Our Present Moment

Using People-first Language

A person is more than a single story, a past action, or a moment in time. Throughout this project, we prioritized people-first language to emphasize personhood over a generalized history of incarceration. The Committee recommended interpreting our history through a lens that is both clear-eyed and compassionate, acknowledging the full breadth of the past without diminishing the individual dignity of those who were once here.

In our first committee meeting, we discussed how referring to those held in correction facilities as convicts, inmates, felons, or prisoners defines a person by a past act and can be dehumanizing. We instead decided to refer to someone who is serving time as an incarcerated person or individual, or use their name, following the recommendations of many groups like the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that highlights inequities within the criminal justice system.