Maya Schenwar facts for kids
Maya Schenwar (born November 10, 1982) is a writer and editor who focuses on topics related to prisons and justice. She is currently the editor-at-large for Truthout, an independent news organization. Maya has written several books, including Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms and Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better. She has also helped edit the book Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States. Her articles about prison issues have appeared in many well-known publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Nation.
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Maya's Work and Advocacy
Maya Schenwar is a key leader at Truthout, an organization that provides independent news and analysis. Besides her work at Truthout, she has written for many other newspapers and magazines. Maya often gives talks both in the United States and in other countries. She speaks at universities, community centers, and conferences to share her ideas.
In 2016, Maya gave a TEDx talk in Baltimore. In her talk, she discussed the prison abolition movement, which aims to create new ways to keep communities safe without relying on prisons. Maya is also involved with several important groups. She is on the board of Love & Protect, an organization that helps women and gender non-conforming people of color who face challenges from violence or the justice system. She also serves on the board of the Chicago Community Bond Fund. This group helps people pay bond so they can be released from jail while waiting for their court dates. Before working at Truthout, Maya was an editor for Punk Planet magazine. She also worked with Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a group focused on peaceful action.
Books by Maya Schenwar
Maya Schenwar has co-authored a book with Victoria Law called Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms (published in 2020). This book explains how some changes meant to improve the justice system can actually cause problems. It looks at things like electronic monitoring (where people wear ankle bracelets) and how police work in communities. The book also explores how systems like child protective services and school policing are connected to the larger prison system.
Maya's book, Locked Down, Locked Out, shares stories about how prisons can separate families and communities. It explains that breaking these connections can make it harder for everyone to be safe. The book uses stories from Maya's own family and many others who have been affected by incarceration. It also highlights groups working to reduce the number of people in prison. These groups focus on ideas like restorative justice and transformative justice, which aim to fix harm and build stronger communities. These projects often focus on connecting people, building community, and promoting racial fairness.
Maya also helped edit Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect?: Police Violence and Resistance in the United States. This anthology (a collection of writings) explores the history and impact of police violence. It also shares stories of people working to challenge unfair policing.
Selected Articles
- A Virtual Visit to a Relative in Jail. The New York Times, September 2016.
- To Make Health Care for All a Reality, Stop Killing People. Truthout, February 2016.
- Too Many People in Jail? Abolish Bail. New York Times, May 2015.
- Mandatory Rehab Is Just the Newest Front in the Flawed War on Drugs. The Guardian, October 2014.
- Reduce Gun Penalties. The New York Times, March 2014.
- The Prison System Welcomes My Newborn Niece to This World. Truthout, September 2013.
- Your Home Is Your Prison: How to Lock Down Your Neighborhood, Your Country, and You. TomDispatch, January 2015.
Awards and Recognition
Maya Schenwar has received several awards for her writing and advocacy. These include a Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award and an Independent Publisher Book Award. She also won the Sarah Powell Huntington Leadership Award from the Women's Prison Association. Additionally, she received a Residency Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation.
Maya's Personal Life
Maya Schenwar had a sister named Keeley Schenwar. Keeley was also an activist who worked on prison issues. She wrote about her own experiences as a mother who was in prison. Truthout, the online publication where Maya Schenwar is a leader, has an annual writing contest called the Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize. This prize honors the writing of people who are currently or were formerly in prison. It also helps to bring attention to the difficult realities of the unfair systems that Keeley worked against and wrote about.
See also
- Prison abolition movement
