We Do This ‘Til We Free Us

Praxis

Kaba provides much insight on what prison abolition looks like and what we can do to support the movement. This section will give you some questions to reflect upon alone or discuss with others to help you put these ideas into practice.

1. In part 1, Kaba covers 10 changes to make immediately while the fight for abolition continues. Is your community working to accomplish any of these steps? Which of these steps do you feel energized to support? Research how organizers in your community are working on accomplishing any of these ten changes. 

2. What kind of language do you use around prison abolition? Have you ever called the system broken? Challenge the way you use words when discussing prison abolition because words have power! 

3. What are some ways you can get involved in your community? Visit mutual aid sites to gain a better idea of the work being done in your local or greater community.

4. Visit Survived and Punished Letter Writing Campaign. Consider writing a letter to a criminalized survivor through the toolkits and tips. 

5. Watch this video and follow along with the study guide. Invite a friend or family member to watch the video with you and consider using the study guide as a way to start a discussion.

Resources for Further Reading: 

• Kushner, Rachel. “Is Prison Necessary? Ruth Wilson Gilmore Might Change Your Mind.” The New York Times. The New York Times, April 17, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/magazine/prison-abolition-ruth-wilson-gilmore.html. 

• Drake, Deborah H, and Scott, Davi. “Build Communities, Not Prisons.” Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, August 10, 2017. https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/resources/build-communities-not-prisons-0. 

• https://abolitionistfutures.com/full-reading-list

Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s book Change Everything: Racial Capitalism and the Case for Abolition https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1597-change-everything