Prison Activism Now: Citizens' Education Project

In addition to working to stop prison privateers from penetrating Utah, Citizens' Education Project (CEP) advocates for social, economic and environmental justice on issues of civil liberties, nuclear waste, and nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Background: In addition to working to stop prison privateers from penetrating Utah, Citizens' Education Project (CEP) advocates for social, economic and environmental justice on issues of civil liberties, nuclear waste, and nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

In 2005: CEP led opposition to the Governor’s proposal to move the state’s main prison to make way for real estate development. They pushed for the legislature to require opportunities for public hearings and comments in the process of considering relocating the prison. Now CEP is taking on another legislative push for prison privatization. They’re building on their previous track record: in 2003 and 2004, they helped torpedo proposals to build a private women’s prison and privatize prison medical services. They’re continuing their efforts to roll back drug penalty enhancements and newly proposed mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses.

CEP was also one of the groups (along with PIN) backing DORA, a state legislature bill that passed in 2005 and will direct a number of drug-addicted people into treatment instead of to the prison system. They also opposed new drug penalty enhancement legislation.

This profile originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2005 issue of Justice Matters.