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“Placing the PIC at the center of the way that we think about capitalism troubles the lie at the heart of capitalist ideology—the notion capitalism has given rise to freedom and democracy around the world. In response, The Abolitionist ask: freedom for whom? Which world?” – Letter from the Editors
Welcome to Issue 23 of The Abolitionist!
At Critical Resistance we see the prison industrial complex (PIC) as a system of violence that works to manage, defend, and extend social economic, and gender inequity–as well as inhibiting the self-determination of the peoples it targets. We see abolition as framework for us to not only undermine the nature and logic of the PIC, but to also expand our political horizons.
The prison system is inextricably linked to the extraction of resources from our most vulnerable communities, so in our struggles we must ask who stands to benefit from policing and prisons. Doing so reminds us that our struggle against the PIC is also a fight against the social, political, and economic mechanisms that perpetuate the PIC. Through this work we undermine the ability for people, corporations, and governments to financially, socially, and politically benefit from a system of policing and punishment.
In this issue of The Abolitionist, we are excited to explore the manifestations of global capitalism and expose their relationships to the PIC. The written pieces and artwork in this issue expand our analysis of the “industry” of prisons and punishment, illuminating historical and present day struggles to challenge these important issues.
Many thanks to all our contributors and translators:
This issues features art and written contributions from a diverse array of powerful and though-provoking contributors, including: Timothy J. Muise, Naomi Polina, Beehive Design Collective, Julie de Dardel, Breonne Dedecker, Larry James Derossett, Nidal El-Khairy, Craig Gilmore, Eve Goldberg, Ronnie Goodman, Rachel Herzing, James Kilgore, and Bruce Reilly.
Love and struggle