Abolishing the Prison-Industrial Complex
Our current historical moment demands a radical re-imagining of how we address various harms. The levers of power are currently in the hands of [people that are] openly hostile to the most marginalized in our society (Black people, Native people, the poor, LGBTQ people, immigrant communities and more).
Working towards a politics of abolition means dismantling all systems of power which continue to disenfranchise the most vulnerable in our society; abolition is for everyone in every way.
Learn more and take action:
- A Jailbreak of the Imagination: Seeing Prisons for What They Are and Demanding Transformation, (external link, opens in new window) Mariame Kaba & Kelly Hayes, Truthout
- Ruth Wilson Gilmore makes the case for abolition on the Intercepted podcast (external link)
- Check out the videos from the Breaking Down the Prison Industrial Complex Video Project (external link, opens in new window)
- Access many more resources on abolitionistfutures.com (external link, opens in new window)
I feel like a movement to end mass incarceration and replace it with a system that actually restores and protects communities will never succeed without abolitionists. Because people will make compromises and sacrifices, and they’ll lose the vision. They’ll start to think things are huge victories, when they’re tiny. And so, to me, abolition is essential.