ABSTRACT
Policing and prisons are held up as the only solution, the only ways to control problems and create safety. One positive way to talk about what people do is to challenge that idea by talking to people about what really makes our communities safe. Even in communities that are most affected by the prison industrial complex (PIC), people often still support policing and imprisonment and feel safer because of them. Sometimes it helps to talk about the limits people face coming home from prison and to show the consequences of people not having access to resources. Ask people to imagine what makes them feel safe and build a project or vision based on finding ways to create that safety. It sounds much better and it’s much more real to admit that abolition is a big goal. A helpful distinction to make is between abolitionism and reformism. In a very clear way, abolitionism and reformism differ in terms of ideals.
