Designers
Designers
Designers
Saccharine Citizens
A baking program empowering inmates and fueling community care in Chinatown.
Key Words
Designers
KameaLyn Sadeski
SUMMARY
My project began with a desire to bring community care and solidarity into the heart of Chinatown in the adversity of the proposed mega jail. I developed a baked goods program that reconnects inmates with the community by teaching baking skills, paying them for their labor, and using revenue to fund community resources. Through research, critiques, and resident conversations, I discovered how dignity, care, and solidarity can strengthen a community and create real, sustainable support.
challenge
Through my research, I learned how the proposed mega jail deepens existing fractures in Chinatown, widening the distance between policy decisions and the lived reality of residents. I saw how trust, cultural continuity, and emotional wellbeing are already strained, and how little long-term support is built into current systems, especially in Chinatown. Through this, I recognized space for programs grounded in care, solidarity, and shared benefit, approaches that can strengthen the community and challenge the harm brought by government.
Outcome
The project became a baked goods program that uses skill-building, paid labor, and community reinvestment to counter the harm created by the proposed mega jail. By centering care and solidarity, it offers an alternative to punitive systems while rebuilding trust and strengthening cultural and social support. The program creates a tangible link between inmates and the community, addressing gaps in long-term support, emotional wellbeing, and meaningful economic opportunity.
MEET THE Designers:
KameaLyn Sadeski