In Our Peaceful Struggle — Anne C. Willett, 1976 How much longer must the residents (prisoners) of Women’s Correctional Center be held slaves of the state without any hope of release to freedom? We live in a capitalistic world wherein only the strong survive. For those of us who refuse to be stripped of our individuality, and who are bizarre and articulate...
On December 14, 2020, we were nine months deep in the pandemic. The bookstore was open by appointment only. The holiday season, normally our busiest time, was looking bleak. We hadn’t had a single appointment all day. The weather outside was cold and gray. I saw her peeking in the window. She asked if she could look around. I unlocked the door and noticed how...
In Texas, women’s incarceration rates have increased dramatically over the past few decades—over 1000 percent since 1980. Within that group, Black single women are the persons with categorically the highest likelihood of ending up incarcerated. Still, conversations about the harms incarceration causes have historically and largely been centered around men. For...
This story is published in pop justice, Scalawag’s newsletter exploring the intersection of popular culture and justice—namely through abolition. Sign up here. Imagine a prison where prisoners actually volunteer to serve their sentences. Somewhere with ocean views, decent, well-balanced meals, and a “respectful relationship” between jailer and the...
I’m down on Parchman farmI sho’ wanna go back homeI’m down on Parchman farmBut I sho’ wanna go back homeBut I hope some dayI will overcome — Bukka White, “Parchman Farm Blues” Built up in the wake of emancipation, Southern prisons went from being small institutions that primarily housed white people to large institutions...
Poisonedinside The devastating impact of environmental racism in prisons. by C. DREAMS June 23, 2023 ABOLITION WEEK In the United States, environmental racism refers to the ways in which marginalized communities, particularly communities of color, are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards such as pollution, toxic waste, and other forms of ecological...
In January 1990, the sun had yet to shine. Grandma Iftikar, then a 54-year-old woman, was standing in front of four fully-armed soldiers. Unafraid of getting shot in the head, she slapped one of them. They didn’t even bat an eye and kept walking. Helplessly, she stood there watching as they dragged a 20-year-old young man along with them. They took her beloved...