Try Think: About Abolition

Try Think: About Abolition

March 19, 3:30-5:00pm HST via Zoom (meeting link to be sent upon registration)

Registration Link

“Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to cages.” ― Angela Davis

In recent years, abolitionist movements have gained momentum; appearing in bold above the fold in newspapers around the country. “Defund the police” and “criminal justice reform” and “prison abolition” are phrases that have populated our timelines and news feeds, but what do these all mean? What do they entail?

Abolitionists believe that incarceration, in any form, harms society more than it helps, but it involves more than just closing prisons and letting our incarcerated community free. We invite you to take a dive into the world of prison abolition. Can it work? A realistic goal? Utopian ideal?

Come share your thoughts, questions, and perspectives at our Try Think community conversation taking place on Friday, March 19th from 3:30-5:00pm HST via Zoom. Register for this event via this link.

This event is presented in collaboration with our friends at the ACLU of Hawai’i.

Optional readings and resources to help inform our conversation:

What is Prison Abolition? – article from thenation.com

Is Prison Necessary? Ruth Wilson Gilmore Might Change Your Mind – feature in NYT Magazine

A Curated Collection of Links about Prison Abolition – The Marshall Project website

Abolition isn’t scary, it’s essential – Root Cause Remedies podcast episode