Prison Justice and Transit Justice

Published: May 26, 2017, 11:53 p.m.

The United States with five percent of the world\u2019s population \xa0incarcerates 25% of the world\u2019s prisoners. \xa0 Mass incarceration in the United States is well-known. \xa0 Today\u2019s guest points out something not as well known. \xa0 Overcrowded and underfunded prisons now outsource educational and mental health services to religious groups. \xa0 These religious organizations are overwhelmingly run by nondenominational protestant Christians who see prisoners as captive audiences for their message. \xa0 Is there a problem here?\nTanya Erzen is the author of God in \xa0Captivity: \xa0The Rise of Faith-Based Prison Ministries in the Age of Mass Incarceration. \xa0\nLaura Everett is a United Church of Christ minister in Boston who for the last eight years has made the bicycle her main vehicle of transportation in all four seasons. \xa0 She has found that riding her bike has connected her with her city, expanded her community, activated her on issues of transit justice, and increased her spiritual growth. \xa0She is happier because she rides her bike. \xa0 \xa0\nAs May is National Bike Month, it is timely to talk with Laura about her book,\xa0Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels.Tanya Erzen Interview 00:00-27:18Laura Everett Interview 27:48-53:00