On Aug. 18, 1971—just over 50 years ago—First Lady Pat Nixon visited Border Field State Park in San Diego, California to inaugurate the site. Being bothered by the cables separating the United States and Mexico, she remarked, “I hope there won’t be a fence too long here.” 

She crossed into Mexico to greet the audience that had gathered in Tijuana, at the western edge of the U.S.-Mexico border. This location within Border Field State Park became known as Friendship Park.

Incarceration doesn’t keep us safe, and yet the U.S. wastes over $80 billion each year to keep more than 2 million people behind bars. The movements to defund the police and abolish prisons have challenged many people to think about justice in new ways – including those who are understandably concerned about reducing violence and holding people who commit violent acts accountable.