What Would a World Without Prisons Look Like?

The Syracuse peacemaking project encourages a non-adversarial approach. Joining Mr. Martinez in chairs arranged in a circle was his father, Robert, who was incarcerated for bank robbery at roughly the same age as his son. He was desperate for Vicente to avoid the same downward trajectory.

Rev. Jesse Jackson Endorses Bernie Sanders For 2020 Presidential Nomination

For nearly a year, difficult conversations between son, father and other family members took place in a serene setting with sky-blue walls, pine floors, a communal kitchen and lots of natural light. These touches came out of a community design process led by Deanna Van Buren, an architect who has dedicated her career to rethinking the architecture of justice.

“It’s a very calming space so I felt comfortable opening up,” Vicente observed. “It’s like a base in a baseball game — a safety spot.”