Join us for a book discussion led by special guest hosts Joseph Morris and Mia Vasquez (Librarians with Brooklyn Public Libraries Jail + Prison Services). Using Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson as a guide, our hosts will lead us in conversation about the politics and societies that grow and exist within prisons, the limitations of prison reform, and their own roles in providing jail-based library services for individuals in NYC DOC facilities. We will end our conversation with takeaways for our participants in how we can all work to provide information to those inside.
Materials to discuss:
Blood In the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising Of 1971 And Its Legacy, by Heather Ann Thompson (available at BPL, QPL, NYPL)
While we are asking you to engage with Thompson’s whole book, we ask that you study Parts II and III (p. 43-161) in closer detail. Parts I, IV, and V are also important for wider context, and will be referenced throughout our discussion.
About Our Hosts:
Joey Morris is the Outreach Associate in Jail & Prison Services at Brooklyn Public Library. He has been bringing library services into NYC jails for over 8 years. He thinks a lot about the liberatory potential of the public library and is cautiously optimistic.
Mia Vasquez is part of the Jail and Prison Services team under Justice Initiatives at the Brooklyn Public Library. They navigate the rewarding yet challenging position of supporting incarcerated patrons through library services and correspondence.