Do We Need Police and Prisons?
A discussion of punitive justice & the state!

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
4:30-7:30pm
SFPIRG Lounge – TC 326 in the Rotunda
SFU Burnaby

Most of us take police and prisons for granted and accept this system as a legitimate exercise of state power. We believe – because this is what we have been taught – that police and prisons are necessary, and that without them, we would descend into terrifying chaos.

But is this true?

Join us for a conversation on the nature of criminalization, police and prisons and an exploration of possible alternatives to state violence.

Want to get involved with prison justice organizing? Check out Letters For The Inside, SFPIRG’s research program that pairs student researchers with inquiries from inmates! Help support access to information and education! Contact letters@sfpirg.ca for more information and to schedule a volunteer training session!

*** Accessibility Info ***

Brenda and Kirsten, Registered ASL-ENGLISH Interpreters, are booked for this event. Please email admin@sfpirg.ca by March 7th at 3pm to confirm your attendance. If no confirmations are received, ASL will be cancelled.

Food is being ordered for this event. Please email admin@sfpirg.ca by March 16th if you have any dietary needs we can take into account if you plan on attending.

The SFPIRG lounge is wheelchair/scooter accessible with access to accessible washrooms nearby. We are also aiming to have a variety of seating options available.

Gender-neutral washrooms are available just outside of the SFPIRG lounge space.

In order to enable people to attend without experiencing hardship, bus tickets and money for dependent care (this can include childcare, eldercare, etc.) are available upon request. Please email admin@sfpirg.ca with inquiries.

While we cannot ensure a fully scent-free event in this setting, we’re aiming to create a scent-reduced environment by not bringing additional scents into the space. Exposure to laundry products, colognes, hairspray, and many other scented products can trigger serious health reactions in individuals with asthma, allergies, migraines, and/or chemical sensitivities. We ask that you not wear/ apply/ or bring any scented products into this space. If you do so, we may need to ask you to leave so others can safely stay in the space. If you find yourself being impacted by someone’s use of scented products during the conference, speak with any one of the organizers. We know that this can be a big step for many people. As Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha says in Fragrance Free Femme of Colour Realness, “Cutting out scents may seem like a pain in the ass, but it means that awesome, ass-kicking community members you love can attend events you’re at and make out with you without having seizures, throwing up or otherwise getting really sick.” Please, bring your amazing self, and keep the scents at home!
(More info here: http://thinkbeforeyoustink.com/howtogofragrancefree.html, http://www.brownstargirl.org/blog/fragrance-free-femme-of-colour-realness-draft-15, http://eastbaymeditation.org/accessibility/scentfree.html)

The event is nut-free and peanut-free. Absolutely no nuts or peanuts will be permitted within the event space in order to create an allergen-free environment for all participants. This includes (but is not limited to) products like hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, coconuts, walnuts, coconut oil, coconut milk, and peanut butter.

If you have any other allergies or sensitivities that we need to know about so that you can participate fully and safely, please let us know at info@sfpirg.ca.

Some folks are sensitive and/or get sick from electromagnetic frequency radiation (EMF). This can include radiation from cell phones, Wi-Fi, fluorescent lights, and more. SFU Burnaby has Wi-Fi set up throughout its campus, including in the SFPIRG lounge. In order to reduce EMF exposure, we will strive to minimize fluorescent light usage and utilize natural lighting whenever possible.

If there is any other way we can make this event more accessible for you, please let us know at info@sfpirg.ca!

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ACCESSIBILITY AUDIT:

For some specific info about the lounge and parts of the rest of the campus, check out the following audit of SFPIRG (Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group) which was performed in July 2012 by the Radical Access Mapping Project, with assistance and support from Kalamity Hildebrandt and the rest of the staff at SFPIRG. This audit reflects the SFPIRG lounge space where the event will be, as well as elevators and other entries to the buildings.

Complete Audit Package In One Link: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B81n0augDG8kfndnMUgzZDR0dXJHN3Y4ZHlYZFQwckZteWt2WWl3TFRMU3RXTXBpRnQ2NXM&usp=sharing
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Or you can check out the individual pieces:
Overview – Just the Basics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11teslteGoGt8SANLk812FlTEInFTjRTMJMpAfETEkBI/edit?usp=sharing

Full Audit – The Nitty Gritty: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gkO99j-yH8oNYEE3Ed0I75obBd_biERBZ89GRzL2J7E/edit?usp=sharing
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You can learn more about the Mapping Project, including captioned videos, and other resources here
https://radicalaccessiblecommunities.wordpress.com/the-radical-access-mapping-project/

and find copies of most existing audits in this publicly available folder:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B81n0augDG8kU2NfRlZSa3pIQ00&usp=sharing

If you would like a space audited, or have questions about accessibilit/ies in general or this audit in particular, please contact rampvancouver@gmail.com