The Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois ( TJLP ) celebrated the publication of Hidden Expressions, vol. 2 with a release party featuring trans* activist Monica Jones at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Sept. 6.
The Hidden Expressions zine is, according to the TJLP's website, "a publication created exclusively with the contributions, wisdom, and creativity of transgender and gender non-conforming people who have been or are currently incarcerated." Volume two includes mail correspondence and collaboration between the members of the TJLP and more than 45 incarcerated trans* people in the United States prison system.
TJLP collective member Owen Daniel-McCarter shared the work that the organization does, and explained that the TJLP's goal is to abolish all prisons. Then TJLP collective member Lark Mulligan spoke about evolution of the zine, how they decided what to include in the zine and how popular it's become. Mulligan explained that the prisons "knew what we were up to and they didn't like it."
A student at Arizona State University's School of Social Work and a member of SWOP ( Sex Workers Outreach Project ) Phoenix, Jones was arrested and convicted of manifesting prostitution in Phoenix. Jones spoke about her experience of being criminalized while trans*.
Jones, with the help of the ACLU and SWOP Phoenix, is currently in the process of appealing the conviction, which she says is invalid because, at the time of her arrest, she wasn't engaging in prostitution.
She shared her back story including getting involved in sex work so she could pay her bills and way through college. "I'm not ashamed about my past as a sex worker," said Jones. However, she did speak about being ashamed of her voice; however, in recent years she said she's come to love her voice due to the positive feedback she's gotten from others.
See www.tjlp.org for more information.