by MOSES Publications | Apr 24, 2026 | Prisons, Reviews
The Belly of the Beast: The Campaign to End Forced Sterilization of Women Prisoners in California
A film by Erika Cohn
Reviewed by Pam Gates
At its January meeting, the local chapter of FREE – a movement of women whose lives have been affected by incarceration – showed a documentary that exposed a glaring overstep in state control of prisoners’ autonomy: forced sterilization. Women brought to the hospital for gynecological treatment might end up sterilized as well – without their knowledge or consent.
Kelli Dillon, the “star” of this 2020 documentary, spent 15 years in the Central California Women’s Facility, the world’s largest women’s prison, for shooting and killing her abusive husband during a fight. She had been trying to protect her two young sons and herself. According to the film, 92% of the women in prison are there due to domestic violence.
The other “star” of this documentary is Cynthia Chandler, co-founder of Justice Now, which provides legal advocacy for women in prison. Chandler had received a letter from Dillon stating that she hadn’t had her period for nine months, not since a hospital surgery for a cancer concern performed at the directive of the prison doctor. Chandler told Dillon to get her medical records, which they studied together when Chandler visited the prison. No cancer. But Dillon had been sterilized. And she wasn’t the only one. Many other women came forward as Justice Now investigated, stating that they’d been talked into a hysterectomy.
Justice Now found a law firm to take Dillon’s case pro bono. After a seven-day trial, the all-white jury dismissed Dillon’s claims; Dillon said that several lawyers were crying as they left the courtroom. She herself felt that “as a Black woman, my life wasn’t worth anything. It had no purpose.” She was released from prison not too long after, but found she couldn’t enjoy coming home. Her mind was on the trial, and on her sons, who’d grown into their teens while she’d been incarcerated. She’d seen them five times in those 15 years, “watching them grow up through a glass.”
A whistleblower sent Justice Now the minutes of a meeting at the state prison discussing the cost-effectiveness of sterilization during labor and delivery. According to federal law, it was illegal to sterilize without informed consent, but women were being asked to sign consent forms when they were “drugged up, just before surgery,” as one of them put it – or maybe they simply could not understand what they were being asked to sign.
Corey Johnson of the Center for Investigative Reporting came on board. Kimberly Jeffery told him that when she gave birth during her prison term, it was by c-section — for security purposes, she was told. Of 393 births during a given period, 222 were by c-section. Johnson found that doctors were being reimbursed for tubal ligations, but most of the time he confronted a culture of secrecy in the California prison system.
Dr. Heinrich, the prison doctor who saw Dillon, had a record of treatment resulting in permanently deforming kids or women. He was pushy about getting tubes tied. But it was a case of prison inmates’ allegations against people with PhDs. Said one person: “How do you know the crook is telling the truth?”
When Johnson asked Dr. Heinrich about making $100,000 on a banned procedure, Heinrich responded: “It’s cheaper than welfare.” That was part of the argument, and a share of the general public bought into it: Women in prison are not reproducing responsibly, so forced sterilization is a logical, reasonable consequence. Orange is the new sterile.
Justice Now, which has people currently in prison on its board of directors, launched a campaign for an anti-sterilization bill. The bill wasn’t moving forward, so Justice Now asked Dillon to testify on its behalf. She finally agreed, deciding that she had to accept what had happened – being sterilized at age 24 — and make peace with it. She’d wanted a second chance at life, at being a mom. She’d trusted the surgeon, and she felt robbed. She concluded her statement before the committee with this observation: “Is my testimony not accepted because I am African American? Or because I am a woman? Or because I was an inmate? … Or because of all three?”
After 1,400 forced sterilizations, SB1135 passed with bipartisan support. The prison system promptly began retaliating by blocking any reproductive treatment. A lawyer in the film called for a bigger national conversation on the topic; Dillon said that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) had to be made liable. In a further step, another bill, California’s AB1764, seeks material redress for the forced sterilizations. “There has to be a happy ending,” Dillon says.
Note: Dillon earned an associate’s degree in social work during the seven years this movie was being made. She now works with girls to address teen issues and sexual violence, so part of a “happy ending” has been launched. Dillon’s relationship with her younger son is strong, and her bond with her older son has been growing.
by MOSES Publications | Apr 24, 2026 | Newsletter, Racial Equity Team, Racism and Racial Equity, Reviews
Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm
By Robin DiAngelo, 2021, Beacon Press Books
Reviewed by Ken Warren
This book is a follow-up to Robin DiAngelo’s earlier book, White Fragility. In White Fragility, DiAngelo focused on white people in general. In this book she turns her attention specifically to white progressives. As the membership of Moses could easily be considered progressive and is also overwhelmingly white, this is a perfect book for us to read and take to heart.
In the first chapter, DiAngelo lays out her definition of a white racist. She points out that she is not talking about people who espouse hatred of BIPOC individuals, but rather people who unintentionally commit racial microaggressions. She gives many examples of this from her years of conducting seminars. She also does not spare herself, but points out her own microaggressions.
The author points out that one particular problem in the United States is our reverence for individualism. White progressives often challenge the idea of being generalized as a part of the white race. They feel that they should be viewed as individuals rather than as a member of a racial group. The problem with that, of course, is that we live in a society which supports and encourages white privilege. Whether we recognize it or not, and regardless of our economic status, our life in this country is made easier as a result of our whiteness.
This entire book has valuable information for anyone trying to be an anti-racist. I am, however, going to focus on Chapter 5, which is titled “The Moves of White Progressives.” In this chapter, DiAngelo lists 19 different moves by white progressives to argue against any suggestion that they may have done or said something racist in nature. She focuses particularly on credentialing.
By DiAngelo’s definition, credentialing describes the ways in which white progressives attempt to prove that they are not racist. She indicates that there are two broad categories of credentialing, which she labels color-deny and color-celebrate. In the category of color-deny, the person claims to not even notice race and therefore could not possibly be racist. An example of color-deny credentialing is: “I was taught to treat everyone the same.” The color-celebrate category says that the person welcomes, enjoys, and seeks out racial difference, thus the person is comfortable with racial difference and could not possibly be racist. An example of color-celebrate credentialing is: “My best friend is Black.”
Another move is “out-woking.” Examples of this are publicly criticizing other white progressives for their racism and complaining in seminars that they are not learning anything new. While some workshops may be more valuable than others, there is always something to be learned, DiAngelo says. Publicly complaining is just an attempt to show oneself as “woke.”
Another move of white progressives is “Downplaying our Advantages.” When asked to talk about their white privilege, white progressives often point out how terrible they feel about having those privileges. We may not have liked all the food at the table, but we were “all at the table, and that table was whiteness,” she writes.
The last move that I will highlight is “Lecturing BIPOC People on the Answer to Racism.” The example DiAngelo uses here was taken from a panel discussion in South Africa. When the event was opened to questions and comments, a Black woman expressed pain and anger about racial inequality in South Africa. In response, several white people stood and lectured on the solutions to racism that included personal responsibility, personal relationships, and not pointing fingers. None of them expressed any understanding of that woman’s pain.
As I previously opined, this book has important teaching messages from beginning to end, but what I found most revealing was my own response to the book. When DiAngelo would give examples of microaggressions or white moves, I would think, “Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that!” As I progressed through the book, though, I realized that I was looking at other progressives’ shortcomings but shielding myself. I started putting myself into those examples and began to understand how far I still have to go to become a true adherent of anti-racism and a consistent white ally. I encourage everyone to read Nice Racism. Use it to honestly assess your own work, yet to be done.
by MOSES Publications | Mar 12, 2026 | Life After Prison
Eric is serving a 30-year sentence for second-degree murder of an innocent bystander. While in prison, he read an article about the health hazards of drinking soda and decided to give up soda. It was the first time he had made a decision to deprive himself of something – and to stick to the decision.
This helped him realize that a major source of his life’s problems was a lack of self-discipline. His success in quitting soda convinced him that change was possible. He made other behavioral, self-disciplinary changes, like lifting weights. His new behaviors became habits, and those habits elevated his level of self-discipline and allowed him to tackle more significant changes, like quitting smoking and drugs. His continuing success led to many other positive developments, including earning an associate’s degree, working on a bachelor’s degree, obtaining paralegal certification, teaching a legal research class, and tutoring other college students.
“I can never make up for the past,” he says, “but I can try to offset it as much as possible by being the best person I can going forward. I’m getting better all the time, and I owe it all to quitting soda.”
Read the full story at https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/04/04/prison-self-discipline-quitting-soda-psychology
by MOSES Publications | Mar 12, 2026 | JPTF Justice & Police TF, JSRI Justice System Reform Initiatives, MOSES activities, MOSES leadership, WISDOM, WISDOM Conditions of Confinement, WISDOM immigration, WISDOM Old Law, WISDOM Post Release, WISDOM Treatment and Diversions
General Membership (Hybrid)
- Sunday, Mar. 8, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Apr. 12, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, May 17, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, June 14, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Leadership Board (Hybrid)
- Saturday, Mar. 28, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 30, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Jul. 25, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
MOSES Task Forces (via Zoom)
- Justice System Reform Initiative (JSRI) Mar. 12, Apr. 9, May 14, June 11, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
- Racial Justice for All Children (RJAC) Mar. 17, Apr. 21, May 19, June 16, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
- Justice and Policing (JPTF) Mar. 23, Apr. 27, May 25, June 22, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
WISDOM Task Forces
- Old Law Zoom Call Mar. 14, Apr. 11, May 9, June 13, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
- Conditions of Confinement Conference Call Mar. 18, Apr. 15, May 20, June 17, 5-6 p.m.
- Post-Release Zoom Call Mar. 26, Apr. 23, May 28, June 25, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
- Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) Zoom call On pause
- Immigration Zoom Call Mar. 9, Apr. 13, May 11, June 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
by MOSES Publications | Mar 12, 2026 | Life After Prison, Reviews
The Voice of the Comforter: a Film by Rafael Ragland
By Pam Gates
On Jan. 12, the Madison Justice Team screened The Voice of the Comforter at the UW South Madison Partnership space. The film’s director and producer, Rafael Ragland, was there, as well as several of the people who acted in the film. Rafael was as teary-eyed as much of his audience when the film concluded; he explained that he’d lived through most of what this moving film portrayed.
The Voice of the Comforter illustrates the incredible challenges people who have been incarcerated face upon release – challenges in housing, in employment, in relationships, in family, in the parole system. And, just when a little progress seems to have been made, everything may come crashing down again.
But the film also offers hope for dealing with all of those challenges. The lead character, the returning citizen, struggles to believe in himself but almost gives up several times. Ultimately, he does manage to pull through to a position of strength – in part because of his own determination, but also because another person – in fact, several other people – believe in him.
The film juxtaposes biblical scenes and characters with current situations, adding yet another interesting touch to this interesting film. It may be too religious for some tastes, but the character’s powerful trust and belief in a higher power are part of what ultimately pulls him through to the other end of his reentry’s roller coaster ride.
The Madison Justice Team says that Rafael and his team at So Grateful Films have made this film available through their personal streaming network, http://www.virtualvision.site. Click on this link, go to On Demand, and click on the movie title. After you see the film, the team hopes you will be moved to support the creation of these uplifting, heartfelt films. The goal of So Grateful Films is to make two movies a year, and to engage both youth and adults by providing employment and skill development in the film and arts industries.
If the team achieves its crowdfunding target for 2026, it will make the fifth consecutive year of making a positive difference in people’s lives. Donations will be gratefully accepted through the website sogratefulfilms.com, or by check to Rafael Ragland at so grateful films, 1237 Saint Albert the Great Drive, Sun Prairie, WI 53590.
