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Kaleem
Nazeem

Kaleem Nazeem was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole at the age of seventeen and served twenty-eight years in the Arkansas Department of Correction before being released in 2018 by way of the United States Supreme Court decision in Miller v. Alabama, which allowed for the re-sentencing of individuals sentenced to life as juveniles. Despite being told he would die in prison by the State of Arkansas, Nazeem refused to let his spirit of freedom be daunted, giving himself permission to develop into a healthy man who lives a principle-driven life. Since his release, he has received his associate's degree in Energy Control from ASU-Newport and advocated for fair sentences for juveniles, prison reform, and social justice for impoverished communities.

 

Nazeem works as a Movement Builder with decARcerate. Additionally, he volunteers with youth incarcerated at the Jonesboro Juvenile Detention Center, is an active member of ICAN (Incarcerated Children Advocacy Network) and Arkansas Poor People's Campaign, and serves as a board member for Compassion Works For All (CWFA).

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DecARcerate, Movement Builder

Kaleem Nazeem

Talks

To the right is a list of presentations from Kaleem Nazeem. If none of these talks work for your event, feel free to propose alternative topics.

The Cycle of Harm: Recidivism and Maslow's Pyramid
 

The Arkansas Department of Correction's (ADC) mission statement includes providing "a safe, humane environment" and opportunities

"to improve spiritually, mentally, and physically." In this talk, Kaleem Nazeem utilizes storytelling and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to illustrate how ADC has failed to meet its stated goal and argues that the lack of educational and rehabilitative services within the ADC furthers recidivism and harms people in prison.
 

Unequal Protection Under the Law: Racial Disparities within the Criminal Injustice System
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The Arkansas population is 15.70% Black, but the incarcerated population is 44.50%. In this talk, Nazeem discusses laws that perpetuate racial disparities within the criminal injustice system. 
 

The School to Prison Pipeline

​Reflecting on his own life experiences, Kaleem Nazeem addresses policies and practices that create and now maintain the school-to-prison pipeline, including zero-tolerance policies that mandate harsh punishments for both minor and major infractions, exclusion of students from schools through punitive suspension and expulsion, and the presence of police on campus as "school resource officers."

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Expert Testimony​

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Kaleem Nazeem proves that Individuals directly impacted by the carceral state are most qualified to diagnose the injustices and offer solutions. During "Expert Testimony," Kaleem briefly shares his story before opening up for questions and group conversation. This is particularly ideal for classrooms or organizational meetings. â€‹

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