Critical Resistance (CR) is a national grassroots organization with hundreds of members and thousands of supporters. CR is committed to building and expanding the movement against the prison industrial complex by encouraging work at a local level. We currently have 10 local chapters that are primarily organized by region: West-Oakland, Los Angeles; Northeast -New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC, Baltimore; South-New Orleans, Atlanta, Gainesville, and St. Petersburg/Tampa. Our goal is to inspire people in all communities to join forces in the movement against the destructive effects of the prison industrial complex.
Setting Up a Local Chapter
CR trusts that local chapters know the important issues in their communities and that they understand the best methods for resolving these problems. Local chapters determine their own structures, projects, and campaigns. However, chapters are required to support the CR mission, organizing principles, and meet specific benchmarks. Our national office provides local chapters with resources to support their work. Examples of these resources include: infrastructural support such as offices, phones, supplies, and staffing, literature, videos, funds for special needs, fundraising support, technology, trainings and a network of prison abolitionists throughout the country.
CR asks that any group interested in becoming a local chapter to make sure that people most impacted by the prison industrial complex are involved in organizing the chapter, decision-making and work of the chapter from the beginning. We also ask that local chapters agree to the following principles. We understand that every group may not be ready or able to fulfill all of these requirements. If this is the case, we ask that groups enter into a process that can move the group toward fulfilling these principles. Chapters must:
· Sign on to the Critical Resistance mission statement.
· Engage in ongoing organizing against the prison industrial complex.
· Reflect those who are most impacted by the prison industrial complex in that chapter's city, state, or region.
· Engage in ongoing dialogue within their communities, have visibility within these communities, and be responsive to these communities.
· Be committed to sharing power through an open and participatory process.
· Engage in regular communication with at least one CR staff person.
· Participate in the ongoing shaping of CR's national goals and vision through activities such as submission to the CR newsletter, attendance at retreats and conferences, and participation in conference calls.
CRITICAL RESISTANCE MISSION STATEMENT
Critical Resistance seeks to build an international movement to end the prison industrial complex (PIC). We do this by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe. We believe that basic necessities such as food, shelter, and freedom are what really makes our communities secure. As such, our work is part of global struggles against inequality and powerlessness. The success of the movement requires that it reflect communities most affected by the PIC. Because we seek to abolish the PIC, we cannot support any work that extends its life or scope.
How to Get Started
Becoming a local chapter generally takes about one year of consistent communication, investigation, and active work. CR staff are available at every step of the way to help simplify this process.
1) Review the CR Starter Packet and contact Kai Barrow, our Infrastructure Director, to assess next steps. CR staff are responsible for helping groups develop and coordinate communication, operations, and resources. After reviewing the materials in the CR Starter Packet, contact Kai at kai@criticalresistance.org or (917) 701.9180. She will speak with you about your interest in CR, address any questions or concerns the materials raise for you, and help you assess the issues, resources, and support available in your area. Essentially, this first step is about relationship-building and will be the beginning of an ongoing dialogue.
2) Spend some time researching your area. What does the system look like-prisons, courts, policing? Who is most affected by the prison industrial complex in your area? What services and/or resources exist for people? What's lacking? Identify local groups doing grassroots/community-based organizing around these issues. What is the current work being done? Who's doing the work? What is the political landscape and geography of your area? How does the situation in your area parallel or reflect situations elsewhere? What kind of interventions can we make as CR?
3) Organize an informal event to gauge your communities' interest in CR. Set up an event that allows people to discuss the issues. Frame the discussion in a way that is relevant to people's lives. Find out what kind of work has been done or talked about in your area. What were the successes and obstacles? Make sure that the event is easily accessible for those who are most impacted by the prison industrial complex. Consider time of day, childcare, transportation, and location. Don't forget to have a sign-in sheet. Also, set a follow-up date before the event.
4) Follow-up with people who came to your initial event and others who are interested in CR. We need to insure that people most impacted by the prison industrial complex are involved from the beginning. Make sure the environment is welcoming and accessible (food is always a plus) and allow everyone's voice to be heard and respected-despite differences in opinion. There are many activities that you can do to begin developing your chapter. For example, host study groups where people read and discuss issues; OR sponsor interactive trainings for your group to obtain skills in, base-building, campaign development, facilitation, fundraising, media, and public speaking; OR arrange screenings of CR videos or other related prison industrial complex videos; OR write letters to prisoners in your city and/or state; OR hold ongoing events in a consistent space where people can depend on your presence. CR has videos, literature, and trainers to help you build community.
5) Formalize the group into a local chapter. Begin to take up the nuts and bolts of becoming a local chapter. Nuts and bolts include: meeting the CR chapter requirements; setting regular meeting times with an agenda, facilitators, and note-takers; establishing a communication plan with the appropriate CR staff person; setting up a voicemail, P.O. box, and list serve, and establishing a working structure for how decisions will be made, work will be divided, and meetings will be run.
6) Take up work as a local chapter. Decide what kinds of internal and external work the group will be involved in on an ongoing basis. How does that work further CR's mission? How does the work reflect the chapter requirements? How can local organizing support the work of other chapters throughout the region and country? How does the work further the national movement-building and organizing?
7) Get involved in the working groups of the National Organizing Body. The National Organizing Body (NOB) is the decision-making body of the organization. Currently there are three work groups: Fundraising, Personnel, and Technology. Chapter members can join NOB working groups as a way to increase communication and accountability.
Chapter Benchmarks
Assuming that a group of people meets the guidelines for becoming a chapter (they've read CR materials, had ongoing conversation with a CR staffer, began to build community), the following are benchmarks for the first year of the chapter's existence.
Month 1 Orientation to CR:
Goals - Begin to become conversational about CR and abolition. Start to use and discuss terms and concepts associated with the PIC and abolition; develop an understanding of each other's politics and perspectives. Begin to envision potential work. During the first month, we suggest you meet weekly to get rolling.
Month 2 Campaign/Project Development:
Goals - Move from ideas to projects/campaigns. Until the chapter has been working together for at least six months, we suggest that you meet twice monthly to get rolling on projects and get to know each other better. During the second month we hope that chapters will begin to focus on some work to take up. While initial work should be small in scope, we encourage new chapters to get moving on something. What is the chapter trying to accomplish? What is achievable?
Month 3 Research:
Goals - Determine what's needed to make the chapter's project or campaign move. We suggest specific meetings to identify information, resources, and people to help make the campaign or project successful. Who isn't involved that should be? What does the group need to know before moving forward? What other resources does the group need to get started?
Months 4-5 Developing a Plan:
Goals - Build a base of stakeholders; develop an action plan for the project or campaign; develop a plan for bringing new people into existing work/structure. During the next two months, bring in the people and resources necessary to the project or campaign's success. Develop a fact sheet or flyer for street outreach. Hold a larger meeting of potential stakeholders (or people who should be involved in the project). Gather/develop materials for the project or campaign. Identify the skills and information needed for success and get training or research support to supplement what already exists in the chapter.
Month 6 Public Event:
Goals - Generate a public face in the community; build your base; be accountable to the communities in which you work. By month six, the chapter should have planned (or helped plan) at least one public event (i.e. a meeting of community partners, if working on a campaign, or an event like a film festival, block party, etc.) to let people know about CR and its work
Ideas for public events include:
* Film screenings
* Town hall meeting
* Testifying at public meetings or hearings
* Participating (as a chapter) in a rally or demonstration
* Conducting a training or workshop
The chapter should also participate in a 6-month evaluation with the appropriate CR staffer to evaluate how things are going. If the chapter has taken on a short-term project such as a film screening, evaluate that project and figure out how to build from the work that went into that project. Did any issues come up during the event planning or the event itself that could lead to more work for the chapter? Are there relationships that can be strengthened?
Month 9-11 Chapter Identity:
Goals - Develop a membership of people who are skilled and confident talking about CR, working for CR's mission, and who have a sense of group identity as a chapter. During this period, you should have participated in at least 3 public speaking experiences (by more than one member) related to a project or campaign you're working on. If you did a short-term project, give a written evaluation of how the event went, lessons learned, etc. the chapter should also be able to demonstrate a consistent relationship with prisoners and former prisoners in their area.
Month 12 Anniversary:
Goals - A solid, stable local chapter. By the chapter's one-year anniversary, the chapter should be able to demonstrate the following:
· Community recognition-people in the community (neighborhood, city, whatever is most appropriate) in which the chapter works should know the chapter exists, what the group stands for, and what work it does.
· Stability-the group should have maintained a solid core over a number of months of people involved in the ongoing work of the chapter
· Growth-the membership of the chapter should have increased by at least 3-5 new people from the initial grouping with a focus on those most directly impacted by the PIC where the group works.
Starting a CR chapter is most successful when several people begin the initial processes. Invest in working together to help build momentum, it helps members build trust and get to know each other. CR will provide new chapters with training and support to help you develop work plans and learn about CR's values and working style.
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