Creating New Anchors: An Introduction to Prison Industrial Complex Abolition

This seminar will introduce and discuss prison abolition as both a long-term vision and a practical organizing strategy. We will explore the ways in which the criminal punishment system perpetuates a system of violence and fails to address harm and facilitate accountability. Local examples of abolitionist strategies and movements will be reviewed, and local activists/organizers will be brought in to discuss their daily work and how it upholds the tenets of abolition. The connections between abolitionist values and the values and ethics of the social work profession will also be examined.