Abolition (CRIM20011)

While First Nations people have been resisting and fighting for transformative change of Australian carceral systems for decades, in 2020 these demands were given renewed attention following the state-sanctioned killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the United States. Engaging with interdisciplinary material that provides critical perspectives on systems of imprisonment, surveillance and policing, this subject offers students an introduction to carceral abolition. In doing so we examine contemporary debates surrounding approaches to reforming Australia’s carceral systems, and consider grassroots social movements, which build pressure for change and advocate for alternative non-carceral responses to harm and violence. Grounded in materials that centre First Nations sovereignty and abolitionist praxis, this subject will introduce students to several guest speakers who are doing abolitionist work in the community.