SNKEZ

SNKEZ (sneak-ez) are designed to inspire alternative thinking, awareness, and consideration for a conscious shift in creation and consumption mentality. We reimagine classic styles and draw inspiration from biomaterials made from natural trees, plants, fruit waste, and lab-grown microorganisms, in order to replace animal-derived and harmful synthetic textiles.

As an outlet for human expression this pair of SNKEZ is inspired by the spoken word poetry of Young MG LV XIV, known as Marsaay Gray, songwriter. This record serves as the artistic vehicle to a transformation which will transcend the borders of enforced containment of the mind, body, soul and spirit.

Between 1980 and 2014, the United States incarceration rate increased by 220 percent, which can be linked to state and federal policy changes that enacted harsher sentencing rules.3 In 2016, there were approximately 2.16 million people incarcerated in state or federal prisons and local jails, and an additional 4.55 million individuals under community supervision (i.e., on probation or parole). 


Incarceration is a mechanism to punish criminal offenses,4 but it can affect the health and well-being of those currently incarcerated, those with a history of incarceration, and their families and communities.2,5

One study found that the imprisonment rate for Black adults was nearly 6 times the imprisonment rate for White adults and nearly double the rate for Hispanic adults.9 

When compared to the general population, men and women with a history of incarceration are in worse mental and physical health. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that, in 2011, 44 percent of people who are incarcerated had a mental health disorder.14 

100% of sales and royalties from this record will support an an artist currently incarcerated.

2 Dumont, D. M., Brockmann, B., Dickman, S., Alexander, N., & Rich, J. D. (2012). Public health and the epidemic of incarceration. Annual Review of Public Health, 33, 325339.

4 Kessler, D., & Levitt, S. D. (1999). Using sentence enhancements to distinguish between deterrence and incapacitation. Journal of Law and Economics, 42(1), 343363.

5 Clear, T. R. (2008). The effects of high imprisonment rates on communities. Crime and Justice, 37(1), 97132.

9 Gramlich, J. (2019). The gap between the number of blacks and whites in prison is shrinking. Pew Research Center. 

