This event features performances by three solo theater performers, Tony Cyprien, Pamela Ann Keane, and Tylon Sizemore, all of whom have all lived through incarceration, to share their personal encounters with the justice and healthcare systems. Through their stories, they will explore life both behind bars and upon reentering society.

In their poignant and necessary narratives, the performers will shed light on the injustices entrenched within the carceral system, including systemic obstacles to adequate healthcare and the poor treatment endured by incarcerated individuals, especially those from marginalized racial backgrounds.

Following these powerful performances, we will delve deeper into the intersections of the justice system, healthcare, and structural racism through a panel discussion and audience Q+A featuring the performers themselves, alongside UCSF academics and community-engaged researchers Dr. Elizabeth Dzeng, whose research focuses on racial health inequities and structural racism in healthcare, and Dr. Jennifer James, whose work lies at the intersections of race, gender, health, and incarceration. Complementing their insights will be the legal expertise of Mark McGoldrick, J.D., a Former Assistant Public Defender with three decades of experience in public criminal defense in California.

We invite you to enjoy these remarkable performances. The performers’ stories will illuminate the necessity for reform and advocacy regarding the health and healthcare of incarcerated individuals, as well as to address overarching systemic injustices within the justice system, including at its intersections with race and racism. We hope you will leave the event with a more profound empathy for those with lived experiences of incarceration and a greater appreciation for the resilience and courage of individuals who have persevered through injustice to survive and heal.

RSVP here.

About FIPPP:

FIPPP features formerly incarcerated performers telling stories about their life experiences and is currently the Company-in-Residence at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. FIPPP believes that sharing the stories of those who have been formerly incarcerated will foster compassion and understanding about the circumstances that may lead to incarceration. For their audiences, the stories at FIPPP are meant to bring hope and shed light on the inhumane conditions prisoners often endure during and after incarceration. Find out more about FIPPP here.

About the RISE Project:

The RISE research team is a group of interdisciplinary researchers based at the Division of Hospital Medicine at UCSF that aims to understand how structural racism shapes the experiences of older Black adults living with serious illness. Using qualitative and community-based participatory research methods, the RISE team seeks to confront structural racism in healthcare and identify ways to advance health justice for older Black adults in San Francisco and beyond. Find out more about RISE here.

About the Consortium:

Founded in 2008, the Consortium leverages law and policy to address the conditions in health care systems and society that together enable health and well-being. The Consortium envisions a world in which all individuals and communities can attain the highest level of health possible, defined on their own terms. To this end, the Consortium builds multidisciplinary and multistakeholder collaborations among faculty and students of UCSF and UC Law SF and the patients, clients, communities, and organizations we serve alongside. Through these collaborations, we engage in education and training, research, and public service that advances health and health equity. In all areas, the Consortium’s work is guided by core values of empathy, intellectual and academic integrity, and optimism.

This performance is part of the Consortium’s Health Justice Event Series. We invite you to learn more on the Consortium website here, or email consortium@uclawsf.edu for more information.