Prison reform and the abolition movement are hot topics these days for obvious reasons.
Here are five articles that capture some of the important points reformers and activists are making. We’ve also included a few additional resources for those interested in learning more on the issues with our current incarceration system.
- Prison Reform and Alternatives to Imprisonment
“A sentence of imprisonment constitutes only a deprivation of the basic right to liberty. It does not entail the restriction of other human rights” - We Don’t Need Prisons to Make Us Safer
“So when confronted with the statement that prisons provide safety, we should ask, ‘Safety for whom? And from what?'” - How Would Prison Abolition Actually Work?
“The prison-industrial complex isn’t broken. It’s doing exactly what it’s meant to do.” - How Transformative Justice Responds to Violence Without the Carceral System
“People wonder how society would hold people who commit violence accountable for their actions, and in particular, use sexual violence as an example.One way abolitionists have confronted these questions is through the development of Transformative Justice (TJ) processes.” - Why Police Reform is Not Enough
“The focus on reforms like improved training doesn’t solve racially biased policing. That’s because of the nature of policing itself.”
Some Additional Resources
- What The U.S. Can Learn From Prison Reform Efforts Throughout The World
- DefundPolice.org
- TransformHarm.org
- What Is Prison Abolition?
- Police and Prison Abolition 101: A Syllabus and FAQ
- UUA Handbook: Alternatives to Calling the Police
- CriticalResistance.org
