governor Sisolak put an immediate stay on restitution deductions. They later won a statutory cap on money that could be taken from prisoners, as well as oversight for financial decisions made by NDOC.

Return Strong used this strategy to fight for Assembly Bill 241 in the 2021 session, and they won. The bill reimbursed people up to 60 days per year during the COVID-19 state of emergency, resulting in the immediate release of some inmates.

They built an advocacy team for both medical neglect and the pardons board, and have won compassionate release for some terminally ill individuals. They also sponsored six men of color who are now free, all of whom had served unjust, excessive sentences.

They collected first hand experiences of people who were incarcerated during the pandemic, and have published two reports on the mishandling of the pandemic inside Nevada's prisons.

They have continued to use these tactics to organize campaigns, educate communities and lawmakers, and change the culture of incarceration in Nevada.

Return Strong's Core Values

We believe in the power of collective action and that we are always stronger together. This is the core belief that is the foundation of our belief that together, we are the change that is needed.

We believe the lived experiences of people impacted by the criminal legal system are powerful and are the key to impacting change in our own lives, our communities, the state and beyond.

We believe that the intersections of our identities directly impact us and prioritizing marginalized communities is necessary for a system that is just and equitable.

We believe that we must both disrupt and dismantle current systems of oppression and specifically mass incarceration, while simultaneously building communities that can and will support a world without prisons. This is both our eternal hope and driving force.

Sponsored by the Democratic Men's Committee, this event is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Monday, January 30th, and can be attended either in person at Black Bear Diner, inside Max Casino, or online via Zoom. Hocking's presentation will begin after all the lunch orders have been taken, around 1:30. Those wishing to be on distribution for luncheon Zoom links should contact Rich Dunn at richdunn@aol.com.