abolitionist stance of prisons
Catherine Giguère
5246389
Term Paper #3
Work submitted to
Professor Justin Piché
In the course Abolitionism and the Criminal Justice System (CRM 4302)
Department de Criminology
University of Ottawa
December 11th 2012
Many individuals believe that the criminal system and its institutions are flawed. These critiques have been brought on by the ineffectiveness of prisons to reform individuals, the ineptness of the system to reduce crime rates, the lack of focus on victims of crimes, as well as the racist, classist and sexist practices existing in these institutions. Therefore, we can ask ourselves if the elimination of the current penal system and the implementation of alternatives would better allow resolve of societal conflict? The following paper will explain why activist and scholars have rejected reliance upon the current penal system and it’s structures to put forth alternatives that they find will be more successful and less repressive. The first part of this paper will focus on key arguments that abolitionists have advanced for the abolition of prison. The second part will focus on arguments advanced by abolitionist for total penal and carceral abolitionism. The last part will focus on the strategies and alternatives that abolitionists have mobilized in their pursuit of prison, penal and carceral abolition. The main works used to support these arguments will be of Davis, Mathieson, Beauchesne, Kappeler, Dyches, Guanipa, Elliot, Morris, Montur-Angus and Beck.
To begin, activist and scholars have advanced in arguing for the abolition of prisons with three key arguments: First, prisons fail at general prevention of crimes, one of the main objectives the institution has set for itself; Second, this institution has failed at rehabilitating those who have been incarcerated; Third, this institution causes more harm than good with a multitude of collateral consequences. The works of Mathieson, Richie, Clear, Beauchesne and
5246389
Term Paper #3
Work submitted to
Professor Justin Piché
In the course Abolitionism and the Criminal Justice System (CRM 4302)
Department de Criminology
University of Ottawa
December 11th 2012
Many individuals believe that the criminal system and its institutions are flawed. These critiques have been brought on by the ineffectiveness of prisons to reform individuals, the ineptness of the system to reduce crime rates, the lack of focus on victims of crimes, as well as the racist, classist and sexist practices existing in these institutions. Therefore, we can ask ourselves if the elimination of the current penal system and the implementation of alternatives would better allow resolve of societal conflict? The following paper will explain why activist and scholars have rejected reliance upon the current penal system and it’s structures to put forth alternatives that they find will be more successful and less repressive. The first part of this paper will focus on key arguments that abolitionists have advanced for the abolition of prison. The second part will focus on arguments advanced by abolitionist for total penal and carceral abolitionism. The last part will focus on the strategies and alternatives that abolitionists have mobilized in their pursuit of prison, penal and carceral abolition. The main works used to support these arguments will be of Davis, Mathieson, Beauchesne, Kappeler, Dyches, Guanipa, Elliot, Morris, Montur-Angus and Beck.
To begin, activist and scholars have advanced in arguing for the abolition of prisons with three key arguments: First, prisons fail at general prevention of crimes, one of the main objectives the institution has set for itself; Second, this institution has failed at rehabilitating those who have been incarcerated; Third, this institution causes more harm than good with a multitude of collateral consequences. The works of Mathieson, Richie, Clear, Beauchesne and
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