Release in the Era of BLM: The Nexus of Black Lives Matter and Prisoner Reentry

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is a challenge and resistance to White Supremacy and state-sanctioned violence. The proliferation of social media and smart technology has allowed the recording, documenting, and archiving of police misconduct and brutality against Black bodies. Furthermore, BLM is critical of various institutions that create disparities, including the criminal justice system. This article examines the nexus of BLM and prisoner reentry. Using qualitative research conducted in the weeks and months following the death of Trayvon Martin in February 2012, a collective of formerly incarcerated and recently released Black men discussed and analyzed this death and its impact on the Black community. Here, these individuals shared their ideas surrounding punishment and justice as well as reflected on their own past, present, and future roles in their community.