Bengt George
Bengt George is a graduate student in the Sociology Department at Kent State University. His research interests revolve around collective identities and framing processes in the context of social movements - especially those involving prisoners, the homeless, and other stigmatized and marginalized groups. Bengt has a history of prisoner solidarity work and draws on his experience in art and activist scenes in amplifying the products of ID13 through media, events, and collaborative relationships.
"I'm always in favor of taking the 'direct approach,' so having the ability to go into the prison and work with the writing group members is truly something special. I also think the accessibility and intimacy of art makes it an effective tool for changing people's hearts and minds about the incarcerated. Using facts and figures, we may be able to convince others that mass incarceration is a social ill, but it's the feeling of knowing someone in the belly of the beast that instills you with a sense of urgency and a need for action. Within the context of a system based on isolation and dehumanization, every personal connection forged is a revolutionary act."
"I'm always in favor of taking the 'direct approach,' so having the ability to go into the prison and work with the writing group members is truly something special. I also think the accessibility and intimacy of art makes it an effective tool for changing people's hearts and minds about the incarcerated. Using facts and figures, we may be able to convince others that mass incarceration is a social ill, but it's the feeling of knowing someone in the belly of the beast that instills you with a sense of urgency and a need for action. Within the context of a system based on isolation and dehumanization, every personal connection forged is a revolutionary act."