Ideas change everything

The human stories behind mass incarceration

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Eve Abrams |

TEDWomen 2017

• November 2017

The United States locks up more people than any other country in the world, says documentarian Eve Abrams, and somewhere between one and four percent of those in prison are likely innocent. That's 87,000 brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers -- predominantly African American -- unnecessarily separated from their families, their lives and dreams put on hold. Using audio from her interviews with incarcerated people and their families, Abrams shares touching stories of those impacted by mass incarceration and calls on us all to take a stand and ensure that the justice system works for everyone.

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Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

The United States locks up more people than any other country in the world, says documentarian Eve Abrams, and somewhere between one and four percent of those in prison are likely innocent. That's 87,000 brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers -- predominantly African American -- unnecessarily separated from their families, their lives and dreams put on hold. Using audio from her interviews with incarcerated people and their families, Abrams shares touching stories of those impacted by mass incarceration and calls on us all to take a stand and ensure that the justice system works for everyone.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Serve on juries.

Support Unprisoned, a radio show and podcast that tells the stories behind the statistics about our criminal justice system.

Help Mckinley Phipps's family continue to fight for his freedom.

Elect legislators, judges, and district attorneys with platforms to: demand equal funding for public defenders and DAs; abolish money bail; reform three strikes laws; and abolish elected judges.

About the speaker

Audio documentarian

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Eve Abrams makes radio stories, mostly about her adopted hometown, New Orleans.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Serve on juries.

Support Unprisoned, a radio show and podcast that tells the stories behind the statistics about our criminal justice system.

Help Mckinley Phipps's family continue to fight for his freedom.

Elect legislators, judges, and district attorneys with platforms to: demand equal funding for public defenders and DAs; abolish money bail; reform three strikes laws; and abolish elected judges.