Why is The P2 Movement So Crucial?

In the United States, POC are disproportionately incarcerated at a higher rate compared to their white counterparts. This contrast was highlighted when the War on Drugs began in the 1970s and ramped up in the 1980s, followed by the Three Strikes Law in the 1990s. These declarations caused the already disproportionate numbers to grow exponentially and still they show no signs of stopping.

 2020 underscored the continuous displays of police brutality and violence inflicted upon Black people; the favorable laws and less harsh sentencing granted to Whites; and the families that face irrevocable damage and despair as a result of their loved ones returning from prison without the proper tools and support to get them back on their feet. What these people return to is a society that shuns them, oftentimes excludes them from second chances, and enacts discriminatory practices in both housing and employment practices.

With many companies facing financial challenges due to current economic uncertainty, along with the added need to support and uplift Black voices and lives both internally and externally, companies are having to decide if they want to spend their money on diversity and inclusion development at all. This is precisely why P2 is crucial. The momentum and energy exists with companies wanting to be on the right side of change for both current and future employees. The current barriers that the formerly incarcerated face are daunting, unfair, and demoralizing. If organizations want to show that they are willing to make a difference, this is an opportunity for them to do so and to also alter the courses of not just individuals lives, but entire families, as well, to reduce recidivism rates throughout the US.