> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.jeffcobeacon.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Incarcerated Intellectual: The Black Prisoners Caucus - URL: https://www.jeffcobeacon.com/incarcerated-intellectual-the-black-prisoners-caucus/ - Published: 2026-10-20T23:15:14.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-20T23:15:14.000Z - Description: Avery Loring is an incarcerated writer sharing his insights about trauma, prison reform and abolition. - Author: Avery Loring - Tags: The Incarcerated Intellectual, Criminal Justice Reform, Columns I realize intellectual freedom has no boundaries, owes no allegiance and cannot be monopolized by any one segment of society. It is the spirit of enlightenment. These are my thoughts as I turn the volume up on my music player and vibe out to Horses and Hellcats by Shaboozey. Today I welcome you all to an inside look at a Black Prisoners Caucus meeting here at Clallam Bay Corrections Center — we are the freedom fighters! Here, we engage in brainstorming, participate in robust debates and sharpen formidable skills in civics and political science. We've unearthed an uncanny ability to read the imprints of older historical manuscripts beneath the scenes playing out today. There is nothing new under the sun. Our goal is simple: Create transformative justice ecosystems by using proactive solutions within existing public policies; explore connections between trauma, coping mechanisms and high-risk behaviors that lead to incarceration; analyze data to evaluate the efficacy of rehabilitation programs and propose Trauma-Informed approaches to justice. We're not trying to change prison — we're absolutely changing the world. Today, the subject of inquiry is a specific law: RCW 9.94A.525(1)(b), which removes some juvenile adjudications from being used against adults, but the law is not being applied retroactively. Ultimately, this means incarcerated individuals serving older sentences remain subjected to having adjudications included in the adult offender scores, while people committing offenses today do not. This creates a dual system where two people with identical backgrounds face drastically different sentences based solely on when they committed the offense. The question of the day is: Does this align with the modern-day definition of fairness and justice? A member starts by mentioning that the appellate courts are justifying this juxtaposition. According to case law, no matter how much a community may benefit from a change in law that rectifies racial disparities in the criminal justice system, a person is forced to be held to the old standard of the law if they committed the offense prior to the new law being enacted, unless the legislature specifically says it applies retroactively (meaning to everyone). Another member yells, "That's like telling slaves the 13th Amendment only applies to blacks who were free before its enactment! " We all agree right then; a law rectifying historical racial disparities within sentencing should always be automatically retroactive. We decide to attack this wholeheartedly by pursuing a legal remedy. The two statutes at the center of this conundrum are the timing statute and the savings clause, which the appellate courts have consistently relied on to justify this legal standard. The question now is how to attack the timing statute and the savings clause when the racial disparities they exacerbate are entrenched in the way they're intended to function? We break into small groups to discuss it and dive in at full speed. After an hour, we gather together and decide on a plan of action. We're going to propose an initiative to registered voters under RCW 29A.72.120, proposing a law that explicitly acknowledges the historical disproportionality in Washington's sentencing practices and mandates that all sentencing laws enacted by the legislature to rectify historical disproportionalities and racial disparities be applied retroactively. I'm commissioned to create surveys as a preliminary measure to raise public awareness, which I've done in previous legislative sessions. Others are commissioned to begin social media campaigns to inform the public of the historical context of the racial disparities in Washington's sentencing practices and how they have specifically contributed to the budget crisis. Some of us are directed to inform parents of children how this legislation could potentially change their children's interactions with law enforcement. In a couple of weeks, we'll share our progress in a monthly updated report, detailing how we carried out our tasks, the facts uncovered, information obtained, conclusions and observations reached and recommendations for a proposed plan of action moving forward. The secretary documents the reports in the minutes, which are copied and archived to ensure the BPC's mission and vision are maintained and to serve as a guiding map for future leadership. As our meeting adjourns, there's a palpable energy vibrating through all of us; we're like a bunch of human dryer sheets charged up and ready to go! I look around and see redemption on each face, and love in every smile. These are my brothers, my friends and my fellow freedom fighters. Then I look over and admire the incredible people who drive for miles in rain, sleet or snow to extend their helping hand — our volunteers are the most dedicated bunch of social justice fighters I have ever encountered. Before I shake their hands and leave, I reflect on all of the hard and strenuous work these incredible individuals do on our behalf. They come to support us, guide us and advise us on so many important matters, including the implementation of trauma-informed care models. I am in awe of all the organizations that work collaboratively alongside us. All of the people who invest their days and nights in the name of restorative justice — who love their neighbors as they love themselves — building bridges and uplifting communities all over this great state. I am thankful to have lived in a time of renowned civics; we are the heroes, sheroes and revolutionaries!