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“In all our work, we organize to build power and to stop the devastation that the reliance on prisons and policing has brought to our families, our communities, and ourselves.” – Letter from the Editors
Welcome to Issue 10 of The Abolitionist! We hope that this paper finds you in the best possible spirits and health. Th is edition focuses on some of the biggest challenges we face as a movement: US-led imperialist wars and their relationship to the PIC, corporate economic development, the repression and criminalization of immigrants, people of color, young people, and queer communities, California Propositions 6 and 9, and the widespread use of sensory deprivation units and supermax prisons. Several articles in this edition examine the far-reaching effects of isolation. From the use of gang injunctions and security threat management units against young people to the segregation of political prisoners, isolation is a key strategy in the repression of organization and resistance. These tactics flippantly violate international human rights treaties and have been codified in federal and state law and prison administrative processes.
What will it take to win prison industrial complex abolition? What are some victories, big and small from your life, inside prison walls and outside, from the history of this movement? What could a meaningful victory look like? Tell us about a strategy you found successful. Have you experienced/heard about any “false” victories, which seem like a positive step but might actually be something we’ll have to fight against down the road?
As always, we hope this paper awakens your freedom spirit, and we welcome any feedback.
Many thanks to all our contributors and translators!
Love and struggle