Shedding light on the crisis of women behind bars
Keynote speaker, Prison Creative Arts Project: The 14th Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners
Ann Arbor, MI
April 6, 2009
Women, Action and the Media! Conference.
Cambridge, MA
March 27-29, 2009
*Silja presented on a Women & Investigative Journalism.
Is a New Jail Necessary?
Seattle University
January 28, 2009
Real Change and the Seattle University School of Law sponsored an amazing evening of education, debate and organizing to learn about the costs of a new jail to our neighborhoods, our communities, and our schools. Silja spoke about the plight of inmates in prisons and jails facing long-term solitary confinement and made her case for why mass incarceration is the biggest civil rights issue of our era.
To read coverage of the event: 'Activists oppose new Seattle jail proposal'
Lecture, College of Santa Fe lectures series: "Rebels, Revolutionaries, and Reformers."
Santa Fe, New Mexico
December 5, 2008
Reading, Barnes & Noble Book Fair supporting Powerful Voices
Seattle, WA
November 29, 2008
Keynote speaker, Family and Adult Service Center: “Safe at Home” Fundraising Breakfast
Seattle, WA
November 12, 2008
*$50,000 raised
Benefit, Incarcerated Women: Conditions, Profiteering and Resistance
Lower East Side, New York City
September 17, 2008
Silja joined Prison Legal News editor/founder Paul Wright (and co-editor of Prison Profiteers & many other books), former drug war prisoner Yraida Guanipa, and Books Through Bars co-founder Victoria Law at a benefit for Prison Legal News and Books Through Bars ~ sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance.
Brooklyn College
New York, NY
September 16, 2008
*Presentation to undergraduate Women Studies students,
FinnFest 2008
Duluth, MN
July 23-27, 2008
*Two presentations at this annual festival (attendance 12,000) including a lecture on Silja's comparative experiences visiting US women's prisons and Finland's only "closed" women's prison.
International Network of Street Papers' 13th Annual Conference: "Speaking from the Ground Up: Street Papers Challenging Global Perspectives on Poverty."
Glasgow, Scotland
June 19-21, 2008
*One of five international judges presenting awards, a workshop on investigative reporting, a reading of “Women Behind Bars”.
2008
Seattle, WA
Dec. 28 2008
Radio interview w/ Kathleen Stephenson, Radiozine, KBOO 90.7 (Portland OR)
Seattle, WA
Dec. 13 2008
Radio interview with Kevin McDonald, Positive Talk Radio! KKNW AM 1150
Seattle, WA
Dec. 13 2008
Reading, fundraiser for Powerful Voices at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Seattle, WA
Dec. 10 2009
SCAN TV interview w/ Doug Honig, ACLU, channel 77 (Airs Feb. 27 2008)
Seattle, WA
Dec. 9 2008
Radio interview w/ Kate Daniels, Sunday Morning Magazine, WARM 106.9
New Orleans, LA
Dec 6-9 2008
Reading and “Against the Odds” panel moderation, International Conference on Drug Policy Reform
Santa Fe, NM
Dec 5 2008
Lecture, College of Santa Fe, "Rebels, Revolutionaries, and Reformers" series
Seattle, WA
Dec. 1 2008
Keynote speaker World Aids Day at University of Washington, sponsored by Pocaan
Seattle, WA
Nov. 30 2008
Presentation to lawyers and human rights advocates, ACLU-WA offices
Seattle, WA
Nov. 29 2008
Reading, Barnes & Noble Book Fair supporting Powerful Voices
Seattle, WA
Nov. 20 2008
Radio interview w/ Ruth Kovacs, Prison Pipeline, KBOO 90.7 (Portland, OR)
Seattle, WA
Nov. 19 2008
Radio interview w/ Don Riggs, Introspect Northwest, KMPS 94.1
Seattle, WA
Nov. 16 2008
Radio interview w/ Megan Sukys, Sound Focus, KUOW 94.9
Seattle, WA
Nov. 12 2008
Keynote speaker, Family and Adult Service Center: “Safe at Home” Fundraising Breakfast
*$50,000 raised.
New York, NY
October 2008
Brooklyn College
Presentation to undergraduate Women Studies students
Duluth, MN
July 23-27 2008
Finn Fest
Two presentations, including a lecture on Silja's experience visiting Finland's only 'closed' women's prison.
Glasgow, Scotland
June 19-21 2008
International Network of Street Paper's 13th Annual Conference 2008: "Speaking from the Ground Up: Street Papers Challenging Global Perspectives on Poverty."
One of five international judges presenting awards, a workshop on investigative reporting, a reading of “Women Behind Bars”.
Philadelphia, PA
May29-June1 2008
Readings, STOPMAX Conference w/ American Friends Service Committee
Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA
May 28 2008
Radio interview w/ Theryn Kigvamasud’Vasti, Voices of Diversity, KBCS 91.3
Olympia, WA
May 24 2008
Women in Prison Panel, sponsored by Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace w/ ICE Detention Centers, Doula Prison Project, Olympia Civil Liberties Union
Seattle, WA
May 20 2008
Radio interview w/ Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
May 14 2008
SCAN TV interview, Community Women’s Voices hosted by Jan Strout, director of NOW’s Northwest Organizing Project
Sacramento, CA
April
Speaker, Gender Responsive Strategies Committee
Tucson, AZ
April 25 2008
Noon: University of Arizona Women’s Studies building
7pm: Friends Meeting House
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/CityWeek/Content?oid=109955
Seattle, WA
April 2-16 2008
Silja Talvi discusses “Women Behind Bars” at Inkwell.vue an authors' interview forum hosted by The WELL
Seattle, WA
April 2 2008
Reading w/ Paul Wright of “Prison Profiteers, Elliot Bay Book Company
Seattle, WA
March 21 2008
Lecture, Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Seattle, WA
March 19 2008
Radio interview w/ Steve Scher, Weekday, KUOW 94.9
http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=14534
Olympia, WA
March 15 2008
Reading, Timberland Regional Library
Seattle, WA
March 6 2008
Radio interview, w/ Virginia Prescott, Word of Mouth, New Hampshire Public Radio
Seattle, WA
Feb. 16-17 2008
Panel moderator w/ Angela Davis for “Black August”, Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, Seattle Center
Seattle, WA
Feb. 14 2008
Real Change Benefit w/ Norm Stamper @ Rainier Valley Cultural Center
Corte Madera, CA
Jan. 20 2008
Reading, Book Passage w/ Grantees from Social Justice Founders
Seattle, WA
Jan. 10 2008
Benefit reading for Justice Works and Pocaan at Mt Zion Church
2007
Seattle, WA
December 2007
Reading, Bottleneck Lounge
Seattle, WA
Nov. 26 2007
Radio interview w/ Lee Callahan, Community Matters Weekend Edition, AM 1090
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/2128570
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/2128571
Seattle, WA
Nov. 17 2007
Radio Interview w/ Mike Mcormick, Mind Over Matters, KEXP 90.3
Seattle, WA
Nov. 17 2007
Reading, Elliot Bay Book Company
Co-Sponsored by Hedgebrook and ACLU
Portland, OR
Nov. 13 2007
Reading, Powell’s-Hawthorne w/ Fellowship of Reconciliation
Amy Ralston
Amy (Pofahl) Ralston was 28-years-old when she was caught up in an international, MDMA-related drug operation focused on her husband, Sandy Pofahl. Ralston did not have a criminal record and has always maintained that she did not know anything about her wealthy husband's drug trafficking. She told federal agents she could not and would not cooperate in efforts to round-up Pofahl's associates, even after what Ralston describes as extreme pressure and emotional/physical harassment at her home, of her family, and at her workplace. Although six of Pofahl's co-defendants swore that Ralston was not involved in the drug network, she was convicted on a federal "conspiracy" charge and received a 24-year sentence. (Pofahl, for his part, served four years in Germany and 3 years probation in the U.S.) Former President Clinton granted Ralston clemency on July 7, 2000, after she had served nearly a decade behind bars. Ralston soon founded (and still directs) CAN-DO, supporting clemency for female drug war prisoners.
Even the smallest donation makes a difference. The Women Behind Bars Project wants to respond promptly to requests for information, resources, books to prisoners, and speaking engagements. We're already doing a lot with very little, but we need your help.
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