Behind prison walls, incarcerated men organize basketball event for youth impacted by incarceration

The Justice 4 Us basketball tournament brought youth and families impacted by incarceration together at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

The event was organized by the Wrongly Incarcerated Family Council (WIFC)  and men incarcerated in the Minnesota Department of Corrections Earned Living Units (ELUs) in Stillwater. Organizers said the event was created to support young people and show them they have a community behind them.

“We actually done these events three years in a row to like help youth and let them know that they have people here that support them,” said Nakisha Armstrong with the Wrongly Incarcerated Family Council.

The tournament included five-on-five games, backpack giveaways and food.

“Mostly everybody here are family members of people who’s incarcerated,” said Nicholas Hallanger with the event.

Armstrong said the event was designed to give young people a sense of stability and encouragement. <...