MASS LIBERATION SCHOOL: WEEK 7 Abolitionist Structural Change vs Incremental Reform

Facilitator: Saudia Durrant, Abolitionist Law Center

“Abolitionist steps are about gaining ground in the constant effort to radically transform society. They are about chipping away at oppressive institutions rather than helping them live longer. They are about pushing critical consciousness, gaining more resources, building larger coalitions, and developing more skills for future campaigns. They are about making the ultimate goal of abolition more possible.” - Critical Resistance

We’ve arrived at Week 7! By now, we’ve learned about: the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) and how it shapes our culture and beliefs; the intersections of immigration policies, juvenile detention, and other forms of family separation; how the anti-violence movement fails to prevent violence against women and trans and queer folks; what it means to build accountable communities; and how we can use restorative and transofrmative justice to better respond to harm. 

Abolitionists believe that the PIC is brutal and dehumanizing at its core, while reformists believe that the brutal conditions of the PIC  are caused by a few bad actors and policies, that it can be improved if certain changes are made. This week, we are exploring this difference between abolitionism and reformism, unpacking the history of police and prison reform and grounding ourselves in what it means to develop campaigns that are truly on the path towards Mass Liberation. 

Helpful Resources:

• Big Dreams and Bold Steps Towards a Police-Free Future

• Power over Police 

• Video: “Don’t Reform Prisons, Abolish Them”

• Video: The Fallacy of Prison Reform

• #8toAbolition Platform 

• Critical Resistance Reform vs. Abolition Worksheet