this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2025
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Abolition of police and prisons

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Abolish is to flourish! Against the prison industrial complex and for transformative justice.

See Critical Resistance's definitions below:

The Prison Industrial Complex

The prison industrial complex (PIC) is a term we use to describe the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social and political problems.

Through its reach and impact, the PIC helps and maintains the authority of people who get their power through racial, economic and other privileges. There are many ways this power is collected and maintained through the PIC, including creating mass media images that keep alive stereotypes of people of color, poor people, queer people, immigrants, youth, and other oppressed communities as criminal, delinquent, or deviant. This power is also maintained by earning huge profits for private companies that deal with prisons and police forces; helping earn political gains for "tough on crime" politicians; increasing the influence of prison guard and police unions; and eliminating social and political dissent by oppressed communities that make demands for self-determination and reorganization of power in the US.

Abolition

PIC abolition is a political vision with the goal of eliminating imprisonment, policing, and surveillance and creating lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment.

From where we are now, sometimes we can't really imagine what abolition is going to look like. Abolition isn't just about getting rid of buildings full of cages. It's also about undoing the society we live in because the PIC both feeds on and maintains oppression and inequalities through punishment, violence, and controls millions of people. Because the PIC is not an isolated system, abolition is a broad strategy. An abolitionist vision means that we must build models today that can represent how we want to live in the future. It means developing practical strategies for taking small steps that move us toward making our dreams real and that lead us all to believe that things really could be different. It means living this vision in our daily lives.

Abolition is both a practical organizing tool and a long-term goal.

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[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 128 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The erasure of how people keep and style their hair is a part of every genocide. They come up with ways to justify it every time, excuses for why it's necessary. But the real point is to erase a person's identity and their connection to their culture.

I grew up being told that my indigenous hairstyles were against dress code or were inappropriate. Wasnt till high school that I put my foot down and refused to shave my Mohawk.

[–] locolangosta@lemm.ee 30 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They do this in US prisons as well, for that very same reason.

[–] mutual_ayed@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Source? I never had "hygeine" or grooming requirements in prison. I did in the Marines though.

Edit: It seems the shitty state prisons require it for "lice"....

https://www.grunge.com/1221963/why-some-inmates-have-to-shave-their-heads-before-entering-prison/

[–] quercus@slrpnk.net 23 points 3 months ago

60 minutes interviewed the photojournalist Philip Holsinger. He says as much when discussing the pictures of them bound, shaved and wearing all white.

[–] FriendlyBeagleDog@lemmy.blahaj.zone 120 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Genuinely so disturbing that people are cheering this on, both in general and in the context of these folks being just regular people.

[–] reallykindasorta@slrpnk.net 38 points 3 months ago

It’s also sad this happened in El Salvador. Trading individual rights for broad sweeps based on stereotypes and vibes is NOT an acceptable practice for either country.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

USA is a fascist genocidal empire. Yeah it's disturbing. But what else do you expect?

[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 58 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm sure if you asked a holocaust survivor what the procedure for entering Dachau or Auschwitz was like it would be very similar.

[–] SlowBurn@slrpnk.net 7 points 3 months ago

Unsurprising, since CECOT isn't like a concentration camp, it is a concentration camp.

[–] Ruigaard@slrpnk.net 18 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Just curious, but why is there a camera/photographer there at that moment? I this to show how tough the "criminals" are treated?

[–] Spawn7586@lemmy.world 16 points 3 months ago

Yep, it was a PR stunt to show how tough they are to "criminals".

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 11 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

The sad thing is for a moment I couldn't tell if this was an old photo or something that just happened.......

Edit: Ohh fuck that's not an old photo? I hate reality.

[–] Guns0rWeD13@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

if i were a revolutionary that wanted to fight this new fascism, i would be identifying and eliminating key figures in this chain of command between the top and the bottom. sever the links. that would be much more effective than large scale protests.

[–] Wilco@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago

Do the research, name the names and people could create the modded servers so it could start being done.

In Minecraft.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Well at least MAGA saved us from this guy, right? I feel so much safer and freer knowing this guy's job is now open for some young woman who didn't like school.

[–] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Putting down people who want to be ~~hair stylists~~ makeup artists isn't the answer here.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The guy's a makeup artist, but you have a point.

[–] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 months ago

There is no way my brain is firing on all cylinders today.... Going to fix that, thanks

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Is he someone Trump deported? All the title says is that he's in an El Salvador prison and even that isn't cited.

Edit: Found an article. Yes, Trump deported him.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuelan-migrants-deportations-el-salvador-prison-60-minutes/

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Good question, and +1 for looking up the answer yourself. Just googling his name clears it up.