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Join us for a compelling conversation to celebrate the release of The Prison Industry: How It Works and Who Profits. The event will feature a panel conversation offering a deep dive into the complex dynamics of the prison industry, the false ethics of carceral capitalism, and its far-reaching consequences on communities.
Speakers:
Tamaya Dennard, Programs and Partnerships Manager of Represent Women
Tyra Patterson, Community Outreach Strategist & Paralegal at Ohio Justice and Policy Center
Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises
The Prison Industry: How It Works and Who Profits is a groundbreaking exposé that uncovers the vast network of corporations and government entities profiting from incarceration. Written by Bianca Tylek, a leading advocate for criminal justice, and Worth Rises, a renowned non-profit organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry, this book reveals the economic forces that sustain mass incarceration in the U.S.
Through meticulous research and compelling narratives, The Prison Industry sheds light on industries that thrive off incarceration, from telecom and healthcare to food services and community corrections. In doing so, it provides a powerful call to action for policymakers, business leaders, and the public to challenge and dismantle the prison industry.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Bianca Tylek is the Founder and Executive Director of Worth Rises. She is one the nation’s for most experts on the prison industry and a nationally recognized leader in criminal justice advocacy more broadly. Bianca is best known for her innovative strategies and successful campaigns to secure free prison phone calls and eliminate financial exploitation across the criminal legal system. Bianca’s work has been featured on the TED stage as well as in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. She is based in New York City.
Tamaya Denard is the Programs and Partnerships Manager at RepresentWomen. Inspired by Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan and an abiding belief that everyone deserves a non-tokenized voice in what’s happening in their community, in 2017, Tamaya became the first openly gay woman elected to public office in the City of Cincinnati and served as President Pro Tem of Cincinnati City Council. Her focus in office was dismantling legislation rooted in systemic racism, classism and sexism and creating equitable policies that gave everyone an equal opportunity to succeed.
In addition to being the Chair of the first City Council committee focused exclusively on issues of equity, inclusion and young people, among her proudest legislative moments is the creation of Cincinnati’s Salary History Ordinance and the Girls in Government program.
Tamaya studied at the Toulouse School of Business in Toulouse, France, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from the University of Cincinnati. In her spare time, you can find Tamaya sitting courtside rooting for the University of Cincinnati Women’s Basketball team, playing golf or pickleball and listening to 90’s RnB and hip-hop (the golden era).
Tyra Patterson: On December 25, 2017, Tyra Patterson walked out of prison after serving 23 years for crimes she did not commit. While incarcerated, Tyra discovered and fostered her artistry, first as a mechanism of survival and second as a means of expression.
Today, Tyra travels all over the country as an artist and an activist, speaking at law schools, colleges, prisons, conferences and high schools, leveraging her story and art to educate people on social justice. She currently lives in Cincinnati and works at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, where she is the Community Outreach Strategist. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Just Media, Life After Justice, ArtWorks Cincinnati, Represent Justice and Black Art Speaks. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where she received an honorary Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in 2020.
Her story has been featured by media outlets, including Rolling Stone, Essence Magazine, The Guardian, ABC News, CNN and many others.
Tyra Patterson is an artist-activist who works to leverage her platform and privilege to help other justice-impacted artists gain visibility.
Worth Rises is a nonprofit organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending its exploitation of incarcerated people and their families. Through narrative change, policy advocacy, and corporate activism, Worth Rises has successfully influenced legislation and changed industry practices nationwide.