#prisonarts

LOS ANGELES – September 10 –  Give a Beat launches “All Hands on the Decks” fundraising and advocacy campaign on September 10th to raise funds for their pilot “On a New Track” post-incarceration reentry mentoring program and to encourage critical voting in the upcoming election. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the plethora of unjust barriers people face upon reentry and mobilize communities to support criminal justice reform legislation. Funds raised will allow Give a Beat (GAB) to expand their reentry mentoring program to reach more people and ensure that participants have the resources and support they need to pursue their creative career dreams. The campaign will run September 10 - October 10. More info is at allhandsonthedecks.com.

Give a Beat was awarded a Reentry Through The Arts grant from the California Arts Council to pilot its unique “On a New Track” reentry mentoring program in collaboration with Defy Ventures and California Mentoring Partnership. GAB will train eight formerly incarcerated participants from the Defy Ventures community in the art of DJing, music production, and related business and entrepreneurial skills. By connecting previously incarcerated individuals with music business professionals, Give a Beat aims to develop a cycle of change that encourages people to harness their creative talents while engaging members of the electronic music community to educate themselves about bills and legislation. .

“Defy is excited to partner with Give a Beat to bring opportunities in the music industry to formerly incarcerated individuals in our program. There's no better city than Los Angeles in which to train people in a musical field, and people with criminal histories have incredible talent to share with the world if given the chance to do so. This partnership will lift the voices of people with criminal histories and create opportunities for them in the creative field in our city.” - Mariah Dickinson - Director of Development and Marketing, Defy Ventures

In addition to raising funds to support previously incarcerated people on the individual level, Give a Beat’s “All Hands on the Decks” campaign also serves to advocate for people experiencing incarceration on the macro scale. By aligning with allies in the broader social justice movement, this campaign will bring attention to the various obstacles people face upon leaving prison. It will also educate the music community on ballot initiatives such as Prop 17 which restores the right to vote for people on parole and Prop 20 that aims to undo progressive reforms.

 “All Hands on the Decks” will also educate around the power that electable positions hold in relation to criminal justice at the city, county, and state levels. These positions are key to strengthening the defense of our civil rights and emboldening our ability to make progressive change. This campaign’s name illustrates that now is a critical time both for the organization and for the future of the country to have “All Hands on the Decks” to engage communities to get more involved and take meaningful action. 

About Give a Beat:  Give a Beat’s mission is to reduce the harmful effects of incarceration through music production, DJing and other education programs that transform individuals and inspire communities to take action. Through music education and mentoring programs in juvenile halls, schools, and our Prison Electronic Music Program, we engage the music industry to help widen the pathways for people to thrive, tackle systemic racism, and contribute to the larger criminal justice movement. To learn more, please visit https://www.giveabeat.org. 

About Defy Ventures: Defy Ventures is a national nonprofit whose mission is to shift mindsets to give people with criminal histories their best shot at a second chance through entrepreneurship, career readiness, and personal development training programs delivered both in prison and in the community. Defy’s vision is to cut recidivism (return-to-prison) rates in half by leveraging entrepreneurship to increase economic opportunity and transform lives. In 2020, Defy is helping currently and formerly incarcerated people defy the odds in seven states and 16 prisons across the country. Together with the thousands of business executives and leaders in our network, we are helping to shift the conversation and landscape of opportunity for people with criminal histories. To learn more, please visit https://www.defyventures.org.