"Why don’t I just call myself what the system called me?": A Call-to-action for Humanizing Language in Our Movement

Language is powerful––it gives meaning to how we perceive the world around us, and how others perceive us. Most of us who have been incarcerated have had language weaponized against us: terms like "inmate“, "offender,” "felon,” and "convict” are used to demean and ostracize, and these labels follow us long after we’ve served our time. 

Recently, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend: formerly incarcerated and system-impacted people describing themselves with these dehumanizing terms––particularly white men. Some claim these labels don't bother them; I would imagine that is because such language is inconsequential to them and their reentry success. Others have even shared that they embrace the language as an attempt to take accountability. I’m here to talk to these folks directly about how this is harmful to our larger movement, particularly to Black people impacted by incarceration. 

First, on why I use the terms “formerly incarcerated” and “system-impacted”: System-impacted puts emphasis on the oppressive systems—such as the judicial system, systemic racism, and capitalism—that contribute to incarceration, rather than reduce our identities to the charges brought against us. Formerly incarcerated on the other hand, focuses solely on the previous experience of the person and recognizes that they’re still human beings with full lives. Incarceration is something I experienced previously, whereas an "ex-offender" is what you are claiming I am present day, which are two different things. Continuing to use harmful language gives a pass to other people who aren’t system-impacted, those without a connection to the criminal legal system,  to continue to dehumanize us, upholding existing biases. 

For those still indifferent to these labels, consider this: if navigating life post-incarceration has been smoother for you than others, recognize this as a privilege–a privilege not afforded to many Black system-impacted individuals. That’s why calling the current U.S. president “a felon” during the 2024 campaign trail did not deter voters who re-elected him for president. However, those attempts to discredit his ability to serve as president by way of dehumanizing language did further reinforce the stigma for others in the formerly incarcerated community, mainly Black people. These labels fuel the bias and prejudice that lock us out of just opportunities upon our return to society. Formerly incarcerated Black men and women face nearly double the unemployment rates compared to white people. Furthermore, formerly incarcerated Black people have more stagnant wages than our white counterparts, and experience homelessness at disproportionately higher rates too. 

I’m never going to tell anyone how to speak about their own experience, but we need to consider the collective impact of our words. The narrative we propagate publicly affects the larger movement towards justice and liberation. Your approach undermines the narrative change work that organizations like the AIRS Campaign, JustLeadership USA, and Fwd.US are doing on a national level, and the work of so many others on the local level. It subverts the movement work that language pioneers such as Eddie Ellis and torch carriers like myself have catalyzed in order to bring forth respect and humanity to those who are stigmatized because of their lived experience.

To be clear, the ultimate goal is to simply recognize us as people. In the meantime, you have to master separating your personal preference from what would benefit the majority of people who are impacted.

We should all move in the direction of using language that reflects our dignity, and shifts culture so that system-impacted people are recognized in our full humanity. 

Please take some time to reflect on this, and if you’re working through it, consider the impact of your words before speaking publicly. Are our words advancing the movement, or are they serving only our individual narratives? If you want to make a commitment to forging a cultural shift towards humanizing language, you can take the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network’s Person-First Pledge here.