Quakers have a long history of advocating for more humane prison conditions, in part stemming from their own experience of wrongful imprisonment. Given the prison complex's explosive growth as well as its inhumane, unjust, and deeply entrenched nature, are reform efforts enough? Are Friends ready to take the next step and call for the complete abolition of prisons?
What does prison abolition involve? Here are two articles that provide a good overview:
"Prison abolitionists argue that it is not enough to simply reform our current criminal justice system—that it must be completely dismantled and, in its place, society must invest in communities and address harm in other ways."
"The three pillars of abolitionism—or the 'Attrition Model' as the Prison Research Education Action Project called it in their 1976 pamphlet, 'Instead of Prisons: A Handbook for Abolitionists'—are: moratorium, decarceration, and excarceration."
You can learn more about the prison abolition movement at the links below:
http://abolishprisons.org/
http://criticalresistance.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_abolition_movement
UPDATE: Jane Stokes shared that this would not be an unprecedented move for Friends. In 1981, Canadian Yearly Meeting approved a minute in support of prison abolition. You can find that here.
UPDATE: The New York Times Magazine published an excellent profile of prison abolitionist Ruth Wilson Gilmore in April 2019 entitled, "Is Prison Necessary?" You can find that article here.
What does prison abolition involve? Here are two articles that provide a good overview:
"Prison abolitionists argue that it is not enough to simply reform our current criminal justice system—that it must be completely dismantled and, in its place, society must invest in communities and address harm in other ways."
"The three pillars of abolitionism—or the 'Attrition Model' as the Prison Research Education Action Project called it in their 1976 pamphlet, 'Instead of Prisons: A Handbook for Abolitionists'—are: moratorium, decarceration, and excarceration."
You can learn more about the prison abolition movement at the links below:
http://abolishprisons.org/
http://criticalresistance.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_abolition_movement
UPDATE: Jane Stokes shared that this would not be an unprecedented move for Friends. In 1981, Canadian Yearly Meeting approved a minute in support of prison abolition. You can find that here.
UPDATE: The New York Times Magazine published an excellent profile of prison abolitionist Ruth Wilson Gilmore in April 2019 entitled, "Is Prison Necessary?" You can find that article here.