“Abolitionists work toward eliminating prisons and police, and building an alternate and varied set of political, economic, and social arrangements or institutions to respond to many of the social ills to which prison and police now respond. Importantly, abolitionists see their struggle as part of the unfinished work of transforming the afterlives of slavery in economic, political, and social life.”
— Teaching Penal Abolition, Amna Akbar
Mission Statement
We started this project in extraordinary times, when prison abolition has taken on a newfound shape and urgency.
Amplify
Firstly, we seek to amplify the voices of those most impacted by the criminal legal system through an interdisciplinary digital showcase. These exhibits will feature art by incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated artists, and will act as tools for retheorizing, as well as humanizing, our current punitive paradigm.
Organize
Secondly, we seek to draw attention to the ways in which activists, organizers, and lawyers are advocating for release, decarceration, and dignity. Since the world is unfolding into crisis, much of this digital material tracks, compiles, and explains official and grassroots responses to COVID-19, which has increasingly threatened the safety and well-being of incarcerated people. We will share guidelines for reforms and incorporate video contributions from scholars and advocates at the front lines of the abolitionist campaign.
Abolish
Thirdly, we seek to explore and publicize critical abolitionist thought, constructing a pedagogy for a world without prisons. Prison abolition is, as Ruth Wilson Gilmore aptly stated, “everything-est.” We invite op-ed writers, artists, students, and scholars to share their ideas, work, and research concerning the abolition of a carceral society. We hope to build the blueprints for a society without prisons: one that is safer, fairer, and more equal.