Don’t let the idea of abolition overwhelm you

By Joseph Capehart

The vision of abolition is a world without police and prisons. A world in which our communities are supported, equipped, and empowered to care for each other. It’s a vision rooted in the liberation of all people – making it a direct threat to institutions that depend on inequality to function.

But how do you rid the US of systems that are written into its DNA? How do you free an entire people from abusive relationships with the state when we’re still in abusive relationships with ourselves?

Abolition asks a lot of us. It asks us to not only imagine a better world, but to make it with our own hands. Abolition exposes and challenges us beyond our reliance on systems of punishment to solve our problems, raise our children, and build our communities.

Don’t let the idea of abolition overwhelm you

By Joseph Capehart