Are Prisons Obsolete?

By: Angela Y. Davis

Narrated by: Angela Y. Davis

With her characteristic brilliance, grace, and radical audacity, Angela Y. Davis has put the case for the latest abolition movement in American life: the abolition of the prison. As she quite correctly notes, American life is replete with abolition movements, and when they were engaged in these struggles, their chances of success seemed almost unthinkable. For generations of Americans, the abolition of slavery was sheerest illusion. Similarly, the entrenched system of racial segregation seemed to last forever, and generations lived in the midst of the practice, with few predicting its passage from custom. The brutal, exploitative (dare one say lucrative?) convict-lease system that succeeded formal slavery reaped millions to southern jurisdictions (and untold miseries for tens of thousands of men, and women). Few predicted its passing from the American penal landscape. Davis expertly argues how social movements transformed these social, political, and cultural institutions, and made such practices untenable.

In Are Prisons Obsolete?, Professor Davis seeks to illustrate that the time for the prison is approaching an end. She argues forthrightly for "decarceration," and argues for the transformation of the society as a whole.

©2003 Angela Y. Davis (P)2022 Tantor

An Intersectional Feminist Approach to Abolition of the Prison Industrial Complex

While I was familiar with some elements of prison abolition, the stories, testimonies, analyses of data and critiques of co-opted movements added much-needed context. Additionally, the propositions for alternative structures of decarceration provided at the end of this book equipped me with the proper framework to engage in critical theoretical and material discussion of prison abolition as opposed to reform.

Deeply important

And incredible and transformational way of looking at our own humanities and a call to action for all of us to get curious about the ways in which we show up for one another and the ways in which we look at justice or so we currently call it but it doesn’t seem to resemble justice at all

Buying the paperback now too

Dr Angela Y Davis’ words are powerful, pointant, and relevant to today for the work that needs to be done/reimagined within prisons, education and overall restorative justice.

Such an important read!

As a white woman, Angela’s books have helped me learn so much. This book is especially important. In order to understand the prison industrial complex, we must understand the history of incarceration, racial justice and true rehabilitation. As Angela says, prison doesn’t disappear social problems, it disappears human beings. There is a better way to look at and treat “crime”.

Excellent. What we need to move towards.

This is what we need to move towards as a society world wide. Highly recommended.

Deconstructing for Me

I could not recommend this more to folks who believe police are the end all.

Phenomenal

I’ve always felt deeply that prisons and how we understand policing today to be obsolete and unfit for purpose. This incredible body of work tackles impeccably this point and assists for the purposes of reframing the incredible injustice that is the prison industry in America - and beyond.

Thought Provoking

A radically thought provoking work - whether you agree or not with her conclusion, her premise and the detailed research that went into it is carefully considered and explained. I really enjoyed listening to this book!

though I originally thought her reading was a little slow, I came to appreciate her cadence, which allowed me to listen carefully and think through what she was saying.

Should be required in every American history curriculum across the globe.

Should be required American history curriculum in every place it is taught. Shocking that this history is being denied by those in power who profit from our ignorance. Bravo Angela Davis.

Angela Davis is always worth a listen

If you are curious or wary by the question this title poses. Sample it. Try a listen. If you aren’t convinced, you will at least know a great deal more about the history of our prison system. And what part Quakers played.

Personally, I’ve never regretted listening to Angela Davis and I doubt anyone still reading my review will.

Give it a try.