Can we keep each other safe - without prisons?
4 simple steps to fight the prison industrial complex for wary parents who aren't quite sure what 'industrial complex' even means
Hi friends!
We’re entering a mudslide into authoritarian fascism where the US regime is ramping up the imprisonment of undocumented immigrants, Black & Latinx people, LGBTQiA2S+ folks, disabled people, Muslims, and protestors.
None of this is new, but that doesn’t make it any less horrifying!
While powerful people can pay to protect themselves from policing and prisons, targeted people find that the things we do to survive are criminalized, and the threat of imprisonment is used to keep the rest of us fearful and silent.
The good news is that there are smart people who can teach us how to fight it.
We can create kind and courageous alternatives to policing and prisons. When we make mistakes, we can find support to recover. When we’re unfairly targeted by policing, we can create community responses.
Let’s help our kids explore alternatives to punishment - helping kids and communities abolish systems like the school-to-prison pipeline.
Prisons Must Fall
(Bookshop.org affiliate links below!)
Mariame Kaba’s latest children’s book, Prisons Must Fall tells the story of a young child imagining healing and restoration that comes from the dismantling of prisons. At least that’s what I’m getting from the description - it releases April 8th, so I haven’t had a chance to read it or test it with my kids. Without screening it I can’t add it to our toolkit - but I hope to soon!
I have, however, read Kaba’s children’s books Missing Daddy and See You Soon. Both aren’t exactly fun bedtime reads, but do validate children whose families have been ripped apart by prisons and policing.
I’m also a huge fan of Kaba’s books for adults such as No More Police and Let This Radicalize You. All of her work is thoughtfully detailed and written in clear, easy-to-understand text - so I have no reason to suspect this will be anything other than compassionate, accessible, and validating for the children most impacted by the US punishment system.
You can pre-order Prisons Must Fall while supporting local indie bookshops here. I also highly recommend Mariame’s monthly newsletter
. It is so thoughtfully crafted that it feels like you’re getting a warm letter from a very smart and loving pen pal.If all of this sounds like too much homework, remember that all you need to do next is the simplest step before you have to take on more.
And for you as an overwhelmed parent, that probably looks like clicking through to review the Prison Abolition Toolkit for kids. Or maybe subscribing to Mariame’s newsletter.
I believe in you, and I know you can handle this. Grab a children’s book to start this discussion with your kids, and then use the toolkit to choose your own adventure.
Coming up next
Oh gosh, daylight savings and springtime and my 12-year-old’s rapidly growing puppy feet are making me feel like time is at 6x speed!
I guess I’ll be back next week with updates from the Luminary Braintrust, deets about our no-pressure book club, and a new way to book a 1:1 session to navigate your latest parenting challenge.
Meanwhile, I’m finally catching up on episodes of Undistracted, a brilliant and witty podcast by policing abolitionist Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a co-founder of Campaign Zero and one of our 23 amazing-awesome supporters here on Substack (WHAT?!)
(I admit to panicking out at the idea that Brittany knows about my work. The sweats I sweated while frantically pacing, shouting - “OH NO! WHAT IF THIS VERY SMART WOMAN REALIZES I ACTUALLY AM NOT SMART!” which totally freaked out the kids and the cats.)
Luckily, Mariame Kaba has no idea that I exist, which leaves me with little risk that she will realize I am not smart. So, for now, my useless biodegradable deodorant is safe, and the cats can stay calm.
With you,
Ashia