criminal legal system Archives - Prism

color photograph of people holding flags with "people power" and anarchist symbols printed on them. underneath the flags in the background, a police officer walks out of a building towards the camera

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Indicting anarchism, inventing ‘terror’: From 1898 to Cop City

by William C. Anderson October 3rd, 2023October 3rd, 2023

State propaganda has long mischaracterized and scapegoated anarchism to maintain a violent status quo

color photograph of an outdoor protest against the police. people wear masks and hold signs with slogans like "care not cops" and "say their names until there are no more names"

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Non-carceral emergency response initiatives require a cultural shift

by Tamar Sarai October 2nd, 2023October 2nd, 2023

color photograph of an outdoor protest against police violence. a women in a dark grey fleece jacket holds up a black paper sign with white handwritten text that reads "american policing = state-sanctioned terrorism." other people in the mid-ground hold white signs with black printed text that reads "justice for tyre nichols jail killer cops" and "the people demand: end police terror"

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Cop City RICO indictment casts protesters as organized criminals

by Jocelyn James September 20th, 2023September 20th, 2023

color photograph of an incarcerated person wearing dark blue long pants and a light blue t-shirt with yellow text on the upper back that reads "DOC." they are leaned over using a flat shovel. small plants are spaced out in the foreground. they stand in front of a chain-link fence. two people walk in the background on the other side of the fence

Economy & Workers' Rights

86 cents for a day of work is a reality for most incarcerated people

by Tina Vásquez and Derek R. Trumbo, Sr. September 6th, 2023September 6th, 2023

color photograph of a Black man holding a white picket sign with handwritten text that reads "world leaders! reparations for slavery now!"

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Movements of hope: Abolition and reparations in these times

by Trevor Smith and David Ragland August 28th, 2023August 28th, 2023

color photograph of a man in an orange prison jumpsuit sitting behind bars reading a book

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Walking on eggshells: The abuse of power and authority in prisons

by Demetrius Buckley August 23rd, 2023August 23rd, 2023

color photograph of an outdoor protest. the tops of people's heads peek over the bottom edge of the frame. someone whose face is obscured holds a sign in the midground with text that reads "adults of sexual assault deserve justice #SupportSurvivors"

Crime, Reform & Abolition

New York offers a path to justice for incarcerated survivors

by Tamar Sarai August 22nd, 2023August 23rd, 2023

color photograph of a young girl in an orange jumpsuit with black text that reads "probation" across the shoulder blades. she sits next to a woman who is typing on a computer. they are visible through a partially opened doorway

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Advocates call for investment in community alternatives after closure of California’s Division of Juvenile Justice

by Montse Reyes August 14th, 2023August 14th, 2023

digital collage on an orange background of a young dark-skinned black person with shaved hair and a white collared shirt only visible at the collar. black scribbles around the top of the person's head

Crime, Reform & Abolition

Investigation reveals physical and sexual assault and alleged civil rights violations in Texas juvenile prisons

by Delicia A. Carmichael and Dajna Datral Brown August 9th, 2023August 10th, 2023

color photograph of an outdoor protest in New York City against Cop City in Atlanta. people wearing black and grey coats hold signs reading "Stop Kop City" and "Stop Environmental Racism"

Crime, Reform & Abolition

As petition deadline looms, Stop Cop City organizers win more time and volunteers

by Katherine Demby August 3rd, 2023August 3rd, 2023