[lbo-talk] Christian Parenti responds

[Marv Gandall]

Is there an organized abolitionist movement in the US - that is, does it
have a website? publications? national office? chapters? etc. - or is it
just an ideal subscribed to by some left-wing intellectuals?  I'm not
referring to organizations calling for prison reform but to organizations
calling for the outright abolition of imprisonment as proposed on this list.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt" <lbo4 at beyondzero.net>
To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Christian Parenti responds


> On Wed, Apr 08, 2009 at 07:23:18AM -0700, Chris Doss wrote:
>
>> Incidentally, did I say anything about wanting to preserve the "US
>> prison-industrial complex"? No, I did not. I said I wanted to
>> preserve incarceration.
>
> You invented a distinction between smart people like you who just want
> to lock up the psychopaths and crazy "abolitionists" who want think
> psychopaths should walk around harming people.
>
> The reason you are confused is that the latter group is just an
> invented strawman.
>
> I don't think I can write it more clearly than this: the abolitionist
> position is that the prison-industrial complex causes more harm than
> good (it literally creates more violent crime than it prevents) and we
> wish it to be done away with.  For the problems of addiction, poverty
> and racism, we wish to see social infrastructures in place that do not
> involve incarceration.  For the remaining problem of violent
> psychopaths, we wish to see a more humane infrastructure in place
> which prevents these people from harming others, in a way that does
> not involve incessant torture, and for which the institution is not
> part of industries using slave labor, or broad surveillance and
> repression.
>
> The alternative to the abolitionist position is that the
> prison-industrial complex is an appropriate way to deal with a myriad
> of social problems, albeit a deficient one that can be improved
> through reform.  This alternative presumes that if only the harmful
> aspects were trimmed from the system, it would do great good for
> society.
>
>
> Matt
>
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