The Creativity, Innovation and Ingenuity Languishing in US Prisons | Brittany K. Barnett | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

About two years ago, I answered my doorbell

大約兩年前，我去應門，

to find a postal worker holding a large, heavy box.

門外的是郵差，拿著 一個又大又重的盒子。

It was a package from my client, Chris Young.

是我的客戶克里斯‧楊 寄給我的包裹。

Chris was being transferred from a federal prison in Kentucky

克里斯被從肯塔基州的聯邦監獄轉到

to one hundreds of miles away in Texas.

一百哩外的德州。

When I slid open the box, the handwritten note from Chris fell out.

當我打開盒子時，克里斯的 手寫紙條掉了出來。

"Please take care of these for me, Brittany.

「布里特妮，請幫我照顧這些。

I don't want them messed up in the move.

我不希望在搬遷中弄壞了它們。

They're all I've got."

它們是我僅有的一切。」

At the time I received the package,

我收到包裹時，

Chris was nearly 10 years into serving a life without parole sentence

被判無期徒刑不得假釋的克里斯

已經服刑近十年，

from an arrest for drug dealing at the young age of 22.

他在二十二歲時因販毒而被逮捕。

Chris and I have a lot in common, as I do with many of my clients.

克里斯和我有很多共同點，

我和很多客戶都有很多共同點。

We both have big dreams.

我們都有很大的夢想。

We both have mothers who suffer from drug addiction

我們的母親都為毒癮所苦，

that led to their incarceration,

也因此被監禁，

a devastating result of the war on drugs.

是政府打擊毒品的慘烈結果。

Like many people unjustly sentenced for drugs,

克里斯和很多人一樣，不是毒梟 卻因毒品而遭不公平判刑。

Chris was no kingpin.

Long before steel dug into the skin of his wrist,

遠在手銬緊扣陷入 他的手腕皮膚中之前，

he was handcuffed by a suffocating level of poverty,

他早就被窮到讓人 窒息的貧困給銬住了，

selling drugs on the corner by the age of 12

十二歲時他就在街角販毒， 讓他和他哥哥勞勃

to help put food on the table for him and his brother Robert.

能買食物吃。

Ultimately, Chris was sentenced to life as a result of two drug priors,

最終，

克里斯因為先前有兩次 販毒記錄而被判無期徒刑，

and with the combined drug quantity weighing less than three pennies.

總共加起來的毒品量， 重量還不到三分錢重。

Inside Chris's package were some of his favorite books.

克里斯用包裹寄來的 是他最喜歡的書。

主題範圍從量子物理，到哲學，

The topics ranged from quantum physics to philosophy to history

到歷史，到程式設計都有。

to computer programming.

In prison, Chris had taught himself how to code

在監獄中，

克里斯在沒有電腦的情況下 靠自學學會了寫程式。

without access to a single computer.

His young mind stimulated by artificial intelligence and economics.

人工智慧和經濟學能讓 他那年輕的大腦感到興奮。

His cell may have been small, but his dreams were huge.

他的牢房可能很小，

但他的夢想很大。

His margin notes covered almost every page of the books.

書中幾乎每一頁的空白處 都有他的筆記。

And clearly outlined were designs for Chris’s biggest dream:

這些清楚描述的設計 就是克里斯最大的夢想：

a groundbreaking mental health app

一個開創性的心理健康 APP，

to help prevent suicides like those of his brother Robert,

用來預防像他哥哥勞勃那樣的自殺，

who took his own life at 21 when Chris was just 18.

勞勃在二十一歲時自殺，

當時克里斯只有十八歲。

Seeing Chris's genius laid out on the page like that,

看到克里斯的天才才華 就那樣攤開在頁面上，

it took my breath away.

我感到相當驚嘆。

我開始思考我能不能幫上忙，

I started to think about how I could help bring his entrepreneurial spirit to life.

讓他的創業魂能夠實現。

A mind like Chris's was so clearly a gift.

克里斯這樣的大腦很明顯是個天賦。

But our society had deemed it worthless.

但我們的社會認為它毫無價值。

When we lose sight of the humanity of those we unjustly sentence,

當我們忘記那些被我們 不公平判刑的人也有人性時，

we lose sight of all of the brilliance they might bring into the world.

也就無法看見他們可能可以 為世界帶來的所有光彩。

By locking away the potential and ingenuity of people like Chris

鎖住像克里斯這種人的 潛力和聰明才智，

and then failing to nurture it after release,

釋放之後又沒能做到栽培，

we shackle America's future.

我們其實就是束縛了美國的未來。

In those margin notes,

在那些空白處的筆記中， 克里斯在向前看，

Chris was looking forward, beyond prison walls,

超越了監獄的圍牆， 看向完全實現的自由，

towards a fully realized freedom,

which is exactly what we must do now.

這正是我們現在必須要做的。

Some of the most intelligent people I've ever met are my clients.

我所見過最聰明的人當中， 有一些是我的客戶。

Each one of them with huge dreams despite inhumane conditions.

他們每一個人在不人道的條件下

都懷抱著大夢。

As an attorney, working for the freedom of people like Chris and my clients

身為律師，為像克里斯這樣的人

及我的客戶爭取自由成了 我一生最重要的工作。

has become my life's greatest work.

Their entrepreneurial potential is exactly what our current crisis calls for

他們的創業潛力正是 我們目前的危機所需要的，

if we imagine the possibilities.

如果我們能想像那些可能性。

Take, for example, one of my first clients,

以我最早的一位客戶 莎蘭達‧瓊斯為例，

Sharanda Jones.

A single mother,

她是個單親媽媽、

talented chef, budding entrepreneur.

很有才的廚師、

含苞待放的創業家。

In the early 90s, faced with the care for a quadriplegic mother

九○年代初期，莎蘭達在面對 要照顧四肢癱瘓的母親

and the growing needs of her daughter,

以及女兒的需求越來越多時， 做了一個很糟糕的決定。

Sharanda made a poor decision.

On a few occasions, she transported drugs for a childhood friend.

在幾個不同的場合， 她為兒時的朋友運送毒品。

Years later, she found herself caught in a federal drug conspiracy.

數年後，

她被捲入了一個聯邦毒品陰謀中。

Bound and shackled and carted off to federal prison

她被上了鐐銬，

押送到聯邦監獄， 在那裡等候死刑執行，

to serve out a fundamental death sentence

for her very first conviction, felony or otherwise.

在那之前她沒有被定過 重罪或其他罪。

But Sharanda was so driven and talented

但莎蘭達非常奮發努力且才華洋溢，

that even a life sentence could not keep her

就算被判無期徒刑也無法 阻止她透過食物來表達自己。

from expressing herself through food.

The talent it takes to make anything edible,

用監獄中的資源，光要做出 能吃的食物就不簡單了，

let alone a delicacy,

from what's available in prison

更不用說做出美食需要多少才華。

cannot be overstated.

And with a genius for improvisation that still astounds me,

莎蘭達的即興創作才華 至今仍能讓我吃驚，

Sharanda became renowned for her culinary creations.

這讓她的烹飪創作聲名遠播。

She ground corn chips into meal for her famous tamales,

她把玉米片摻入粗磨粉中

成了她知名的玉米粉蒸肉。

melted the insides of Oreos to frost cakes

她用融化的奧利奧餅干內餡 來做蛋糕的抹面，

and whipped up a hell of a cranberry sauce from assorted jelly packets.

並用混合口味的小包軟糖 快速製做了超讚的蔓越莓醬。

Her red hot chicken meatballs made with Doritos

她用多力多滋做的紅色熱雞肉球

had the women at Carswell Federal Prison

讓卡斯韋爾聯邦監獄中的女性 大排長龍只為了一嚐這美味。

lined up around the corner just to get a taste.

Don't ask me how she did it.

別問我她怎麼辦到的。

When a friend asked her recently what she put in her mac and cheese,

最近有位朋友問莎蘭達在起司 通心麵中放了什麼，她說：

Sharanda said,

"Cheese."

「起司。」

She guards her recipes with her life.

她用性命守護她的食譜。

And the years I spent fighting to free people from prison,

在我努力協助受刑人 離開監獄的這些年間，

this is one common quality I've noticed about many of my clients.

我在許多客戶身上都會 看到這種共通特質。

Their unjust sentence has interrupted and destroyed

他們被不公平地判刑， 打斷並摧毀了他們的計畫，

their plans to bring great things in the world.

讓他們無法將美好帶給世界。

True liberation must include a vision for restoring,

真正放他們自由，

應該要包含恢復、

investing in and nurturing those plans.

投資，

和培養那些計畫的遠景。

Imagine what people like Chris and Sharanda,

想像一下，像克里斯及莎蘭達這種

able to create and innovate under America's most inhumane conditions,

能在美國最不人道的條件下 創作和創新的人，

could do if they were put in positions to thrive

若能有機會發揮而不只是生存，

and not just survive.

會有多大的成就。

One thing is absolutely clear:

有一點是絕對很清楚的：

we cannot keep rescuing people from prison and restoring them to poverty.

我們不能一直把人從監獄中救出來

然後再讓他們返回貧困。

True freedom is multidimensional.

真正的自由是多維度的。

Systemic change does not only have to come from Congress

改變體制不見得一定要靠國會

or state legislators

或即使悠關人命也完全不會急著

who move with no sense of urgency,

even when human lives are at stake.

想去做這些的州立法者，

It can also come from directly impacted people, like Chris and Sharanda.

直接受到影響的人也可以帶來改變，

比如克里斯和莎蘭達。

I've been holding this vision lately of sustainable liberation.

最近，我一直抱持著這種

永續解放的遠景。

How do we create that?

我們要怎麼創造它？

Sustainable liberation requires economic freedom,

永續解放需要經濟自由、

equity and ensuring that justice-impacted people

公平，

並確保受到司法影響的人能夠

have access to resources and capital to flourish

取得成功所必要的資源和資本，

and create positive ripple effects in their communities.

讓他們能在他們的社區中 創造出正面的漣漪效應。

That is true systemic change.

那才是真正改變體制。

Here's what this idea looks like in action.

這個想法在實做上是這樣子的：

In 2015, President Barack Obama granted Sharanda Jones clemency.

2015 年，歐巴馬總統 赦免了莎蘭達‧瓊斯。

After serving 16 years and nine months of her life in federal prison,

在聯邦監獄中服刑 十六年又九個月之後，

Sharanda wasted no time realizing her dream

莎蘭達絲毫不浪費時間， 立刻去實現她的夢想：

of owning her first food truck.

擁有她自己的第一台餐車。

I was a corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer,

我是企業併購律師，

and I know a good business plan when I see it.

我看得出好的商業計畫。

So I invested in Sharanda,

我決定投資莎蘭達，

and I left the rest entirely up to her.

剩下的通通交給她。

And this summer,

今年夏天，

Sharanda launched her company called Fed Up.

莎蘭達成立了「Fed Up （夠受了／餵飽）」公司。

As in, "Fed up with the racially biased criminal legal system

它代表

「受夠了充滿種族偏見的 刑事司法體制，

that steals lives and cages futures."

這個體制偷走人生、囚禁未來。」

As in, "Come on through to Sharanda Jones's food truck,

也代表

「來試試莎蘭達‧瓊斯的餐車，

where your bellies will be fed up with some amazing food."

你的肚子會被超棒的食物給餵飽。」

An integral part of Sharanda's vision:

莎蘭達的遠景中很重要的一點是：

the truck will be 100 percent staffed and run by formerly incarcerated people.

餐車的員工全部都會是 曾經被監禁過的人。

And further illustrating the breadth of her vision,

有一點可以進一步說明 她的遠景有多廣：

Sharanda plans to invest a portion of her revenue

莎蘭達打算投資

她的部分收入來推動「活埋計畫」，

in the Buried Alive Project,

a nonprofit organization we cofounded together with my client, Corey Jacobs,

我們和我的客戶柯瑞‧傑可柏 共同創辦的非營利組織，

to help free people buried alive under outdated federal drug laws.

旨在協助被過時的聯邦毒品法規 給活理的人重獲自由。

To date, the Buried Alive Project has helped win the freedom

迄今，

「活埋計畫」已經協助了 數十位男女贏得自由，

of dozens of men and women,

unlocking people and potential.

解放的不只是人，還有潛能。

After investing in Sharanda, I launched the Manifest Freedom Fund,

在投資了莎蘭達之後，

我設立了「展現自由基金」，

where we’ve deployed 300,000 dollars in non-dilutive capital

我們配置了三十萬美金的非稀釋資本

to justice-impacted entrepreneurs.

給受到司法影響的創業家。

We've invested in a trucking company

我們已經投資了我的前客戶經營的 貨運公司「值得信賴貨運」。

run by my former client, called Trustworthy Trucking.

The company is fully employed by justice-impacted people,

該公司的僱員通通都是 受到司法影響的人，

and through our lease to purchase option,

我們也透過有購買權的租約，

each driver will eventually have the chance to own their own truck,

讓每位駕駛最終都有機會 可以擁有他們自己的貨車，

maximizing economic impact and independence.

讓經濟影響達到最大，

也協助他們獨立。

From our experience in trucking, we've entered the tech startup world,

靠著貨運的經驗，我們 進入了科技新創公司的世界，

working to develop an app

投入開發一款 APP 來協助 改善貨運司機的日常生活，

that will help improve the day-to-day life of truckers

and have an immediate beneficial impact on the transportation industry

對於運輸業和供應鏈危機

有立即性的益處。

and supply chain crisis.

We want to help build smart cities,

我們想要協助打造智慧城市，

improving life for everyone.

改善每個人的生活。

At the Manifest Freedom Fund,

我們在「展現自由基金」 打造一個生態系統，

we are building an ecosystem and partnering with investors

和我們合作的投資者也都很熱衷於

who share a passion for cultivating the entrepreneurial spirits

培養受到司法影響者的創業精神。

of justice-impacted people.

There are so many businesses to support,

有好多企業需要支持，

like Corey's fintech and merchandising company that partners with HBCU's.

比如柯瑞的金融科技及推銷公司，

它還與傳統黑人大學合作。

Or Alfred's food truck in North Carolina.

或者艾爾佛雷德 在北卡羅萊納的餐車。

Or Corvain Cooper’s cannabis brand, 40 Tons.

或者柯凡‧古柏的 大麻品牌「四十噸」。

And Naz's pink tea company, both in Los Angeles.

以及娜茲的午茶公司， 兩者都位於洛杉磯。

These entrepreneurs served a combined total of 75 years in prison.

這些創業家在獄中服的刑期

加總起來共七十五年。

But we must not let those years be the defining decades of their lives.

但我們不能讓那數十年 成為定義他們人生的時期。

Their freedom journey does not end once they step out of prison gates.

他們的自由旅程並沒有因為 他們踏出監獄大門就終止。

In so many ways, it begins.

在許多層面上，這段旅程才剛開始。

Businesses like Sharanda's company Fed Up

像莎蘭達的「Fed Up」這類公司

protect against recidivism.

能協助防止再犯。

Without employment or support for entrepreneurship,

若沒有工作或創業的支援，

formerly incarcerated people

這些曾經被監禁過的人再次 犯罪的機率是他們有工作時的

are three to five times more likely to commit a crime than those with a job.

三到五倍。

But we're not focused on just keeping our partners out of prison.

但我們的焦點並不是只要 讓我們的夥伴別再入獄就好。

That's an incredibly low bar.

這個標準太低了。

We're focused on attaining economic liberation,

我們的焦點是要達成經濟自由，

on providing infrastructural support

要提供基礎設施上的支援，

for the achievement of their dreams and visions.

讓他們能實現夢想和遠景。

Like all of us, they want to live fulfilling, meaningful lives,

和所有人一樣，他們也想過 能自我實現、有意義的人生，

lives of purpose.

有目的人生 。

And the beauty of it is investing in their potential isn't charity.

而美妙的地方在於，投資 他們的潛力並不是做慈善。

而是投資我們所有人的未來。

It's an investment in all of our futures.

Let me take us back for a minute

讓我們先倒帶一下，

to those notes in the margins of Chris's books.

回到克里斯在書上空白處寫的筆記。

Delivered to me at a time in Chris's life

我收到包裹時，是克里斯人生中

when imagining freedom seemed to fly in the face of the impossible.

似乎已經不可能想像自由的時期。

We refused to stop fighting.

我們拒絕棄械投降。

In September 2020, we won a reduction of Chris's life sentence

2020 年九月，我們透過法庭 幫克里斯爭取到了減刑。

through the court.

And earlier this year,

今年初，行政赦免將他的刑期 再減為已服滿的刑期。

executive clemency further reduced his sentence to time served.

Chris Young walked out of prison a free man

克里斯‧楊以自由人的 身分走出監獄，

and immediately put his genius to work to launch the tech startup

馬上發揮他的才能， 成立了一間科技新興公司，

he dreamed would stop the rash of suicides

他夢想能用這間公司來阻止大量

像他哥哥勞勃這樣的年輕黑人自殺。

plaguing young Black men like his brother Robert.

Born from his own devastating loss and created with vision and purpose,

克里斯的 APP 因為 他失去摯親的痛而誕生，

是個有目的、有遠景的創作，

Chris's app is a profoundly innovative idea

它背後的想法非常創新，

that deserves the highest level of investment.

值得對它做最大的投資。

With capital investment and support,

靠著資本投資和支持，

we help redeem the tremendous loss to society

我們協助挽回了監禁克里斯 所代表的社會重大損失，

that Chris's incarceration represents

and position ourselves to benefit from his distinct gifts.

並讓我們能從他的難能天賦中受惠。

Instead of looking upon the release of men and women

釋放受到不公平監禁的男性及女性

who’ve been unjustly incarcerated as a burden on our society,

不該被視為是社會的重擔，

we should look upon their untapped potential as a gift

我們應該把他們未被開發的潛能

視為是個禮物

and a tremendous opportunity for societal renewal.

以及復興社會的大好機會。

In order to transform the criminal legal system,

為了改造司法體制，

we have to transform our own beliefs

我們得要改變我們自己如何 看待曾經被監禁的人

about formerly incarcerated people and their futures.

以及他們的未來。

The creativity, innovation and ingenuity languishing in America's prisons

在美國監獄中凋萎的

創意、創新，及智巧 就是改造的關鍵，

is the key to transformation

and to a better tomorrow for all of us.

也能讓我們所有人的未來變得更好。

By investing in the ideas and initiatives of justice-impacted people,

透過投資受到司法影響的人 所提出的想法和計畫，

we manifest freedom.

我們展現出了自由。

Imagine the possibilities.

想像一下這些可能性。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）