On 22/10/2013, at 10:31 AM, "Carrol Cox" <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> When, some 4 or 5 years ago I suggested that a real left, when it came into
> existence, would (among other things) demand that the Prison System be
> abolished one responder said that such a demand would turn off 98% of the
> population. Well, most activists now _are_ close to demanding that, and I
> suspect that it would be attractive to about 5% of the population. Let's
> explore the idea of The 5%.
First of all, a political platform/manifesto needs to be grounded in material conditions or at the least explain how it relates to actual material conditions. The demand to abolish the prison system appears to violate that principle. It seems obvious to me why that is so, but perhaps I might briefly outline why I think so.
There is a prison system because there is a criminal justice system, there is a criminal justice system because our society is a class divided society, which provokes disorder and strife between people. I can't be bothered explaining it any better, sorry, it just seems silly to state the obvious.
My point is, to demand the abolition of the prison system in the context of the present material conditions is merely idealistic nonsense. Now sometimes an idealistic, but unrealistic, demand serves some propaganda purpose. But on the face of it, this one does not. An idealistic demand should be able to at least sketch a picture of an alternative society that is desirable, even if not immediately feasible. But this demand doesn't do that, because it puts the cart before the horse.
The hard fact is that, in the existing social conditions, the criminal justice system is a necessary thing, to maintain some semblance of order in the dog-eat-dog capitalist system. Otherwise we would revert to the law of the jungle. The demand to abolish the prison system merely sketches a picture of a society of disorder and chaos. Where the ruling class have an excuse for no longer maintaining any semblance of order.
Obviously that does not preclude demanding reforms to the prison system, the real obstacle to that is the US context is the distinctive american cultural phenomenon that demands overwhelming retribution. This is what has always driven the public support for over the top cruelty as part of the system there. That revenge culture seems unique to the USA at least in the English-speaking world. Not sure what is its source. Its a big obstacle to prison reform, but the solution is not patently unrealistic demands to abolish prison entirely before changing the things that have made prisons necessary.
Another problem is the trend to privatisation of prisons. Demanding an end to providing a profit motive to imprisoning people would be a definite go.
I might mention that I live in a country that was founded AS a prison. And a particularly barbaric prison at that. Maybe that has influenced cultural values here?
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas