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The act of incarceration is a purposefully isolating act. The goal of putting someone into a cell is to remove them from society, giving them the time and space needed to think about what they have done. Isolation ostensibly becomes the first step towards rehabilitation.
Such a punitive approach to those convicted of a crime has led to many questionable outcomes—particularly when we look at the impact of incarceration on those living in America’s prisons and jails. But the removal of people from society also makes it easier for the rest of us to forget that such individuals and the facilities that hold them exist. Through this system of separation, we never have to really see or even think about the dehumanizing realities of incarceration in America.
Cell to Table, a storytelling experience that brings together live performance and food, seeks to shatter this sense of isolation by bringing people together for a shared meal. For Shannon Ross, the executive director of The Community—the Milwaukee-based non-profit behind the even—Cell to Table “allows the public to experience the need for criminal legal system reform through the lens of food and the powerful story of resilience, potential, and humanity it tells about system impacted people. Even those familiar with the carceral system haven’t heard it presented this way.”
Cell to Table is part of The Community’s Breaking Bread in the Day Room program, a series of food-related events that the organization created in 2024 with Shorewood’s Love Café. Throughout all its work, The Community strives to highlight the humanity of those impacted by the criminal justice system, a process that leads to “correcting the narrative” (a phrase the non-profit often uses to describe their efforts) on how returning citizens are perceived by society.
Such work is predicated on the ability to create places where honest conversations can happen, where people feel safe enough to talk about their trauma, their fear, and even their hope. Food is something that brings people together, as sharing a meal can be an incredibly intimate act. Cell to Table seeks to foster such an environment and, in the process provide the space – both physical and intellectual – for the creation of new relationships. Such relationships are crucial to challenging the isolation that defines the American carceral state.
Thankfully, the food itself is not an afterthought. Cell to Table will feature a carcerally-inspired four-course meal, prepared by local chefs Juniel Cabreza and Caitlin Cullen. The event will also feature appearances by Grammy-nominated poet Faylita Hicks and writer/food truck owner Haisan Williams. The presence of such talented chefs and artists is intentional and makes the point that while the meal will definitely touch upon some painful topics, there is still room for celebration and joy.
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Ultimately, Cell to Table is all about—in language offered by The Community—Crafting Community from Confinement.” Community is built on relationships, and relationships are built on transparency and trust. The American criminal justice system has purposefully obstructed the creation of all sorts of relationships, using the powerful tool of forced separation to sow mistrust of justice-impacted individuals. Breaking bread together can be the first step in repairing this broken system, one that emphasizes the shared humanity of all those at the table.
Cell to Table will take place at Colectivo Coffee (2211 N. Prospect Avenue) on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found at: Cell to Table Storytelling Dinner by The Community
