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“Surviving within capitalism, U.S. imperialism, the PIC, and other systems of oppression takes a creativity, spirit, and will that can be found in all of us, even in what may seem to be insurmountable circumstances. The stories and perspectives found in this issue are but a mere sampling of the long legacies of resistance that connect so many of us.” – Letter from the Editors
Welcome to Issue 17 of The Abolitionist! In this issue we hope to continue the momentum we have built since the release of Issue 16, which focused on Life after the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC). We now look at some of the work that is happening to get us to that goal. It is crucial that, in addition to envisioning what our world could look like after the PIC, we familiarize ourselves with the work happening now to make it so. Challenging the social norms and barriers that exist between our loved ones and their communities, finding new ways to keep one another healthy and safe, and building up the world we want instead are all things that we will explore in this issue.
As you read through this issue you will hear from many of our allies–including organizers and former prisoners–but not enough from people that are currently imprisoned. As we work out the new structure for our paper and try these new themes and systems for receiving contributions, we would like to emphasize the importance of contributions from current prisoners. The next issue will be focused on surveillance and it is crucial that we hear the
political perspectives, analysis, and strategies of imprisoned people inside.
Many thanks to all our contributors and translators:
Diana Block, Kate Conway, Abdel-Alim Da’ana, Regina Diamond, Susana Draper, Juliet Fox, John “Mac” Gaskins, Rachel Herzing, Amelia Kirby, Manuel La Fontaine, Lala, Ben Lorber, Jalil Muntaqim, Isaac Ontiveros, Faith Phillips, Justin Piché, Sylvia Ryerson, Laura Whitehorn, Luigi Celentano, Susana Draper, Leah Furumo, Aries Jaramillo, Kentaro Kaneko, Alma Munoz, Lynne Purvis, Amy Smith, Gabriel Torres, Alfonso Tovar, Alia Trindle, and Benjamin Wood.
Love and struggle