The energy with which we ended 2023 is only intensifying early on in 2024. The Indianapolis Liberation Center is thrilled to announce our newest member-organization: FOCUS Initiatives, LTD! FOCUS, which stands for Forever on Course United in Solidarity, has two wings: an abolitionist prison reentry program and a group dedicated to helping those of us with loved ones locked up.
Reentry programs generally serve a vital need in our communities, attempting to help people leaving prison to rejoin “free” society. What sets FOCUS apart from other reentry programs is their orientation to move from addressing the immediate and long-term needs of formerly incarcerated individuals and their loved ones to addressing the fundamental root cause of mass incarceration: racism and capitalism.
In addition to FOCUS’ reentry program, they also operate FOCUS Families Initiative, which exists most directly to provide a support system for those with loved ones on the inside, helping them navigate the myriad, arbitrary, and punitive obstacles the Indiana Department of “Corrections,” and the mass incarceration system overall, uses to isolate, demoralize, and dehumanize the families of incarcerated people. They have support groups, financial aid and technical support, educational programs, and more. Like FOCUS Initiatives, the goal is not just to help individuals one at a time but to do away with the underlying causes of mass incarceration in the U.S.
Their work not only aligns with, but adds a key ingredient to the Liberation Center’s collective mission of fostering a sense of collectivity and building the unity necessary for creating a world free from oppression, war, exploitation, and other ills of racism and imperialism. Those held in captivity are among the most oppressed and exploited and are certainly the most isolated sector of the poor and working class in the U.S.
If you just returned from any level of imprisonment, whether it be physical bars, house arrest, GPS trackers, probation, work release, or any other form, you can visit FOCUS at their new office in the Liberation Center! If you have a loved one subjected to the carceral state and want a support network and help navigating the barriers in place to keep your loved ones isolated, do the same!
Listen to and watch the words of THEKINGTRILL, or Jok Huerta, speaking on behalf of FOCUS about what it means to be a member of the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Then, stop by and see their new office at the Center, get involved, and sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay updated on the latest developments!
