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The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the entire world, and also the largest absolute number of imprisoned people in the world. California has the largest prison system in the country, with notoriously overcrowded prisons. Nearly three years ago two inmates from Lancaster State Prison wrote to Uprising to inform us of the danger of losing an honor program in their facility that had proven to dramatically reduce violence. We interviewed State Senator Gloria Romero who was supporting the program and it’s expansion to other facilities. Now, one of those inmates, recently freed, joins us in studio to express the importance of hearing from the incarcerated population. Hugo Machuca was in prison for well over two decades. During his time at Lancaster he was very involved in programs like CROP, Convicts Reaching Out to People, and ASH, Artists Serving Humanity. Now, he is going to be featured this weekend on a panel discussion about incarcerated writers moderated by local writer and community organizer, Luis Rodriguez.

GUESTS: Hugo Machuca, formerly incarcerated inmate, Luis Rodriguez, co-founder of Tia Chucha’s Cafe, author of the bestselling memoir, Always Running: La Vida Loca Gang Days in LA, and co-editor of Honor Comes Hard: Writings from California Prison System’s Honor Yard

A panel discussion featuring Hugo Machuca and others, moderated by Luis Rodriguez, will take place on Saturday January 23, from 1-3pm at Tia Chucha’s Cafe Cultural, 13197-A Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342. For more information, visit www.tiachucha.com.