About Helium
DEAN AND WILLS KAISER
Before we knew of mass incarceration, we witnessed its impact. We vividly remember watching our friend struggle with his father’s imprisonment and the subsequent struggles his family went through as his dad tried to reenter society as a formerly incarcerated man. Impacted by this experience, we knew we needed to help. In High School, we each began exploring different aspects of the flawed penal system’s history and its complex web of injustices. Researching recidivism’s socioeconomic impacts, we learned through Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow how the 13th Amendment’s incarceration clause financially incentivizes prisons to target minorities for minor offenses. In New York State, a whopping 90% of people affected by mandatory minimums are African Americans. Referencing Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and multiple congressional bills requiring mandatory minimums, we learned that American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) spoon-feeds bills to legislators that reinforce the prison industrial complex.
These factors, among other influences, provide the framework that guides Helium: There is Only One Direction, Up.
Our mission is to assist recently incarcerated individuals. Many times, they do not have access to attire for a job interview. Working is a crucial step to reentering society, and our goal is to provide work-appropriate clothing to help individuals make a solid first impression at a job interview. Additionally, at Helium, we are trying to raise awareness on the injustices of our world today. Please help our endeavors and consider sharing your time to help our mission. Of course, donations always accepted but our goal is to make a difference, not to raise money.